Peter’s Denial in the High Priest’s Courtyard

Peter is sitting by a fire that had been lit in this cold night, warming himself. Suddenly he is addressed: “You too were with Jesus the Nazarene.” Peter responds immediately: “But he denied it before them all, saying, ‘I do not know what you are talking about.’” A short time later, he is addressed a second time. “And again he denied it with an oath: ‘I do not know the man!’” Not long after that, he is challenged a third time about his relationship to the Lord Jesus. “Then he began to curse and swear: ‘I do not know the man!’” (Matthew 26:70–74)!

The Lord’s Look and Peter’s Bitter Weeping

According to the consistent reports of all the evangelists, the rooster crows “while he was still speaking” (Luke 22:60). The Lord had announced that, and Peter remembered it: “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times (v. 61). Once again he looks toward the Lord Jesus, who is obviously standing with his back to him.

And then something happens that Peter probably hardly forgot for the rest of his life: “And the Lord turned around and looked at Peter” (v. 61). Not a word, no shaking of the head, no raised index finger—only a silent look, but a look that had it all. Then Peter comes to his senses; in an instant he realizes what he has done. Peter goes out and weeps; this man with a burning heart for his Lord, decisive and in Gethsemane still standing up for his Lord with the sword—he weeps, and he weeps bitterly!

The Serious Warning in Peter’s Failure

The expression “deny” means the fundamental denial that one knows a person or thing. In doing so, one expresses that one definitely has nothing to do with this person or thing, or does not want to have anything to do with it.

Three times Peter was challenged about his relationship to the Lord Jesus—three times he unequivocally denied having anything to do with this Jesus.

Peter’s behavior is a serious warning for every believer not to overestimate his own love and devotion to the Lord, but to live continually in the awareness that only the grace of God can help us and keep us from failure.

The Lord’s Love in Peter’s Restoration

But from this event we also learn another important lesson that is connected with the activity of the Lord Jesus as Advocate (cf. 1 John 2:1). As grievous as it was for the Lord Jesus that his beloved disciple denied Him despite the warning words—the Master did not let him fall.

The words “Jesus turned around” are deeply moving! Although the Lord Jesus was facing his enemies in this situation, He turns around specifically to look at Peter and thereby take the first step toward Peter’s restoration. What selfless love! And precisely in this precarious situation!

What a magnificent Lord we have! As sad and shameful as our behavior toward our Lord often is, in his unchanging love He makes sure that we get back on track.

The Lord’s Forewarning to Peter

Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
Matthew 26:34

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.”
Luke 22:61