Peter's Faith Tried by Satan

Faith in the Synoptic Gospels as taught by the Greek word “pistis” - Part 3:

We continue with our examination of the 24 occasions the Greek word “pistis,” translated with our noun “faith” is found in Matthew, Mark and Luke (never in John.) Part 1 (Vol 3, No 15) described 8 incidents in which this word is used where Jesus alluded to the faith of 13 people as the key to their healing or forgiveness of sins. Part 2 (Vol 3, No 16) covered 4 incidents in which this word is used where Jesus told His disciples what they could accomplish if they had even a tiny amount of faith. Once in one of these 4 incidents the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith, that being the only time in the Synoptic Gospels when anyone other than Jesus is recorded as having uttered the word pistis. These 12 incidents account for 21 of the 24 occurrences of the Greek “pistis” in the Gospels. We will examine one of the remaining three in this study.

1. Jesus told Peter that Satan was going to try him but He prayed his faith would not fail and when he was converted he was to strengthen his brethren. Peter answered that he was ready to go to prison and death with Jesus. Jesus responded that the cock would not crow that day before he denied Him 3 times. Luke 22:28 - 3428 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.

29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

. (This is the only time Jesus called Simon by his other name Peter.) This incident is also recorded in Matthew 26:33 - 3533 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.

34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

, Mark 14:29 - 3129 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.

30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.

31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.

and John 13:36 - 3836 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.

37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.

38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.

, however they do not include the fact Jesus prayed that Peter's faith would not fail. (So we have here 1 incident reported by all 4 authors but with the word “pistis,” faith is found only in Luke.)

The venue and context was what is known as the Last Supper. Jesus and His Apostles were observing the annual Passover dinner, Luke 22:13 - 2013 And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.

15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:

16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:

18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

. The first Passover was in Egypt many years before. Every Jewish family had killed a lamb without blemish; put the blood thereof on the sides and top of their front door and cooked and ate the lamb with unleavened bread, Exodus 12:1 - 271 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying,

2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover.

12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.

17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.

19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.

20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.

22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.

25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.

26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.

. That night the firstborn of the Egyptians, both man and beast, were killed while the blood of the lamb kept the Israelites safe. As a result the Egyptians let God's people go. The book of Hebrews describes the role of faith in the first Passover: “Through faith he (Moses) kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.” Hebrews 11:2828 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

. God instructed His people through Moses to thereafter celebrate the Passover every year in remembrance of what He had done in liberating them from slavery and death in Egypt.

Now Jesus, the antitype of Moses, was about to offer His own blood and body to save His people from the slave master of sin and provide eternal life to all who believe in Him. Before His incarnation it had been He, as the Word of God (John 1:1 & 141 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

) who had instructed Moses what to do at that first Passover. He had known (since before the foundation of the world) that when He came as the man Jesus He would die an excruciating death. He was aware of the fact God the Father would turn His back on Him as He hung on the cross. And so as Moses had kept the Passover through faith, now He the Man Jesus would fulfill or complete that faith for Jesus was the Author and Finisher of Faith, Hebrews 12:22 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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But whereas Jesus knew exactly what He was about to experience, His Apostles had no clue. At the supper, when Jesus said one of them would betray him they reasoned among themselves as to who it would be, Luke 22:2323 And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.

, but that thought soon faded and they began discussing who among them would be greatest in His Kingdom, verse 24. Jesus patiently explained that His Kingdom would not be like the Gentile nations around them that were ruled by Kings who were called benefactors, a title conferred upon them because of their positions. On the contrary, Jesus told His disciples that those who would be greatest in His future Kingdom should be as the least here on earth, that is, as servants of others, verses 25 & 26. Jesus had just demonstrated Himself as a servant by washing their feet, John 13:5 - 165 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

, and the Passover dinner exemplified this for He was about to shed His own blood for mankind's salvation and offer His body for eternal life, Luke 22:1919 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

, 20 & 27. Thus, Jesus who was the least of and servant to all during His humiliation 2000 years ago will reign as King in His future Kingdom. (His disciples did not earn their future positions or status; it was Jesus who had called each of them and it was He who appointed them to eat and drink at His table in His future Kingdom and sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel, Luke 22:28 - 3028 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.

29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

.)

Jesus told Peter he was about to be tried by Satan, Luke 22:3131 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

, but He had prayed Peter's faith would not fail and He charged Peter to strengthen his brethren when he was converted, verse 32. Peter then boasted that he was ready to go to prison and death for Jesus, verse 33. There is little doubt he was sincere in his intentions, but his faith (the foundation of what he hoped for, the evidence of what he could not see) at that time was in himself and so his bravado was of the flesh, based upon his own resolve, which is na