1. (66-72) The Failure of Peter
1.1. (54) Setting for Peters Trial
1.1.1. Mark 14:54 (ESV) — 54 And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire.
1.1.2. at a distance
1.1.2.1. His distance is a forshadow of his denial.
1.1.2.2. Hard to live life that way!!!
1.2. PARALEL
1.2.1. Mark 14:54 (ESV) — 54 And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire.
1.2.2. Mark 14:66 (ESV) — 66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came,
1.2.3. Introduced in 54 as a way to show that while Jesus was on his trial, this was happening, the trial of peter
1.2.3.1. While Jesus undergoes interrogation, Peter waits outside in the courtyard. 16 Jesus’ examination is his final and climactic encounter with the hostile authorities. He openly acknowledges his identity (14: 61– 62), which results in his condemnation, mockery, and beating. The scene then shifts back to Peter, Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (pp. 565-566). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
1.3. Witnesses and Peter confession (66-71)
1.3.1. So we see that Peter fails 3 times
1.3.1.1. Important cause
1.3.1.1.1. 3 times did not get Jesus say what will happen
1.3.1.1.2. 3 times fell asleep
1.3.1.1.3. Predicted by Jesus
1.3.1.2. Peters 3 denials matches his failure to stay and watch 3 times in the garden
1.3.1.2.1. That was his chance, like Jesus, to catch the father's heart. To wrestle.
1.3.1.2.2. As is often, the victory or failure we have in the quiet moments before God will be the victory or failure we play out in the loud course of life
1.3.1.2.3. So Peter's failure to watch is an example lived out of what Jesus kept saying about persecution in Mark 13
1.3.2. So we see the denials grow in extent
1.3.2.1. #1
1.3.2.1.1. Mark 14:67–68 (ESV) — 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed.
1.3.2.2. #2
1.3.2.2.1. Mark 14:69–70 (ESV) — 69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. ...
1.3.2.3. #3
1.3.2.3.1. Mark 14:70–71 (ESV) — 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.”
1.3.3. Schweizer says, Peter's temptation came in a very unimpressive and incidental way. It was not the appropriate situation for confessing one's faith. The question he was asked did not really concern his faith at all.... Furthermore, there was no reason for him to vindicate himself publicly. Ben Witherington III. The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Kindle Locations 5783-5785). Kindle Edition.
1.3.3.1. SO OFTEN IN OUR LIVES!!!
1.4. SiCondemnation of Peter (72a)
1.4.1. Mark 14:72 (ESV) — 72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”...
1.4.1.1. Things happen exactly as Jesus said that they would: Peter would deny him three times before the rooster crowed twice. Mark now tells us that the rooster crowed a second time. 18 That implies that the first crowing gave Peter early warning, yet he persisted in his denial of Jesus.
1.4.1.2. Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 567). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
1.4.1.3. The rooster fits perfectly Peter’s cocky boastfulness in 14: 29, but it is the crowing of the rooster that snaps him to awareness of what he has just done. This belongs to a common biblical theme, where human beings are rebuked by the so-called lower creation (see Balaam’s ass and Jonah’s worm). Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 568). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
1.4.2. Lots of questions
1.4.2.1. Why was peter not arrested?
1.4.2.2. How did he escape?
1.4.2.3. What did he do next?
1.4.2.4. He just drops out of the story in mark
1.4.3. The point here is not a play by play vision of peter, but it is to contrast Peter with jesus
1.5. Punishmnet of Peter (72b)
1.5.1. Mark 14:72 (ESV) — ... And he broke down and wept.
1.5.2. What does this mean?
1.5.2.1. broke down - "to throw over" (NIV) - to cast upon" (NRSV)
1.5.2.2. “he dashed outside” (see Matt. 26: 75; Luke 22: 62).
1.5.3. What was Marks intention?
1.5.3.1. When Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ (Mark 8: 29), Jesus admonished his disciples, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels” (8: 38). Billows of shame now wash over Peter because he was ashamed to be associated with Jesus. Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 568). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
1.5.4. How does this compare to jesus in his trial?
1.5.5. 3
1.6. Comparison to Jesus
1.6.1. While Jesus is under fire, Peter is warming himself by the fire
1.6.2. While Jesus is confesses the truth under immense pressure for his life, Peter denies the truth under the gentlest pressure
1.6.3. While Jesus gives himself peter saves himself
1.6.4. Before Jesus, the high priest will rend his garments. PEter rends his heart
1.6.5. Peter's swearing against Jesus is a biting contrast to Jesus' oath for his divine Sonship. Edwards Jr., James R.. The Gospel according to Mark (The Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC)) (Kindle Locations 8002-8003). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2. (55-65) The confession of Jesus
2.1. (53) - Setting for Jesus Trial
2.1.1. Mark 14:53 (ESV) — 53 And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together.
2.1.2. at night
2.1.2.1. A hearing in the middle of the night suggests the kangaroo justice of a lynch mob dressed in hooded sheets, but it also shows that these leaders are under time constraints. Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 559). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.1.3. why this trial?
2.1.3.1. These proceedings form a preparatory investigation before the Sanhedrin delivers Jesus to the Roman governor for final deliberation. Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 559). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.1.3.2. They had to present a good case to Pilate (John 18:31)
2.1.4. semi-formal process, which according to the Mishnah should have taken place in the Temple, and during the day—not, as in the accounts before us, in the High Priest’s house at night. Wright, N. T.; Wright, N. T.. Jesus Victory of God V2: Christian Origins And The Question Of God (Kindle Locations 10539-10541). Fortress Press. Kindle Edition.
2.2. False Witnesses (55-59)
2.2.1. Mark 14:55 (ESV) — 55 Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none.
2.2.1.1. This is their pattern all throughout Mark
2.2.1.1.1. “looking for a way to kill him” (11: 18),
2.2.1.1.2. “for a way to arrest him” (12: 12),
2.2.1.1.3. Mark 12:12 (ESV) — 12 And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.
2.2.1.1.4. and “for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him” (14: 1).
2.2.1.1.5. Now that they have arrested him, they “are looking for evidence against Jesus” (14: 55)
2.2.1.2. The law allowed condmentation with only 2 or more witnesses
2.2.1.2.1. (Num. 35: 30; Deut. 17: 6; 19: 15– 21;
2.2.1.3. High preiest
2.2.1.3.1. Following his arrest, Jesus is taken immediately to the high priest, whom John 18: 13-14 identifies as Caiaphas, the high priest who presided over the Sanhedrin from A.D. 18 to 36, and the son-in-law of the powerful high priest, Annas. Edwards Jr., James R.. The Gospel according to Mark (The Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC)) (Kindle Locations 7854-7855). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2.2.1.4. whoel council
2.2.1.4.1. around cause they rejected romans
2.2.1.4.2. This supreme indigenous tribunal mediated between the Jewish populace and Roman occupation, and possessed freedom of jurisdiction in religious matters and partial freedom in political matters, though it is doubtful whether it possessed the right of capital punishment Edwards Jr., James R.. The Gospel according to Mark (The Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC)) (Kindle Locations 7867-7869). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2.2.2. Mark 14:56 (ESV) — 56 For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree.
2.2.2.1. False witness
2.2.2.1.1. Not true. Saying things that wre not true
2.2.2.2. Testified by "testimony did not agree"
2.2.3. Mark 14:57–58 (ESV) — 57 And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’ ”
2.2.3.1. This might be because there was some understanding that Messiah would build a new temple. This does make sense of teh high priests follow up question
2.2.3.1.1. 2 Samuel 7:13 (ESV) — 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
2.2.3.2. Remember, what this means - Jesus is putting himself, not the temple, not the nation, not the city, not the country and location, as the center of Yaweh worship.
2.2.3.3. FALSE
2.2.3.3.1. because Jesus did not say "he will destroy the temple." He said "if this temple is destroyed" (John 2), and in Mark 13 - he simply said it would be destroyed
2.2.3.3.2. So they are trying to pin it on Jesus as a zealot, an aggressor.
2.2.4. Mark 14:59 (ESV) — 59 Yet even about this their testimony did not agree.
2.2.4.1. We are not told what about this did not agree.
2.2.4.1.1. Maybe some said - he said it and other said no...
2.2.4.1.2. Maybe some said - I think he was talking figuratively and others said, no ... no .. he's violent .. LOOK AT THE CLEANSING!
2.2.5. MAIN POINT
2.2.5.1. They are liars and marks readers knows it. It's folly!
2.2.5.1.1. They are unable to produce two witnesses thus they cannot condemn Jesus according to the Law.
2.3. Because they can't produce witnesses that agree, they seek to draw him out
2.3.1. Mark 14:60 (ESV) — 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”
2.3.2. The silence of Jesus
2.3.2.1. Jesus is silent here. he does not defend himself!
2.3.2.2. Psalm 38:12–15 (ESV) — 12 Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long. 13 But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. 14 I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. 15 But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
2.3.2.3. Isaiah 53:7 (ESV) — 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
2.3.3. The silence of Jesus forces them to ask more questions
2.3.3.1. Mark 14:60–61 (ESV) — 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 61 But he remained silent and made no answer...
2.3.3.2. Strategic - anything he says will be used against him
2.3.3.3. But more - he is resolved and will only testify what he wants (as we will see)
2.3.3.4. Similar to Pilate, and Herod
2.3.3.5. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. (Isa 53: 7) Edwards Jr., James R.. The Gospel according to Mark (The Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC)) (Kindle Locations 7917-7919). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2.4. The question of Him Being the Christ
2.4.1. Mark 14:61 (ESV) — 61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”
2.4.2. The question is one to trap him, not honestly seek after him
2.4.2.1. Not for seeking reasons as they are seeking to trap him
2.4.2.1.1. There are many reasons someone seeks Christ. Not all of them are saving reasons.
2.4.2.2. Mark 3:2 (ESV) — 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.
2.4.2.3. Mark 14:1 (ESV) — 1 It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him,
2.4.3. Temple and messiah issues
2.4.3.1. at trial, about the temple (14:57058) and Messiah (61-62)
2.4.3.2. At cross, the taunt is about temple (15:29-30) and messiah (15:32)
2.4.3.3. At his death, the temple veil is torn (15:38) and the roman centurion confesses (15:39)
2.4.4. The two most chrstiological confessions in Mark come from this priest and the roman centurion
2.4.5. Even though David had been called “son of the Blessed One” and other kings had been called “son of the Blessed One” and the messiah was being called “the son of the Blessed One,” that doesn’t connote divinity. When David is called “the son of God,” it denotes closeness to God and the favor of God, not divinity. So the high priest when he asked Jesus, “Are you the Christ?” was not saying, “Are you the son of God?” in the sense of a real son of God. He just said, “Are you the messiah we’re expecting?” Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
2.4.6. Third, the implicit relationship between a Messiah and a High Priest is unclear, but Jesus’ claim was probably threatening. The High Priest was also ‘anointed’; he had authority over the Temple; some of the Hasmonean High Priests had also been kings. Caiaphas’ question must therefore be heard as inviting Jesus to a direct confrontation. Wright, N. T.; Wright, N. T.. Jesus Victory of God V2: Christian Origins And The Question Of God (Kindle Locations 10613-10616). Fortress Press. Kindle Edition.
2.5. The statement of Jesus is a radical assertion that he is more than a man, more than a messiah, but he is the Divine savior of humanity
2.5.1. Mark 14:62 (ESV) — 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
2.5.2. What is jesus saying by taking this to himself?
2.5.2.1. He is the representative of the true people of YHWH.
2.5.2.2. He is the true anointed one to lead God's peole (not the high preiest)
2.5.2.3. But More!!!
2.5.2.3.1. He is more than the lineage of David (Ps 2:7; 2 Sam 7:14).
2.5.2.3.2. He is more than a great anointed ruler
2.5.2.3.3. HIs concept of Messiah surpassed any of their thoughts. They wanted a human ruler. He came as a divine savior
2.5.2.4. Jesus merges two imageries
2.5.2.4.1. Strange - how can he be seated and coming at the same time? They will see this? How can that be?
2.5.2.4.2. Affirms his messiahship - Seated at the right hand = messianic tradition form Psalm 110
2.5.2.4.3. Pushes the imagery - coming with the clouds = Daniel 7
2.5.2.4.4. These interpret each other
2.5.2.4.5. thus confirming R. H. Fuller's earlier judgment that "son of God was just coming into use as a Messianic title in pre-Christian Judaism." 88 Edwards Jr., James R.. The Gospel according to Mark (The Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC)) (Kindle Locations 7950-7951). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2.5.2.5. Gone is the purely political / religious understanding. Jesus has now shattered that! This is God come
2.5.3. For first time, Jesus reveals himself publically
2.5.3.1. This is the first utterance of "the Son of God" from a human in Mark's narrative
2.5.3.1.1. Demons
2.5.3.1.2. cloud
2.5.3.2. First time Jesus PUBLICALLY accepts the title of Christ, Messiah
2.5.3.2.1. Mark 1:34 (ESV) — 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
2.5.3.2.2. Mark 3:11–12 (ESV) — 11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
2.5.3.2.3. Mark 8:29–30 (ESV) — 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
2.5.3.2.4. Mark 9:9 (ESV) — 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
2.5.3.2.5. Mark 9:30–31 (ESV) — 30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”
2.5.4. You will see
2.5.4.1. Jesus is not, then, suggesting that Caiaphas will witness the end of the space-time order. Nor will he look out of the window one day and observe a human figure flying downwards on a cloud. It is absurd to imagine either Jesus, or Mark, or anyone in between, supposing the words to mean that. Caiaphas will witness the strange events which follow Jesus’ crucifixion: the rise of a group of disciples claiming that he has been raised from the dead, and the events which accelerate towards the final clash with Rome, in which, judged according to the time-honoured test, Jesus will be vindicated as a true prophet.165 In and through it all, Caiaphas will witness events which show that Jesus was not, after all, mistaken in his claim, hitherto implicit, now at last explicit: he is the Messiah, the anointed one, the true representative of the people of Israel, the one in and through whom the covenant god is acting to set up his kingdom. Wright, N. T.; Wright, N. T.. Jesus Victory of God V2: Christian Origins And The Question Of God (Kindle Locations 10646-10653). Fortress Press. Kindle Edition.
2.5.4.2. Vindication will come!!!
2.5.5. So in the end, they can't produce the testimony they need to condemn Jesus. Jesus will provide it.
2.5.5.1. SIDE NOTE: handed over, sovereignty
2.5.6. The flow of Mark - Do you get it?
2.5.6.1. Theme - Mark 1:1
2.5.6.2. Everyone gets it but those you think would get it
2.5.6.3. And Jesus seems to keep it a secret and mark uses it to carry this tension on
2.5.6.4. Now this trial - and really the trial is - is all this true? As a reader, in light of all you have heard, is it true? Are you the Christ, the son of the blessed (God)?
2.5.6.5. Jesus says yes --- but it's EVEN MORE THAN YOU think!!!
2.6. They got it!! - Condemnation of Jesus (63-64)
2.6.1. Mark 14:63–65 (ESV) — 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. 65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.
2.6.2. The explosive response
2.6.2.1. As C.S. Lewis essentially puts it, “There’s no halfway house here. The things Jesus said are different from what any other teacher has ever said. Other teachers say, ‘This is the truth about the universe. This is the way you ought to go.’ But Jesus says, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’ Now a man who is merely a man, and says that, is not a great moral teacher or a great man. He would either be a lunatic on the level of a man who says he’s a poached egg, or he would be the Devil of hell. You must make your choice. We should note in passing Jesus Christ was never regarded as a mere moral teacher or a good man. He did not produce that effect on any of the people who actually met him. He produced three effects: hatred, terror, and adoration, but there’s no evidence anyone ever expressed approval.” Nobody ever approved of Jesus. Nobody ever said, “Oh, that’s good. That’s good. I’ll try that.” No one ever said that, because he said, “I am God. I am the Judge. I have all power on heaven and earth.” Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
2.6.2.2. When a human being says that, there are only three possibilities. You either hate him, or you’re scared to death of him and you run away, or you fall down at his feet and say, “Command me” and make your whole life revolve around him. Those are the only possible responses of integrity. Anything else means you’re just not thinking. I’ll tell you one thing. This claim is explosive. It will knock you off your feet. The one thing you can’t do with any integrity is to say, “Oh, I believe in Jesus Christ” and just drop into church every so often. Every single thing in your life has to revolve around him. You ought to be headed toward him, throwing yourself at his feet, or rushing away from him, but you shouldn’t be just sort of balanced. No. Jesus Christ says, “I am the Judge of all the earth.” Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
2.6.3. The reaction of unbelief
2.6.3.1. Offended!!!
2.6.3.1.1. tore his garment = expressing distress, mourning, outrage
2.6.3.2. conclusive - no further witnesses
2.6.3.3. blasphemy
2.6.3.3.1. Remember, he's the high priest. Religion without faith has no room for Jesus
2.6.3.3.2. what was
2.6.3.3.3. A century after Jesus, Rabbi Akiba openly declared Bar Kokhba, leader of the second revolt against Rome (A.D. 132-135), to be the Messiah, and the mass of people believed it — even after Bar Kokhba's death. The charge of blasphemy was thus not owing to any messianic claim, perhaps not even to the charge that Jesus would destroy the temple (v. 58). Blasphemy was not breaking a holy commandment or even profaning a holy place, but the audacity to ascribe God's honor to oneself, or to equate oneself with God. It was the claim to be God's Son (v. 62), not Messiah, that sealed Jesus' fate before the Sanhedrin. 93 The charge of blasphemy is powerful, if indirect, proof of Jesus' claim to be the Son of God. 94 Edwards Jr., James R.. The Gospel according to Mark (The Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC)) (Kindle Locations 7962-7968). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2.6.3.3.4. DL Bock - because to put yourself in a position to share the throne with God, to partake of his glory like that - blasphemy
2.6.3.4. Sentence him to death
2.6.4. What was blasphemous about Jesus' response?
2.6.4.1. Some argue that Jesus’ open admission that he is the Messiah is considered blasphemous since he presumes on God’s prerogative to name the Messiah. Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 562). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.6.4.2. But the high priest’s reaction follows Jesus’ complete statement that they will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God. Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 562). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.6.5. tore his clotes
2.6.5.1. "Perhaps the tearing of the high priest's garments ments points forward to the tearing of the sanctuary curtain in 15.38; certainly at this moment the fate of both Jesus and the temple is sealed Ben Witherington III. The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Kindle Locations 5769-5770). Kindle Edition.
2.6.6. The judgement
2.6.6.1. Death
2.6.6.1.1. A judgement on his worth, a judgement on his character, a judgement on his truthfulness - this is a value judgement on his life and the end was ...... OUR WORLD IS BETTER OFF WITHOUT HIM
2.7. The punishment
2.7.1. Mark 14:65 (ESV) — 65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.
2.7.2. spit on him
2.7.2.1. meaning - repudiation (Num 12:14; Deut 25:9)
2.7.2.2. irony - He did this to un-repudiate
2.7.3. NOt that the spit and strike is likely the Sanhedrin ... AND the gaurds recieevd hime with blows
2.7.4. Dramatic irony
2.7.5. cover his face
2.7.5.1. IRONY - They cover up Jesus' face so he cannot see, but is they that cannot see
2.7.5.1.1. The theme of seeing throughout Mark
2.7.5.1.2. “Seeing” relates to witnessing his vindication (see Isa. 40: 5; Wis. 2: 21– 3: 4; 5: 1– 2), when a higher court will overturn the decision of this lower court. Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 564). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.7.6. strike him
2.7.6.1. IRONY - They stand in judgment over him as if they were doing this to him but already we have learned that God has been at work here.
2.7.6.2. STrike the shepherd
2.7.7. prophesy
2.7.7.1. IRONY - They mock him in a game of Prophesy and yet they are living out the very fulfillment of his prophesy
2.7.7.1.1. Proph #1 - His prediction
2.7.7.1.2. Proph #2 - His disciples would flee
2.7.7.1.3. Proph #3 - The denial of peter
2.7.7.2. Now a new prophesy - You will see the son of man sittiong on the right hand of power
2.7.8. The God who suffers
2.7.8.1. REF: Exo 17 - Strike the rock
2.7.8.1.1. You say, “Where?” Moses didn’t understand, but Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10 the rock in the wilderness was Christ. Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
2.7.8.2. we all judge God
2.7.8.2.1. This is not how it should be
2.8. Application of who we think Jesus might be?
2.8.1. Either or with Jesus / not both
2.8.1.1. Either Jesus is right and the leaders here are completely wrong
2.8.1.2. Or the leaders are right and Jesus is committing blasphemy
2.8.1.3. Impossible to see it both
3. Introduction
3.1. Intro Thoought
3.1.1. Every major figure in a relgion ... ends old... victorious but jesus.
3.1.2. So strange, considering the honor and shame culture Jesus was in and the gospel spread in.
3.1.2.1. What we have here is not just Jesus, but also the leader ...
3.1.2.2. Why do this? Why come from this angle? What good is it for us?
3.2. Connection
3.3. Title / Verse
3.3.1. Setup
3.3.1.1. Mark positions this passage such that the trials Jesus is contrasted with the trial of Peter
3.3.1.2. Not the structure
3.3.1.2.1. 53 - The location of Jesus Trial
3.3.1.2.2. 54 - The Location of Peter s Trial
3.3.1.2.3. 55-65 The trial of Jesus
3.3.1.2.4. 66-72 The Trial of Peter
3.3.2. Similarity
3.3.2.1. both on trial
3.3.2.2. one by high priest, one by servant of high priest
3.3.2.3. both faces a slew of witness
3.3.2.4. one will lose, other will escape
3.3.3. Title
3.3.4. Outline
4. Reflections on What this Means for our Lives
4.1. This passage helps us to appreciate the new covenant
4.1.1. Listen to Jeremiah 32:40, “I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.”
4.1.2. The readers of Mark’s Gospel certainly know that his repudiation of Christ was not the end for Peter, that he was restored (16: 7), that he went on to preach boldly the gospel, and that his faith cost him his life. The poignancy of his denials in an hour of crisis becomes both a warning and a solace to others. Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 573). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
4.2. Jesus associates with us
4.2.1. Jewish mindset - messiah - associated with power, glory, hevenly exaltation, judgement, privilege
4.2.2. Here messiah is associated with suffering, perseucation, weakness, shame
4.2.2.1. Think of this. Think how this shapes us. Think how this molds us and gives us a vision for the kingdom now.
4.2.2.2. Jesus teaches us that self-preservation is not the way of rescue in Yaweh's economy. Self-giving is. And we do this because like Christ, there is a time of resurrection.
4.2.2.3. Thus Jesus redefines power here on this earth
4.2.2.3.1. As the Messiah, he is far more than anyone hoped, because he divinely exercises the power of God. God’s power is revealed in weakness, however. Anyone looking for mighty displays of force, miraculous feats, or startling prophecies will see nothing. In bridging the contexts, we should examine our expectations of where and how we will see God’s power working in our world. Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 569). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
4.2.3. How good is that? Cause we find peter and doesn't mark leave us with a sense that - there, right there... Christ is with you peter!!!
4.2.3.1. Not of his own doing.
4.2.3.2. Not because he deserves it
4.2.3.3. But because he is a savior, giving his life as a ransom for many
4.2.3.4. And peter ... he identifies with you~!!!
4.2.4. JoAnne Terrell, an African-American writer, wrote some years ago something that was quoted in Time magazine. She had been raised in Christianity, but she’d gone through so much poverty and suffering she had pretty much abandoned her faith in Christianity. One day she was thinking about the cross, and she suddenly realized … These aren’t her exact words, but she said, “I realized Jesus not only suffered for us, but he suffered with us. I suddenly realized he knows literally what it’s like to be under the lash. He knows what it’s like to stand up to those in power and pay for it with his life. He knows what it’s like to be a victim of a corrupt judicial system.” Jesus was lynched. The people of the world who have experienced that kind of oppression realize Jesus Christ is one of their own. He didn’t just suffer for you; he suffered with you. He came right into our powerlessness, right into the injustice, right into the oppression, and he experienced it. Now here’s the last thing. If you know Jesus Christ did this for you, you will look out in that world … There are so many people who are victims of injustice, people who are powerless, who are literally being slaughtered or being kept in poverty because they don’t have the power. If you are a Christian and you have any power, any ability, to be advocate for the poor and oppressed, you need to do it. Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
4.2.4.1. John Stott, at one point, says something like, “I could never believe in God if it wasn’t for the cross. In a world filled with injustice, how could it be possible to worship a God who was immune from it?” Christianity is the only faith that says God experienced injustice; therefore, he understands it and cares about it.
4.2.5. All the world leaders die victorious... but look here at Jesus! ... etc... go into this...
4.2.5.1. And effect is we can be humble and honest
4.2.5.1.1. We know from history Peter not only was a faithful and true witness, but that when the Neronian persecution of Christians came up in, we’ll say AD 65, and it became fatal to admit publicly you were a Christian leader and teacher, Peter said without any hesitation, “Take me.” He was put to death; he was crucified. Clement of Alexandria, writing in AD 85 says (I’m paraphrasing), “Let us remember the noble examples of our own generation. Through jealousy and hatred, the greatest and most just pillars of our church were persecuted and even put unto death. Even Peter, at last having delivered his testimony, departed to the place of glory prepared for him.” Guess what? Bauckham points out the very passage we just read is probably the leading piece of evidence that the book of Mark is actually the testimony of Peter. Why? Here’s what Bauckham points out; let me just read what Bauckham essentially says. “No one in the early church other than Peter himself would have dared or wished to highlight the weakness and failure of the most revered and significant leader in the entire Christian movement with the candor Mark’s narrative does. Therefore, the only possible source for the account of Peter’s denial would be Peter himself.” Do you hear that? Do you know what this is saying? Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
4.2.5.1.2. There’s a historian, John Sommerville, who talked about the fact that before Christianity came along, all cultures were shame cultures. Do you know what a shame culture is? What matters more than anything else is honor and face. Everything is done for honor. Everything is done to command respect. Respect and fear of strength is what makes the society go. Okay? Therefore it is astonishing in the extreme that in the very foundational documents of the Christian church, we would be showing in the most lurid and vivid colors that the greatest leader of the Christian church was this enormous failure who cursed his master. There is not a single other culture or single other society or single other religion who would have allowed this man to be the leader afterwards. No way! But several days later on a beach when the risen Jesus Christ met Peter at a fire, a whole new vision for human character and human greatness was born. Because at that fire, Jesus Christ three times asked Peter a question, making him painfully retrace his denial and his betrayal. Three times Jesus says, “Peter, do you love me more than these?” What was that? This is in John 21. He says, “Peter, do you love me more than these?” Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
4.2.6. Therefore, see that Jesus Christ is the Judge who was judged for you. Let it sink in so you stop judging others, so you stop judging groups, so you stop judging yourself, and you start becoming an advocate for the poor and the oppressed and the powerless of this world. Let us pray. Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
4.3. Take heed, we are no better than Peter
4.3.1. Three times Peter failed to understand Jesus’ announcement of his suffering. Three times he did not heed Jesus’ urgent appeal to watch, stay awake, and pray. Three times he denied Jesus. The sin of boastful rivalry led him to think that he was different from all the others—“ I will not” (14: 29). He relied on his own strength and fell farther than the other disciples. Paul’s warning to the Corinthians is apropos: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Cor. 10: 12). The sin of spiritual complacency kept Peter from watching as his Lord commanded. Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 573). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
4.3.2. In 1 Peter 1: 7, Peter speaks of being tested by fire and warns about a fiery ordeal of suffering that will come on Christians (4: 7). We never know when our faith or allegiance might be tested, however. Fiery ordeals might slip up on us while we warm ourselves by comfortable fires, as Peter did (Mark 14: 54, 67). Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 573). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
4.3.3. Peter was the most prominent of Jesus’ disciples, yet he was still a sinner in need of God’s mercy. He thought he would die for Jesus, but he needed Jesus to die for him. Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 574). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
4.3.4. Mark 2: 17: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 574). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
4.3.5. The angel’s command in 16: 7, “Go, tell his disciples and Peter,” Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 574). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
4.3.6. There were probably members in Mark’s church who already had betrayed and denied their Lord. If Peter could be restored after denying his Lord and even cursing him, then there was hope for others who might be guilty of the same or worse. 28 Peter’s tears of remorse mark the beginning of that restoration. Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 574). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
4.3.7. Song - oh my god, what have i done?
4.3.8. Jesus is our advocate
4.4. Religion doesn't matter much if what we want is to preserve ourselves
4.4.1. What killed Jesus was not irreligion, but religion itself; not lawlessness, but precisely the law; not anarchy, but the upholders of order. It was not the bestial but those considered best who crucified the one in whom the divine Wisdom was visibly incarnate. And because he was not only innocent, but the very embodiment of true religion, true law, and true order, this victim exposed their violence for what it was: not the defense of society, but an attack against God. - Walter Wink, Power Garland, David E.. Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 572). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.