69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71 When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” 73 A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.” 74 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Unless we had known the outcome of these things, we would despair for Peter. Here was a man who had so much, just like Judas, and even more. He was one of the first hand-picked followers of Christ, had been personally discipled by the Master and in fact had shown the greatest loyalty on a number of occasions. Often he served as the spokesman for the twelve and had the privilege of vocalizing what they had all come to believe, that their rabbi was “the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matt 16:16).
All four gospel accounts record this situation (though John’s is most sketchy). Three accusations: by two servant girls and “bystanders.” With each the emotional tempo increases, beginning with a simple denial, then an oath and finally cursing and swearing. Each, at its core, was a refusal to acknowledge any connection at all with Jesus. Like the Master, he was tempted three times, but with different outcomes. While Jesus submitted to the Father’s will three times, Peter disowned the Father’s Son three times.
In probably the saddest, most heart-wrenching section of all Scripture, the realization falls upon Peter of his total and abject failure toward His Lord, the One he had so adamantly defended on so many occasions. His memory of the Lord’s prediction can only be described as “bitter.”
The pain must have torn him apart, not just that he had failed the Lord, but that the Lord knew all along that it would happen. He, Peter, must have been the one Jesus talked about in the upper room, “… woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born” (Matt 26:24)— so he must have thought. From our perspective as readers, we ponder the question: which is worse, to betray the Lord, as Judas did, or to disown the Lord, as Peter? At this point in the story, the jury is still out.
Lord, I can feel the utter grief of Peter. Help me not to be afraid of my “association” with You. In fact, help me boldly declare Your Name to all.
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