최중현 교수(롬한인장로교회) 영어설교- When the Lord Looking Back (Luke 22:54-71)

When the Lord Looking Back 

(Luke 22:54-71)

1. Last time, we saw Judas Iscariot take the lead and hand over the Lord to the high priest.

(1) Then, what suffering must the Lord have suffered after being taken to the high priest? Let’s look at verse 54 of the text. That’s right. The high priest interrogated the Lord in order to report him to the Sanhedrin.

(2) However, it is said that Peter followed the Lord [from a distance] at that time. Everyone, imagine Peter following [at a distance]. In fact, there was probably nothing Peter could have done at that time. Still, while he was sitting in the middle of the yard wondering what the verdict would be, there were people who pointed him out three times. Look from verse 56. That’s right. The first is that the servant girl guarding the door at the high priest’s house saw Peter’s face and pointed him out. Then he adamantly denied it. Everyone, how scary was the atmosphere at that time? In particular, in Israel in March, the daily temperature difference is severe, so Peter’s face reflected in the wood fire would have been clearly visible. Still, he denied it, and now another person pointed him out. Then he denied it that time too. Now, in [John 18:26], the relative of the man whose ear was cut off by Peter pointed him out with evidence, but when Peter eventually denied it, the rooster crowed. How sad is this scene?

(3) But look at the text carefully. In this situation, the author Luke records verse 61 of the text as follows. Let’s all see it together. The Lord [turns and looks at Peter]: That’s Right. The one-on-one relationship between Peter and the Lord is the essence of today. So today, we would like to receive grace together under the title [When the Lord Looking Back].

2. First, let’s think deeply about Peter’s situation in the text.

(1) First, why do you think Peter denied the Lord? If he had denied knowing the Lord three times, what would have been Peter’s heart at that time? In Matthew 26:74, Matthew records the situation at this time as Peter [swearing, denying, and even cursing]. That’s right. The humiliation the Lord suffered at that time was truly unbearable. But how weak was Peter if he even cursed the Lord? That’s right. In Luke 22:33, he assured, “Lord, I am ready to go with you not only to prison but also to death.” But now he has denied the Lord. Why would he do that? Because it shows how weak we are. That’s right. So all the other disciples also ran away, and in Mark 14:51 it says, “One young man followed Jesus with a linen blanket wrapped around his naked body, but when the crowd caught him, he threw away the linen blanket and ran away naked.” Could that be why he followed the Lord even if it was from a distance? However, he turned to the Lord.

(2) The second thing is that the Lord prayed for Peter. In Matthew 26:57, the high priest at the time was Caiaphas. However, we know that the actual person in power was his father-in-law, Annas. So think about it. Looking at the situation at the time, in John 18 and Matthew 26, it is said that Annas interrogated Jesus first, and then Caiaphas interrogated Him. Ultimately, the Lord was taken by two high priests all night and tortured. So, in the high priest’s residence, which was not very large, the Lord saw everything Peter was denying Himself. But what did the Lord do with Peter like that?

Did he swear? Or maybe he was angry? That’s right. The Lord prayed when he saw Peter in trouble. That is why the author Luke emphasized [looking back].

(3) Third, Peter was reminded of the Lord’s words when he heard the rooster crowing, and he wept bitterly. Everyone, in verse 62 of the text, wailing is [poneo] in (Greek), which means not just the sound of crying, but [meta and melo mai] meaning [looking back crying]. That’s right. This was Peter’s repentance. So, from that day on, Peter is said to have stood there and cried whenever he heard a rooster crow for the rest of his life. It is said that when you go to Europe, there are many [chicken sculptures] on the roofs of every house. That’s right. How beautiful is this repentant Peter? But what about Judas Iscariot? In [Matthew 27:3], it is said that he [repented] when he realized that his mistake was wrong. Everyone, anyone can sin. But what’s important? That is, everyone can repent, but only God’s people can truly repent. So, if we look at Peter’s repentance today, we can see that he was a man whose spiritual eyes were open, and when he heard the rooster crow, he immediately thought of the Lord’s words. That’s right. Obviously, everyone would have heard the rooster crow because it was the time when the rooster crowed. However, the benefit is that Peter thought about the words from Luke 22:34. Peter had bright spiritual eyes and that is why he was able to become the head of the early church.

3. Yes. The text is a really sad story.

(1) In particular, look at the Lord’s suffering. If you look at verse 63, what sin did the Lord commit to deserve so much harassment and assault? Also, looking at the original meaning of ‘beating’, it means ‘to flog’ or ‘to peel off the skin,’ meaning that the Lord was beaten all night long to the point where his skin came off.

(2) So, as soon as the sun rose, they dragged the exhausted Lord to the public assembly for trial. Let’s look at verse 66. That’s right. At that time, the Sanhedrin council was held only during the day. So, as soon as the sun rose, the Lord was brought to the public meeting. But the problem was that at the time, the council did not have the authority to impose the death penalty. So, the charges were designed to create conditions for filing a complaint to Governor Pilate. So in verses 67-71, the only question was asked, “Are you the Christ?” and ended up suing for [blasphemy].

(3) But as Peter saw this, he followed the Lord from afar and denied the Lord three times. How did he change in the future? That’s right. He became a man of bold faith and eventually became a martyr who followed the Lord. But isn’t that what we are like now? That’s right. [We always betray the Lord] For us, the Lord became a ransom sacrifice. So, I pray that you will have a Lenten season where you realize the Lord’s love and experience the Lord’s prayer.

[Conclusion]

What do you feel as you read the text? Like weak Peter today, we too live in the midst of so many faults. But every time, the Lord [turns around and looks at us]. And please believe that He is praying for us. So, I bless you all to experience the breath of the Lord.