By Shirley Mitchell
“Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
‘You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?’ she asked Peter.
He replied, ‘I am not.’
It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself…
Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, ‘You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?’
He denied it, saying, ‘I am not.’
One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, ‘Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?’ Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.”
The detachment of soldiers and Jewish officials bound and arrested Jesus. They brought Him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.
Scholars believe a courtyard connected the homes of Caiaphas and Annas. They also believe the disciple who helped Peter to get into the courtyard was John. Peter didn’t get very far inside before the girl at the door asked him if he was one of the disciples. Without thinking, Peter’s defensive instincts told him to answer the servant girl, “I am not.” Fear was like a knife in his stomach. It was worse than his rage against Judas and his confusion by Jesus’ command to not defend Him. He found a spot by the fire. Our once brave Peter warmed his hands and body along with the servants and the officials. These people were part of the group that had arrested Jesus; yet, he tried to blend in. Believers don’t blend in with the enemy’s camp.
Whispers and stares amplified. Tension mounted. Then someone asked again if he was one of Jesus’ disciples. Peter denied even knowing Him. It was an hour between the second and the third denial. He had time to think about what he said and stop himself. He denied that he even knew Jesus not once by accident but three times. In Matthew 26:73, his accusers told Peter that his accent gave him away. They knew he was from Galilee. According to the next verse in Matthew 26:74, he cursed about it, too! Then, he heard the unmistakable sound of a rooster crowing.
Luke 22:60-62 says, “Peter replied, ‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” Peter’s eyes connected with Jesus’ eyes. Jesus knew that Peter had denied Him. Jesus had even warned him because He knew Peter was going to do it. Yet, he did it anyway. I’m confident Jesus was praying for Peter then, something like, “Father, satan has sifted him, but don’t let this destroy him. When he turns back, he will strengthen the others. Holy Spirit, sear this into his mind, and invoke a reminder of My words at the right time.”
Peter left and wept bitterly. The Greek word for “wept” is klaio which means “to weep, wail, lament, not only the shedding of tears, but also every external expression of grief; to howl, to mourn, to bewail.” Peter probably beat his chest and tore his clothes. He wailed and howled. I have sat on the floor by the stage of many passion plays and watched the scene where Peter flees the courtyard after the rooster crows. The tortured voices of the grown men who have played Peter are recorded in my mind. Their cries rip my heart. Nothing grips a person like a strong grown man reduced to sorrow. One particular “Peter” collapsed to his knees as if he no longer had life in his body. His face fell to the ground, and he shook uncontrollably. He wondered how Jesus could ever forgive him. Peter wasn’t just sorry that he did it; he had sorrow that led to repentance.
Peter serves as an example to you and me. If we let our prayer guard down, we get snared. We must stay committed to prayer even when it doesn’t seem like a time of strife. Something might be brewing. If Peter could fall into satan’s trap, so can we. Our prayer guards should be mighty fortresses and not a child’s house of legos easily penetrated. We are not invincible. We worship the Invincible One.
Pray with me: We worship You our King! You are invincible! We may deny You, but You never deny us. You never turn Your back on us. You never leave us alone. We may disappoint You, but You will never abandon us and never not claim us as Yours.
Just as Jesus saw Peter, You see the times that we have failed You. You know the many times that we have denied You. We have not confessed to be Yours. We have not wanted for others to know that we are believers. You know. Yet, You still love us. Jesus, intercede for us. Turn us back to You. Give us godly sorrow that leads to repentance. Strengthen us to be more like You so that we are invincible, too. We love You, and we praise You. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
“Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
‘You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?’ she asked Peter.
He replied, ‘I am not.’
It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself…
Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, ‘You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?’
He denied it, saying, ‘I am not.’
One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, ‘Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?’ Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.”
John 18:15-18, 25-27
The detachment of soldiers and Jewish officials bound and arrested Jesus. They brought Him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.
Scholars believe a courtyard connected the homes of Caiaphas and Annas. They also believe the disciple who helped Peter to get into the courtyard was John. Peter didn’t get very far inside before the girl at the door asked him if he was one of the disciples. Without thinking, Peter’s defensive instincts told him to answer the servant girl, “I am not.” Fear was like a knife in his stomach. It was worse than his rage against Judas and his confusion by Jesus’ command to not defend Him. He found a spot by the fire. Our once brave Peter warmed his hands and body along with the servants and the officials. These people were part of the group that had arrested Jesus; yet, he tried to blend in. Believers don’t blend in with the enemy’s camp.
Whispers and stares amplified. Tension mounted. Then someone asked again if he was one of Jesus’ disciples. Peter denied even knowing Him. It was an hour between the second and the third denial. He had time to think about what he said and stop himself. He denied that he even knew Jesus not once by accident but three times. In Matthew 26:73, his accusers told Peter that his accent gave him away. They knew he was from Galilee. According to the next verse in Matthew 26:74, he cursed about it, too! Then, he heard the unmistakable sound of a rooster crowing.
Luke 22:60-62 says, “Peter replied, ‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” Peter’s eyes connected with Jesus’ eyes. Jesus knew that Peter had denied Him. Jesus had even warned him because He knew Peter was going to do it. Yet, he did it anyway. I’m confident Jesus was praying for Peter then, something like, “Father, satan has sifted him, but don’t let this destroy him. When he turns back, he will strengthen the others. Holy Spirit, sear this into his mind, and invoke a reminder of My words at the right time.”
Peter left and wept bitterly. The Greek word for “wept” is klaio which means “to weep, wail, lament, not only the shedding of tears, but also every external expression of grief; to howl, to mourn, to bewail.” Peter probably beat his chest and tore his clothes. He wailed and howled. I have sat on the floor by the stage of many passion plays and watched the scene where Peter flees the courtyard after the rooster crows. The tortured voices of the grown men who have played Peter are recorded in my mind. Their cries rip my heart. Nothing grips a person like a strong grown man reduced to sorrow. One particular “Peter” collapsed to his knees as if he no longer had life in his body. His face fell to the ground, and he shook uncontrollably. He wondered how Jesus could ever forgive him. Peter wasn’t just sorry that he did it; he had sorrow that led to repentance.
Peter serves as an example to you and me. If we let our prayer guard down, we get snared. We must stay committed to prayer even when it doesn’t seem like a time of strife. Something might be brewing. If Peter could fall into satan’s trap, so can we. Our prayer guards should be mighty fortresses and not a child’s house of legos easily penetrated. We are not invincible. We worship the Invincible One.
Pray with me: We worship You our King! You are invincible! We may deny You, but You never deny us. You never turn Your back on us. You never leave us alone. We may disappoint You, but You will never abandon us and never not claim us as Yours.
Just as Jesus saw Peter, You see the times that we have failed You. You know the many times that we have denied You. We have not confessed to be Yours. We have not wanted for others to know that we are believers. You know. Yet, You still love us. Jesus, intercede for us. Turn us back to You. Give us godly sorrow that leads to repentance. Strengthen us to be more like You so that we are invincible, too. We love You, and we praise You. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study
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