Luke 22:59
And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilæan. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilæan.
About an hour after the earlier charge, another bystander confidently insisted that Peter had certainly been with Jesus, pointing to his Galilean origin and speech as proof. The challenger was a servant of the high priest, a close relative of the man wounded in the garden, who had himself seen Peter there with Jesus. This became Peter's third denial, pressed with cursing and swearing in a desperate effort to appear indifferent and convince his questioners he was no disciple. It took place while Jesus stood condemned and mocked in the judgment hall, and immediately afterward the cock crew and Jesus turned to look on Peter with sorrowful pity without anger, bringing back His prediction and breaking Peter's heart to bitter, lifelong repentance. That failure, born of self-confidence, fear of scorn and associating with opposers, was fully forgiven and met by public restoration to feed the flock, leaving Peter humbled, self-distrustful and bold to strengthen others as a warning that disguising faith is denial and that the fallen may rise by grace to conquer.
Setting and Sequence
About an hour passed after the first denial, and then another person confidently affirmed that Peter too had been with Jesus, offering as proof that he was a Galilean and that his speech agreed thereto. The accuser was a servant of the high priest, a near kinsman of the man whose ear had been cut off, who had seen Peter in the garden with Jesus. This confrontation brought Peter's third denial, made in rage with cursing and swearing to fully deceive the questioners, to convince them he was not a disciple, and to justify the false character of indifference he had assumed. Though the disciples were noted for purity of language, he used such oaths to press his claim of not knowing Jesus.
The denial took place in the judgment hall while Jesus stood condemned and humiliated, wearing the shameful crown of thorns. Jesus had been hurried through dark streets amid insult and mockery to the palace of the officiating high priest Caiaphas in the early morning darkness for a mockery of an examination amid coarse accusation, sneering questioning, insult, mockery and reviling. Hearing his beloved disciple deny him pierced the Saviour's heart with a keener pang than it was in the power of his enemies to inflict.
Immediately after the denial the rooster crowed, and Jesus turned his face from his judges and looked fully upon Peter. That look was sorrowful and reproving, yet full of deep pity and gentle compassion with no anger in his countenance. Then Peter remembered Jesus' words to him in the upper chamber that he would deny him three times before the rooster crowed, and his own zealous assertion that though all men should be offended, yet he would never be offended.
Causes and Restoration
Peter had confidently promised a constancy superior to the other disciples, insisting he would never deny Jesus but would follow Him to prison and to death, and he resented the compassionate warning that Satan desired to sift him as wheat. He meant what he promised, yet self-love, self-confidence and presumption left him vulnerable because he did not recognize the danger within himself, and when tested his promise was overcome. He had been faithfully warned of this defection of character, but in earnest, forward, loud fidelity he asserted he would suffer and die for his Lord, even raising the sword in Gethsemane to cut off the ear of the high priest's servant, and soon after denied Him with cursing and swearing, for ardent zeal is not conversion.
Fear for his own safety and dread of scorn, ridicule, suffering and reproach made him cowardly at the finger of scorn, though he would have been bold and courageous in open physical battle for his Master. To hide his loyalty he assumed indifference, placed himself in the way of temptation by associating with those he should have avoided and whom he should have opposed, linked with worldlings and talked their language, even joining their mockery. His effort to conceal his true character left him vulnerable, and though his sorrow and indignation showed through, he denied the truth he had received.
The fall grew out of his naturally forward, ardent and impulsive character, which Satan used to lead him astray, so that overcome by the devil's temptation and the arts of the wily foe he fell and stood on the side of the enemy when Christ needed him most. He exchanged leaders, forsaking God, voicing the sentiments of Satan and denying his Lord to unbelievers, feeling no need of grace so that grace could not be given him. An evil spirit had taken possession of him, and he did not know what spirit he was of, and his self-confidence which tempted Satan to tempt him proved his ruin.
He had not learned the lessons taught him as a co-laborer constantly learning from the divine Teacher, but held wrong ideas and incorrect views of what Christian character requires and was not a perfect, unerring man without defects of character. He had disputed Jesus' warning about His suffering, and had he stood right with God in his trial he would not have denied his Lord. He had been asleep while Jesus prayed in bloody sweat forced by great agony, and afterward remembered those fearful hours with a broken heart.
That sorrowful, reproving look melted his heart and broke it and saved him, bringing back Jesus' prediction in the upper chamber that he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed and his own zealous assertion of loyalty. He left and wept bitterly with true contrition of soul and gave himself afresh to his Saviour, understanding his own failure when Jesus looked at him with compassion and love. With blinding tears he went alone to Gethsemane and prostrated himself where he had seen his Saviour prostrated, and his penitential tears moistened the sod stained with the sweat drops of God's dear Son. His sorrow and repentance never lessened through life, even in prospect of agonizing death, for he could never forgive himself.
Even while he was denying Him the love Jesus bore him never faltered, and the grave failure, sincerely repented with true contrition, was forgiven and met by mercy and pardon. The three denials were afterward met by three pointed questions drawing from him the assurance of his love and loyalty to answer them. Jesus restored him publicly and gave him the high commission to feed the sheep and lambs of the flock, so that he showed the disciples he truly repented, their distrust would not hinder his usefulness in a time of need, and he could return to apostolic work and service.
Afterward he was converted and left that garden a converted man, humbled, calm, teachable, modest and self-distrustful, with zeal regulated by grace, the hasty quick temper changed to patience through prayer, persevering overcoming and the sanctifying influence of truth. He was fully fitted to pity the tempted, sympathize with the weak and erring, caution and warn the presumptuous, strengthen his brethren and care for Christ's flock. The impulsive boaster became firm as a rock yet modest through the Holy Spirit, and the room and the men — Annas, Caiaphas and others who remembered his cowardice — before whom he later stood for his own trial gave him opportunity to redeem it by standing faithfully and honoring without intimidation the name he had disowned. When condemned as a Jew and a foreigner to be scourged and crucified, his only thought was that he was unworthy to die in the same manner as his Master, so as a last favor he entreated his executioners to nail him to the cross with his head downward, willing to suffer martyrdom for his faith.
Lessons for Believers
Disguising faith to avoid suffering or reproach is itself denial of the Lord, as truly as when fear of scorn made Peter a coward who would have been brave in open battle. When challenged about connection to Jesus, concealing faith denies Him, and hiding faith to escape ridicule puts Him to open shame. Clinging to old habits is shown in denying Christ when another confidently affirmed association with Jesus on the ground of being a Galilean. Failing to live by known truth is also denial of Christ, requiring a changed course where cowardice and fickleness give way to moral courage and faithful stand for God.
Association with those who oppose faith places one in the way of temptation and invites saying what would never be said under other circumstances. Ridicule can drive to deny faith even one ready for active warfare for God. Those who boast of freedom of thought and action and laugh at the scruples of the conscientious who fear to do wrong act as Satan's agents to tempt the righteous to yield faith, and then despise those they have ruined.
The faithful record that men favored of God and entrusted with great responsibilities are sometimes overcome and commit sin lifts the veil from the human heart and lays bare faults and follies of believers as a lesson and warning to all following generations. It is given for benefit and for encouragement to desponding hearts, showing 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. If Peter had been without foible he would have been more than human and sinful natures would despair of such excellence, but seeing where he struggled and fell and where he recovered ground and was blessed encourages others. With the revelation of sin is shown the sorrow and penitence of the guilty and the need of pardoning mercy, that God punishes crime yet pities and forgives the repenting sinner and is as powerful to save from sin today as in the apostles' time.
The Lord permits His children to fall to teach lessons that can be learned in no other way, and Peter after his fall in denying Christ was a better man. If they repent of wrongdoing He helps them stand on vantage ground, purifying them as fire purifies gold by temptation and trial. If the heart has not been hardened by disregard of great light, temptation and fall bring repentance, and humble fervent prayer saves the soul from death while confession and restitution hide a multitude of sins.
The denial taught the lesson not yet learned to distrust self and be jealous of self, correcting wrong ideas and incorrect views of what Christian character requires. The one connected with Jesus as co-laborer to learn was not perfect and unerring without defects, and must improve every opportunity to learn, compare life with Christ's life and character, discern failure to meet God's holy law, and copy the pattern to become perfect in his sphere even as God in heaven is perfect in His sphere. This contrasts with Judas, who with John was joined to Christ with the same opportunities to constantly learn from the divine Teacher, but remained a hearer only and not a doer, with betrayal as the result showing character must be molded after Christ's example.