Peter’s Denials
TRANSLATION
(12) Then the soldiers, their captain, and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus. They bound him (13) and led him first to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. (14) It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be beneficial for one man to die for the people.
(15) Simon Peter followed Jesus as did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered the high priest’s court with Jesus, (16) but Peter stood outside at the door. Then the other disciple who was known to the high priest went and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door and brought Peter inside. (17) The servant girl who kept watch at the door said to Peter, “Are you not also one of this man’s disciples?” He responded, “I am not.” (18) Now the servants and the officers had made a charcoal fire because it was cold. They were standing there warming themselves, and Peter also stood with them, warming himself.
(19) Then the high priest questioned Jesus, asking about his disciples and his teaching. (20) Jesus answered, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple where the Jews all gather. I have said nothing in secret, (21) so why are you questioning me? Ask those who heard what I told them. They know what I said.” (22) When he said this, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is this how you answer the high priest?” (23) Jesus responded, “If what I said was wrong, bear witness about the wrong, but if what I said is right, why did you strike me?” (24) Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest.
(25) Now Simon Peter had been standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You aren’t also one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it saying, “I am not!” (26) One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?” (27) Peter again denied it, and immediately a rooster crowed.
OBSERVATIONS
The Apostle John (“another disciple” in verse 15) provided us with a detailed account of Jesus’ trial, scenes which he had personally witnessed because he was known to the high priest. A number of important repetitions are found in this segment. The names of “Annas” (vss. 13 & 24) and “Caiaphas” (vss. 13, 14, & 24) along with the title “high priest” (vss. 13, 15, 16, 19, 22, 24, & 26) occurred frequently. Twice we encounter the phrase, “known to the high priest,” (vss. 15 & 16). “Jews” is found twice (vss. 12 & 14). “Disciple(s)” occurred six times (vss. 15, 16, 17, 19, & 25). The names for “Jesus” (vss. 15, 19, 20, & 22) and “Peter” (vss. 15, 16, 17, 18, 25, 26, & 27) and twice with his surname “Simon” were also used frequently. “Servant girl” appeared twice (vss. 16 & 17) along with “servants” (vs. 26). The phrase “I am not” occurred twice (vss. 17 & 25) along with the words, “denied it,” (vss. 25 & 27). We also find the phrase, “standing and warming,” (three times in vss. 18 & 25) and the words “questioned” and “ask(ing)” twice (vss. 19 & 21).
OUTLINE
I. After arresting Jesus, the soldiers brought him to Annas to be interrogated. (12-14)
II. In response to the question of a servant girl, Peter for the first time denied knowing Jesus. (15-18)
III. After being examined by Annas, Jesus was sent to Caiaphas. (19-24)
IV. Peter twice more denied knowing Jesus just before the rooster crowed. (25-27)
IDEA STATEMENT
While Jesus responded to Annas’ questions inside, Peter, waiting outside, denied knowing him three times before the rooster crowed just as the Lord had foretold.
APPLICATION
Of the twelve apostles, Peter with all his frailties and failures is likely the one with whom most believers identify. Like Peter, we all struggle with fulfilling our commitment to Christ, especially in difficult moments when our faith is challenged and we feel vulnerable and threatened. Like Peter we boldly declare our loyalty to the Savior when all is going well and then, under pressure, we falter, betraying him with silence or even denying our commitment to him.
The authors of the New Testament never downplayed Peter’s frailty but rather tracked how he matured from a fumbling, bumbling follower of Jesus into a great leader of the Jerusalem church. That transformation actually gained momentum from Peter’s worst failure. In denying the Savior, he was forced not only to confront the deep flaws in his character but also to realize that the only way to restoration was by acknowledging his utter inability to serve Christ in his own strength. Once Peter had learned to rely on the Lord’s grace and power, he was set to become one of Jesus’ most effective apostolic witnesses. Like Peter, each of us must be made aware of the futility of depending on ourselves and learn how to depend on the Savior, appropriating his power which alone will enable us to accomplish the ministry to which he has called us.