"Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high
6. FOLLOWING – AT A SAFE DISTANCE
"Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest … But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome" (Matthew 26:57–59). The description of Peter – who had only recently insisted that he would follow Jesus to the death if necessary (John 13:37) – following at a safe distance after Jesus' arrest is one of the most unflattering stories in the New Testament. When the "chips were down," Peter did not stick with the one he acknowledged as the Christ; though later, after his repentance and empowering by the Spirit of God, he did, of course, follow Jesus to the end.
But Matthew highlights three specific mistakes Peter made after the arrest of Jesus (not counting his cutting off the ear of the high priest's servant in the Garden of Gethsemane – John 18:10–11) and each mistake has an application that we can consider regarding our own lives – three ways we too must be careful not to fail in following.
First, we see that although Peter did follow Christ as he was led away, the apostle followed him at a distance. The expression "at a distance" tells its own story – it means Peter was close enough that he was considered to be following Jesus, but not close enough that he would be identified with him.
Next, it is significant that all three of the Synoptic Gospels mention that Peter followed a large crowd of people to the High Priest's residence where Jesus was interrogated (Matthew 26:47; Mark 14:48; Luke 22:47). Peter was following at such a distance that we are told he was not part of the crowd but followed it – he was in a very literal sense following at a safe distance and also weakly following those who were against Jesus as much as he was following Jesus himself.
Finally, notice that when Peter followed Jesus to the high priest's courtyard he then "sat down ... to see the outcome." Once again, Matthew's careful description of the scene speaks volumes regarding Peter's degree of following: Apparently Peter did not press forward to try to be with Jesus even when he had opportunity (John 18:15-17), but held back, waiting to see what would happen.
So Matthew describes three clear failures in Peter's attempt to follow Jesus. The sad end of this scene was also, of course, Peter's threefold denial of Jesus, his hearing the rooster crow three times, and his full realization that his level of "following" his Master was not to death with him as he had promised (Matthew 26:35), but to denial of him.
The lessons for us in the New Testament story of Peter's failures in following may be obvious, but they deserve to be focused upon. We should all ask ourselves if our following Jesus is at a distance. Most obviously, if we are only partially involved in our religious beliefs and practices, if we think of our faith as something we only express at church and not in all aspects of our lives, we too are following Jesus at a distance.
More subtly, if we are more closely associated with the crowd following Jesus than with Jesus himself, we are also not following him closely. And if we wait to see the outcome of things such as our prayers and requests to God before trusting him or totally committing ourselves to him, we are yet again not following him closely. Most importantly, Matthew shows that failure to follow Jesus closely is doomed to eventually lead to denial of him. How we follow Jesus and whether or not we eventually deny him in our lives are closely connected.
"Follow me" was the first recorded command of Jesus to Peter (Matthew 4:19), and it was also the last recorded command of Jesus to that disciple (John 21:22). Sadly, Peter had to learn an important lesson – that saying we are following Jesus and doing so are not the same, and that we can even be following him yet not anywhere closely enough. As John records, Jesus gives the same command to everyone he calls: "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be" (John 12:26). This is the kind of
following Jesus commands and desires – he said nothing about following at a distance, but rather following him so closely as to be where he is. This is a lesson Peter had to learn, and one that we must never forget.
But if the disciples of Jesus were given a command to follow him – and follow him closely – they were also given a promise in that regard. Matthew records that Jesus told the original Twelve:
"Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matthew 19:28) This promise made to his original followers was also expanded to all who would subsequently follow Christ: "To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with me on my throne" (Revelation 3:21). Those who overcome, of course, are those who are following Jesus closely, not just following at a safe distance (Revelation 3:1–2).