I was lost and did not know it,
rushing madly to my end. But my God, who's rich in mercy,
would not let me die in sin. Alleluia, God has saved me, Saved
me by His sovereign grace. Jesus dying, the Spirit called
me, I am saved by sovereign grace. Chosen by my Heavenly Father
and redeemed by Jesus' blood, I am justified, forgiven, and
accepted by my God. Alleluia! God has saved me. Saved me by
His sovereign grace. Jesus died, the Spirit called
me. I am saved by sovereign grace. In time the Spirit called me,
gave me life and set me free. He revealed my blessed Savior
and created faith in me. Alleluia! God has saved me. Saved me by
His sovereign grace. Jesus died, the Spirit called
me. I am saved by sovereign grace. God has saved me and will keep
me by the power of His grace. He will guide, guard, and protect
me till I see my Savior's face. Hallelujah! God has saved me. Save me by
His sovereign grace. Jesus died, the Spirit called
me. I am saved by sovereign grace. Thank you. Nice hymn to sing. That was really
enjoyable. I like that. My text is in John
18, so I thought it would be good for us to read John 18,
picking up in verse 13 down to verse 37. Well, let's start in verse 12. Then the band and the captain
and officers of the Jews took Jesus and bound him, and led
him away to Annas first. for he was the father-in-law
to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. At this
time, there were two high priests, basically, Annas being the elder,
the senior, and he was basically a puppet master of the high priest
at that time. It had become a political office
that was bought and sold for for money, and that's really
what Caiaphas was, and it seems Annas knew how to pull his strings,
and any of the high priests that he put in there, because it was
an office bought and sold and traded and used for various purposes. Now Caiaphas was he which gave
counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should
die for the people. And Simon Peter followed Jesus,
and so did another disciple. That disciple was known unto
the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of
the high priest. One other thing about that is
many people have thought that was John, because John had a
practice of not naming himself when he put himself in his own
gospel text. But it would be very odd for
a young man from Galilee to be related to the high priest in
Jerusalem. This is probably a man of influence
and power, someone like Nicodemus, or like Joseph of Arimathea,
and possibly one of them, although there were many Pharisees at
that time that believed him, many in the council that believed
Jesus was the Christ, but would not confess him for fear of being
put out of the synagogues. And so, potentially, just as
he wouldn't confess Christ, he wasn't confessed here in the
Scriptures. I don't know. It's just something, possibly,
But we see Peter's name, and Peter did deny his Lord also. Verse 15, and Simon Peter followed
Jesus. The other gospels telling us
afar off. And so did another, sorry, yeah,
the high priest. But Peter stood at the door without. Did I finish that one? I don't
remember. Let me just read it. Simon Peter followed Jesus, and
so did another disciple. That disciple was known unto
the high priest and went in with Jesus into the palace of the
high priest. But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple,
which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that
kept the door and brought in Peter. Then saith the damsel
that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this
man's disciples? He saith, I am not. And the servants
and officers stood there who had made a fire of coals. for
it was cold, and they warmed themselves, and Peter stood with
them and warmed himself." Just think about that. That very night
Christ sweat great drops of blood on a night that was so cold that
Peter, when he got in that courtyard, wouldn't even stay on the sides
of the wall to protect his identity, but was so cold that he went
and warmed himself in the midst of the fire. And our Savior sweat
great drops of blood on that cold night, being in agony with
what he was facing. The high priest then asked Jesus
of his disciples and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly
to the world. I ever taught in the synagogue
and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort, and in secret
have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? Ask them
which heard me what I have said unto them. Behold, they know
what I said. And when he had thus spoken,
one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm
of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? Jesus
answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil. But if well, why smitest thou
me? Now Annas had sent him bound
unto Caiaphas the high priest. This is in reference to When
Christ was brought first to Annas's house, they picked up Annas and
brought him to Caiaphas. So everything we've just read
all occurred at Caiaphas's palace, at his house there. And Simon
Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him,
Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it and said,
I am not. One of the servants of the high
priest, being his kinsman, whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did
not I see thee in the garden with him? Peter then denied again,
and immediately the cock crowed. Let's go to the Lord in prayer.
Our gracious Lord, we thank you for gathering us together
here as an assembly of gathered believers who come to worship
our God and to hear a word from our Lord. You know our weakness,
Lord. You know how weak this flesh
is. Lord, we ask that you would bless
us with your presence, that you would receive our worship, being
blessed and helped with the incense of that sweet savor of the Lord
Jesus Christ, who gave himself his life for our life, to not
only set us free from the punishment of sins, putting them away forever,
but to give us life and light and liberty in himself. Lord,
we ask that you would bless your people here, that you would bless
those who hear this word, that you would comfort our hearts
and encourage us, that you would draw us to Christ our Savior,
and that you would teach us, and keep us, and show us how
that you've made full provision for your people. Manifest your
fruit of faith and hope and love in us, and keep us ever looking
to the Lord Jesus Christ. Let not our hearts be seared
as with a hot iron when we sin against you. But Lord, turn us,
turn us from dead works, turn us from things that do not profit
and cannot save, and keep us ever looking to Christ. Lord,
we know that we could never pay you for what you've done for
us. We can never give to you according as you've done for
us. But Lord, we ask that you would help us. to worship you,
to bless your name with thankful hearts, glad and joyful in what
Christ has done always. Bless your people, bless those
that are struggling, those that are at home, and those that cannot
be with us, those that will not be with us. Lord, you know what
each one needs. And we pray for your grace, Lord.
We pray for your grace to call your people and to draw them
to yourself because it's by grace that we are all saved. and not
by wrath and judgment, but by grace. Lord, we pray for grace.
It's in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, that
we pray and we give thanks for all the many blessings you've
given to us. We're thankful for Brother Scott and his leg and
for helping him to improve in walking. Continue to bless that
effort. Keep him standing up and protect
him, Lord, and all your people. It's in Christ's name we pray
and give thanks. Our second hymn will be number
45. Praise God for Grace, 45. Eternal love, electing grace,
secured for me in heaven a place chosen from all eternity. the Son of God by blood on me. The Spirit came in sovereign
power at the exact appointed hour, Fading faith, my soul, it quickened
from its death. Now I rejoice in sovereign grace,
My sovereign God shall have my praise. Praise God for grace,
praise God for grace, Sovereign, eternal Savior. Thank you. Good evening, brethren. Let's
return to John chapter 18. Our text from last week with
Christ going forth in the Garden of Gethsemane ends with Him being
bound. And the prophet Isaiah prophesying
of the substitution of Christ, Him taking the place of His people,
wrote in chapter 53 verse 6 that all we like sheep have gone astray
we have turned everyone to his own way and the lord hath laid
on him the iniquity of us all so that even though it's his
people we his people that have transgressed the law of our God,
the commandment of our God, we have trespassed in every way
that we possibly could against our God, yet it is Christ who
is bound for the sins of his people. God hath laid on him
the iniquity of us all. So that it's by our Lord's vicarious
death, which means his substitutionary death, he died in the place of,
a vicarious death in the place of his people, that were given
to him by the Father, so that we would go free from the curse
of the law, and that we would be delivered out of the hands
of God's holy justice." The holy justice of God. Now on this night,
our Lord would endure many trials, a number of trials, and I was
thinking of these trials a lot recently and realized that I
am woefully unfit to really enter into the sorrows, the agony that
my Lord endured for me and for you, his beloved people, his
beloved children. But I was thinking of that trial
that he endured in the garden. the garden. He has some trials
ahead of him tonight, but he endured a great trial of affliction
in that garden earlier that night when we are told that from his
knees he prayed. Luke 22, saying, Father, if thou
wilt be willing, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but
thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto
him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony, he
prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was as it were great drops
of blood falling down to the ground. Now, there are yet trials
that the Lord is going to face. We see an ecclesiastical trial. There's a civil trial when he
goes before the Romans, but I don't think any of them were near as
difficult as this trial was. And I say that reverently, but
it was proving to us that this, that he is the Lamb of God. that he could have delivered
himself, but he wouldn't. He wouldn't. And from that point
on, he set his face, and it was already set, but he set his face,
as it were, to fulfill the will of his father for us. to give
His life for us, to go through these mockeries of trials in
which He was found innocent and yet was unjustly condemned and
put to death, that the will of God would be fulfilled in the
salvation of His people, of God's chosen elect people to be redeemed
by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, not a cold
metal like silver or gold, but with the precious warm blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ was shed for us. Now, our text here
gives us two events that run parallel with one another, so
that John actually folds them in, back and forth on one another,
so that we see and know these things are happening simultaneously. But, I settled on one thing that
I want to show you tonight. One thing from our text, and
that is the difference that God puts between the children of
wrath and destruction and that he puts between them and his
chosen elect people, whom he loves, whom he set his heart
upon and gave us to the one, the very one who delivered our
souls from death. so that we see, and what we look
at tonight, that salvation is all of grace. It's all of grace. We've done nothing to earn this
salvation, but God has saved you, his believing child, who
has no righteousness of their own, he has saved you by grace,
in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. So I've titled the message, Peter
and Caiaphas. Peter and Caiaphas. So we're
told at the beginning of our text in verse 13, that they led
Christ first to Annas, and he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,
and he then sent the Lord, if you look down in verse 24, he
sent Christ bound unto Caiaphas, his son-in-law, who was the high
priest at that time. And so all the events that are
occurring here are taking place in the courtyard, or taking place
at the palace, at the house of Caiaphas, where the council was
assembled. Council of Pharisees and Sadducees
and those who had an interest in putting Christ to death. And
we're told that Peter was following a far-off. Luke and Matthew and
I believe even Mark says that he was following, but he was
following a far-off. He turned and was following.
Now both of these men are sinners. They're both sinners. We can't
make excuses and justify Peter because we like Peter and despise
Caiaphas. We can't just make excuses for
Peter. They're both sinners. Caiaphas
will condemn the Christ to die, and that unjustly, but he's going
to find a way to send him to the Roman government saying,
this man is an insurrectionist worthy of death by the Romans. He's being very crafty in what
he's doing. He doesn't want to take heat
from the people of Israel who might object, so he's going to
be able to say, the Romans did it. The Romans did it. He was
an insurrectionist. What could we do? The Romans
did it. They put him to death. But the
reason why Caiaphas did this is because it was in his own
interest. He wanted Christ out of the way,
and he wanted him out of the way the most efficient way that
he could do it. They couldn't gainsay him. They
couldn't come against him. He put them to shame. Every time
they questioned him and came at him, Christ always answered
with wisdom, the wisdom of God, because he is the Son of God. So they couldn't best him, so
they figured the only way to do this and do it quickly is
to put him to death. But Peter also is a sinner, and
he denies his Lord three times, doing what seemed right to him
at the time to save himself, to protect himself. But our God
has put a difference between Peter and Caiaphas, between his
chosen seed and those that he has left to themselves. Caiaphas himself will be condemned
to a just eternal punishment, and Peter will be converted and
restored by the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Both
are sinners, but both have a very different end. one of agony and
the other of grace and peace and joy in the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn over to Ephesians 2. I realize
this is a very familiar passage to us, but it is very relevant
here. Ephesians chapter 2, picking
up in verse 1. Paul begins saying, And you,
and you, and you hath he quickened, made spiritually alive who were
dead in trespasses and sins." So the question for each of us
here, myself included, is am I the you that is being addressed
in verse one? Am I that you that he's speaking
to? Is the Lord speaking to me? Have
I been quickened? Have I been made alive who is
dead in trespasses and sins? Because both Peter and Caiaphas
are not both the you being addressed here. They both do not qualify
as the you being addressed. One of them is. And one of them
is not. Which one are you? Are you Peter? Or are you Caiaphas? Am I the
you being addressed here or not? Both men are sinners because
none of us comes to God in our own righteousness. There's none
righteous, no, not one. And we've all sinned and come
short of the glory of God. None of us is able to save ourselves
and to be justified by God. So who maketh thee to differ
from another? Peter is going to be broken for
his sin. Caiaphas is going to do his wicked
works with a hard heart of adamant stone. And adamant, when a man
is said to be adamant, it means he cannot be turned. He will
not change his mind. He's a hardened stone, and that
is where Caiaphas remains. But Peter is given a new heart,
and Peter is given a soft heart, a heart of flesh as it's described
in Ezekiel, not the wicked flesh, but one that is soft, one that
is able to be turned by the Lord in a gracious way, in a gracious
manner for that sinner. God's able to turn every man's
heart, whithersoever he will, but in grace. He softens the
heart of his child to bless them to hear his word, to receive
his word, to be broken and of a contrite heart for their sin
and iniquity. So who maketh thee to differ
from another? The heart is deceitful above
all things." All things. We can think of a lot of evil
and wickedness in this world that we don't like, and yet every
one of us has that ticking in us that is deceitful above all
things, and it'll do whatever it has to do when it's put into
a difficult enough circumstance to deliver itself, to save itself
and those that it cares for. It's desperately wicked. Who
can know it? So who maketh thee to differ?
Who maketh thee to differ? It's not man. It's not man. Man doesn't make himself to differ.
It's a work of the grace of God. Continuing in Ephesians 2 verses
2 and 3, wherein in time past ye walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit, that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in
the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as
others." You know, what he's saying there is that business
men and women going to work, mothers taking their children,
getting them ready, bringing them to school and doing nice
activities with them. All of it that is not of faith
is sin. It's just the course of the world.
They're doing what is best for themselves and taking care of
their own. It's sin. It comes short of the
glory of God. But the one who makes the difference,
what the scriptures show us, after they've shown us that the
conclusion of the matter is all are under sin, the difference
is God. The one who makes the difference
is God. Look at verses four and five. But God, who is rich in mercy,
For his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace
ye are saved. We must look to the Lord, because
even if we look at man and we say, well, Peter was soft and
hard and he was broken and Caiaphas wasn't, well, people get broken
all the time. when they get caught in sin and
when they get found out, people are broken and upset about it.
Judas himself was broken for betraying the innocent and went
and hung himself. It wasn't a godly repentance.
He was broken But the Lord did something for Peter, and we see
that. We see that evidenced in the grace of God manifested in
Peter that is not manifested in others. Certainly not Caiaphas. Certainly not Caiaphas. Now the
Gospel declares that by the blood sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ,
he redeemed his people, meaning he purchased his people, not
only to put away their sins, but also to give them light and
life and liberty in the Lord Jesus Christ. To take us out
of that bondage in the course, in the way of the world, under
the prince of the power of the air, under his power, and to
give us life in Christ's kingdom. Knowing, having an understanding
and a knowledge of what your God has done for you graciously
in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a mystery to the natural
man. That's a knowledge that this
world doesn't have. And it's not a Gnostic knowledge
because it's plainly declared. It's not hidden anymore. God
has revealed it in Christ and he makes it known to you. And
anyone can hear it, but they won't. Anyone won't hear it. unless God does a gracious work
in our hearts to turn us from the false and wicked way, entrusting
our own works, trusting our strength, trusting our flesh, and having
no confidence in the flesh, and turning to the Lord Jesus Christ,
believing Him, calling upon the Lord Jesus Christ for grace and
mercy and help in our great time of need, which is right now,
brethren, right now. We need We always need the Lord
Jesus Christ. Be praying always, giving thanks
always, because our God is a gracious God, and He's kind and gracious
to all who call upon Him. And so that purchased possession
is the Lord's, is the Lord's. And he gives us glory and joy
in Christ our Savior. So that Peter is made a new creature. He's a new creature in Christ.
And Caiaphas is left hardened in his sin. So that the difference
is God. God made the difference. Has
God revealed himself in grace to your heart? Has God revealed
Himself by grace to your heart? Do you see your need of Him? Do you believe the Lord Jesus
Christ, for the forgiveness of sins, that God raised Him from
the dead, having first put Him to death as a sacrifice, as a
substitute, as your surety to put away your sins? and that
God hath raised him from the dead to justify you, to declare
you righteous before his sight, so that you, has God done that
for you, so that you believe the Lord Jesus Christ and confess
him and call upon his name, believing that he is your salvation, that
he accomplished our redemption. If you're his, as a child of
God, you will follow Christ in faith. You'll follow him in faith. This is obedience, the obedience
of faith which the Spirit of God manifests in every child,
seeking out the lost sheep, regenerating us with the seed of Christ, giving
us life in Him, a new man, a new creature, a new heart, a new
ear to hear, and a new mouth to confess the Lord Jesus Christ,
to believe on Him. If you're His, He will break
you of fleshly confidences. Every believer here can attest
to numerous times in which we've been broken of some fleshly confidence
that could not save. Something that he purposed to
remove from us in the time of his grace. Because he knows the
heart and he knows his purpose and he knows what he will do
for his children. He breaks us of that hard heart
and turns us to Christ. He leads his child through trials
and chastenings, just like we see here with Peter, being led
through trials and he will be chastened, but he did it to give
him a new heart, to turn him, to convert him, so that when
he was converted he would strengthen his brethren. He would know and
hear the Lord in a new way that he had not heard before, and
see in a new way, lead in a new way with a broken heart, a contrite
heart, a heart willing to listen to the Lord and to feed the sheep
of Christ, to feed his sheep. So let's see Peter's trial where
the Lord breaks Peter's vain self-confidence. We know that
a person of influence had gained an entrance for Peter into the
courtyard of the high priest's house. And it says in verse 17,
Then saith the damsel that kept or opened the door unto Peter,
Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I
am not. Now that's his first denial.
And the servants and officers stood by a fire of coals that
they had made to keep warm. And Peter was there warming himself
with them. We see the hand of God in this,
the providence of God that should draw Peter out from the cold,
farther reaches of the courtyard to stay hidden in the shadows.
The cold providence of God drew him to the light of the warm
fire because Peter was cold. Peter was cold. What a picture
of us in sin when we are cold. And the Lord has a way to bring
his people into the light. and to confess that that which
God has done, that that which is done in them is wrought in
God. Because the natural man doesn't
come into the light. The natural man doesn't want
his sin reproved. But those that do come into the
light are brought there by the Lord. And that's where we see
Peter drawn into the warmth of the light of that fire. Verse
25, And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself, They said therefore
unto him, Art thou not also one of his disciples? He denied it,
and said, I am not. That's his second denial. One
of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman, whose ear
Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with
him? Peter then denied again, his third denial, and immediately
the cock crowed. I want to read something that
Luke adds so that we see, we understand what Peter felt at
that time, how the Lord struck Peter and made him to know what
he had done. He brought remembrance to Peter's
heart. And it says, Luke 22, 61 and
62 says, and the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. I don't
know if the Lord was in that courtyard or at a window that
could see into the courtyard. But what I do know, what I am
certain, is Peter knew the Lord looked at him. And the Lord looked
upon him. Wherever he was, he looked deep
into Peter's soul. He knew Peter. And Peter knew
that the Lord saw what he had done. And Peter remembered the
word of the Lord, how he had said unto him before the cock
crow, Thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out and wept bitterly."
Nothing that our Lord did deserved that from Peter. Nothing he did
deserved that from Peter. Nothing we do in sin and rebellion
to please ourselves, to do for ourselves and neglect to what
the Lord lays on our heart. None of that is worthy of doing
that to the Lord, who is gracious and kind and merciful and ever
patient with us. He doesn't deserve it. And yet
we see his love and his faithfulness to Peter, to look upon Peter,
to do a gracious work for Peter. That worked grace in Peter's
heart. It broke his heart. Peter was
destroyed right now, but it was for Peter's good. And there are
chastenings that lay us so low that make us feel like we are
cut off forever, that I've done despite the spirit of grace and
there's no way God will forgive me and receive me now. And yet
the Lord is merciful and gracious to the worst of sinners, the
chief of sinners, the most vile among us. Our Savior's blood
is sufficient to purge the filthiest, deepest, darkest stain. Deeper than a stain is God. Deeper
than a stain. His blood is sufficient. Now
just before our Lord, well what we see is that our Lord had made
provision for Peter. He made provision for Peter.
He not only paid for that sin with His own blood, but He interceded
for Peter, made provision to keep Peter, to deliver Peter
from death, to deliver him from ruin. It says back in Luke 22,
just before he denied the Lord three times, our Lord said, Simon,
Simon, verse 31, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to
have you and to sift you like wheat. That's bone chilling,
that he should desire to have any one of us and to sift us
like wheat, to bring us down to the finest points exposing
what we are, dust, dust. But I have prayed for thee, that
thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen
thy brethren. And so Peter was sifted indeed,
but what a beautiful testimony that nothing can overcome, nothing
can overpower or outdo the blood of Christ, nothing. It's somewhere
right around in that area of the text, I don't know if it's
in Luke or Matthew or Mark, but he told Peter and the disciples,
you're all going to forsake me, you're all going to flee from
me, and in this world you're going to have many tribulations,
but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. And so the world of sin that
is in the heart of every child of God must be, must bow and
is overcome by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's nothing
that Christ cannot do to save you, to lift you up out of the
deepest pit and deliver you from hell, death and destruction.
The grave could not contain him and he will not allow it to contain
you. He will raise you up. He will
give you life. He has given you life. And to
you that He's given life, He keeps. He's made full provision
for your every need. Your every need. Keep looking
to Him. Believe Him. We see how gracious
He was to Peter who had sinned so grievously against Him. Our Lord used this for Peter's
good. He used this for Peter's good.
It actually says in Psalm 89 verse 33, and he talks there
in Psalm 89 about the children of David, when they sin, that
he'll chasten them, he'll chasten them. Nevertheless, he says,
my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer
my faithfulness to fail. I'm not pointing at Eric. That's
the Lord Jesus Christ's faithfulness. He's saying, my faithfulness,
the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ to lay down his
life for you shall not fail to save that soul for whom he died. You're precious to him and he
will never let you fall away. He shall keep you. He shall keep
you. In the darkest hour, he keeps
his child. After our Lord's resurrection,
the angel made it a point to strengthen Peter, to restore
him with grace and tender mercy, saying, Tell Christ's disciples,
and Peter, and Peter, that he that Christ goeth forth before
you into Galilee, there shall ye see him, as I said unto you. And the Lord blessed Peter. He
used Peter mightily to preach to the first church to gather
in 3,000 souls into the church with that message, being blessed
and having the Holy Spirit upon him with tongues of fire. As a messenger with good news
from the Lord our God for sinners, though your sin is as terrible
as Peter's, though you have done wickedly and you're saying, well,
mine's worse even than Peter's, I don't think it's any worse
than Peter's. Doesn't matter what you think, whether it is
or isn't. Our Lord's blood is sufficient to save, to purge
even the filthiest and darkest of stains. He has put away all
the sins of his people to deliver you, who hope in him this very
night. His blood is sufficient to save
you from the wrath of God, from all your sins. No power is stronger
than the blood of Christ. Nothing shall take you out of
Christ's hand. Nothing shall take you out of the Father's
hand. You are safe in the hand of holy, almighty God. Look to Christ. He's merciful
and forgives all who cry upon, all who cry to him seeking mercy
and forgiveness for Christ's sake. He says, believe on him
and you shall find rest for your souls. Peter was kept by the
faithfulness of Christ. And if you believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, He's keeping you, and He shall keep you unto the
end. Now, we read of no such thing
with Caiaphas. We read of no such mercy for
Caiaphas. He wasn't broken. He wasn't seeking
for mercy. John 18, 14. said that Caiaphas
was the one who, in a council to the Jews, said that it was
expedient that one man should die for the people. And expedience
means to do what's best, to accomplish a goal in a self-serving manner. to do what's best for you, for
me. I'm doing this because this is
going to help me in my political position as high priest. And whatever it is that we think
to do to help ourselves, it's expedient that we're doing it.
Without regard or thinking how it affects others, we're just
doing it for us. And so Caiaphas was doing everything
for himself, and he shed no tear when Christ was crucified. I'm
certain that he celebrated it as a triumph for himself, as
a smooth move that he figured out how to get his enemy. But even when he was doing that,
he was unknowingly doing the will of God. He was only fulfilling
God's purpose. God is able to accomplish His
purpose even in the midst of the darkest day. The most evil
work that a man would do, God is still able to accomplish His
purpose and to do His children good. Because this was the best
thing that was ever done for us, was Christ one man dying
for the life of the nation, to put away our sins, the nation
of God, the kingdom of God, the people of God, Christ, one man,
gave his life to save many, to save every one of his people. When Peter was restored and the
Holy Ghost was given to him, he declared to that first church
concerning Christ's crucifixion in Acts 2, 23, and 24, that Christ
was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. But ye, the nation of Israel, the Gentiles, ye have taken,
and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. whom God hath raised
up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible
that he should behold another. Therefore let all the house of
Israel know assuredly that God hath made this same Jesus both
Lord and Christ." He accomplished our redemption in that death.
And brethren, that's the confession of the child of God that you
don't ever hear on Caiaphas's lips, but you hear it on that
sinner redeemed by the blood of Christ, Peter, who denied
his Lord three times. That's what he confessed. He
confessed that Jesus Christ that Jesus is both Lord and Christ.
And that's what each one of you who believe Him in the heart,
who have confessed Him with your mouth and believe in the heart
that God hath raised Him from the dead, you're confessing He's
my Lord. He's my Christ. He's my Savior. My Savior. He's all my hope of
salvation. He's my righteousness to stand
before holy God. And those whom Christ saves,
they'll love Christ. They'll love Him. He said, to
whom little is forgiven, they love little. In other words,
to those who are forgiven much, they love much. And you that
have been forgiven, love your Lord. I don't even need to tell
you. Love Him. Believe Him. Don't be shaken. Don't be soon shaken by your
trouble, your trials, your chastenings and tribulations. Peter went
through them. Paul went through them. Every
apostle went through them. Every child of God before you
has gone through them. Every child of God presently
in the earth is going through manifold trials and tribulations,
a fiery trial. But it's for the good of his
people. It's for your good. It's to keep
you not looking to the way of the world and saying, boy, they
got it so good. It's to turn you from the flesh
and to turn your eyes to the Lord Jesus Christ so that you
will never depart from him. And when you do depart, being
faithless, he's faithful still. When you're unbelieving, he's
faithful still. He cannot deny himself. And so
he keeps you. He provides for you, and he turns
you and converts you again back to himself. And when he does,
strengthen your breath. Strengthen your brethren. Come
and be with your brethren. God delivered Peter with Godly
sorrow that worketh repentance. And we know this because we see
the faith revealed in Peter that we don't see in Caiaphas. That prayer that Christ prayed
for him, when he said, I pray for you that your faith fail
not, Christ's prayer didn't fail. It didn't fail. He went through
the chastening. He went through the trial. But
Peter was delivered. Peter was converted. Peter was
turned again to the Lord. Now, the wicked are not so. They
continue on in their ways, their things to do for themselves.
Stephen, when he was being martyred for Christ's sake, for the witness
of Christ, said to them, Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and
ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost. As your fathers did,
so do ye. And so those are those that are
left to themselves. Now, they might be religious. Caiaphas
was the high priest, after all. Many of these men were in the
council of the Jews. They were professed followers
of God. They professed to keep the law. They strained out camels, or
strained out gnats and swallowed camels, all in the name of religion. They were religious people. Many
people have religious works, and they justify themselves and
condemn others. They have a stiff neck and an
uncircumcised heart. But the Lord is gracious to you
to break you, to give you a contrite heart, to show you your sin,
to show you your need of Christ, and to give you a mouth that
confesses the Lord Jesus Christ, that cries out in hope, that
breathes, not knowing what to say, but Lord save me, have mercy
upon you, upon me. You hath he quickened, made spiritually
alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. So the question for
us is, am I the you being addressed here in this verse? Or am I like
Caiaphas putting on religious airs and putting on a show of
religion? But the difference will be made
evident in you by God. Because faith is not of the flesh,
it's of the Spirit of God. It's a fruit of His Spirit to
deliver you from death. Peter and Caiaphas, one is loved
of God, the other is hated of God. And the difference is wrought
by God. And he brings this attention
to us in Romans 9. Let's go to Romans 9. We'll be
closing from this chapter. Romans 9.13, as it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated. You can put in there, as it is
written, Peter have I loved, but Caiaphas I have hated. What
shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will
have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then it's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Every one of us is a sinner,
and God doesn't owe us salvation. He doesn't owe us mercy. In fact, the wages of sin is
death, but the gift of God is eternal life through our Lord
Jesus Christ. And so, this salvation is effectually
given by God to whom He will. Every one of us died in Adam,
but every one of us in Christ, every one of His seed whom He
died for, they shall be made alive in Him. All those given
to Christ, whom he gave his life for, they, like Peter, repent
of their vain works. They're broken. They're brought
low. They will know that they are sinners. And they'll be reminded
of it. We'll see our own weakness. We're
reminded. And when the Lord is pleased
to do so, his grace is sufficient. And he'll show us our sin and
our need of Christ. And he'll restore us. But many
are like Caiaphas. And they're only interested in
themselves and care nothing for others. and they do what's most
expedient for their little, small, tiny, worthless, pitiful life. That's just a vape. Don't be
like Caiaphas. Turn from your wicked ways. Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. The Scripture saith unto Pharaoh,
verse 17 and 18, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee
up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might
be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy
on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. If God has given you a soft heart,
it's for your good. If you're broken for your sin,
believe him. Rest in Him. Cry out to Him.
Look to Him. Walk in Christ by faith, trusting
Him. Caiaphas was a hard man, not
broken at all. Not broken at all. But the child
of God, they are broken. That's why you're troubled by
your sin. That's why you're brought low many times. Because the Lord's
showing you your need of Christ. It's for You're good. Believe
him. God has made a difference. He's
put a difference in you and the Caiaphas's and you that are his
Peter's and those that are the Caiaphas's. Believe him. Hath
not the potter power over the clay, verse 21, of the same lump
to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? What
if God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known and
or with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction
And I am thankful for this, that he might make known the riches
of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had aforeprepared
unto glory, even us, whom he hath called not of the Jews only,
but also of the Gentiles. Peter and Caiaphas, which are
you? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved. Let's close in prayer, and I
close with a hymn. Gracious Lord, we thank you for
your grace. We thank you for your mercy,
which is shown to us in Christ. Lord, that like Peter, you teach
us, you break us, you show us what we are in ourselves, that
we should not be confident in what we have done, but that we
should find our hope, our all, our hope of eternal life in the
Lord Jesus Christ alone, whom you have sent. Lord, so often
we feel ourselves so full of sin, so heavy in such darkness,
and we think surely there's no grace or mercy for me to save
me. But one who talks like that is
not a Caiaphas, not at all. They're broken. They've been
stripped of strength and brought low by their own sin and weaknesses
and infirmities to see their need of Christ. What a blessing.
What a blessing, Lord. I pray that you would comfort
all your people, that you would strengthen them in Christ, that
you would keep us ever looking to Him. We don't pray for trials.
We don't pray for chastenings or strippings. We pray for grace,
Lord. We ask that you would be gracious to us and show us Christ. Show us the preciousness of His
blood. Lord, we pray for our brethren, those that are traveling.
We pray that you would give them safe travels and that you would
bless their time away and that you would bring them back safely.
We pray for those that are struggling and seeking you for various things,
those that have sicknesses, diseases, weaknesses, trials. Lord, be
gracious to your people. draw us together as a body assembled
called by our lord effectually in the grace and power of our
lord and savior jesus christ it's in his name we pray and
give thanks amen Our closing hymn is 137. 137.
What a day that will be. There is coming a day when no
heartache shall come. No more clouds in the sky, no
more tears to dim the eye. All is peace forevermore on that
happy golden shore. What a day, glorious day that
will be. What a day that will be when
my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon His face, the One who saved
me by His grace. When He takes me by the hand
and leads me through the Promised Land, What a day, glorious day
that will be. There'll be no sorrow there,
no more burdens to bear. No more sickness, no pain, no
more parting over there. And forever I will be with the
One who died for me. What a day, glorious day that
will be! What a day that will be when
my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon His face, the One who saved
me by His grace. When He takes me by the hand
and leads me through the Promised Land, What a day, glorious day,
that will be.