Have you ever followed someone on a bicycle and tried to keep up with them? What you find is… if you don’t keep pace, you will quickly fall behind, and if they don’t slow down it’s very unlikely that you will ever catch up to them. Well today’s message has nothing to do with riding a bike! But it does have to do with the commitment or lack there of when it comes to following Jesus! Those who follow at a distance tend to fall away, and are tempted to go astray! So, If we are to be true followers of Christ we need to be committed! We need to be all in! We need to stay on pace or we will fall behind! Today we join Pastor David Crespo in the Gospel of Mark where we continue in our Sunday Sermon Series titled, “Messiah on the Move” We turn to chapter fourteen where we see that Peter followed Jesus at a distance and he fell behind. What we learn from today’s message is, that there are many who follow Jesus at a distance, for they have a weak commitment to our Lord! They are weak in the faith! We learn from today’s message that there are three reasons why some Christians are weak in their commitment to Christ and what we should do about that! Let’s listen in to learn more!
Mark 14:53-72 New King James Version
Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin
53 And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. 54 But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.
55 Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. 56 For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies [a]did not agree.
57 Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, 58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ” 59 But not even then did their testimony agree.
60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 61 But He kept silent and answered nothing.
Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”
62 Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?”
And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.
65 Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers [b]struck Him with the palms of their hands.
Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps
66 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”
68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.
69 And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again.
And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, [c]and your [d]speech shows it.”
71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”
72 A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.
Footnotes
a. Mark 14:56 were not consistent
b. Mark 14:65 NU received Him with slaps
c. Mark 14:70 NU omits the rest of v. 70.
d. Mark 14:70 accent
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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