Matthew 26:69-75 (NIV) Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.
But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”
After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.”
Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
From his vantage point in the courtyard, Peter could see and hear everything that was going on inside the high priest’s house, and he could see that it was looking really bad for Jesus. As the early morning grew toward dawn, the picture looked more and more grim, and Peter’s tension level increased to match the volume and anger of the accusing voices.
It was then that the servant girl approached Peter and, squinting at his face in the light of the fire, confidently asserted to the other people gathered there that Peter had been with Jesus. Peter panicked, fear got the best of him, and he denied it in front of them all. He left the fire and stood near the gateway so he could make a speedy escape if necessary. He was also far enough away from the fire that it’s light wouldn’t let anyone else identify him.
But another woman close by had already seen Peter, and now she pointed him out to those nearby. Again, he panicked and denied even knowing Jesus.
It was getting close to sunrise now, and things inside were getting ugly, with the sounds of repeated slaps echoing outside, and the raucous laughter of those inside whenever Jesus was knocked clear out of His seat by the fists of His accusers filling the whole area. Peter tried to keep up small talk and appear disinterested, but with every smack, he jumped, and often he found his eyes glued to the scene inside.
That was when one of those nearby told Peter, “You must be one of His followers. You have a Galilean accent just like Him.” All eyes turned to him, and he felt his knees going weak with fear, even as all his blood rushed to his face. He swore a bitter oath and denied again even knowing Jesus.
No sooner had the fateful words left his lips, a rooster crowed in the distance. And then he remembered the words Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows in the morning, you will have denied me three times.” Shame clogged his throat. Confusion fogged his mind. His eyes glanced sharply to the inside of the house, only to see Jesus turn and look directly at Him (Luke 22:61), with a face bruised and bloodied from the beating He had taken, and Peter’s heart broke. He ran from the courtyard, and collapsed just down the street in violent sobs of remorse.
Father, it’s easy for us to criticize Peter, and to swear that we would never be guilty of such betrayal. But without Your presence in our lives, without the strength of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we could fail You too. Help us to never grow cocky, as Peter was, but to humbly rely on You for all that we need to stay true to You, no matter what the circumstances. Then, when we don’t fail, You will get all the glory. Amen.