On last Lord’s day, Pastor Fisher opened a topic revealing to us how Scripture was fulfilled as the final hour for which Messiah had come drew ever closer and we examined the depth of the depravity of man who when motivated by the devil and unbelief made plans to crucify Jesus even during the so called “Holy Feast”. As we continue our trek through the fourteenth chapter of St. Mark, we ask what does it ultimately mean to deny Jesus? Well open your Bibles, listen, take a few notes today as we return to our study through the gospel of Mark as our teacher Pastor Fisher shares in a teaching which he calls “The Trials of Denial”.
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Proverbs 30:1 – 9 (KJV)
Prov 30:1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
Prov 30:2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.
Prov 30:3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
Prov 30:4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?
Prov 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Prov 30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Prov 30:7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
Prov 30:8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
Prov 30:9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
New Testament Scripture Reading: Mark 14:60 – 72 (KJV)
Mark 14:60 And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
Mark 14:61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
Mark 14:62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Mark 14:63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?
Mark 14:64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.
Mark 14:65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.
Mark 14:66 And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:
Mark 14:67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.
Mark 14:68 But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.
Mark 14:69 And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.
Mark 14:70 And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.
Mark 14:71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.
Mark 14:72 And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.
Transforming Power Statements:
#1) During this unique time in our LORD’s first advent there were many on trial for the dimension of their personal denial of Him such as the high priest, Judas Iscariot, the false witnesses, the Roman government and military, the scribes, the unbelieving Jews, and even Simon Peter and the other disciples. (See which type do you identify with)
#2) These verses illustrate for us the ugliness and deep darkness of the human sin nature and should invoke in us a serious view of the fallen human soul and magnify to us the immeasurable love of Christ and the Father for sinners as we learn that He went through all this denial and subsequent suffering by His own free will to create the only available means of satisfaction against His own wrath towards sin and all of its devastating results. #3) Let us focus our prayers on requesting God to grant to us repentance of every form of denial that continues to encumber our existence in His world so that we can learn to bask in this great love He has shown to all men by offering His Only Begotten Son Jesus so that as we learn to trust in Him more and more we can enjoy the peace that surpasses all understanding knowing that He has done all this and written it in His Holy Word just for us!
