Peter stood at a distance as they tore Him apart. He watched it happen. The Man he followed for years, the Son of God was being beaten beyond recognition, and Peter did nothing! He didn’t fight, he didn’t speak up… he just watched.
This was after he had said with conviction “even if all fall away… I will not.”! After all Peter had walked on water at Jesus’ command, seen dead raised, blind see, wind and waves obey! In the garden he was going to fight for Jesus, he drew a sword and cut off the guard’s ear. Jesus not only stopped him but He healed the guard! Peter must have been confused as this is not the way it was supposed to go. Jesus, who had rode in hearing “Hosanna” now surrendered without a fight, knowing He would be mocked, beaten and crucified!!
Peter still followed at a distance, far enough so he would not be noticed. Jesus was led into the courtyard where the noise must have been intense! Accusations, false witnesses shouting!! Then as mob mentality does, they started to beat Him, one blow!! then another, they blindfolded Him, struck Him and mocked Him “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”
Peter was frozen in fear! He watched in utter disbelief “everything in him said this was wrong, but he did nothing!! then they turned toward Peter, “you were with Him”… Peter answered… “I do not know what you are saying”… “you are one of them” “I am not!” “surely you are one of them” “I do not know the man” The rooster crowed - Jesus turned and looked at Peter!
Matt 26:34 “Before the rooster crows you will deny me 3 times.”
Recalling Jesus’ words… Peter wept bitterly!
Matt 27 - Chief Priest and elders delivered Jesus to Pilate! The same voices that called out “Hosanna” just a few days ago are now shouting “crucify Him”
“Soldiers took Jesus to the courtyard… and gathered the whole garrison around Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.” The garrison contained hundreds of soldiers, they stripped Him naked, humiliated Him, they put a crown of thorns on His head! they mock worshipped Jesus. They spat on Him and struck Him on the head.
Roman soldiers didn’t just hit Him at will - they were trained killers, trained to inflict maximum pain!!
The soldiers tied Jesus to a post, stripped naked -
They brought out the scourge! Peter must have been thinking “I’ve seen this punishment before, but this was evil.” Peter watched, frozen as the first lash tore His flesh!! the second and third were too much to watch as His flesh was opened and the scourge tore into Him!!
Peter couldn’t understand why He was not stopping them. Peter might have later recalled Isaiah 52:14 “His visage was marred more than any man…”
They shoved the crown on His head, harder, blood ran in His eyes as He was barely recognizable now. They struck Him repeatedly and mocked Him, “King of the Jews”… Peter must have thought “if they only knew”… but then again “if Peter only knew what was really happening”
After that unimaginable abuse and beating, they still made Jesus carry His own cross! It is estimated that the portion that Jesus carried was rough cut lumber, weighing about 100 lb and 6 feet in length to be assembled later. Peter kept his distance, watching as Jesus fell under the weight of the cross after His body had been beaten so bad He was not recognizable. Peter did not step in to help his Lord.
When Jesus arrived at the hill where He would die, according to Roman methods Jesus was probably laid on His back, arms stretched wide and pulled, held down… then Peter heard the hammer!! each blow must have convinced him that all He had preached was over. The one who said He was the Son of God is now being murdered!! what went wrong?
When Jesus was nailed to the cross beam, it would have been lifted and fastened to the post. This would not have been a gentle process. All His weight was hanging on the nails in His wrists!! each movement would tear into Him more and more!! Psalm 22 “I am poured out like water, all my bones are out of joint”
From the beating, the whipping and brutal hammer and nails, His body was no longer aligned. He hung there!! for 3 hours in pain that can’t even be imagined! Beaten so bad He barely looked alive!! this was the darkest day in human history!! the Son of God who came to save the world hangs dying suffering… and everyone either cheered or watched and wept. As if all Peter had witnessed was not confusing enough… at the ninth hour Jesus cried out “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” The Son of God who came to save humanity was forsaken by God?
Luke 23:34 After all the brutality endured, in horrific agony with the weight of His body hanging on nails through His wrists… experiencing asphyxiation… He thought of others, in forgiveness and forgave His murderers!! “Father forgive them” Peter was struggling to forgive himself for denying Jesus and He just forgave an army of soldiers bent on the torture and murder of the Son of God!!
The dramatic days Peter was witnessing got darker… the sun went dark for three hours, the veil in the temple was torn in two (Luke 23:44) and Peter heard what might have been the most confusing words “Father, into Your hands I commit my Spirit”, “what?” the man that came to save us just willing laid down his life? And then in darkness of the world the most important words in human history were uttered… “it is finished”!!
Saturday must have been a tough day. Silence and confusion. Peter replayed everything in his mind over and over… the denial… the look… the words… “I do not know the man”. The disciples and the women surely mourned and discussed the past days events.
Sunday morning came. The women went to the tomb early to mourn, they found the tomb empty and angels reminded them what Jesus had told them, He would rise on the third day! Mary ran to the disciples “the tomb is empty”
Peter ran to the tomb to see if it was so. How confusing this must have been. From Palm Sunday Hosanna to crucify Him, watching the life be beaten out of Jesus, to an empty tomb.
Later that day Jesus met him face to face. Everything started to become clear. Peter recalled Jesus’ words from Matt 20:19 “…on the third day, He will rise again”
Isaiah 53 takes on a new meaning with this fresh imagery in our minds. Peter saw those stripes!! those wide open, bloody stripes. “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth, He was led like a lamb to the slaughter” the mind’s eye paints such a picture of Christ being led to a brutal death, yet walked as obedient as a lamb… to the same fate.
After seeing Jesus Peter might have reflected on the week. He followed Jesus and walked with Him, spoke and taught boldly for Him, but did not understand what he witnessed. Not until he watched Jesus suffer, not until he failed himself… not until he saw Him alive. what looked like defeat was never the end… it was victory!! He is Risen!! It was just the beginning.
The tomb is empty how can we remain silent?? How can we not shout and rejoice!!
The challenge: Luke 9:23 if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Take up our cross doesn’t mean something like “hard times”. A cross meant one thing “death”. Public, painful death. Deny yourself. Not improve? deny desires, control, comfort, plans. deny any identity apart from Christ.
Take up your cross is not just inconvenience or a season… it’s lifelong… it’s reputation being put aside, our comfort and rights being second. what does Christ want of me… no matter the cost!
We obey even when it costs friends and relationships. We speak truth when it’s easier to stay quiet. We walk away from sin and addiction we still want. We give up control! We stop building a life around ourselves, trying to be a “somebody”, stop trying to self improve to better my reputation and influence with men.
Peter lived this example: He was beaten, imprisoned and killed because his life was not his own.
Galatians 2:20 says it clearly “I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”
In my life… what do I refuse to lay down and nail to the cross?
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