Peter Pledges Loyalty to Jesus at the Tableby CBPepper
26:34Matthew 26:34
Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Jesus warned Peter that before the cock crowed that very night he would deny Him three times, even though Peter confidently insisted he would never deny or forsake Him even at the cost of prison and death. The warning showed that Jesus knew Peter's heart, weakness and danger far better than Peter knew himself. The prediction was fulfilled in the high priest's courtyard in the cold hour before dawn, where fear and confusion led Peter from a first denial to a second with an oath and a third with cursing and swearing as the cock crew. Christ looked on Peter with pity, sorrow, compassion and forgiveness rather than anger, and at the crowing Peter remembered the words, was filled with shame and bitter weeping, fled to Gethsemane, repented and was converted to strengthen his brethren. Peter's fall shows that self-confidence, self-sufficiency and self-righteousness leave faith in danger and fail under testing, so that safety lies only in distrusting self, humbling the heart before the warning, and trusting God for strength from above.
Warning and Fulfillment
That very night, before the cock crowed, Peter would deny Jesus three times, despite his confident insistence that he would never deny Him or forsake Him even if he had to go to prison and die with Him. The firm promise to follow even to prison and death showed how little he knew his own weakness, and the test of circumstances soon exposed his self-confidence and failed allegiance. The warning was spoken in the upper chamber at the Last Supper as part of preparing the disciples for His arrest and their scattering that night. It belongs to the final hours of suffering, betrayal, trial before Caiaphas and Pilate, and crucifixion, whose scenes were vividly presented. The verse shows Jesus knew Peter's future actions and read his heart accurately, understanding his weakness, danger, and falseness unknown even to Peter himself better than Peter did. After the denials Peter remembered the warning and realized how fully Jesus knew his heart.
Jesus saw that the first denial would lead into circumstances that brought a second and then a third, more emphatic denial, ending with cursing and swearing. The prediction was fulfilled in the open court of the high priest's palace among soldiers, priests, and the crowd. The first denial came at once by the fire in the hall in the cold hour before dawn when the woman who kept the door, having noticed Peter come in with John, tauntingly asked if he was also one of this man's disciples. Startled and confused with the eyes of the company fastened on him, Peter first pretended not to understand her and then, feeling compelled to answer, angrily said he did not know Him, and immediately the cock crew.
After the unheeded sounding, Peter denied a second time with an oath and then denied with cursing and swearing, and at the further sounding he heard it. His failure came from fear for his safety and fear of scorn and reproach for acknowledging Jesus. Because he slept instead of watching and praying, he was left to face the coming test in his own weak strength. By standing with Christ's mockers he placed himself on the enemy's ground when he should have been praying with Him. Christ, weary and faint from fasting, heard the denial while before the judges, turned from them and looked on Peter with deep pity, sorrow, compassion and forgiveness without anger.
The sorrowful, reproving, grief-stricken look was not hopeless or harsh rebuke but sympathy and love. When the cock crowed Peter remembered Jesus' words. He was filled with shame, bitter grief and weeping. He fled to Gethsemane to the place of Christ's agony where he fell overwhelmed and wished he could die. He repented, was converted, and was prepared to strengthen his brothers, for Jesus had prayed that his faith would not fail and told him to strengthen his brothers after he turned back. With the warning Jesus gave hope beyond coming failure and suffering by telling the disciples He would rise and meet them in Galilee.
The night Christ fell into the hands of Caiaphas and Pilate, into the hands of persecuting religious power joined with civil power, happens again when liberty of conscience is annulled and evangelical Christians are met with indignation, alarm, disorder, and violence, so that Christ in His poor people is again delivered to His enemies.
Lessons for Believers
Peter's confident promise that he would never deny his Lord, even if he had to go to prison and die with Him, did not keep him from falling that very night, showing how little he knew his own weakness. His failure proves that self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-righteousness and presumption on one's own strength put faith in danger, make a person easy prey to temptation and defeat, and fail when circumstances test allegiance. No one can safely trust himself apart from divine power, but is safe only by distrusting self, trusting God, humbling himself, and receiving strength from on high and a deeper experience than self-confidence.
He should have accepted the warning as true and trusted the One who knew his future actions, read his heart and understood his danger better than he did himself. He should have recognized his weakness, examined his heart, humbled himself, and asked for special grace and help to remain watchful and loyal, for which Christ would have prayed for him and helped him. Instead confidence in himself led him to reject the warning, refuse to see his weakness, and carelessly enter temptation instead of praying.
The prediction and its fulfillment warn against boasting of faithfulness, for without strength from above people may fail in a time of trial even while professing to await Christ's return. God may permit such a fall for ignoring His cautions and guidance, but when the fallen one repents the trial can teach humility and help him stand more firmly. Peter's denial forsook Jesus and refused to acknowledge Him in the hour of His trial, sharply contradicting his promise a few hours before and deserting the Saviour in His humiliation. It dishonored Christ and added a disciple's dishonor to the bitter humiliation Jesus endured from His enemies.
Though he repented and wept bitterly when he remembered the words spoken to him, his sin brought distrust from his fellow disciples and fear that he had forfeited his place among them. He needed to show his repentance openly before resuming his apostolic work, so that his sin would not continue to damage his influence as a minister. Jesus gave him opportunity to regain his brethren's confidence and, as far as possible, remove the reproach his denial had brought on the gospel.
Jesus warned Peter that before the cock crowed that very night he would deny Him three times, even though Peter confidently insisted he would never deny or forsake Him even at the cost of prison and death. The warning showed that Jesus knew Peter's heart, weakness and danger far better than Peter knew himself. The prediction was fulfilled in the high priest's courtyard in the cold hour before dawn, where fear and confusion led Peter from a first denial to a second with an oath and a third with cursing and swearing as the cock crew. Christ looked on Peter with pity, sorrow, compassion and forgiveness rather than anger, and at the crowing Peter remembered the words, was filled with shame and bitter weeping, fled to Gethsemane, repented and was converted to strengthen his brethren. Peter's fall shows that self-confidence, self-sufficiency and self-righteousness leave faith in danger and fail under testing, so that safety lies only in distrusting self, humbling the heart before the warning, and trusting God for strength from above.
Warning and Fulfillment
That very night, before the cock crowed, Peter would deny Jesus three times, despite his confident insistence that he would never deny Him or forsake Him even if he had to go to prison and die with Him. The firm promise to follow even to prison and death showed how little he knew his own weakness, and the test of circumstances soon exposed his self-confidence and failed allegiance. The warning was spoken in the upper chamber at the Last Supper as part of preparing the disciples for His arrest and their scattering that night. It belongs to the final hours of suffering, betrayal, trial before Caiaphas and Pilate, and crucifixion, whose scenes were vividly presented. The verse shows Jesus knew Peter's future actions and read his heart accurately, understanding his weakness, danger, and falseness unknown even to Peter himself better than Peter did. After the denials Peter remembered the warning and realized how fully Jesus knew his heart.
Jesus saw that the first denial would lead into circumstances that brought a second and then a third, more emphatic denial, ending with cursing and swearing. The prediction was fulfilled in the open court of the high priest's palace among soldiers, priests, and the crowd. The first denial came at once by the fire in the hall in the cold hour before dawn when the woman who kept the door, having noticed Peter come in with John, tauntingly asked if he was also one of this man's disciples. Startled and confused with the eyes of the company fastened on him, Peter first pretended not to understand her and then, feeling compelled to answer, angrily said he did not know Him, and immediately the cock crew.
After the unheeded sounding, Peter denied a second time with an oath and then denied with cursing and swearing, and at the further sounding he heard it. His failure came from fear for his safety and fear of scorn and reproach for acknowledging Jesus. Because he slept instead of watching and praying, he was left to face the coming test in his own weak strength. By standing with Christ's mockers he placed himself on the enemy's ground when he should have been praying with Him. Christ, weary and faint from fasting, heard the denial while before the judges, turned from them and looked on Peter with deep pity, sorrow, compassion and forgiveness without anger.
The sorrowful, reproving, grief-stricken look was not hopeless or harsh rebuke but sympathy and love. When the cock crowed Peter remembered Jesus' words. He was filled with shame, bitter grief and weeping. He fled to Gethsemane to the place of Christ's agony where he fell overwhelmed and wished he could die. He repented, was converted, and was prepared to strengthen his brothers, for Jesus had prayed that his faith would not fail and told him to strengthen his brothers after he turned back. With the warning Jesus gave hope beyond coming failure and suffering by telling the disciples He would rise and meet them in Galilee.
The night Christ fell into the hands of Caiaphas and Pilate, into the hands of persecuting religious power joined with civil power, happens again when liberty of conscience is annulled and evangelical Christians are met with indignation, alarm, disorder, and violence, so that Christ in His poor people is again delivered to His enemies.
Lessons for Believers
Peter's confident promise that he would never deny his Lord, even if he had to go to prison and die with Him, did not keep him from falling that very night, showing how little he knew his own weakness. His failure proves that self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-righteousness and presumption on one's own strength put faith in danger, make a person easy prey to temptation and defeat, and fail when circumstances test allegiance. No one can safely trust himself apart from divine power, but is safe only by distrusting self, trusting God, humbling himself, and receiving strength from on high and a deeper experience than self-confidence.
He should have accepted the warning as true and trusted the One who knew his future actions, read his heart and understood his danger better than he did himself. He should have recognized his weakness, examined his heart, humbled himself, and asked for special grace and help to remain watchful and loyal, for which Christ would have prayed for him and helped him. Instead confidence in himself led him to reject the warning, refuse to see his weakness, and carelessly enter temptation instead of praying.
The prediction and its fulfillment warn against boasting of faithfulness, for without strength from above people may fail in a time of trial even while professing to await Christ's return. God may permit such a fall for ignoring His cautions and guidance, but when the fallen one repents the trial can teach humility and help him stand more firmly. Peter's denial forsook Jesus and refused to acknowledge Him in the hour of His trial, sharply contradicting his promise a few hours before and deserting the Saviour in His humiliation. It dishonored Christ and added a disciple's dishonor to the bitter humiliation Jesus endured from His enemies.
Though he repented and wept bitterly when he remembered the words spoken to him, his sin brought distrust from his fellow disciples and fear that he had forfeited his place among them. He needed to show his repentance openly before resuming his apostolic work, so that his sin would not continue to damage his influence as a minister. Jesus gave him opportunity to regain his brethren's confidence and, as far as possible, remove the reproach his denial had brought on the gospel.