Welcome to Fellowship! We're glad you're here! Please fill out our CONNECT CARD.
Join us for the journey! Check out more info OR register HERE.
Join us as we eat breakfast, sing to the King, have a short devotion, and then go to our community and LOVE LOUD! We will wash car windows, cook food for 1st responders, clean yards, visit nursing homes, serve at laundromat, plant spring flowers around mailboxes, pray for folks, and share the love of Jesus.
Celebrate Recovery is a safe place with kind people who are working together to deal with hurts, habits, and hangups. Have questions? Contact our CR Leader - Tim Hughey
Check our website for upcoming events and over lots of past teachings on many different topics.
Help us forward the mission of Fellowship to share Jesus with young and old, with people across the street and people across the ocean. GIVE ONLINE or at the Giving Boxes at each exit.
TODAY'S TEACHING
Today we see Jesus, the sinless Son of God, treated like a condemned criminal , worthy of death. And yet, it is Jesus condemned that allows us to be restored. The Good News? Your failure is not final if you (re)turn to Jesus!
The teachers of the law and the elders (Sanhedrin) come to the palace of Caiaphas at night. Peter followed at a distance, afraid of those who just tried to arrest Jesus, but caring about Jesus enough to see what’s going to happen to him.
John’s gospel gives us a little more information by telling us that Jesus was first taken to Annas - and giving us details the synoptics (i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke) do not (Jn 18:12-24).
Although the Romans had ultimately replaced Annas, the former high priest, with his son-in-law, Caiaphas - the Jews evidently still recognized Annas as their high priest. So, he got the first shot at Jesus. Annas and Caiaphas likely shared a large estate, or had homes attached to each other, where they shared a common courtyard.
Jesus is slapped when his response to Annas is seen as disrespectful (Jn 18:19-24). Only John gives us details about the trial before Annas, but only the synoptics (Matthew, Mark, & Luke) tell us about the trial with Caiaphas, which occurs afterwards.
Claiming to destroy and rebuild the temple likely seemed like the claim of a crazy man. There’s no way that Jesus and his small band of disciples could damage the mighty temple that had been under reconstruction for 46 years!
- In that moment, Jesus wasn’t saying he would destroy the temple, but that they would, and then He would rebuild it.
- The disciples of Jesus later realized the “temple” being rebuilt in three days was a metaphor for raising His own body from the dead (Jn 2:19-22).
But even now, Jesus remained silent, thus fulfilling Is 53:7 - the lamb led to the slaughter that did not open His mouth.
Peter and the other apostles had earlier recognized this was exactly who Jesus was.
These men certainly believe Jesus is a false messiah. But claiming to be “the Son of God” - was either TRUE or a BLATANT BLASPHEMY.
These religious leaders would have immediately recognized this language is from Daniel 7:13-14.
Jesus was essentially saying, “You think you judge Me, but I am the JUDGE over all mankind to whom every knee will bow - including you!”Since the high priest believes Jesus is a false messiah, it’s no wonder that he responds the way he does.
The tearing of clothes was a outward sign of inward mourning (cf. Lev 10:6; 21:10; 2 Kgs 19:1, Acts 14:14) While Lev 21:10 forbids a priest tearing his garments, “the Talmud held that judges who witnessed blasphemy had a right to tear their robes if they later sewed them up.”
They condemned Jesus as worthy of death for blasphemy - either speaking evil of God OR claiming to BE God.
We don’t know how many times Jesus got struck in the face, but we do know that the sinless Lamb of God was now being abused by people whom He created (Jn 1:3)..
- Douglas O’Donnell: The promises to David and the prophecies of Isaiah rise together as the Suffering Servant is crowned with spit and slaps and strikes, as “the iniquity of us all” starts to be “laid on him (Isaiah 53:6b).”
Simon Peter Denies Jesus
Now Peter swears an oath, an oath like - “I swear in the sight of Almighty that I don’t know him!”
This is the last time Matthew’s gospel refers to Peter by name, but his genuine repentance and Jesus’ gracious forgiveness means that Peter’s life is not beyond restoration. In fact, Jesus had said so…hours before during the Last Supper.
Rooster Crows & Peter Weeps
Oh the shame that Peter must have felt in that moment - maybe an amplified shame that we have felt when denying our Lord. Peter had to get away and wept bitterly.
This is the last time Matthew’s gospel refers to Peter by name, but his genuine repentance and Jesus’ gracious forgiveness means that Peter’s life is not beyond restoration. In fact, Jesus had said so…hours before during the Last Supper.
Failure is Not Final
After his denial of Jesus, and after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, Peter would be the spokesman pointing thousands of people to his Risen King, whom he would never deny again. That day would see 3,000 people follow Jesus & demonstrate their loyalty to Him in baptism - pointing to their new life through His death, burial, & resurrection (Acts 2).
Peter was one sinner who had been forgiven, telling others sinners HOW to be forgiven.
Peter’s Pentecost Sermon
The man who had once denied his King told this ancient audience…and tells us, that…
Your failure is not final - (re)turn to Jesus.
You haven’t gone too far for His grace…yet. And neither have your family & friends. If you’re still breathing, there’s still HOPE!
- TURN or RE-turn to Jesus! Turn from your sin. Turn to Jesus. Do life with followers of Jesus! Share what God is doing in your life with another believer!
- If you know what it’s like to be forgiven…don’t keep that to yourself! Take the Gospel message to others! Tell them how you’ve been forgiven and how they can be forgiven too! Show them that…Your failure is not final - (re)turn to Jesus.
Have questions and need some help? …real soon…how about now? Please call or text us soon!
Take some time to discuss these questions with your family, friends, or group.
- Read Matthew 26:63-64 and Daniel 7:13-14. What was Jesus ultimately condemned for? (What’s the “B”-word mentioned in Matthew passage?) Based on this truth, why does it matter who we say Jesus is - is He more than a prophet, priest, or teacher?
- Read Matthew 26:67-68. While it might hurt many of us to read what Jesus went through, we must remember WHY Jesus was going through it. How does the punishment that the Sinless Son of God experienced demonstrate his love for us?
- Read Matthew 26:57-58, 69-75, John 21:15–19, & Acts 2:36-41. Peter denied Jesus but later repented and was restored. How does Peter’s story of failure and restoration encourage you in your own walk of faith?
- How can you be a source of encouragement to someone who feels like they have failed beyond repair? How can you help them see that their failure is not final if they (re)turn to Jesus?
- How can we pray for/care for one another this week? (Pray for one another.)
