Day 60: Peter denies Jesus
Think of the most shameful thing you’ve ever done. Maybe you told a terrible lie. Maybe you were really mean to a younger kid. Perhaps you stole something and never gave it back. Maybe someone trusted you with a secret and you told someone else to make fun of them. Now, imagine you had a choice: you could tell everyone you know about that awful thing you did, or you could keep it a secret. Which would you choose? In today’s passage, we see Peter’s most shameful moment and we find out what he chose.
Where was Peter (v. 66)?
Who came up to Peter while he was in the courtyard (v. 66)?
What did the servant girl do (v. 67)?
What did she say to Peter (v. 67)?
In Jesus’ day, people didn’t have last names. Jesus (which is the same name as Joshua) was a common name, so Jesus is often referred to as “Jesus of Nazareth” to distinguish Him from others with that name. The high priest’s servant girl calls Him “that Nazarene, Jesus.”
What did Peter say in response to the servant girl’s claim (v. 68)?
What did the servant girl say when she saw Peter in the entryway (v. 69)?
How did Peter react (v. 70)?
What happened a bit later (v. 71)?
Nazareth, where Jesus was raised, was in a northern region known as Galilee, and it seems that Galileans had a different accent from people who came from Judea in the south where Jerusalem was and where this scene takes place. In Matthew’s gospel, the bystanders add, “Your accent gives you away” (Matthew 26:73).
How does Peter respond to this third claim that he’s a follower of Jesus (v. 71)?
What happens as soon as Peter swears he doesn’t even know Jesus (v. 72)?
What does Peter remember when he hears the rooster (v. 72)?
What does Peter do when he remembers Jesus’ words (v. 72)?
As we learned in the introduction to this study, Mark’s gospel is likely based on Peter’s memories. Peter could probably have chosen to keep this story secret. After all, many things that happened during Jesus’ ministry get left out of the Gospels because there wasn’t room for them. But all four gospels tell this story of Peter denying Jesus, just like Jesus said he would.
Peter went on to be one of the key leaders of the early church. What do we learn about Jesus from the fact that He still let Peter lead after this?
How does Peter’s story encourage us today when we mess up big time?
Praise Jesus that He is the only real hero in the Bible. Thank Him that He doesn’t reject us, even when we fail like Peter, but that He uses losers like us to witness to His gospel. Pray that He would give you a repentant heart, like Peter’s, to recognize when you’ve messed up and to be deeply sorry.