But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.
Mark 14:71 records Peter's third denial, when with cursing and swearing and degrading oaths he declared he did not know Jesus. Spoken in anger and fear for his life to keep up a false indifference, it was uttered within Jesus' hearing in Caiaphas' palace while Jesus was being reviled, and while the oaths were still fresh the cock crew and Jesus turned and looked full upon Peter with gentle, grieving compassion that conveyed pardon. The fall was the culmination of self-confidence and ignorance of himself, hastened because by affecting indifference and lingering with those he should have avoided he put himself on the enemy's ground, where cowardice before scorn overcame one who would have fought boldly as a soldier. Heard by Jesus it pierced Him more deeply than all the mockery of His enemies, yet His look recalled Peter to his boastful promise, broke his self-trust, and brought him to bitter weeping in genuine repentance unto conversion, so that after the resurrection Jesus remembered and encouraged him by name. So a disciple today who from dread of suffering, reproach, or ridicule disguises faith denies the Lord just as really as Peter did, and all must learn to know themselves and walk tremblingly before God in humble, self-abasing trust instead of boastful self-confidence.
Denial's Words and Setting
This was Peter's third denial, in which with cursing and swearing, even degrading oaths, he declared that he did not know Jesus. He spoke in anger and rage, seeking to deceive his questioners and to sustain the false appearance of indifference and unconcern he had assumed. He was moved by fear for his life and safety and by fear of scorn, wanting to convince his accusers that he was not a disciple.
He did this within Jesus' hearing in the palace of Caiaphas, the officiating high priest. It was in the early dark morning, after Jesus had been hurried through the dark narrow streets amid insult and mockery. There Jesus was enduring a mockery of an examination, coarsely accused, sneeringly questioned, and reviled by the whole assembly.
Immediately afterward, while the oaths were still fresh on his lips and ringing in his ears, the cock crew for the third time and Peter heard it. At that same moment Jesus turned His face away from His frowning judges and looked full upon Peter, and Peter involuntarily fixed his eyes on Him. The look was gentle, compassionate, and grieving, full of deep pity and sorrow with no anger there, yet sorrowful and reproving, and it conveyed pardon and hope.
Peter's Fall and Recovery
The cursing denial was not sudden but the culmination of a gradual, step-by-step fall rooted in self-confidence and ignorance of himself. Even with his zeal for his Master and his thought that he was the most devoted follower, he was offended when told that when converted he must strengthen his brethren. He had boasted that though all others should be offended he would not, and that he would even die for his Lord. By putting on an air of indifference to hide that he was a follower, he placed himself on the enemy's ground and became an easy prey to temptation. By associating with those he should have avoided he put himself in the way of temptation and invited the enemy to tempt him, and was led to say and do what under other circumstances he would never have been guilty of.
His failure came from cowardice before scorn and ridicule when the finger of scorn was pointed at him. He would have been bold and courageous as a soldier if called to fight for his Master. Spoken within Jesus' hearing while Jesus was enduring a mockery of an examination, the denial of the beloved disciple pierced Jesus' heart with a keener pang and more deeply than all the insult, mockery, accusation, and reviling His enemies could inflict.
Jesus' sorrowful, reproving look brought Peter back to Jesus' warning and words, to his own confident promise to remain faithful, and to his own earlier boastful words. His boastful confidence was gone, and with melted heart he saw his guilt and weakness, ceased trusting in himself, and trusted in God for strength. He wept bitterly in intense sorrow, and that sorrow was part of genuine repentance, not a claim of instant assurance. He repented, was converted, and became ready and prepared to strengthen his fellow disciples and his brethren. After Jesus rose He remembered Peter and directed that Peter be named among those to be told of the resurrection, encouraging the repentant disciple.
Warning for Disciples Today
A disciple in our day who disguises faith through dread of suffering or reproach denies the Lord just as really as Peter did in the judgment hall. Many who would not shrink from active warfare for the Lord are still driven by ridicule to deny their faith. Ridicule can tempt believers to say and do what under other circumstances they never would be guilty of, especially when by associating with those who should have been avoided they put themselves in the way of temptation and invite the enemy to tempt them. Such yielding means giving way to people who boast of freedom of thought and action and laugh at the scruples of those who fear to do wrong. Once the righteous yield, those same tempters despise them as agents Satan used to tempt them to ruin.
The verse teaches the lesson all must learn to know themselves and to search the heart. All are to walk tremblingly and fearfully before the Lord in humble, self-abasing, God-trusting faith. Boastful words, self-righteousness, and noise without conversion must be put away.
Mark 14:71 records Peter's third denial, when with cursing and swearing and degrading oaths he declared he did not know Jesus. Spoken in anger and fear for his life to keep up a false indifference, it was uttered within Jesus' hearing in Caiaphas' palace while Jesus was being reviled, and while the oaths were still fresh the cock crew and Jesus turned and looked full upon Peter with gentle, grieving compassion that conveyed pardon. The fall was the culmination of self-confidence and ignorance of himself, hastened because by affecting indifference and lingering with those he should have avoided he put himself on the enemy's ground, where cowardice before scorn overcame one who would have fought boldly as a soldier. Heard by Jesus it pierced Him more deeply than all the mockery of His enemies, yet His look recalled Peter to his boastful promise, broke his self-trust, and brought him to bitter weeping in genuine repentance unto conversion, so that after the resurrection Jesus remembered and encouraged him by name. So a disciple today who from dread of suffering, reproach, or ridicule disguises faith denies the Lord just as really as Peter did, and all must learn to know themselves and walk tremblingly before God in humble, self-abasing trust instead of boastful self-confidence.
Denial's Words and Setting
This was Peter's third denial, in which with cursing and swearing, even degrading oaths, he declared that he did not know Jesus. He spoke in anger and rage, seeking to deceive his questioners and to sustain the false appearance of indifference and unconcern he had assumed. He was moved by fear for his life and safety and by fear of scorn, wanting to convince his accusers that he was not a disciple.
He did this within Jesus' hearing in the palace of Caiaphas, the officiating high priest. It was in the early dark morning, after Jesus had been hurried through the dark narrow streets amid insult and mockery. There Jesus was enduring a mockery of an examination, coarsely accused, sneeringly questioned, and reviled by the whole assembly.
Immediately afterward, while the oaths were still fresh on his lips and ringing in his ears, the cock crew for the third time and Peter heard it. At that same moment Jesus turned His face away from His frowning judges and looked full upon Peter, and Peter involuntarily fixed his eyes on Him. The look was gentle, compassionate, and grieving, full of deep pity and sorrow with no anger there, yet sorrowful and reproving, and it conveyed pardon and hope.
Peter's Fall and Recovery
The cursing denial was not sudden but the culmination of a gradual, step-by-step fall rooted in self-confidence and ignorance of himself. Even with his zeal for his Master and his thought that he was the most devoted follower, he was offended when told that when converted he must strengthen his brethren. He had boasted that though all others should be offended he would not, and that he would even die for his Lord. By putting on an air of indifference to hide that he was a follower, he placed himself on the enemy's ground and became an easy prey to temptation. By associating with those he should have avoided he put himself in the way of temptation and invited the enemy to tempt him, and was led to say and do what under other circumstances he would never have been guilty of.
His failure came from cowardice before scorn and ridicule when the finger of scorn was pointed at him. He would have been bold and courageous as a soldier if called to fight for his Master. Spoken within Jesus' hearing while Jesus was enduring a mockery of an examination, the denial of the beloved disciple pierced Jesus' heart with a keener pang and more deeply than all the insult, mockery, accusation, and reviling His enemies could inflict.
Jesus' sorrowful, reproving look brought Peter back to Jesus' warning and words, to his own confident promise to remain faithful, and to his own earlier boastful words. His boastful confidence was gone, and with melted heart he saw his guilt and weakness, ceased trusting in himself, and trusted in God for strength. He wept bitterly in intense sorrow, and that sorrow was part of genuine repentance, not a claim of instant assurance. He repented, was converted, and became ready and prepared to strengthen his fellow disciples and his brethren. After Jesus rose He remembered Peter and directed that Peter be named among those to be told of the resurrection, encouraging the repentant disciple.
Warning for Disciples Today
A disciple in our day who disguises faith through dread of suffering or reproach denies the Lord just as really as Peter did in the judgment hall. Many who would not shrink from active warfare for the Lord are still driven by ridicule to deny their faith. Ridicule can tempt believers to say and do what under other circumstances they never would be guilty of, especially when by associating with those who should have been avoided they put themselves in the way of temptation and invite the enemy to tempt them. Such yielding means giving way to people who boast of freedom of thought and action and laugh at the scruples of those who fear to do wrong. Once the righteous yield, those same tempters despise them as agents Satan used to tempt them to ruin.
The verse teaches the lesson all must learn to know themselves and to search the heart. All are to walk tremblingly and fearfully before the Lord in humble, self-abasing, God-trusting faith. Boastful words, self-righteousness, and noise without conversion must be put away.