Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for June 10, 2012
Series in Mark
“The Tendency to Deny Jesus” – Mark 14:27-52, 66-72
The Quo Vadis Church in Rome, a short distance south of the old wall on the Appian Way was built to commemorate the legendary story of Peter leaving Rome during the persecutions of Nero and being met by Jesus and asking Him, “Where are you going,” which in Latin it is “Quo Vadis?” Jesus responded that He was going into the city to be crucified a second time. On hearing this, Peter, reportedly, had a change of heart and went back into the city to be crucified. Peter requested to be crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to be crucified in the way Jesus was.
Imitating the Lord Jesus sometimes means accepting suffering.
The tendency to deny Jesus is so prevalent in all of us and Mark zeros in on it in the 14th chapter.
Mark 14:27-52
During the Passover meal, Jesus tells the disciples that they would all fall away from Him. Peter, however, is feeling pretty good about himself, having enjoyed a good meal with plenty of wine and denies emphatically that he would ever deny Jesus. When we find ourselves in comfortable surroundings and things are going well, it is so easy to say, “I’ll never fall away from the Lord.” There should be no room in our lives for a triumphalistic view of ourselves. All of us are just one temptation away, just one persecution away, from falling deep into sin.
When they had finished the Passover meal and had gone to the Garden of Gethsemane between the Mount of Olives and the temple mount, Jesus withdrew from the disciples and prayed in great agony about what He would shortly have to face and returned to find his disciples sleeping. Jesus warned them, Peter in particular, to watch and pray that they would not fall into temptation, reminding them that the spirit is willing but the body is weak.
Mark shows us that these disciples who were minutes before so sure of themselves now can’t even stay awake to pray and the big difficulty hasn’t even arrived yet.
Judas arrives, leading a crowd of armed men, sent by the chief priests, and kisses Jesus to identify Him to them. After Jesus is arrested, all the disciples deserted Him.
Most commentators believe that the young man who fled naked, leaving behind his linen garment, was the gospel writer, Mark. What Joseph did in holiness, to preserve his morality, the disciples did in unholiness and unfaithfulness, beating it out of town as fast as they could.
Mark 14:66-72
While Peter is warming himself by the fire, he denies Jesus three times, finally with an oath. Then the cock crows twice, reminding Peter that Jesus had warned him of this. Pray that you will not fail in times of temptation, trial, and seduction. Pray for God to rid us of the arrogance and pride that believes we are immovably faithful.
