After Gethsemane
LHCP Sunday Morning Sermon - “After Gethsemane”
The sermon examines Matthew 26:57–75, focusing on Jesus’ religious trial before the Sanhedrin and Peter’s denial. Jesus faced false accusations, remained silent, and affirmed His divine identity, enduring abuse as the council condemned Him for blasphemy. The Sanhedrin is depicted as wicked, plotting, lying, proud, and brutal. Peter, following at a distance, denied Jesus three times under pressure, fulfilling Jesus’ prediction, and wept bitterly in remorse. The lecture highlights Jesus’ suffering as atonement for humanity’s sins, bearing God’s wrath to reconcile people to God. Peter’s restoration after Jesus’ resurrection, empowered by the Holy Spirit, transformed him into a bold apostle, as seen in 1 Peter. The sermon calls believers to grieve their sins, repent, and receive forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice, urging faithfulness to Jesus to avoid denial and to embrace eternal life, joy, and purpose. Key themes include atonement, repentance, forgiveness, and the call to boldly follow Christ despite challenges.
Expand here for the scripture passage
Matthew 26:57 Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. 58 And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. 59 Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’” 62 And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” 67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?” 69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
ESV: The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ©2011 Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
An Essay about this Sermon
The Distance Between
When Peter followed Jesus at a distance, he probably thought it was the safest way to stay loyal. Not too close to be caught. Not too far to be indifferent. Just close enough to see what would happen. That’s the kind of distance most of us try to keep when something costly is happening to someone we love. You don’t want to be a coward, but you don’t want to lose everything either. And you hope, somehow, that watching from a distance still counts as being faithful.
But it doesn’t. And Peter found that out the hard way.
It’s one of the most honest stories in the Bible. Peter—loud, loyal, always first to speak—follows Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard and watches the trial unfold. He sees the whole thing. The lies. The setup. The spit. The slaps. The silence. Jesus doesn’t defend Himself, and Peter doesn’t defend Him either. He just watches. And when a servant girl says, “You were with Him,” Peter says what any of us might say if we were afraid. “I don’t know what you mean.”
And just like that, Peter becomes what he feared. Not a hero, but a traitor.
The strange thing is, none of it surprises Jesus. He said it would happen. That’s what finally hits Peter—after the rooster crows, after the curse, after he’s yelled for everyone to hear that he doesn’t even know the man. Then he remembers. Jesus had said all of this. And Peter had insisted, “I’ll never deny you.” But here he is. Not in a battle. Not in a courtroom. Just in a courtyard, lying to a couple of servant girls. And he breaks.
There’s something terrible about realizing you’ve done the very thing you swore you’d never do. But there’s also something clarifying. No more pretending. No more heroic speeches. Just bitter tears and a ruined idea of who you thought you were.
That’s where grace begins.
Because this wasn’t the end of Peter’s story. It wasn’t even close. If the story ended in that courtyard, it would just be a tragedy. But Jesus wasn’t finished with Peter. He didn’t cancel him or replace him. He rose from the dead, found Peter on a beach, and asked him one simple question: “Do you love me?”
Peter had denied Jesus three times. So Jesus asked three times. Not to rub it in, but to heal it. And every time Peter said yes, Jesus gave him something to do. “Feed my sheep.” That’s the part we miss. Forgiveness isn’t just about being let off the hook. It’s about being brought back into the mission. Jesus didn’t just forgive Peter. He re-enlisted him.
That’s what real repentance does. It doesn’t just feel bad. It leads somewhere. The same Peter who denied Jesus became the one who stood up in Jerusalem and preached that Jesus was Lord. The same man who couldn’t face a servant girl wrote letters that would strengthen the whole church.
The worst moment in Peter’s life became the doorway into a new one. That’s how grace works. It finds you in the courtyard and leads you to the cross. And then it leads you past the cross, to something even harder to believe: a second chance. A life not built on your promises to Jesus, but on His promises to you.
Peter wept bitterly. But he also walked again—this time not at a distance.
And that’s the point. The distance never saves you. It only delays the fall. But once you’ve fallen, and grieved it, and turned back, you realize that Jesus wasn’t asking for your perfection. Just your heart. Just your love.
And if you still love Him, even after everything, He’ll give you something to do.
Sermon Summary
The sermon delves into the account of Jesus’ trial before the chief priests and the denial of Jesus by Peter. It explores the themes of betrayal, denial, repentance, and forgiveness. The narrative follows Peter’s actions as he witnesses Jesus’ trial from a distance, denies knowing Him three times, and later experiences deep sorrow and repentance. The sermon emphasizes the contrast between the wickedness of the religious council and the righteousness of Jesus, highlighting the ultimate forgiveness and restoration offered by Christ.
Key Points
- Jesus faces a religious trial before the chief priests and elders in Jerusalem.
- Peter follows at a distance and denies knowing Jesus three times.
- The council seeks false witnesses against Jesus, leading to His condemnation and mistreatment.
- Peter’s denial reflects fear and failure, but ultimately leads to repentance and restoration.
Bible Verses Mentioned
- Matthew 26:57-75
Humor and Anecdotes
- No specific humor or anecdotes were shared in the sermon.
Key Quotes
- “Christ suffered for you so that you might follow in His steps.”
- “By His wounds you’ve been healed.”
- “He bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”
Themes
- Betrayal and Denial: Peter’s denial of Jesus contrasts with Jesus’ steadfastness in the face of false accusations.
- Repentance and Forgiveness: Peter’s sorrow leads to repentance, reflecting the transformative power of Christ’s forgiveness.
- Witnessing Injustice: The narrative highlights the injustice faced by Jesus at the hands of a wicked council.
- Redemption and Restoration: Despite Peter’s denial, he experiences restoration through Christ’s forgiveness and commission to serve.
Discussion Questions
- How does Peter’s denial of Jesus resonate with moments of fear or failure in your own life? How can repentance lead to restoration?
- In what ways do you see parallels between the actions of the religious council in Jesus’ trial and injustices present in society today?
- Reflect on the concept of forgiveness and restoration in light of Peter’s journey from denial to leadership in the early Church. How does this narrative inspire hope for personal transformation?
Metaphors and Stories
- The trial before the chief priests serves as a metaphor for the clash between righteousness and wickedness, with Jesus embodying unwavering truth amidst false accusations.
- Peter’s denial symbolizes human frailty and the struggle between faithfulness and fear, ultimately leading to a profound moment of repentance and reconciliation.
This sermon intricately explores the complexities of human nature, faith, and redemption through the lens of Peter’s denial and subsequent restoration in the context of Jesus’ trial. It invites reflection on personal responses to challenges, the power of repentance, and the enduring grace of Christ in times of weakness.