Peter Shocked as the Rooster Crows at the Trialby JCM
22:54Luke 22:54
Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off.
After midnight Jesus was led bound from Gethsemane through the sleeping city to the high priest's house or palace where Annas and Caiaphas examined Him before any formal accusation, and Peter, who had first fled, regained composure and followed the crowd at a distance to see the outcome. In the cold hour before dawn he lingered in the courtyard by the fire, mingling with the crowd and hiding that he was a disciple, and there in that very house he denied Christ three times with cursing and swearing in His hour of greatest humiliation. His fall came from forward, impulsive self-confidence that resented warning and boasted readiness to go to prison and death, yet proved cowardly before scorn and fear for safety, having slept while Christ prayed and failed to watch himself. When the cock crowed he met Jesus' sorrowful look of compassion and love, went out to Gethsemane and wept bitterly in contrition, and being freely forgiven he rose converted and humbled, fitted to pity the tempted, strengthen his brethren, and later in that same room before the same men redeem his denial by bold witness. Following afar off thus shows the danger of not staying close to Christ, that self-trust and fear of ridicule leave even one long instructed vulnerable to denial, and that failure met by repentance can purify as fire purifies gold and give desponding hearts vigor to rise again.
Arrest and Setting
After midnight Jesus was hurried from Gethsemane through the sleeping city under guard to the high priest's house or palace occupied by Annas and Caiaphas, who were central to the plan to seize Him. He was led bound, and was taken from Annas to Caiaphas where Annas, Caiaphas and other temple dignitaries examined and questioned Him. The nighttime proceedings began before He had been formally accused or tried, making Him appear already condemned. The authorities rushed because they feared the people might rescue Him and because the Passover would otherwise delay their plans by a week.
His being betrayed, condemned in the judgment hall, and led humiliated into the high priest's house on the way to the cross begins the great trial of His betrayal and death. It was a foreseen sifting ordeal when the multitude who had hailed Him as king would hiss and revile Him and cry Crucify Him, and faint-hearted, weak and undecided followers would sink beneath fear and disappointment and turn from Him. Jesus foresaw this ordeal and knew who was unbelieving and weak in faith, so He tested and sifted His followers beforehand while He was still present to comfort and strengthen His chosen few. Thus when professed lovers turned from Him in His trouble the twelve would not be overwhelmed with surprise, would remember the fickleness and inconstant favor of the world seen before, would not hang their faith on the opinions of others or be carried away by the example of apostasy, and would endure the grief and ruin of their fondest hopes.
Peter Follows Distantly
Peter and John at first fled from the garden, then regained presence of mind and followed at a distance the crowd that was taking Jesus away, for Peter wanted to see what would happen. John was known and was admitted to the hall because the priest recognized him, and he then secured Peter's admission to the hall and courtyard.
In the cold hour before dawn Peter entered the courtyard and stood warming himself by a fire among the people gathered there. He mingled with the crowd and hoped to pass as one who had brought Jesus there and to avoid being recognized as His disciple.
In following to the judgment hall he hid his identity as a disciple and acted indifferent to the trial, though he was deeply grieved by Jesus' suffering. To hide his feelings he even joined in the mockery of the persecutors. His conflicting sorrow and anger with his effort to seem unconcerned put him in the way of temptation and made him vulnerable to denying his Lord.
Denial and Its Causes
In that very house and room, before some of those same temple leaders Annas and Caiaphas and other dignitaries who were examining Him, Peter denied the Man of Sorrows three times in Christ's hour of greatest need and humiliation while He wore the shameful crown of thorns and stood condemned, the last denial with cursing and swearing, fulfilling Jesus' prediction. He wanted to see what would happen yet fear for his safety overcame him, and as Jesus was mocked and abused Peter denied knowing Him. The denial was shameful, wicked cowardice and apostasy that disowned Christ's name and left a stain at the very time when bravery and fidelity were most needed. During the hostile examination Jesus suffered a particularly painful blow when He heard His beloved disciple deny Him with cursing and swearing.
Though warned beforehand of his defect of character, that all would be offended that night, and in true friendship and compassion that Satan desired to have him to sift him as wheat, Peter in self-sufficiency resented the warning. He confidently declared a constancy superior to the other disciples and readiness to go with Jesus to prison and to death, sure he could withstand temptation and thinking himself strong and not as other men are. That confident claim did not protect him when the storm of opposition fell and all forsook Christ and fled. By nature he was forward, impulsive, ardent, zealous, impetuous and hasty-tempered, an earnest, proud boaster who did not recognize the self-love and assurance that would overcome his love for Christ under pressure. His ardent, quick zeal in raising the sword in Gethsemane and cutting off the high priest's servant's ear was not conversion, and a hasty, quick temper brings trouble and destroys peace and happiness until overcome by prayer and persevering effort under the sanctifying influence of truth.
His self-confidence proved his ruin, tempting Satan to tempt him and leaving him vulnerable to Satan's temptation and to fall under the arts of the wily foe so that he stood on the side of the enemy. He would have been courageous in open conflict or a fight, but fear for his safety and fear of scorn, reproach and ridicule made him a coward. Disguising faith from fear of suffering or ridicule is itself a denial of Christ, and associating with people one should avoid exposed him to temptation and to compromise words and actions that otherwise would have been avoided. In that denial an evil spirit took possession of him, so that he forsook God, exchanged leaders, linked with worldlings and talked their language, denied to unbelievers the truth received, voiced Satan's sentiments and repeated words Satan suggested, felt no need of grace so that grace could not be given, and was ignorant of Satan's devices and of what spirit he was of.
He failed to stand firm because he had not learned Christ's lessons and had been indifferent to them, and had not learned to distrust himself and to watch himself with jealous care until he was overcome by the devil's temptations. He had slept while Jesus prayed those fearful hours in bloody sweat in Gethsemane, and had he stood right with God he would have stood through the trial.
Repentance and Restoration
When the cock crowed Peter remembered Christ's words, his own boast that he would not fall away, and Jesus' warning that all would be offended that night, and turning he met Jesus' sorrowful, reproving, grieved look of blended compassion and love. That look pierced, melted and broke his heart and brought him to understand himself. First trusting in himself like the Pharisee, thinking himself strong and not as other men are and sure he could withstand temptation, he had within a few short hours denied his Lord with cursing and swearing, showing that ardent zeal is not conversion. The denial fulfilled Jesus' prediction as Jesus was mocked and abused, and Peter left broken in repentance and remorse.
He went out and wept bitterly with blinding tears. In solitude he went to the Garden of Gethsemane and prostrated himself where he had seen his Saviour prostrated in bloody sweat from great agony. He remembered that he was asleep while Jesus prayed those fearful hours, and his heart broke as his penitential tears moistened the sod stained with the sweat drops of God's Son. His remorse over that failure to stay awake led him to repentance and renewed conversion.
In contrition and repentance like the publican he reached his turning-point and found mercy and assurance of pardon. Though the denial was a grave failure, Jesus foresaw both the denial and the repentance, did not reject him but freely forgave him. Before Peter could resume apostolic work he needed to show the disciples that he sincerely repented, so they could trust him and his past failure would not hinder his usefulness in an emergency. With true contrition of soul he gave himself afresh to his Saviour in repentance and reconversion.
He left that garden a converted, reconverted, humbled man, jealous and distrustful of self. Christ's grace regulated his zeal, making him calm and teachable and fit to care for the church. He was reformed so that only a mild caution from the mild, patient John was enough to check his ardor and zeal, yet his zeal, boldness and energy remained needed for the cause, often delivering the apostles from difficulty and silencing their enemies while John's winning patience, forbearance and devotedness gained many. Fully fitted, he was ready to pity the tempted, sympathize with the weak and erring, caution and warn the presumptuous, help tempted disciples who were tried, care for Christ's followers with patience and compassion especially when they erred, strengthen his brethren, and stand forth as a bold witness.
The place where he was later brought as a prisoner for trial before the Sanhedrin was the same room in the high priest's house where he had denied his Lord before Annas and Caiaphas and other temple dignitaries in Christ's hour of greatest need. His earlier conduct there was shameful cowardice and apostasy that disowned Christ's name and left a stain, done as the impulsive, self-confident disciple, a proud boaster before conversion. When he stood there the memory of his denial came distinctly to mind, and before the same men who remembered his part at his Master's trial he faced the opportunity to redeem his cowardice and remove the stain of apostasy by honoring the name he had once disowned. He did so as a converted, modest, self-distrustful man filled with the Holy Spirit and through its power made firm as a rock, courageous yet modest in magnifying Christ.
His denial remained a lifelong source of sorrow whose bitterness never lessened, and he never forgave himself, even amid prospect of his own agonies, leading to a life of repentance and humility. When condemned to be scourged and crucified he counted himself unworthy of so great an honor as to die in the same manner as his Master. He entreated as a last favor to be nailed to the cross with his head downward.
His fall teaches that some lessons are learned only through failure, and he was a better man after it. The Lord permits His children to fall, and if they repent of wrongdoing He helps them to stand on vantage ground, for as fire purifies gold so Christ purifies His people by temptation and trial. If the heart has not been hardened by disregard of great light, temptation and fall will bring repentance, and humble, fervent prayer saves the soul from death while confession and restitution hide a multitude of sins. Joined to Christ as a co-laborer to constantly learn lessons correcting wrong ideas and incorrect views of Christian character, Peter was not perfect but improved every opportunity to learn, and when overcome by the devil he learned through defeat to be jealous and distrustful of himself and to watch himself with jealous care. Unlike Judas who had the same opportunity to learn from Christ but was a hearer only and not a doer with the result seen in betrayal, Peter's failure did not exclude him from the circle of disciples but he remained a learner of what perfect Christian character requires.
The faithful recording of the sin of a man favored of God and entrusted with great responsibility, overcome by temptation even as people today strive, waver and fall into error, shows divine wisdom and the requirement of justice to narrate facts for the benefit of all readers with the penalty of disobedience made plain. It is given as a warning to avoid unbelief and evil and to obey the law of God. It is a lesson to all following generations that if Peter had been without foible he would have been more than human and sinful natures would despair of excellence, but seeing where he struggled and fell, took heart again and conquered through the grace of God gives encouragement to desponding hearts to gain fresh vigor, rise above evil nature, renew the conflict, press on, surmount obstacles, recover ground and be blessed of God through pardoning mercy.
Warnings for Believers
Following at a distance shows the danger of not staying close to Christ, for an enemy is always watching for opportunity and followers must remain alert and guard eternal interests even if temporal matters must be left undone. Following into the judgment setting exposed a weakness that courage in open conflict might not have revealed, for fear of scorn and reproach can make a coward of one who would have been courageous in a fight. Hiding faith from fear of suffering, reproach or ridicule is itself denying Christ, and associating with people one should avoid exposes a person to temptation and leads to compromise words and actions that would otherwise have been avoided.
Self-trust and bold claims of loyalty do not ensure faithfulness when opposition comes, as the scene where Jesus is taken to the high priest's house and Peter follows at a distance begins the account in which earlier confidence fails under pressure and Peter repeatedly denies Jesus while Jesus stands condemned and humiliated. Confident readiness to go with Jesus to prison and to death did not protect him, for self-confidence led to the fall and self-sufficiency leaves one vulnerable to Satan's temptation. Even one who knew Christ closely and had received extensive instruction can waver and fail to stand by gospel principles out of fear of people or desire for their approval.
Yielding to ridicule and associating with persecutors puts Christ to open shame, and shame under scorn shows one has not counted the cost or been converted. Knowing the truth but refusing to live by it is denying Christ, and a life marked by cowardice or fickleness and by clinging to cherished sin rather than following Jesus is a present denial of Him. The verse places Peter at the high priest's house following at a distance and leads into the denial, showing the test he claimed he would pass. Warned beforehand of defect of character, he was self-confident and presumptuous in declaring a constancy superior to the other disciples, yet when the storm of opposition fell all forsook Christ and fled, and earnest, forward Peter repeatedly denied his Lord while Christ stood condemned in humiliation wearing the shameful crown of thorns at the very time when bravery and fidelity were most needed.
After midnight Jesus was led bound from Gethsemane through the sleeping city to the high priest's house or palace where Annas and Caiaphas examined Him before any formal accusation, and Peter, who had first fled, regained composure and followed the crowd at a distance to see the outcome. In the cold hour before dawn he lingered in the courtyard by the fire, mingling with the crowd and hiding that he was a disciple, and there in that very house he denied Christ three times with cursing and swearing in His hour of greatest humiliation. His fall came from forward, impulsive self-confidence that resented warning and boasted readiness to go to prison and death, yet proved cowardly before scorn and fear for safety, having slept while Christ prayed and failed to watch himself. When the cock crowed he met Jesus' sorrowful look of compassion and love, went out to Gethsemane and wept bitterly in contrition, and being freely forgiven he rose converted and humbled, fitted to pity the tempted, strengthen his brethren, and later in that same room before the same men redeem his denial by bold witness. Following afar off thus shows the danger of not staying close to Christ, that self-trust and fear of ridicule leave even one long instructed vulnerable to denial, and that failure met by repentance can purify as fire purifies gold and give desponding hearts vigor to rise again.
Arrest and Setting
After midnight Jesus was hurried from Gethsemane through the sleeping city under guard to the high priest's house or palace occupied by Annas and Caiaphas, who were central to the plan to seize Him. He was led bound, and was taken from Annas to Caiaphas where Annas, Caiaphas and other temple dignitaries examined and questioned Him. The nighttime proceedings began before He had been formally accused or tried, making Him appear already condemned. The authorities rushed because they feared the people might rescue Him and because the Passover would otherwise delay their plans by a week.
His being betrayed, condemned in the judgment hall, and led humiliated into the high priest's house on the way to the cross begins the great trial of His betrayal and death. It was a foreseen sifting ordeal when the multitude who had hailed Him as king would hiss and revile Him and cry Crucify Him, and faint-hearted, weak and undecided followers would sink beneath fear and disappointment and turn from Him. Jesus foresaw this ordeal and knew who was unbelieving and weak in faith, so He tested and sifted His followers beforehand while He was still present to comfort and strengthen His chosen few. Thus when professed lovers turned from Him in His trouble the twelve would not be overwhelmed with surprise, would remember the fickleness and inconstant favor of the world seen before, would not hang their faith on the opinions of others or be carried away by the example of apostasy, and would endure the grief and ruin of their fondest hopes.
Peter Follows Distantly
Peter and John at first fled from the garden, then regained presence of mind and followed at a distance the crowd that was taking Jesus away, for Peter wanted to see what would happen. John was known and was admitted to the hall because the priest recognized him, and he then secured Peter's admission to the hall and courtyard.
In the cold hour before dawn Peter entered the courtyard and stood warming himself by a fire among the people gathered there. He mingled with the crowd and hoped to pass as one who had brought Jesus there and to avoid being recognized as His disciple.
In following to the judgment hall he hid his identity as a disciple and acted indifferent to the trial, though he was deeply grieved by Jesus' suffering. To hide his feelings he even joined in the mockery of the persecutors. His conflicting sorrow and anger with his effort to seem unconcerned put him in the way of temptation and made him vulnerable to denying his Lord.
Denial and Its Causes
In that very house and room, before some of those same temple leaders Annas and Caiaphas and other dignitaries who were examining Him, Peter denied the Man of Sorrows three times in Christ's hour of greatest need and humiliation while He wore the shameful crown of thorns and stood condemned, the last denial with cursing and swearing, fulfilling Jesus' prediction. He wanted to see what would happen yet fear for his safety overcame him, and as Jesus was mocked and abused Peter denied knowing Him. The denial was shameful, wicked cowardice and apostasy that disowned Christ's name and left a stain at the very time when bravery and fidelity were most needed. During the hostile examination Jesus suffered a particularly painful blow when He heard His beloved disciple deny Him with cursing and swearing.
Though warned beforehand of his defect of character, that all would be offended that night, and in true friendship and compassion that Satan desired to have him to sift him as wheat, Peter in self-sufficiency resented the warning. He confidently declared a constancy superior to the other disciples and readiness to go with Jesus to prison and to death, sure he could withstand temptation and thinking himself strong and not as other men are. That confident claim did not protect him when the storm of opposition fell and all forsook Christ and fled. By nature he was forward, impulsive, ardent, zealous, impetuous and hasty-tempered, an earnest, proud boaster who did not recognize the self-love and assurance that would overcome his love for Christ under pressure. His ardent, quick zeal in raising the sword in Gethsemane and cutting off the high priest's servant's ear was not conversion, and a hasty, quick temper brings trouble and destroys peace and happiness until overcome by prayer and persevering effort under the sanctifying influence of truth.
His self-confidence proved his ruin, tempting Satan to tempt him and leaving him vulnerable to Satan's temptation and to fall under the arts of the wily foe so that he stood on the side of the enemy. He would have been courageous in open conflict or a fight, but fear for his safety and fear of scorn, reproach and ridicule made him a coward. Disguising faith from fear of suffering or ridicule is itself a denial of Christ, and associating with people one should avoid exposed him to temptation and to compromise words and actions that otherwise would have been avoided. In that denial an evil spirit took possession of him, so that he forsook God, exchanged leaders, linked with worldlings and talked their language, denied to unbelievers the truth received, voiced Satan's sentiments and repeated words Satan suggested, felt no need of grace so that grace could not be given, and was ignorant of Satan's devices and of what spirit he was of.
He failed to stand firm because he had not learned Christ's lessons and had been indifferent to them, and had not learned to distrust himself and to watch himself with jealous care until he was overcome by the devil's temptations. He had slept while Jesus prayed those fearful hours in bloody sweat in Gethsemane, and had he stood right with God he would have stood through the trial.
Repentance and Restoration
When the cock crowed Peter remembered Christ's words, his own boast that he would not fall away, and Jesus' warning that all would be offended that night, and turning he met Jesus' sorrowful, reproving, grieved look of blended compassion and love. That look pierced, melted and broke his heart and brought him to understand himself. First trusting in himself like the Pharisee, thinking himself strong and not as other men are and sure he could withstand temptation, he had within a few short hours denied his Lord with cursing and swearing, showing that ardent zeal is not conversion. The denial fulfilled Jesus' prediction as Jesus was mocked and abused, and Peter left broken in repentance and remorse.
He went out and wept bitterly with blinding tears. In solitude he went to the Garden of Gethsemane and prostrated himself where he had seen his Saviour prostrated in bloody sweat from great agony. He remembered that he was asleep while Jesus prayed those fearful hours, and his heart broke as his penitential tears moistened the sod stained with the sweat drops of God's Son. His remorse over that failure to stay awake led him to repentance and renewed conversion.
In contrition and repentance like the publican he reached his turning-point and found mercy and assurance of pardon. Though the denial was a grave failure, Jesus foresaw both the denial and the repentance, did not reject him but freely forgave him. Before Peter could resume apostolic work he needed to show the disciples that he sincerely repented, so they could trust him and his past failure would not hinder his usefulness in an emergency. With true contrition of soul he gave himself afresh to his Saviour in repentance and reconversion.
He left that garden a converted, reconverted, humbled man, jealous and distrustful of self. Christ's grace regulated his zeal, making him calm and teachable and fit to care for the church. He was reformed so that only a mild caution from the mild, patient John was enough to check his ardor and zeal, yet his zeal, boldness and energy remained needed for the cause, often delivering the apostles from difficulty and silencing their enemies while John's winning patience, forbearance and devotedness gained many. Fully fitted, he was ready to pity the tempted, sympathize with the weak and erring, caution and warn the presumptuous, help tempted disciples who were tried, care for Christ's followers with patience and compassion especially when they erred, strengthen his brethren, and stand forth as a bold witness.
The place where he was later brought as a prisoner for trial before the Sanhedrin was the same room in the high priest's house where he had denied his Lord before Annas and Caiaphas and other temple dignitaries in Christ's hour of greatest need. His earlier conduct there was shameful cowardice and apostasy that disowned Christ's name and left a stain, done as the impulsive, self-confident disciple, a proud boaster before conversion. When he stood there the memory of his denial came distinctly to mind, and before the same men who remembered his part at his Master's trial he faced the opportunity to redeem his cowardice and remove the stain of apostasy by honoring the name he had once disowned. He did so as a converted, modest, self-distrustful man filled with the Holy Spirit and through its power made firm as a rock, courageous yet modest in magnifying Christ.
His denial remained a lifelong source of sorrow whose bitterness never lessened, and he never forgave himself, even amid prospect of his own agonies, leading to a life of repentance and humility. When condemned to be scourged and crucified he counted himself unworthy of so great an honor as to die in the same manner as his Master. He entreated as a last favor to be nailed to the cross with his head downward.
His fall teaches that some lessons are learned only through failure, and he was a better man after it. The Lord permits His children to fall, and if they repent of wrongdoing He helps them to stand on vantage ground, for as fire purifies gold so Christ purifies His people by temptation and trial. If the heart has not been hardened by disregard of great light, temptation and fall will bring repentance, and humble, fervent prayer saves the soul from death while confession and restitution hide a multitude of sins. Joined to Christ as a co-laborer to constantly learn lessons correcting wrong ideas and incorrect views of Christian character, Peter was not perfect but improved every opportunity to learn, and when overcome by the devil he learned through defeat to be jealous and distrustful of himself and to watch himself with jealous care. Unlike Judas who had the same opportunity to learn from Christ but was a hearer only and not a doer with the result seen in betrayal, Peter's failure did not exclude him from the circle of disciples but he remained a learner of what perfect Christian character requires.
The faithful recording of the sin of a man favored of God and entrusted with great responsibility, overcome by temptation even as people today strive, waver and fall into error, shows divine wisdom and the requirement of justice to narrate facts for the benefit of all readers with the penalty of disobedience made plain. It is given as a warning to avoid unbelief and evil and to obey the law of God. It is a lesson to all following generations that if Peter had been without foible he would have been more than human and sinful natures would despair of excellence, but seeing where he struggled and fell, took heart again and conquered through the grace of God gives encouragement to desponding hearts to gain fresh vigor, rise above evil nature, renew the conflict, press on, surmount obstacles, recover ground and be blessed of God through pardoning mercy.
Warnings for Believers
Following at a distance shows the danger of not staying close to Christ, for an enemy is always watching for opportunity and followers must remain alert and guard eternal interests even if temporal matters must be left undone. Following into the judgment setting exposed a weakness that courage in open conflict might not have revealed, for fear of scorn and reproach can make a coward of one who would have been courageous in a fight. Hiding faith from fear of suffering, reproach or ridicule is itself denying Christ, and associating with people one should avoid exposes a person to temptation and leads to compromise words and actions that would otherwise have been avoided.
Self-trust and bold claims of loyalty do not ensure faithfulness when opposition comes, as the scene where Jesus is taken to the high priest's house and Peter follows at a distance begins the account in which earlier confidence fails under pressure and Peter repeatedly denies Jesus while Jesus stands condemned and humiliated. Confident readiness to go with Jesus to prison and to death did not protect him, for self-confidence led to the fall and self-sufficiency leaves one vulnerable to Satan's temptation. Even one who knew Christ closely and had received extensive instruction can waver and fail to stand by gospel principles out of fear of people or desire for their approval.
Yielding to ridicule and associating with persecutors puts Christ to open shame, and shame under scorn shows one has not counted the cost or been converted. Knowing the truth but refusing to live by it is denying Christ, and a life marked by cowardice or fickleness and by clinging to cherished sin rather than following Jesus is a present denial of Him. The verse places Peter at the high priest's house following at a distance and leads into the denial, showing the test he claimed he would pass. Warned beforehand of defect of character, he was self-confident and presumptuous in declaring a constancy superior to the other disciples, yet when the storm of opposition fell all forsook Christ and fled, and earnest, forward Peter repeatedly denied his Lord while Christ stood condemned in humiliation wearing the shameful crown of thorns at the very time when bravery and fidelity were most needed.