Peter Denies Jesus Three Times 

When Jesus said his final goodbyes at the Last Supper, he had particular words of comfort and advice for each apostle. When the Master spoke to Simon Peter, he warned him about his unthinking outbursts. He told him that this would be a source of much trouble for him and that it might take a difficult lesson for him to learn how to control himself. Despite Peter’s declarations of love and loyalty, Jesus finally told Peter that this very night he would have such a difficult lesson when he would betray his Master three or four times before the cock crowed.

Later that night, Peter managed to enter the courtyard of Annas’ palace, ignoring Jesus’ advice not to go off alone. And while there, he denied the Master four times to the portress and other servants who happened to be there. They repeatedly asked him if he was one of the Master’s followers and he repeatedly denied that he was, even vehemently. After his last denial of being associated with Jesus, the cock crowed, reminding Peter of the words of the Master’s warning earlier that night. And he was filled with remorse.

When Jesus was being taken from Annas’ palace to his meeting with Caiaphas, his eyes met Peter’s eyes, expressing a look of great love and pity to the apostle. The understanding of what he had done caused Peter extreme sorrow and he wept bitter tears.

There is a lesson to be learned from Peter’s experience.

At the end of the Last Supper, Jesus addressed each apostle with personal advice and a personal blessing. To Peter, he said that he wished that he had learned better how to control his unthinking outbursts during the years of their close association. Jesus told Peter that he spoke without thinking and he demonstrated "presumptuous self-confidence,” which had caused problems more than once. And even though he and the apostles loved Peter in spite of this character flaw, the Master told him that much more trouble was to come if he could not discipline himself; even that he was in danger of stumbling over his association with Jesus that very night. Jesus said: “But you will undoubtedly receive great help from the experience.”

Peter tried to assure Jesus that he would never stumble and that he was willing to die for him. But Jesus told him: “Peter, verily, verily, I say to you, this night the cock will not crow until you have denied me three or four times. And thus what you have failed to learn from peaceful association with me, you will learn through much trouble and many sorrows.”

After Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Simon Peter walked far behind the group of men who took the Master to the palace of Annas. When he reached the gate, the portress (keeper of the gate) let him come in because she knew John Zebedee – the one apostle who had been permitted to go with Jesus – and John had asked her to let Peter in. However, Peter should not have been there. Jesus had not asked Peter to accompany him, as he had John. Jesus had instructed the apostles to stay together and not to put their lives in danger by going off alone during these terrible hours. Yet, here he was, alone and completely bewildered at the terrible events that had occurred in such a short time.

As he warmed himself beside the fire in the courtyard, the portress asked Peter outright, “Are you not also one of this man’s disciples?” Peter was caught off guard and he got flustered, but he was also worried since he had thrown his sword aside before he entered the palace yard. He suddenly realized he was vulnerable to arrest. So, he quickly answered "I am not." In his mind, this was a simple matter of self-protection. He didn't think it through. If he had, he would have understood that the portress already knew he was a follower of Jesus because it was John who had told her to let him in.

Soon after, another servant approached Peter and asked him about his connection with Jesus. This man told Peter that he had seen him in the garden when they arrested Jesus. But now Peter was thoroughly frightened and raised his voice, denying any connection with the Master in spite of this clear recognition. He again lied and said: “I do not know this man, neither am I one of his followers.”

And then the portress drew closer to Peter and told him that she was sure he was a disciple – not only because John had asked her to let him in, but also because her sister had seen Peter in the temple with Jesus. She said to Peter: “Why do you deny this?” Peter then cursed and swore at the woman, saying: “I am not this man’s follower; I do not even know him; I never heard of him before.” He kept up the lie to escape what he saw as a danger to himself, even when his falsehood was uncovered.

Yet another man challenged Peter, saying that he could tell by his speech that he was a Galilean, the same as Jesus. And surely this connected Peter with Jesus. But again, Peter denied the accusation and went off to be by himself for a little while. But after about an hour, the portress and her sister came upon him and again teasingly accused him of being a follower of Jesus. And once again, Peter denied that he knew Jesus.

And just then, Peter heard the cock crow and he remembered what Jesus had said to him earlier that night. Suddenly his heart grew heavy with the realization of what he had done and he felt a crushing sense of guilt. About the same time, the palace doors opened and Jesus was led by the guards across the courtyard on the way to see Caiaphas. In the light of the torches, Jesus could see the look of utter despair on Peter’s face and he looked into Peter’s eyes with a look of pity and love that was seared into Peter’s memory; he never forgot that look.

All of these events happened in the courtyard of the palace of Annas on Mount Olivet. We know that the crowing of the cock could only have happened outside of Jerusalem because the keeping of poultry was forbidden within the city.

After this encounter with Jesus, rather than follow the procession to Caiaphas in Jerusalem, Peter left the courtyard and sat by the side of the road, weeping bitter tears. He had done exactly what the Master had predicted and now was faced with the repercussions of his unthinking words and actions.

Peter did not think much about what he was doing and saying up until the time when the cock crowed. And this was characteristic of his unthinking outbursts. Up until then, he felt that he had been clever in avoiding trouble for himself. He was satisfied that he had avoided being identified and possibly arrested. But when the cock crowed, he finally realized that what he had actually done was to deny the Master, just as Jesus predicted he would. When he saw the look on Jesus’ face, he suddenly realized how badly he had failed as an ambassador of the kingdom.

In the first place, Peter disobeyed Jesus’ instructions about not going off alone. Had he stayed with the other apostles, he would have avoided this situation completely. And once Peter was confronted by the servants, he immediately started denying his connection with Jesus out of fear; as the evening wore on it became easier and easier to keep up the lie. In his mind, his only concerns were being identified and possibly subjected to arrest and imprisonment. He could have decided otherwise had he paused and thought about what was happening. But at that time, he lacked the full understanding of the situation and he lacked the courage and the strength of character to change his mind because he had already justified his behavior. It takes a brave and strong character to reverse course when that course is seen to be faulty.

Peter was devastated by his rash words and actions and was certain that he could never be forgiven for his denials of the Master. But Jesus appeared to him after the resurrection (the eighth appearance) and Peter was overjoyed to know that he was forgiven and that he was still an ambassador of the kingdom. He found that he was received as lovingly by Jesus then as he had always been received. Jesus told Peter: “Peter, the enemy desired to have you, but I would not give you up. I knew it was not from the heart that you disowned me; therefore I forgave you even before you asked; but now must you cease to think about yourself and the troubles of the hour while you prepare to carry the good news of the gospel to those who sit in darkness. No longer should you be concerned with what you may obtain from the kingdom but rather be exercised about what you can give to those who live in dire spiritual poverty. Gird yourself, Simon, for the battle of a new day, the struggle with spiritual darkness, and the evil doubtings of the natural minds of men.”