Mr. Sandman
Sermon
From Dusk To Dawn
Sermons For Lent And Easter
Mr. Sandman cowers in craven fear near a blazing fire before
the questioning eyes of the night. The Rock of Gibraltar,
buffeted by persecution; blasted by danger's rapier-sharp swords.
Will the real disciple named Peter please stand up? Peter is
portrayed in all of his complexity, weakness and strength in the
pages of our New Testament. In this chapter we focus our mind's
camera on this first and greatest of the dozen disciples who
responded to Christ's call to "Follow Me!"
As new ministers, seminary graduates are sent into different
churches and schools to proclaim the gospel. Sometimes we forget
that these new pastors are a part of a great army of Christian
servants who have followed the call of Christ. The first
ministers were the 12 disciples. Jesus chose them to follow him.
It wasn't because they were better than anyone else or because
they were more pious than others. They were chosen because they
came. They left their jobs, homes and families to follow the
Master. They weren't perfect. They were often guilty of jealousy,
envy and pig-headed responses to love. Often they thought of
saving their own skins when danger threatened. They didn't leave
many of their prejudices behind when they followed the Galilean.
In short, they were a lot like anyone called to be a servant of
God. Human, fallible, sinful but with potential to be effective
in sharing the good news.
Peter was the leader of the 12 disciples. His name appears at
the top of the listing of the dozen. According to a tradition
handed down through the years, Peter's appearance was:
"... slender inclining to tallness
His complexion pale and almost white
His beard curled and thick but short
His eyes black but flecked with red
due to frequent weeping.
Eyebrows thin or none at all."1
Peter was a big fisherman who followed him who calls us to be
fishers of men and women. Peter had moments when his courage
blazed forth with greater fury. Peter had drawn his sword when
the soldiers came to arrest Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Peter was emotional, loyal and courageous. He was close to Jesus
and had invited the Lord into his home in Capernaum. He had
followed the Lord down the gospel road as the Master healed,
taught and preached to the crowds who heard his message of
healing, love and salvation. Peter was a good man to have on your
side.
Peter was not, however, perfect. In the moment of crisis when
asked if he was a follower of the Lord, Peter had denied knowing
Jesus. This denial took place in the courtyard of the High
Priest's palace. Jesus had been taken here following his arrest.
Peter and another disciple, probably John the beloved disciple,
had entered the courtyard to be close to Jesus in his moment of
trial. A woman who had let the disciples into the courtyard asked
Peter if he was a disciple of Jesus. Peter's courage deserted
him. Instead of a Rock, he became Mr. Sandman.
Then Peter denied Jesus again. It occurred near a charcoal
fire where soldiers and servants were warming themselves from the
chill of the cool April night.
Throughout John's gospel, Jesus proclaimed that he was the Son
of God by saying, "I am." In this low moment of his ministry,
Peter said, "I am not a disciple." He said no
to Jesus. Standing before a charcoal fire, Peter said no to him
who spoke to Moses from a burning bush in the wilderness.
Cowering before a humble maid servant, Peter, the man of courage,
became weak-kneed. In this moment of need Peter forsook his
Savior.
A sign on the Berlin Wall said, "Tyranny is Dead. Europe
lives!" A sign of Easter is the word from the empty tomb, "Jesus
is not here. He is arisen." Because he lives, Peter is forgiven
and today sits with the Lord in heaven. Later when Peter repented
of his denial of Jesus he remembered a prophecy. Jesus had said,
"Peter will deny me before the cock crows three times."
The Romans divided the night into several watches. After each
watch of the night ended, a trumpet would be blown. This would be
called the cockcrow of the trumpets. The time when the trumpet
would be blown three times signalled the end of the night
watching at 3 a.m. Before the dawn, John tells us in his gospel,
Peter had denied the Lord to any and all who would question him.
What would happen if someone questioned us? Would there be
enough evidence to show we are disciples of Jesus? We deny Jesus
when we let anything or anyone cloud our service to the Master.
Even the saints of the Christian faith commit sins. Saint
Peter denied his Lord. Yet he had a second chance. He was
forgiven. He went to Rome, preached the gospel and taught new
converts. He was crucified upside down because he did not feel
worthy to die being crucified in the same way as had his
crucified Lord.
All of us are cowards and courageous. All of us are saints and
sinners. We are not perfect. We are human. We are also
Christians. We are forgiven and loved by him who is the rock of
our salvation. Let us live this week as children of the King,
even Jesus the living Lord.
1-The Lives and Deaths of the Holy Apostles, p. 21, London, 1685.
the questioning eyes of the night. The Rock of Gibraltar,
buffeted by persecution; blasted by danger's rapier-sharp swords.
Will the real disciple named Peter please stand up? Peter is
portrayed in all of his complexity, weakness and strength in the
pages of our New Testament. In this chapter we focus our mind's
camera on this first and greatest of the dozen disciples who
responded to Christ's call to "Follow Me!"
As new ministers, seminary graduates are sent into different
churches and schools to proclaim the gospel. Sometimes we forget
that these new pastors are a part of a great army of Christian
servants who have followed the call of Christ. The first
ministers were the 12 disciples. Jesus chose them to follow him.
It wasn't because they were better than anyone else or because
they were more pious than others. They were chosen because they
came. They left their jobs, homes and families to follow the
Master. They weren't perfect. They were often guilty of jealousy,
envy and pig-headed responses to love. Often they thought of
saving their own skins when danger threatened. They didn't leave
many of their prejudices behind when they followed the Galilean.
In short, they were a lot like anyone called to be a servant of
God. Human, fallible, sinful but with potential to be effective
in sharing the good news.
Peter was the leader of the 12 disciples. His name appears at
the top of the listing of the dozen. According to a tradition
handed down through the years, Peter's appearance was:
"... slender inclining to tallness
His complexion pale and almost white
His beard curled and thick but short
His eyes black but flecked with red
due to frequent weeping.
Eyebrows thin or none at all."1
Peter was a big fisherman who followed him who calls us to be
fishers of men and women. Peter had moments when his courage
blazed forth with greater fury. Peter had drawn his sword when
the soldiers came to arrest Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Peter was emotional, loyal and courageous. He was close to Jesus
and had invited the Lord into his home in Capernaum. He had
followed the Lord down the gospel road as the Master healed,
taught and preached to the crowds who heard his message of
healing, love and salvation. Peter was a good man to have on your
side.
Peter was not, however, perfect. In the moment of crisis when
asked if he was a follower of the Lord, Peter had denied knowing
Jesus. This denial took place in the courtyard of the High
Priest's palace. Jesus had been taken here following his arrest.
Peter and another disciple, probably John the beloved disciple,
had entered the courtyard to be close to Jesus in his moment of
trial. A woman who had let the disciples into the courtyard asked
Peter if he was a disciple of Jesus. Peter's courage deserted
him. Instead of a Rock, he became Mr. Sandman.
Then Peter denied Jesus again. It occurred near a charcoal
fire where soldiers and servants were warming themselves from the
chill of the cool April night.
Throughout John's gospel, Jesus proclaimed that he was the Son
of God by saying, "I am." In this low moment of his ministry,
Peter said, "I am not a disciple." He said no
to Jesus. Standing before a charcoal fire, Peter said no to him
who spoke to Moses from a burning bush in the wilderness.
Cowering before a humble maid servant, Peter, the man of courage,
became weak-kneed. In this moment of need Peter forsook his
Savior.
A sign on the Berlin Wall said, "Tyranny is Dead. Europe
lives!" A sign of Easter is the word from the empty tomb, "Jesus
is not here. He is arisen." Because he lives, Peter is forgiven
and today sits with the Lord in heaven. Later when Peter repented
of his denial of Jesus he remembered a prophecy. Jesus had said,
"Peter will deny me before the cock crows three times."
The Romans divided the night into several watches. After each
watch of the night ended, a trumpet would be blown. This would be
called the cockcrow of the trumpets. The time when the trumpet
would be blown three times signalled the end of the night
watching at 3 a.m. Before the dawn, John tells us in his gospel,
Peter had denied the Lord to any and all who would question him.
What would happen if someone questioned us? Would there be
enough evidence to show we are disciples of Jesus? We deny Jesus
when we let anything or anyone cloud our service to the Master.
Even the saints of the Christian faith commit sins. Saint
Peter denied his Lord. Yet he had a second chance. He was
forgiven. He went to Rome, preached the gospel and taught new
converts. He was crucified upside down because he did not feel
worthy to die being crucified in the same way as had his
crucified Lord.
All of us are cowards and courageous. All of us are saints and
sinners. We are not perfect. We are human. We are also
Christians. We are forgiven and loved by him who is the rock of
our salvation. Let us live this week as children of the King,
even Jesus the living Lord.
1-The Lives and Deaths of the Holy Apostles, p. 21, London, 1685.
