JOE, JOE!

Luke Chapter 22, Let me say upfront, we are going somewhere in the blog, so stay with me. “³¹ And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: ³² But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. ³³ And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. ³⁴ And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.”

All of us, I’m sure, are fully aware of Peter’s denial.  We are aware of Peter standing by a fireside, and cursing and swearing, and denying that he even knew the Lord Jesus.

In these verses, Jesus predicted that Simon Peter would deny Him.  Now, Peter did not know what the next few hours held in store for him – BUT Jesus did!  Jesus said, “The cock shall not crow this day, before thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.”

So here is the Lord, He is in this room with His Disciples.  They are preparing for observance of the Feast of the Passover, and He is instituting what you and I know as “The Lord’s Supper.”  John chapter 13 is a parallel account of this event, and in John 13, we find Jesus and His disciples in this room and in verse 1 of John 13, the Bible says, “. . . having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”

• Jesus knew that Simon Peter was about to fall;
• He knew that before the night was over Simon would curse and deny Him 3 times;

Yet, even though Jesus knew that he would deny Him, the Bible says “He loved them to the end.”  I’m glad that I can say that even though my God knows all about me – He loves me anyway!

• He knows my faults;
• He knows my failures;
• He knows my past failures;
• He sees my future failures;

YET HE LOVES ME!

• He loves me when I’m right;
• He loves me when I’m wrong;
• He loves me when I’m in;
• He loves me when I’m out;
• He loves me when I’m up;
• And He loves me when I’m down.
• He loves me when I’m good;
• He loves me when I’m bad.

He loves me from Everlasting to Everlasting! “He loved them unto the end.”

But I submit to you that not only did Jesus Predict that Simon Peter would fall, but He Prepared Him for the events that were about to unfold.  Well, just how did He prepare Simon Peter?

FIRST, HE PREPARED HIM BY GIVING HIM A COMPANION 

Look at Luke 22:7-8, “Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. 8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.”

Jesus knew that preparing for the Passover would take time, so He said:

• Peter, I want you to go and prepare for the Passover;
• And John, I want you to go and prepare for the Passover.

Remember now, I believe that everything Jesus did, He did with a purpose.  He NEVER did anything accidentally or coincidentally.  Everything He did, He did with Purpose.  He said, “I know always the things which please the Father.”

• When walking on water pleased the Father, He walked on water;
• When spitting on the ground pleased the Father, He spat on the ground.

So Jesus says, “John, I want you to go, and Peter, I want you to go and ya’ll prepare the Feast for the Passover.”

I believe Jesus knew that Peter was about to fall, and when he did, He was going to need a friend.  So Jesus was Preparing Peter by giving him a Companion.  Here is John, the strongest disciple, with Peter, who was about to fall.

• Jesus knew, that when Simon Peter fell, He didn’t need someone to come by and step on him;
• Jesus knew he didn’t need someone to come by and ridicule him;

Jesus knew that when Simon Peter fell, he was going to need a friend.

• Somebody that would help him up;
• Somebody that would pick him up.

And by the way, do you realize this was a bond that lasted?

• It was Peter and John that ran to the Tomb;
• It was Peter and John that stood before the religious rulers who said of them, “these men are definitely ignorant and unlearned, BUT there is no doubt about it, THEY HAVE BEEN WITH JESUS.”
• It was Peter and John that said while being threatened to keep their mouths shut, “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard;

Jesus knew Simon Peter was about to fall, so He prepared him by giving him a Companion.

HE PREPARED HIM BY GIVING HIM A CLEANSING

Now, I told you that John 13 is a parallel of the Passover, and in John 13, as they are preparing that Table – which by the way, represents the Cross.

• It was on that table that the broken bread lay, which represented the Body of Christ that was broken for us;
• It was on that table that laid the wine that represented the blood of Christ that was shed on Calvary’s Cross.

And the Bible says, that after Supper, after they had partaken of the Bread, that represented the body that was broken for us, and after they had taken of the wine, that represented the blood that was shed for us:

After Supper, Jesus rose up, laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself, taking on the role of a servant, Jesus began to wash the feet of the disciples.  No doubt this embarrassed the disciples.  To see their Lord, and Their Master assume the role of a servant, cause listen to what Simon Peter says, “LORD, dost thou wash my feet?”

But listen to what Jesus says, “What I doest now, thou knowest not, but thou shalt know hereafter.”

I don’t know about you, but I have walked through some valleys and I have been through some storms, and I believe if I could hear the Lord speak, He would be saying, “What I doest now, thou knowest not, but thou shalt know hereafter.”

I believe Simon Peter simply said what all the others were thinking.  “Lord, thou shalt NEVER wash my feet.”  Jesus said, “Simon, if I don’t wash your feet, you can have no part with me.”

Simon said, “Well Lord, in that case, just wash me all over then.”

So, after Jesus washed Simons feet, He asked, “Do you understand what I’ve done to you?”  and Obviously the answer is “NO, I don’t understand.”

So I can see Peter, he’s outside by the fire, a lady says, “Well I know you are from Galilee, your speech gives you away, You are one of them.”  Peter begins cursing and swearing and denying, and about that time, the Bible tells us that the doors open and Jesus was lead outside.  Jesus looked upon Peter, but He didn’t say a word – He didn’t have to.

I believe Peter ran away in the darkness to get alone, as the Bible says “he wept bitterly.”  I believe he was probably saying, “LORD, I didn’t understand then – but I understand now.”  “LORD, my feet are dirty.”

Folks, we need to get a picture of this, because I’m gonna tell you right now, You and I as Christians, as long as we are living here on this earth, there is never gonna be a time that we do not sin.  But if you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you, You can’t sin and enjoy it.

Peter ran out into the night and wept bitterly.  But Jesus already knew, and Jesus had already washed him, even before he fell.  Oh, can I say I am glad that Jesus washed me knowing that I was gonna get dirty.

• Jesus Prepared Peter by Giving him a Companion.
• Jesus Prepared Peter by Giving him a Cleansing;

BUT JESUS ALSO PREPARED PETER BY GIVING HIM A CONVERSION

“Simon, Satan hath desired you that he may sift you as wheat.”  Why do you think Satan was so interested in Simon? Well, I believe it may be because of what happened in the Upper Room back in Matthew 16, when Jesus asked “Who do you say that I am?”  And Peter said, “Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.”  And Jesus responded, “Upon this ROCK I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  And “Simon, I am giving you the keys to the Kingdom.”

Peter held the Key and Satan knew it.  If you study the Book of Acts, you will find,

• It was Peter that unlocked the Door in Jerusalem;
• It was Peter that unlocked the door in Judea;
• It was Peter that unlocked the door in Samaria;
• And it was Peter that unlocked the door to the “Uttermost parts of the earth.”

“Simon, satan hath desired you that he may sift you.”  Satan wants to walk all over you.  He wants to trample you.  He wants to stomp you in the ground.”

“BUT – I HAVE PRAYED FOR THEE”

Nearly 20 years ago, I was sitting in the Preachers chair up on the Podium of New Life Free Will Baptist Church in Lancaster, South Carolina.  We had a pretty big crowd, and I remember looking at one of the members, Marty Starnes.  And God laid on my heart that He had a bigger plan for Marty’s life.

After the service, I simply asked Marty, “What are you waiting for.”  I prayed for him, that he would lay his life on the Altar and ask God to use him.”

I knew for Marty, “Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: ³² But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”

As grains of wheat are being sifted, the outer shell of the wheat is being broken, so the grains can be used.  Little did we know that after 18 years of both Marty and I being  sifted, after being trampled on, after being stepped on, after being broken – that our faith has failed not – and we are now Strengthening the Brethren!

Now I can see Satan, out by the fire that night, trampling Simon Peter under his feet.  Every time Simon would deny Christ, Satan would stomp a little harder.

But I can see Jesus in the background.  He’s saying, “Go ahead Satan, stomped a little harder, grind a little harder. BUT, when you’re done, after you’ve broken that hard outer shell – I’m gonna take that grain of wheat inside – I’m gonna make some bread and feed the Brethren!”

CONCLUSION:  Now I have no doubt, there are some reading this blog are going through the fire.  Satan is stomping all over you.  He is breaking you – he is breaking your home, he is breaking your life and He has convinced you that you are no good anymore.

Can I just say to you that out of that brokenness, God has been preparing you by Giving you a Companion – He has given you the church to be there to help you when you fall, to help pick you up.

He has prepared you by Cleansing you.  Jesus, who knew no sin, became the propitiation or my sin.  I deserved the death on Calvary’s Cross, but He took my place.

But He has prepared you by Converting you.  God can take the remains of that broken hard shell and use what is left over to do great works for Him.

I believe that when Jesus looked at Peter that night by the fireside – I don’t think He was looking at Peter’s failure (He already knew Peter would fail).  Rather, I believe He looked forward in time to the Day of Pentecost and could see Peter preaching and 3000 people being converted.

You remember when Mary and the others went to the tomb on the third day, and before the SUN had ever come up, the SON had already gotten up.  Two men adorned in white apparel asked them “Why seek ye the living among the Dead?  For He is not here, but has arisen.” Then they said, “Go and tell the disciples, AND PETER, to meet Him in Galilee.”  Have you ever asked your self why they didn’t just say, “Go and tell the disciples?” or “Go tell the disciples, and John?”  After all John was the strongest spiritually of the group.

I can see Simon sitting in the corner of that room, his face swollen from crying.  I know he asked himself 10,000 times over “How could I have done such a thing?” “How could I have ever failed Him so?”  And after Mary came into the room and said “The Lord wants to see you in Galilee,”  He was probably thinking, “He wants to see John and the others, but there is no way He wants to see me – not after what I’ve done.”

Can you hear what the church would have been saying about Simon Peter the next morning?

• Well, did you hear what Simon Peter did last night? I knew he wasn’t saved;
• Well, I never did trust him no way;
• Others would say, “Well that does it with me, I wouldn’t walk across the street to hear that man preach.” Not after what he did.

Wouldn’t it be something if we could recognize sin in our own filthy hearts as quickly as we recognize it in others? It will be a great day in our churches when we can recognize the sin in our own lives like we do in everybody else’s lives.

All I am saying is that if God only used the people that deserved to be used – HE wouldn’t be using anybody!

Aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t feel that way?  Mary came running into that room and yelled “HE’s Alive! He’s Alive! And He said for you to come meet Him in Galilee.  AND PETER, He said to be sure to tell you He wants you to come too!”

Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: ³² But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

• Joe, Satan has desired to have you;
• All those reading this blog, Satan has desired to have you.

“BUT I HAVE PRAYED FOR THEE, THAT THOU FAITH FAIL NOT!”