Denial

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Maundy Thursday evening, the 9th of April, 2020 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service, recorded and streamed live, due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  This service also included the observance of Holy Communion.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

The time is shortly before Jesus is betrayed and handed over first to the Jewish religious leadership and then to the Romans.  Jesus is seated at the table with His twelve closest friends, in an upper room of a house they are being allowed to use as they observe the Passover feast.  He knows what is coming, and that one of the men seated there with Him would soon betray Him.  And He also knows that denial will soon follow.

Listen and follow along as I read from the Gospel account of the Apostle Matthew, chapter 26, verses 31 through 35, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:

‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

33 Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”

34 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

And so said all the disciples.

--Matthew 26:31-35 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, tonight we step back in time to a night so long ago that may have lost some of its meaning for many.  Some may not see themselves in this passage.  Speak to us, Father, speak into our hearts, that we might relive that night and understand its meaning and impact on our very lives.  Speak to us that we might know the truth of our ways.  Convict us of our sin and forgive us for our continuing disobedience.  This we pray in the name of Your Son Jesus.  Amen


Tonight is Maundy Thursday.  The word, “Maundy”, comes from the Latin word meaning command or commandment.  On the night of His last supper with His disciples, Jesus gave us a commandment to “Do this in remembrance of Me”.

In just a few minutes we will share the elements of His body and blood.  We will renew the covenant God made with us, sealed by the precious blood of Jesus.  But first, I want to take a closer look at what Jesus said as they finished their meal.


Think back for a moment on those large family meals we all enjoy.  Dinner is all eaten, the dishes are in the dishwasher, the TV is on in the living room, someone is already napping in the easy chair.  It’s that warm, cozy time after the meal.

This is how I picture that upper room, after Jesus and His closest friends, His disciples, had finished their Passover meal.  They were luxuriating in the glow as the food and the wine relaxed their bodies and minds.  And then Jesus turns everything upside down by saying that they would all be tripped up that night, and all because of Him.

Of course, Peter always has to argue with Jesus.  So he proclaims that he won’t stumble, even if everyone else does!  He’ll stay true to Jesus no matter what!  I can almost hear Jesus, talking to Peter as if to a child, saying not only will you stumble, but you’ll even deny knowing Me, not once, but three times before this night is over.  Which, Peter immediately denies, too, along with all the others.  But family, the denial continues - we still stumble, even to this day.


What does that word mean, denial?  According to the dictionary, a denial is an assertion that something said, believed, or alleged is false.  This definition is adhered to by so many people in the world today, who hold that any belief in Jesus as God is false.

Denial is also defined as the refusal to recognize or acknowledge something, or someone.  This is how Peter denied Jesus, by refusing to recognize Him and acknowledge his relationship to Him when pressured by the people.  Even after proudly proclaiming that he would never deny Jesus, he did just that.  Why?  Because he stumbled, he tripped, he gave in to the pressures of the world.


Now, we would never deny Jesus, would we?  If someone asked if we know Jesus, if we follow Him, if we believe in Him, we would gladly say yes, yes, yes.  We are His followers, we are known by His name: Christians.  But family, there are more ways to deny Jesus than these I’ve mentioned.  Another dictionary definition of denial is the refusal to satisfy a claim or request or command.

When we hesitate or fail to do as Jesus asks or commands us to do, we are denying Him.  When we judge someone, we are denying Jesus.  When we fail to love unconditionally, we are denying Jesus.  When we only give our Lord lip service, not following our words with our actions.  When we don’t give food to the hungry, provide drink for the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison, we are denying Jesus.  When we are too fearful or ashamed to go out into the world testifying and witnessing as to just how good Jesus is and what He means to us, we are denying Him just like Peter did.

This last is especially important to us.  In chapter 10 of his Gospel account, verses 27 and 28 and 32 and 33, Matthew also recorded Jesus giving us this warning…

27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”

--Matthew 10:27-28, 32-33 (NKJV)

So we can see that denial carries a steep cost: our eternal soul.

If we try to witness for Jesus to others, some person may scoff and ridicule us, make us feel uncomfortable.  So what?!  They may even want to kill us, if the coronavirus doesn’t get us first.  Big deal!  To live is Christ, to die is gain.  Our life on this earth means nothing if we don’t live it for Jesus!  It will all have been wasted if we deny Him!

So let’s do what we can to speak in the light, for all to see and hear!  Let’s preach it on the housetops, without fear or hesitation or shame!  Let’s be sure not to deny Jesus, but to confess Him before others so that He will confess us before God!

Get right with God.  Stay true to Jesus and stop denying Him.  In the blessed name of our Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, on this night we reflect back on a time when mankind saddened You yet again.  For on that night long ago we betrayed Your Son, Your only Son, whom You sent to offer us salvation.  Instead of receiving Him, we rejected Him.  And even today, instead of testifying for Him, we deny Him.  Forgive us, Father, for we do not know what we are doing.

But now, Father, we pray that we do know and understand the impact of our actions and words.  Thank You for saving all this for us in our Holy Bible so that we might know the error of our ways and not keep on making the same mistakes over and over again.  Help us understand the how the things we do and say put us in a position of denial of Your Son.

Lord Jesus, You gave so much of Yourself on our behalf.  You took our punishment, You bore our stripes, You died so we could avoid the final and permanent death just by believing in You and accepting You as Lord.  But even greater suffering You bear comes from our denial of You, just as Peter denied You so long ago.

Forgive us, Lord, our times of doubt and confusion.  Forgive us when we refuse to believe, when we reject Your authority.  Forgive us when we could stand up for You against the doubters and disbelievers, but we are just too timid, too afraid, to do so.  Forgive us when we can’t let go of the world, refusing to put all our faith and trust in You and our Father God.  Help us, please Jesus, to not be so concerned with what others may think about us.  Give us the strength of our convictions, the fullness of our faith, so that we will no longer deny You.

This we pray in Your sweet name, Lord Jesus, the one true Son of God.  Amen.


Now let us seek God’s forgiveness by confessing our sin…

Merciful God, we confess that so often our discipleship has been weak, when we have failed to serve as Jesus served; Father, forgive us.

When we have failed to love one another as Jesus loves us; Father, forgive us.

When we have been happy to proclaim our devotion to Jesus with our lips and then denied Him by our actions; Father, forgive us.

Merciful God, empower us by Your Spirit to be steady and true to You in every time of trial; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Jesus said: "I came not to judge the world, but to save the world", and having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them even to the end.  The good news therefore is this:  In Jesus Christ, we are loved and we are forgiven.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.