Peter Denies Jesus by the Charcoal FireBible World
22:57Luke 22:57
And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.
Peter's words were his first of three public denials in the high priest's courtyard and hall, spoken to the maidservant who kept the door when she charged him with being a disciple who had been with Jesus. Startled as all eyes fastened on him, he pretended not to understand and then angrily disowned the Teacher he had confessed as the Son of the living God, trying to hide his discipleship by blending with Christ's mockers while Jesus stood condemned and insulted within His hearing. Fear for his own safety overcame his boastful self-confidence, for he had rejected Christ's warning that Satan desired to sift him, stood on the enemy's ground, and fell under the tempter's power. The cock's crow and Jesus' sorrowful yet compassionate look broke his heart, driving him in bitter tears to Gethsemane where he sincerely repented, was freely forgiven and restored to feed the flock, and was made a humbled, self-distrustful witness who later honored before Annas and Caiaphas the name he had denied and warns all against disguising faith from fear and trusting in self.
Denial's Setting and Manner
This was the first of three public denials, spoken in the high priest's courtyard and hall when the maidservant, the woman who kept the door, identified him as one of Jesus' disciples and followers who had been with Jesus. The challenge came at the door from one who had noticed his entrance and suspected discipleship, and the question put to him was whether he also was one of this man's disciples.
He answered angrily that he did not know Him, startled and confused as the eyes of the company fastened upon him. Light flashing on his face had betrayed him after he entered with John, and at first he pretended not to understand, then when the woman persisted in telling those around that he had been with Jesus he felt compelled to answer with denial. The cock crew immediately afterward, at once upon the words, and the denial went as far as cursing and swearing.
He was trying to avoid recognition and hide his identity by appearing indifferent and blending in with Jesus' captors, opponents and persecutors. Though inwardly sorrowful at Jesus' abuse and angered that Jesus submitted to humiliation, he acted indifferent to conceal his true feelings. To conceal them he tried to join their mockery, which put him on the enemy's ground and left him open to temptation and vulnerable to the foe.
It happened in the palace of Caiaphas the officiating high priest in the early dark morning. It was before Annas and Caiaphas and other temple dignitaries, in the hall and in that very room where he later stood for his own trial. While Jesus stood condemned and humiliated wearing the shameful crown of thorns, He was enduring a mockery of an examination with coarse accusation, sneering questioning, insult, mockery and reviling from persecutors, priest and whole assembly.
In that hour he disowned the beloved Teacher and Man of Sorrows he had acknowledged as the Son of the living God who had the words of eternal life. This was soon after declaring he would suffer and die with Him and impulsively striking with the sword in Gethsemane, and Jesus had foretold the denial. Hearing it within His own hearing while being insulted pierced His heart with a keener pang than His enemies could inflict. It dishonored and deserted Him in His humiliation and left the stain of apostasy by disowning His name in Christ's hour of greatest need.
Why Peter Denied
Fear for his own safety overcame loyalty when fear of being identified as a follower took hold, and fear and shame under scorn, reproach and pressure made him ashamed of Jesus. That fear turned disguising of faith to avoid suffering or ridicule into denial itself, for ridicule and association with those who tempt believers leads them to say and do what they otherwise would not. His failure under scorn showed he had not counted the cost of discipleship, turning from Christ instead of standing with Him through opposition.
Self-love, self-sufficiency, self-confidence and boasting overpowered love for Christ, and he did not recognize that danger in himself though Christ saw it. He confidently claimed readiness to follow even to prison and death with a constancy superior to the other disciples, earnest, forward and loud in fidelity and love, yet remained self-confident and presumptuous after faithful warning of his defection of character. He rejected Christ's compassionate, friendly warning that Satan desired to sift him as wheat, and so tempted Satan to tempt him and left himself vulnerable. When the storm of opposition came like a sweeping tempest upon Christ's followers they forsook Him and fled, and Peter openly denied Jesus when Jesus needed him, failing the test that self-trusting religion cannot meet without thorough conversion.
He was overcome by the temptations of the devil and his denial was prompted by Satan. An evil spirit had taken possession of him so that he did not know what spirit he was of. By trying to hide his identity among the persecutors and appearing indifferent while inwardly sorrowful at the abuse and angered that Jesus submitted to humiliation, even joining their mockery to conceal his feelings, he put himself on the enemy's ground and fell under the arts of the wily foe. The same spirit takes possession of a believer who links with worldlings and talks their language, denying received truth to unbelievers and voicing Satan's sentiments, which is exchanging leaders and leaving Christ for Satan and shuts out grace because no need of it is felt.
He had not yet learned to be jealous over himself with distrust of self, to watch himself with jealous care. His ardent, quick zeal was not conversion, and a hasty, quick temper that brings trouble shows the need for true conversion through the sanctifying influence of truth, patient overcoming and prayer. Though joined to Christ as a co-laborer with every opportunity to have wrong ideas of Christian character corrected, he was not perfect and still needed instruction to repress unfavorable traits and develop a Christlike disposition through constant daily learning instead of self-sufficiency. He had failed to learn and heed Christ's lessons and to count the cost of discipleship, showing he had not been converted, and he would have stood firm if he had remained right with God when tested.
Repentance and Restoration
The cock crowing recalled Christ's warning, while His sorrowful, reproving yet compassionate look brought Peter's denying words back to mind, melted and broke his heart, opened his eyes to his sin, and drove him to bitter weeping with assurance of pardon as sure as the mercy found by the publican. That look was full of sadness and grief over ardent, hasty zeal proved to be no conversion, and it prepared the fallen disciple to be converted and to strengthen his brethren. With blinding tears he went alone to Gethsemane and threw himself prostrate on the very spot where he had seen his Saviour prostrate in agony with bloody sweat forced from His pores, remembering how he had slept through those fearful hours of prayer while his penitential tears moistened the sod stained with the sweat drops of the Son of God. Both the denial in the judgment hall and this anguished weeping had been foreseen, and there in the garden he was converted and reconverted with true contrition, giving himself afresh to his Saviour.
His repentance was sincere and his forgiveness free and complete, for he was not cast off but restored to divine confidence and affection, as shown by the high commission to feed the sheep and lambs and by the three assurances of love and loyalty afterward drawn from him. That shameful failure in the night of betrayal, so contrary to his claims of loyalty, required such sincere repentance before he could resume apostolic work, and required regaining his fellow disciples' confidence lest their distrust hinder his usefulness. His later care for the flock and his ability to help disciples in temptation and trial proved the restoration genuine. He left the garden a converted man, humbled, modest and self-distrustful, carrying through life a deep sense of his cowardly and sinful denial that he could never forgive in himself. The bitterness of that sorrow never lessened even in prospect of agonizing death and martyrdom, when the memory made him feel unworthy of the honor of dying as his Lord had died.
His repentance reformed without removing his ardor and zeal, so that afterward even a mild caution from John could check his impetuosity, while his boldness remained a needed gift to deliver the apostles from difficulty and silence their enemies. Remembering his own weakness fitted him to pity the tempted, sympathize with the weak and erring, caution and warn the presumptuous, and strengthen his brethren. His fall taught lessons learned only through failure and made him a better man, followed by restoration and then by a long course of service, intimate acquaintance with Christ, knowledge of the Saviour's straightforward practice of right principles, and gifts, knowledge and influence in preaching and teaching the Word. The Lord permits His children to fall and, if the heart has not been hardened by disregard of great light, helps the repentant to stand on vantage ground, purifying them by temptation and trial as fire purifies gold, so that humble fervent prayer saves the soul from death and confession and restitution hide a multitude of sins.
Later Faithful Witness
The denial was cowardice, and its memory returned vividly when Peter later stood on trial for Christ before the same men in the same room and hall. It had been spoken before Annas and Caiaphas and other temple dignitaries, and he afterward faced his own examination before some of those very men in that very place. The return to the scene gave him opportunity to make amends by standing faithfully for Christ and honoring the name he had once disowned.
The Peter who denied was impulsive and self-confident, a proud boaster, but the Peter who stood before the Sanhedrin was widely different. Since his fall he had been converted to be modest and distrustful of self, no longer a proud boaster. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and by that power made firm as a rock, courageous yet modest in magnifying Christ. Those who remembered his part at his Master's trial and expected him to be intimidated by threat of imprisonment and death found him unmovable, resolved to remove the stain of apostasy left by disowning Jesus in His hour of greatest need.
His denial was cowardly and sinful, and he carried a deep sense of it throughout life in repentance and humility even after sincere repentance and forgiveness. The high commission to feed the sheep and lambs showed he was forgiven, yet he could never forgive himself and the bitterness of his sorrow never lessened even in prospect of agonizing death. When condemned to be scourged and crucified, the memory made him feel unworthy of the honor of dying in the same manner as his Master and Lord. He therefore entreated his executioners that he might be nailed to the cross with his head downward.
Warning and Application
To hide or disguise faith in order to avoid suffering, reproach or ridicule is to deny the Lord in the same sense as Peter's "I know him not," even when no one demands open combat for Him and even without a direct verbal denial. Ridicule and close association with those who tempt believers can draw them to say or do what they otherwise would not, as fear of being known as a follower and pressure of fear and scorn overcame Peter's courage. The same denial occurs when a believer links with worldlings and talks their language, denying received truth to unbelievers and uttering sentiments that are Satan's, for that is exchanging leaders and leaving Christ for Satan. Such a course shuts out grace because no need of it is felt, when an evil spirit takes possession so that one does not know what spirit one is of. It also occurs when people cling to old habits and practices instead of following on to know the Lord, thereby losing the blessing promised at every step. Even one who claims never to have denied Him denies Him by knowing truth without practicing it and by yielding to cowardice or fickleness.
Peter's fall exposes self-love and self-confidence overpowering love for Christ, for he did not see the danger in himself though Christ saw it when Satan desired to sift him. Having sincerely promised to follow even to prison and death, and having boasted a constancy superior to the other disciples, he failed when opposition came like a sweeping tempest. His repeated denial just when bravery and fidelity were most needed, while Christ stood condemned in humiliation wearing the crown of thorns, proves that boasting does not make one faithful under trial. Self-trusting, self-confident religion that trusts in one's own goodness and strength is therefore unreliable and needs thorough conversion. The soul is safe only when distrusting self and trusting solely in the wisdom of God.
The faithful record of a sin that overcame a man favored of God and entrusted with great responsibility lifts the veil from the human heart and lays his fault and folly bare before all following generations. It proves the Bible tells the simple naked truth without glossing over sin or suppressing the failings of its chief characters. It shows believers strive, waver, and fall into error through temptation, and so warns against yielding. At the same time it encourages desponding hearts that through grace the fallen can gain fresh vigor to rise above evil nature, take heart again, renew the conflict, press on, surmount obstacles, and conquer.
The denial proves Peter was not a perfect, unerring man without defects of character, but an imperfect co-laborer with Christ who still needed instruction to correct wrong ideas of Christian character and develop perfect character. He had not yet learned to distrust and watch himself with jealous care, and learned that lesson only through his fall. Yet his failure did not cut him off from belonging to the church and learning from Jesus. He improved every opportunity to learn, in contrast to Judas who had the same opportunity under Christ's teaching but was a hearer only and not a doer, with the result seen in betrayal.
Peter's words were his first of three public denials in the high priest's courtyard and hall, spoken to the maidservant who kept the door when she charged him with being a disciple who had been with Jesus. Startled as all eyes fastened on him, he pretended not to understand and then angrily disowned the Teacher he had confessed as the Son of the living God, trying to hide his discipleship by blending with Christ's mockers while Jesus stood condemned and insulted within His hearing. Fear for his own safety overcame his boastful self-confidence, for he had rejected Christ's warning that Satan desired to sift him, stood on the enemy's ground, and fell under the tempter's power. The cock's crow and Jesus' sorrowful yet compassionate look broke his heart, driving him in bitter tears to Gethsemane where he sincerely repented, was freely forgiven and restored to feed the flock, and was made a humbled, self-distrustful witness who later honored before Annas and Caiaphas the name he had denied and warns all against disguising faith from fear and trusting in self.
Denial's Setting and Manner
This was the first of three public denials, spoken in the high priest's courtyard and hall when the maidservant, the woman who kept the door, identified him as one of Jesus' disciples and followers who had been with Jesus. The challenge came at the door from one who had noticed his entrance and suspected discipleship, and the question put to him was whether he also was one of this man's disciples.
He answered angrily that he did not know Him, startled and confused as the eyes of the company fastened upon him. Light flashing on his face had betrayed him after he entered with John, and at first he pretended not to understand, then when the woman persisted in telling those around that he had been with Jesus he felt compelled to answer with denial. The cock crew immediately afterward, at once upon the words, and the denial went as far as cursing and swearing.
He was trying to avoid recognition and hide his identity by appearing indifferent and blending in with Jesus' captors, opponents and persecutors. Though inwardly sorrowful at Jesus' abuse and angered that Jesus submitted to humiliation, he acted indifferent to conceal his true feelings. To conceal them he tried to join their mockery, which put him on the enemy's ground and left him open to temptation and vulnerable to the foe.
It happened in the palace of Caiaphas the officiating high priest in the early dark morning. It was before Annas and Caiaphas and other temple dignitaries, in the hall and in that very room where he later stood for his own trial. While Jesus stood condemned and humiliated wearing the shameful crown of thorns, He was enduring a mockery of an examination with coarse accusation, sneering questioning, insult, mockery and reviling from persecutors, priest and whole assembly.
In that hour he disowned the beloved Teacher and Man of Sorrows he had acknowledged as the Son of the living God who had the words of eternal life. This was soon after declaring he would suffer and die with Him and impulsively striking with the sword in Gethsemane, and Jesus had foretold the denial. Hearing it within His own hearing while being insulted pierced His heart with a keener pang than His enemies could inflict. It dishonored and deserted Him in His humiliation and left the stain of apostasy by disowning His name in Christ's hour of greatest need.
Why Peter Denied
Fear for his own safety overcame loyalty when fear of being identified as a follower took hold, and fear and shame under scorn, reproach and pressure made him ashamed of Jesus. That fear turned disguising of faith to avoid suffering or ridicule into denial itself, for ridicule and association with those who tempt believers leads them to say and do what they otherwise would not. His failure under scorn showed he had not counted the cost of discipleship, turning from Christ instead of standing with Him through opposition.
Self-love, self-sufficiency, self-confidence and boasting overpowered love for Christ, and he did not recognize that danger in himself though Christ saw it. He confidently claimed readiness to follow even to prison and death with a constancy superior to the other disciples, earnest, forward and loud in fidelity and love, yet remained self-confident and presumptuous after faithful warning of his defection of character. He rejected Christ's compassionate, friendly warning that Satan desired to sift him as wheat, and so tempted Satan to tempt him and left himself vulnerable. When the storm of opposition came like a sweeping tempest upon Christ's followers they forsook Him and fled, and Peter openly denied Jesus when Jesus needed him, failing the test that self-trusting religion cannot meet without thorough conversion.
He was overcome by the temptations of the devil and his denial was prompted by Satan. An evil spirit had taken possession of him so that he did not know what spirit he was of. By trying to hide his identity among the persecutors and appearing indifferent while inwardly sorrowful at the abuse and angered that Jesus submitted to humiliation, even joining their mockery to conceal his feelings, he put himself on the enemy's ground and fell under the arts of the wily foe. The same spirit takes possession of a believer who links with worldlings and talks their language, denying received truth to unbelievers and voicing Satan's sentiments, which is exchanging leaders and leaving Christ for Satan and shuts out grace because no need of it is felt.
He had not yet learned to be jealous over himself with distrust of self, to watch himself with jealous care. His ardent, quick zeal was not conversion, and a hasty, quick temper that brings trouble shows the need for true conversion through the sanctifying influence of truth, patient overcoming and prayer. Though joined to Christ as a co-laborer with every opportunity to have wrong ideas of Christian character corrected, he was not perfect and still needed instruction to repress unfavorable traits and develop a Christlike disposition through constant daily learning instead of self-sufficiency. He had failed to learn and heed Christ's lessons and to count the cost of discipleship, showing he had not been converted, and he would have stood firm if he had remained right with God when tested.
Repentance and Restoration
The cock crowing recalled Christ's warning, while His sorrowful, reproving yet compassionate look brought Peter's denying words back to mind, melted and broke his heart, opened his eyes to his sin, and drove him to bitter weeping with assurance of pardon as sure as the mercy found by the publican. That look was full of sadness and grief over ardent, hasty zeal proved to be no conversion, and it prepared the fallen disciple to be converted and to strengthen his brethren. With blinding tears he went alone to Gethsemane and threw himself prostrate on the very spot where he had seen his Saviour prostrate in agony with bloody sweat forced from His pores, remembering how he had slept through those fearful hours of prayer while his penitential tears moistened the sod stained with the sweat drops of the Son of God. Both the denial in the judgment hall and this anguished weeping had been foreseen, and there in the garden he was converted and reconverted with true contrition, giving himself afresh to his Saviour.
His repentance was sincere and his forgiveness free and complete, for he was not cast off but restored to divine confidence and affection, as shown by the high commission to feed the sheep and lambs and by the three assurances of love and loyalty afterward drawn from him. That shameful failure in the night of betrayal, so contrary to his claims of loyalty, required such sincere repentance before he could resume apostolic work, and required regaining his fellow disciples' confidence lest their distrust hinder his usefulness. His later care for the flock and his ability to help disciples in temptation and trial proved the restoration genuine. He left the garden a converted man, humbled, modest and self-distrustful, carrying through life a deep sense of his cowardly and sinful denial that he could never forgive in himself. The bitterness of that sorrow never lessened even in prospect of agonizing death and martyrdom, when the memory made him feel unworthy of the honor of dying as his Lord had died.
His repentance reformed without removing his ardor and zeal, so that afterward even a mild caution from John could check his impetuosity, while his boldness remained a needed gift to deliver the apostles from difficulty and silence their enemies. Remembering his own weakness fitted him to pity the tempted, sympathize with the weak and erring, caution and warn the presumptuous, and strengthen his brethren. His fall taught lessons learned only through failure and made him a better man, followed by restoration and then by a long course of service, intimate acquaintance with Christ, knowledge of the Saviour's straightforward practice of right principles, and gifts, knowledge and influence in preaching and teaching the Word. The Lord permits His children to fall and, if the heart has not been hardened by disregard of great light, helps the repentant to stand on vantage ground, purifying them by temptation and trial as fire purifies gold, so that humble fervent prayer saves the soul from death and confession and restitution hide a multitude of sins.
Later Faithful Witness
The denial was cowardice, and its memory returned vividly when Peter later stood on trial for Christ before the same men in the same room and hall. It had been spoken before Annas and Caiaphas and other temple dignitaries, and he afterward faced his own examination before some of those very men in that very place. The return to the scene gave him opportunity to make amends by standing faithfully for Christ and honoring the name he had once disowned.
The Peter who denied was impulsive and self-confident, a proud boaster, but the Peter who stood before the Sanhedrin was widely different. Since his fall he had been converted to be modest and distrustful of self, no longer a proud boaster. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and by that power made firm as a rock, courageous yet modest in magnifying Christ. Those who remembered his part at his Master's trial and expected him to be intimidated by threat of imprisonment and death found him unmovable, resolved to remove the stain of apostasy left by disowning Jesus in His hour of greatest need.
His denial was cowardly and sinful, and he carried a deep sense of it throughout life in repentance and humility even after sincere repentance and forgiveness. The high commission to feed the sheep and lambs showed he was forgiven, yet he could never forgive himself and the bitterness of his sorrow never lessened even in prospect of agonizing death. When condemned to be scourged and crucified, the memory made him feel unworthy of the honor of dying in the same manner as his Master and Lord. He therefore entreated his executioners that he might be nailed to the cross with his head downward.
Warning and Application
To hide or disguise faith in order to avoid suffering, reproach or ridicule is to deny the Lord in the same sense as Peter's "I know him not," even when no one demands open combat for Him and even without a direct verbal denial. Ridicule and close association with those who tempt believers can draw them to say or do what they otherwise would not, as fear of being known as a follower and pressure of fear and scorn overcame Peter's courage. The same denial occurs when a believer links with worldlings and talks their language, denying received truth to unbelievers and uttering sentiments that are Satan's, for that is exchanging leaders and leaving Christ for Satan. Such a course shuts out grace because no need of it is felt, when an evil spirit takes possession so that one does not know what spirit one is of. It also occurs when people cling to old habits and practices instead of following on to know the Lord, thereby losing the blessing promised at every step. Even one who claims never to have denied Him denies Him by knowing truth without practicing it and by yielding to cowardice or fickleness.
Peter's fall exposes self-love and self-confidence overpowering love for Christ, for he did not see the danger in himself though Christ saw it when Satan desired to sift him. Having sincerely promised to follow even to prison and death, and having boasted a constancy superior to the other disciples, he failed when opposition came like a sweeping tempest. His repeated denial just when bravery and fidelity were most needed, while Christ stood condemned in humiliation wearing the crown of thorns, proves that boasting does not make one faithful under trial. Self-trusting, self-confident religion that trusts in one's own goodness and strength is therefore unreliable and needs thorough conversion. The soul is safe only when distrusting self and trusting solely in the wisdom of God.
The faithful record of a sin that overcame a man favored of God and entrusted with great responsibility lifts the veil from the human heart and lays his fault and folly bare before all following generations. It proves the Bible tells the simple naked truth without glossing over sin or suppressing the failings of its chief characters. It shows believers strive, waver, and fall into error through temptation, and so warns against yielding. At the same time it encourages desponding hearts that through grace the fallen can gain fresh vigor to rise above evil nature, take heart again, renew the conflict, press on, surmount obstacles, and conquer.
The denial proves Peter was not a perfect, unerring man without defects of character, but an imperfect co-laborer with Christ who still needed instruction to correct wrong ideas of Christian character and develop perfect character. He had not yet learned to distrust and watch himself with jealous care, and learned that lesson only through his fall. Yet his failure did not cut him off from belonging to the church and learning from Jesus. He improved every opportunity to learn, in contrast to Judas who had the same opportunity under Christ's teaching but was a hearer only and not a doer, with the result seen in betrayal.