Tuesday, 7 April The King Establishes His Kingdom. Matt. 26:57–75
Peter’s mind must have been sorely distressed. He was only too well aware that he had run away from Jesus at the time of his arrest. Now he had slunk back like a hit-run driver who circles back to drive past slowly and look at the scene of carnage he has left behind.
Peter was in the courtyard, as close as he could get to where the trial was taking place. No doubt there were snippets of news being passed back to the crowd about how the trial was progressing.
Matthew tells us how Jesus was being accused by false witnesses. These were men who were willing to stand up in court and say something untrue and incriminating about Jesus. They earn our scorn, the way that Matthew tells the story. But then – a sudden turnabout!
Matthew moves to the story of Peter. Three times Peter is accused of knowing Jesus – three times he gives a false witness that he does not know Jesus. The first two times he was accused by young serving-girls – hardly the most fearsome challenge. But wait! How many times have I failed to tell a supermarket checkout girl something that I could easily have said about my faith when the opportunity was ripe?
The third time, it was his accent that caught him out. Galileans were the rebels of ancient Israel. They were unruly and insubordinate. They were fervent in their nationalism and their fierce opposition to the Roman overlords. They spoke Aramaic with a terrible accent – perhaps like North Queenslanders or Cockneys or Yorkshire farmers are renowned to speak the Queen’s English so terribly. It sounds as if it was a group of men who challenged Peter this time, and Peter adopts his tough fisherman’s attitude, cursing and swearing. “Jesus! I don’t know the bloke! Stop bloody pestering me!”
Three times, Peter gives a false witness that he does not know Jesus. You shall not bear false witness, wrote God on the tablet of stone. Up till now everyone had thought that it referred to not telling lies about another human person. But now God himself is the subject of false witness by dishonest witnesses and even his friend and disciple.
The One who made the whole universe, who devised and delivered to this nation and these priests, the revelation about himself is the subject of false witness. Both those who love him and those who hate him, look upon the I AM and say He is not!
And Peter went out and wept bitterly. I know, Peter, I know how you feel. When you have done something you really wish you had not done, your grief and self-blame is bitter. But Peter, you were quick to repent of this sin. You did not stay arrogant in your guilt; you wept and were ashamed. And God looked upon your repentance and forgave you. Oh, how well and quickly he forgave you!
We are still thinking about Jesus Establishing his Kingdom. There is one shining moment when he does this, ever so clearly and authoritatively. In the middle of the trial chaos, after he has been silent before his accusers, like a sheep before the slaughterers is dumb (Isaiah 53:7), Jesus is issued with the direct question/challenge: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.
Jesus gives his answer and goes well beyond the mere affirmative. He establishes his credentials as the Christ, the Son of God, who will shortly be enthroned with God Most High, and will one day come with clouds of glory. Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven." (v64)
The poet Wordsworth, in his romantic visions of human greatness, wrote about how, as human beings born on this earth:
…trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home.
But Matthew will have none of this. All the humans in this story are wicked, or desperately shameful either in their furtive or vehement denials of the One who is all Light and Wonder.
Jesus tells the high priest of his true mission, establishing for ever his claim in the highest of Jewish courts, proclaiming to the highest official, that he is indeed the Christ, the Son of the living God.
After this, the lines are clearly drawn. With whose kingdom will you align yourself?
Normal common sense and a sharp political nose might nudge you firmly away from Jesus’ side. He looks as though he is on a bigger losing streak than a three-legged camel in the Camel Derby at Caesarea. You'd be a donkey to back Jesus in this clash of kingdoms.
But it was a donkey that started all this noise and commotion off in the first place. He knew that the kind, strong man who held his rope and whispered in his ear to let him climb upon his back to ride into Jerusalem was someone not to be trifled with. Someone for whom all donkeys – human and animal – in their foolishness have been waiting for since the beginning of time. So G. K. Chesterton wrote in his lovely little poem, speaking though the imagined voice of the donkey:
Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.
Jesus has established his Kingdom in the presence of the high priest of all Israel. His Kingdom doesn’t look in the least as though it could amount to much – but just watch this space. The little bit of yeast will expand and fill the whole world with his glory.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I would like to say that if I had been there, I would have stood up for you – but I know I'm just fooling myself. I’d have slunk out of there long before Peter did. I want to confess my failure in not standing for you when I could. Help me, please. Give me to courage to stand with you and for you, no matter who is up against me. And if the social media crowd gang up on me, I’ll just laugh, turn off my phone and praise you that you have found me worthy to suffer with you. Amen.
