THE LAST WEEK OF JESUS' PUBLIC MINISTRY AND HIS CRUCIFIXION

-Peter’s Denial is Foretold

-John 13:31-38; Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-38

-With His betrayal approaching quickly, rather than focus on the intense sufferings that He was

 about to endure, Jesus’ thoughts centered upon His glorification and hence the glorification of

 the Father. 

-It is difficult to know the specifics regarding the flow of the dialogue recorded in these passages.

 We’ll address the various aspects of the dialogue but not necessarily in the order spoken.

-Jesus then tenderly addresses the remaining apostles as “Little children” (John 13:33) and

 informs them that He would not remain with them much longer. 

            -Jesus then issued a new commandment - “…love one another; as I have loved you, that ye

             also love one another” (John 13:34).  The command to love was nothing new.  However,

             there was now going to be a new standard - the love demonstrated by Jesus.  Such love,

             when enacted, would be an identifying mark of the Lord’s disciples.

-Peter asked Jesus where He was going and pledged his willingness to follow regardless of the

 consequences – “Lord…I will lay down my life for thy sake” (John 13:37)

            -“The Lord’s way was to the cross, the sepulcher, the ascension, and to heaven.  Peter might

             follow in due time, but the Lord had other work for him now.  The Lord does not answer his

             question directly.  Tradition says that Peter did follow Christ to the cross in death.  He was

             also crucified” (Boles, John, pg 217).

-The apostles received words from Jesus that, undoubtedly, were very difficult to hear – words

 that they were not ready to accept – “All ye shall be offended because of me this night” (Mark

 14:27, KJV) – “…You will all fall away…” (Mark 14:27, NASB).

            -“ Christ tells them that they would be offended in him, would begin to question whether he

             were the Messiah or no, when they saw him overpowered by his enemies. Hitherto, they had

             continued with him in his temptations; though they had sometimes offended him, yet they

             had not been offended in him, nor turned the back upon him; but now the storm would be so

             great, that they would all slip their anchors, and be in danger of shipwreck” (Henry).

-Once again, we find that Peter – in accordance with his personal nature – spoke out.  He

 declared, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended” (Matt

 26:33).

            -Undoubtedly, his thoughts were sincere and his well-intentioned words honest.  Yet, Peter

             did not understand the trials that awaited that same night and in the days to follow nor did he

             understand his own weaknesses.  He, as with the other apostles, were not ready to see their

             Master in the hands of His enemies – abused and crucified.  Amidst such circumstances,

             all the apostles would struggle.

-In Luke 22:31-32, we find Jesus specifically addressing Peter – “Simon, Simon…”  Yet, His

 words are addressed to (and include) all of the apostles – “Satan hath desired to have you…”

 “‘To have you’ is in the plural, and means ‘you all,’ or includes all the disciples” (Boles, Luke,

  pgs 419-420).

            -Of course, Satan was working against the apostles and desired that they would fall away

             permanently.  However, Jesus had prayed on their behalf.

            -Jesus then turned His focus upon Peter in particular – “…and when thou art converted,

             strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32).  “Thou” is singular and applies to Peter. 

                        -Lord willing, later in this study, we’ll see that Peter struggled following his denying of

                         Jesus.  Here, Jesus is giving him some instruction and encouragement ahead of time.

                         He was to be a valuable asset to the strengthening of the brethren.

-Peter once again pledges his dedication – “Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison,

 and to death” (Luke 22:33).

            -In response, Jesus plainly indicated that Peter would deny Him three times in the coming

             overnight hours – “…before the rooster crows twice…” (Mark 14:27, NIV).

            -“Peter appears to have been thunderstruck at this prediction, which showed the nature, the

             details, and the nearness of his sin.  He lapsed into silence, and we hear no more from him

             during the discourses which followed.  But he did not yield without one final protest…”

             (McGarvey/Pendleton, pg 656) – “But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with

             thee, I will not deny thee in any wise…” (Mark 14:31).

                        -Notice though, Peter wasn’t the only one who protested.  “…Likewise also said they

                         all” (Mark 14:31).

-I find it difficult to chronologically place the words of Jesus recorded in Luke 22:35-38. 

 Robertson and McGarvey/Pendelton place the words here.  It is possible that they were spoken a

 little later in the evening following the institution of the Lord’s Supper and perhaps before the

 farewell discourse of John chapters 14, 15, 16 and 17.  We’ll consider them at this point in our

 study.

            -Jesus spoke of the limited commission upon which He had formerly sent the apostles.  He

             reminded them that they had been sent with no provisions and asked if they had lacked

             anything.  They affirmed that they had lacked nothing.

-“Their wants were fully supplied.  Their answer to His question was frank and sincere; they

                         had no complaint to make…Since conditions and circumstances have changed, Jesus now

 tells them that they are to take their purse and wallet, and if they have not these things they

 should sell their cloak ‘and buy a sword.’  Does Jesus command his disciples to arm

 themselves?  Is he speaking only with reference to danger that night?  It seems that Jesus

 here is impressing upon them the impending crisis; that there will be need of every resource

 because of the peculiar dangers…If they had obliged to depend on swords for their defense,

 not a hundred would have been sufficient…” (Boles, Luke, pg 421-423).

            -“Perhaps, in this counsel of our Lord, he refers to the contention about supremacy: as if he

             had said, Instead of contending among yourselves about who shall be the greatest, ye have

             more need to unite yourselves against the common enemy, who are now at hand: this

             counsel was calculated to show them the necessity of union among themselves, as their

             enemies were both numerous and powerful” (Clarke). 

-In regards to the swords, the apostles took the words of Jesus literally and found two swords.

 “It may be observed that the impetuous Peter had one of these” (Boles, Luke, pg 423).  At