The Embarrassed Confessions of the First Pope

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The Embarrassed Confessions of the First Pope
Peter going to the cross - experientially Versus
Jesus going to the cross - redemptively
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Peters Worldview
Gods supreme IRA agent seeking his supreme
place in the new order
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The 2/3 Witness Rule

• Any evidence of importance
• must be established by 2 or 3 witnesses

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The Dramatic Structure of the NarrativePower
Play
Jesus
Those In Power
Annas
Sanhedrin/Caiaphas
Three Jurisdictions
Pilate
Sanhedrin
Herod
Pilate
Herod
Sanhedrin
Pilate
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The Dramatic Structure of the NarrativePower
Play
Jesus
Those Not in Power
The 12
Three Contrasts
The 3
Peter
Peter
Judas
Judas
Barabbas
Barabbas
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Jesus PeterThree-fold Confessional Drama
Jesus
Peter
Three Denials
Three Confessions
Three Claims
Sanhedrin
Herod
Three Sleeps
Three Confessions
Pilate
Three Denials
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Peter Three Claims or Self Elevations

• Give me a whole bath! not just feet, like them
  (John 13)
• Even if they all fall away on account of you, I
  never will (Mt.2633)
• Even if I have to die with you, I will never
  disown you (26.35)

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Peter Three Sleeps in Gethsemane

• He returned to his disciples and found them
  sleeping. Simon, he said to Peter, are you
  asleep? (Mark 1437-38)
• When he came back, he again found them sleeping,
  because their eyes were heavy. They did not know
  what to say to him (40)
• Returning a third time, he said to them, Are
  you still sleeping and resting? (41)

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Jesus Three Confessions

• Confessions that carry the death sentence (for
  blaspheme and treason)
• Confessions where he is innocent
• Confessions that follow his refusal to defend
  himself
• Confessions he deliberately makes to fulfill his
  destiny

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Jesus Three Confessions

• Sanhedrin I charge you under oath by the living
  God Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of
  God Yes, it is as you say (Mt.2664)
• Pilate Are you the king of the Jews? Yes, it
  is as you say Jesus replied (2711)
• Herod When he Pilate learned that Jesus was
  under Herods jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod,
  who was in Jerusalem at the time (Luke 236)

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Peter Three Denials

• Jesus predicts 3 denials (Mt.2631-35)
• Peter follows into the courtyard (58)
• I dont know what you are talking about
• With an oath I dont know the man
• Then he began to call down curses on himself and
  he swore I dont know the man

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The ear, the young woman the bird

• Someone cut off the ear of the servant of the
  high priest Jesus said, Put your sword back
  (Mt.2650)
• One of the high priests servants, a relative of
  the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged
  him (John 1826)
• The cock crowd. The Lord turned and looked
  straight at Peter he went outside and wept
  bitterly (Luke 2261-62)

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The contrast tells us

• Jesus is faithful where Peter fails
• Peter is the first model disciple
• Every subsequent disciple is measured and found
  wanting as represented in Peter
• Only Jesus can do for us, in our place, what we
  cannot do before God
• What Jesus now does for Peter is equally the
  model of our relationship with Jesus

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Peter Three Confessions

• The third time he said to him, Simon do you
  love me? (John 2117)
• Do you love (agape) me more than these? Answer
  I am your friend
• Do you truly love (agape) me? Answer I am your
  friend
• Do you love (fileo) my friend me? Answer
  You know all things, I am your friend
• Feed my sheep Follow me.

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Peter Application

• Did Peter understand what follow me meant?
• He was so broken, through failure and shame, that
  even meeting the risen Christ did not work, at
  first.
• Peter came to the end of himself, to real faith.
• Jesus knew all this from the start (renaming). So
  this is the kind of broken leader Jesus is
  looking for!
• This kind of leader is not corrupted by spiritual
  power and leadership position.
• Jesus knows Peter better than he knows himself,
  from the beginning, to the end.