Crucifying Self-Faith
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Learning from Peter's denials that a vital part of sanctification is to crucify self-faith so that Kingdom Faith will grow.
Text: Luke 22:54-62
Date: 09/28/2025, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 212
Description:
After the fracas in the Garden, Jesus is arrested and taken to the mansion of the High Priest for a clandestine midnight trial with the Sanhedrin. Peter follows at a distance and ultimately joins a group of servants and officers at a fire in the courtyard awaiting the outcome. While he is there he is recognized as a close disciple and famously denies that he even knows Jesus three times. Dramatically, Jesus' prophecy is fulfilled as the rooster crows even as he is uttering his last denial. We will analyze Peter's behavior and ponder his motives. But primarily we will key on the painful destruction of Peter's self-faith, so bombastically asserted earlier when he assured Jesus he would follow Him to prison or to death. We will delve into the tension between Peter's self-faith that is being destroyed and his Kingdom faith that is being strengthened through trial. Ultimately we will realize the deep Theological truth that Kingdom Faith is the work of the Holy Spirit alone, and that a crucial part of the process of our own sanctification is the necessity of crucifying our self-faith so that Kingdom faith will grow.
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I. Introduction, Matt. 14:25,28.
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 22:54-62.
A. Context
1. The extended context, Luke 5:8, 8:24,25, 9:35; Matt. 16:16,17,22,23.
2. The immediate context, Matt. 26:31,33,56; Luke 22:33,34.
B. The failure of Peter's self-faith.
1. Setting the scene, vs. 54-55.
a. The arrest, vs. 54.
i. A physical arrest, Acts 12:1-3, 23:27; John 18:12; Luke 22:37.
ii. To the mansion of the High Priest, Acts 4:3; Mark 14:53.
iii. Following at a distance.
b. Peter in the courtyard, vs. 55, John 18:18.
2. The threefold denials, vs. 56-60a.
a. The first denial, vs. 56-57.
i. Describing the denial.
1) The servant girl.
2) The scrutiny, Acts 1:10.
3) The accusal.
4) The denial.
ii. Analyzing the denial, Luke 24:18, 12:9.
b. The second denial, vs. 58.
i. Describing the denial.
ii. Analyzing the denial, Luke 22:46; Matt. 26:58.
c. The third denial, vs. 59-60a.
i. Describing the denial, Matt. 26:73,74.
ii. Analyzing the denial, Eph. 2:4-5.
3. The crow of the rooster, vs. 60b-61.
a. The dramatic crow.
b. The look of grace and judgment.
c. Interpreting the look, Luke 24:6-8; John 2:22.
4. The essential epilogue, vs. 62.
a. Tears of mortification, Isa. 22:4; Luke 9:20, 22:57; Matt. 16:16, 26:74.
b. Tears of repentance.
III. Application
A. Redefining the two faiths.
1. Redefining Kingdom faith, Phil. 2:13, 1:6; Eph. 2:10.
2. Redefining self-faith.
B. Comparing Peter and Judas.
C. On faith and sanctification.
1.The positive work of the Holy Spirit, Luke 17:5; 2Th. 1:3; 2Cor. 10:17.
2. The "negative" work of the disciple, Luke 9:23; John 15:5; Gal. 2:20, 5:24; 2Cor. 3:5; Col. 3:5,8; Eph. 4:22; 1Pet. 2:11; Phil. 1:21.
IV. Conclusion, James 1:2-4, 2Cor. 12:10.
