Peter’s Denial
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 the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in. “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” the girl at the door 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 … As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, “You are not one of his disciples, 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 olive grove?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster crowed John 18:15-18,25-27
‘Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus.’ The other disciple is probably John, this gospel’s author. ‘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 the door.’ William Barclay mentions as a possibility an old legend that identified a house in Jerusalem owned by Zebedee, John’s father. If so, this might have been the house.
When the other disciple, probably John, went into the courtyard, Peter was left waiting outside, but then ‘the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.’ As he led Peter in, the girl asked Peter, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” The girl’s question was more literally “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” (NRSV) implying she knew John was one of Jesus’ disciples and wondered whether Peter was too. We don’t know whether it was asked in an accusing tone or not, but Peter is clearly caught off guard. ‘He replied, “I am not.”’ Peter might have felt vulnerable and guilty because he had lashed out with a sword in the olive grove. It certainly appears the other disciple doesn’t mind being identified as one of Jesus’ disciples. After Peter’s denial, he was allowed into the courtyard. ‘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.’ While daytime temperatures around Passover (spring time) are generally warm, the nights could be quite cold so Peter has joined the servants and officials warming himself by a charcoal fire.
Between what John has so far said and what he’s about to say, he has taken us inside the home to hear what’s happening there; so here he takes us back outside to pick up Peter’s story. ‘As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying “I am not.”’ Peter is clearly feeling more threatened and denies being one of Jesus’ disciples a second time.
The third and final challenge is more than Peter can handle. ‘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 olive grove?”’ The man confronting Peter was quite probably one of the arresting party as well as being a relative of the man Peter wounded. ‘Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster crowed.’ In Matthew and Mark’s accounts of this scene, Peter swore he never knew Jesus and even invoked curses on himself if this was untrue (Matthew 26:74; Mark 14:71). Jesus had earlier told Peter that he would deny Him three times before a cock crowed (13:38).
This was not the end of Peter’s discipleship. After Jesus’ resurrection Peter would be restored to fellowship with Jesus and recommissioned for service (21:15-17). God will always deal with His children in grace. He paid an enormous price, the death of His Son as the world’s sin-bearer, for the right to do so. Don’t ever think you are out of reach of that grace. No one is ever out of reach. Grace can never be merited. It can never be earned. We will never be good enough to receive it. That’s why it’s grace. But grace does have to be received. Will you receive God’s grace for your need right now?
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