Victory Through The Cross: Peter’s Perspective Change on Suffering

Matthew 16:21-23 (NASB)
²¹  From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.
²²  Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You."
²³  But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."

1.     Denial & Overconfidence

Luke 22:31-34 (NASB)

³¹  "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;

³²  but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

³³  But he said to Him, "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!"

³⁴  And He said, "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me."

Luke 22:54-62 (NASB)
⁵⁴  Having arrested Him, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance.
⁵⁵  After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them.
⁵⁶  And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, "This man was with Him too."
⁵⁷  But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."
⁵⁸  A little later, another saw him and said, "You are one of them too!" But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"
⁵⁹  After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, "Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too."
⁶⁰  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about." Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.
⁶¹  The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, "Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times."
⁶²  And he went out and wept bitterly.

2.     Dispelling Doubt & Disbelief

Luke 24:1-12 (NASB)
¹  But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.
²  And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
³  but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
⁴  While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing;
⁵  and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead?
⁶  "He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee,
⁷  saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."
⁸  And they remembered His words,
⁹  and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
¹⁰  Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.
¹¹  But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.
¹²  But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

3.     Determination Through Faith In Christ

1 Peter 2:20-25 (NASB)
²⁰  For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
²¹  For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
²²  WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH;
²³  and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
²⁴  and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
²⁵  For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

 Lords Supper: Remembering With Reverence

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (NASB)
²³  For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
²⁴  and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
²⁵  In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
²⁶  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.