Peter and His Denial

Introduction

Review:

Six phases to Jesus’ trials:

Annas-ring leader of the Temple marketplace

Caiaphas-son-in-law of Annas; High Priest

Sanhedrin-72 men ruling over all affairs of Israel.

Pilate-Appointed Roman governor of Israel

Herod-appointed Roman procurator of Galilee

Pilate again-governor, final trial for his verdict.

We have also seen observations from His trials:

#1 malicious false witnesses-fomenting rebellion against Rome and Judaism.

#2 malicious false location-Annas; house.

#3 malicious false witnesses produced.

Let’s remember where Peter was spiritually so we can appreciate his spiritual condition in our Passage.

Luke 22:31–34 LSB

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat. “But I have prayed earnestly for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, once you have returned, strengthen your brothers.” But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”

Boasts of Peter:

Peter’s regular leadership led Satan to target him.

This is how it is.

Peter was willing to walk to the Lord on water:

Matthew 14:28 LSB

And Peter answered and said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

Peter confessed that Jesus is the Messiah:

Matthew 16:16 LSB

And Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus made public His eternal plan to build the church on the chief apostle, Peter:

Matthew 16:18–19 LSB

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Peter was severely rebuked by Jesus:

Matthew 16:21–23 LSB

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. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” 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.”

Peter wanted to make permanent places of refreshment for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.

Matthew 17:1–4 LSB

And six days later Jesus brought with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three booths here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

Peter wanted to know what is in it for him and the disciples:

Matthew 19:27 LSB

Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?”

Peter boasted of his allegiance to Jesus, more than the others:

Mark 14:29 LSB

But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.”

Peter is over-zealous for what Jesus wanted to do:

John 13:6–8 LSB

So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not realize now, but you will understand afterwards.” Peter said to Him, “You will never wash my feet—ever!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

Peter cannot understand why he cannot accompany Jesus in His next phase of ministry:

John 13:36–37 LSB

Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.”

The point is that Peter was a man of extremes.

But, this was the process in which God made him the leader he needed to be to carry the church into the post-Messiah age.

NOTE: this is not the same as “Apostolic Succession.”

That doctrine states that the rights and privileges given the “Pope” in current Roman Catholic Church was started with Peter and gives the Pope the right to do what he does.

It works back towards Peter.

No writing of the first century indicates that the office of Peter, apostle, should carry on with current men.

Now, the obvious seriousness of Peter’s role in the church made him a target for the enemy, Satan.

The apostles would go on to become the foundation of the church, as they would be the first generation of preachers to carry the Word of God to the world.

1 Corinthians 12:28 LSB

And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.

Ephesians 2:19–20 LSB

So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,

As I said, it is no wonder Satan demanded to sift Peter and destroy him/his faith.

With that as background, we can see the sifting in our passage today.

The First Denial -

Luke 22:55–57 LSB

55 And 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.”

Compare:

Matthew 26:69–70 LSB

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.”

Mark 14:66–68 LSB

And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” And he went out into the entryway.

John 18:16–19 LSB

but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. Then the servant-girl who kept the door said to Peter, “Are you not also one of this man’s disciples?” He said, “I am not.” Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself. The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching.

Remember, Annas also wanted the disciples of Jesus too!

Scenario:

Peter is rebuked by Jesus and Jesus heals the man’s ear and hearing.

Peter is likely embarrassed by the obvious and somewhat public rebuke of Peter by Jesus.

Jesus is led away with Judas, the chief priests, servants, and Roman army.

Only a few of the people enter the courtyard of Annas and Caiaphas.

The rest are left outside of the courtyard.

John tells us that a certain disciple of Jesus, likely John, is admitted because he was familiar to the Chief Priest and religious leaders.

John 18:15–16 LSB

And Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.

It does not appear that John told the servant girl that this was Peter, because she had to really look at him in the firelight and suddenly recognized him.

The Second Denial-

Luke 22:58 LSB

58 A little later, another saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

cp:

Matthew 26:71–72 LSB

71 And 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.”

Mark 14:69 LSB

69 And when the servant-girl saw him, she began once more to say to the bystanders, “This is one of them!”

The Third Denial-

Luke 22:59–62 LSB

59 And after about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man was with Him too, for he also is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61 And 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 cried bitterly.

cp:

Matthew 26:73–75 LSB

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 cried bitterly.

Mark 14:70–72 LSB

70 But again he was denying it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are also a Galilean.” 71 But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!” 72 And immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said the statement to him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And throwing himself down, he began to cry.

John 18:25–27 LSB

25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.

Peter was willing to condemn himself in order to not be on the outs with the religious elite.

So do we.

Luke 22:55–57 (LSB):

And 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.”

Luke 22:55 LSB

And after they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them.

Compare:

John 18:18 LSB

Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.

Peter was with the men warming himself by the fire.

He was let in by “another disciple.”

Most likely John.

Not likely other disciples.

Scenario:

John was in the courtyard from when Jesus was brought in.

John saw Peter standing outside and spoke with the servant girl.

John asked the girl to let him in.

Peter came in and was admitted to the fire.

John does not appear to have denied that he was a disciple.

Jesus did not say that John would deny.

Jesus only said that Peter would.

Consider what Jesus said about John later on:

John 21:18–25 LSB

“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!” Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” Therefore this saying went out among the brothers that this disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?” This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his witness is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written one after the other, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

John 18:17 (NAC Jn 12-21): For the evangelist, who has focused repeatedly on the affirmations of Jesus as egō eimi (“I am”) and most immediately at the arrest (18:5, 8), the contrast here is very striking. The denial is especially significant in light of Peter’s earlier forceful statement that he would be willing to die for Jesus (13:37) and his impulsive attempt to defend Jesus (18:10). When Jesus was present, Peter was filled with boldness and sought to interfere in Jesus’ mission. But when he was alone and challenged, he lost his courage and abandoned his discipleship.