Day 108

Luke 22:54–62 (NIV)

⁵⁴ Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.

⁵⁵ But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. ⁵⁶ A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” ⁵⁷ But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. ⁵⁸ A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. ⁵⁹ About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” ⁶⁰ Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. ⁶¹ The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” ⁶² And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Pray for God to show you something to use from the passage

Read the Passage

Who is in the passage?

What action verbs do you see?

What other words stick out in your mind

Questions

What does Peter do right in this part of the story? What does he do wrong and why?

How do you think Peter felt? Have you ever felt that way?

How do the words of Jesus in verse 22:32 help Peter? What do you think Peter learns from this incident? What can we learn when we sin?

Notes

vs 54--55 Jesus is taken by force to the High Priest house. The High Priest was over the Sanhedrin (the Jewish religious and legal body) and would have been the one responsible to prepare the charges against Jesus. Jesus is questioned that night about His claim of being God and King. These charges would be prepared for the whole Sanhedrin to hear the next morning.

But Luke is more interested in telling Peter's story before setting the stage of the trial. Peter had said he would not leave Jesus (22:33) and was now proving it. He goes into the large compound of the High Priest and waits. Because of the number of people he is not noticed at first. I wonder what Peter thought He was going to do. Was he thinking he would fulfill what he said in vs 33? Was he waiting for something spectacular to happen like when Jesus was transfigured? (9:29-31). Matthew 26:58 says Peter wanted to see the outcome.

vs 56- The first denial- a servant girl, probably not one from the arresting group, sees Peter and recognizes him as one of the disciples. Had she listened to Jesus in the temple that week and seen Peter there?

vs 57- I don't know Him- how Peter's heart must have been racing when he said those words. How they must have haunted his ego that was to be destroyed this evening. He denies Jesus, the very thing he said he would not do! Luke 9:26 had to eat at Peter.

vs 58- Time passes, another person recognizes Peter as a follower (if the person was at the arrest then Peter would definitely stand out as the one who cut the ear of the servant off) Again Peter answers I am not!. How does Peter justify this in his mind? Does he say to himself I need to deny knowing Him so I can find out what happens to Jesus? Or does he recognize the slippery slope he is headed down and thinks next time I am asked I will speak up as to knowing Jesus?

vs 59 - more time passes, enough time to give Peter a chance to think about what he has done. To perhaps work up his courage to say he is a follower of Jesus. Give Peter some credit, he doesn't leave after being accused twice. (I think I would have thought of leaving) The Galileans had a dialect that was noticeable (like southerners in U.S.) Peter's voice gives him away as being from the same region as Jesus. The charge had to bring him back to the beginning of his journey with Jesus.

vs 60-62 Peter's last denial was harsh. But not as harsh as the recrimination he felt when that roster crowed and Jesus turns to look straight into Peter's eyes. All the bravado, all the ego of Peter drains out of him that moment. He was lost and scared. Perhaps for the first time he understood that he wasn't better than the rest. That he needed the help of the very one He denied. Remember on the boat when Peter realized the miracle of the fish catch when he first decided to follow Jesus. The words he said to Jesus (5:8). “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” How those words had to echo once again in is soul. This time however it is not the actions of Jesus that cause the statement; it is the actions of Peter. And he is crushed. What Satan means to do is use this moment to destroy the leader of the church. To make him worthless for the rest of his life. But God means to take this wounded man and heal him. For Peter to use this memory so as to never get cocky about himself again. To realize Peter needs Jesus. Jesus' other words to Peter would also come to him. Not quickly but soon enough for Peter to still be used by God the way intended. Those words in Luke 22:32- ‎But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

If Peter can fail, then so can I. The key is to ask forgiveness, to accept the healing of God, learn the lesson, and get back to doing what God desires of me. (For more of the restoration story read John 21:1-23 and reread Luke 5:1-11. Notice how Jesus' uses similar events with the catch of fish to remind Peter of his calling to follow Him)