Peter Denies Jesus

Matthew 26:69-75

Last time in Matthew 26, we saw the trial of Jesus before the Jewish officials. And we were struck by the Lord’s righteousness and faithfulness in the face of false accusations, entrapment, and undeserved condemnation. Jesus stood unfazed by all that these evil men threw at Him. He faced the false witnesses with silence, confessed His identity as the Christ, the Son of God, under oath, and suffered abuse without fighting back. He truly testified the “good confession” as He would later that morning when facing Pilate (1 Tim. 6:13). This is the story of our faithful Savior.

But do you remember that Matthew has also interwoven another’s story throughout this chapter? Peter’s story sits alongside Jesus’ story. We saw it in Matthew 26:34-35 when Jesus predicted that Peter would deny Him three times. We saw it in the garden when Jesus found Peter sleeping and said to him, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mat 26:40-41). We saw Peter recklessly cut off the ear from the servant of the high priest, and Jesus rebuke him for it (Matt. 26:51-52). We saw Peter and all the disciples fled when Jesus was arrested (Matt. 26:56). Then finally in Matthew 26:58, while Jesus was on trial, we saw that although Peter fled like the other disciples, he followed Jesus “at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end” (Matt. 26:58).

All this has been building to the interrogations that Peter endures in the courtyard of the high priest—confrontations in which Peter will deny his Lord and fail miserably. What a contrast between Peter and Jesus! While Jesus silently faced false accusations, Peter lied when facing true accuations. While Jesus faithfully confessed His identity as the Christ, the Son of God, Peter fervently denies his identity as Jesus’ disciple. While Jesus suffered external mocking and abuse, Peter suffered internal shame and regret.

This story is a significant event in the Gospel narratives. All four Gospel writers tell this sad incident. Since this story paints Peter in such a bad light, we might wonder why they all included it. Yet, considering the personal details in the accounts, it is clear that Peter himself had to be the source of these facts. Which suggests to us that in addition to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter himself wanted the church to know this story and learn from his failure. Peter’s failure both warns us about denying the Lord and gives hope to those of us who have.

First, let’s look at the story and then see some lessons we can gain from it.

1. Peter’s Three Denials

Matthew 26:69 tells us where Peter’s denials took place, “Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard.” We know from Matthew 26:58 that this was the courtyard of Caiaphas the high priest. John’s Gospel tells us that Peter stood with the servants and officers around a coal fire warming himself (John 18:18). Peter is comforting himself outside where Jesus is being accused and tried on the inside.

A. First Denial (Matt. 26:69-70)

As Peter was observing this trial from afar, we read, “And a servant girl came to him, saying, ‘You also were with Jesus of Galilee.’” (Matt. 26:69). Her observation apparently catches Peter off guard. This was a pretty mild accusation, nothing like what Jesus was going through inside. Perhaps Peter had prepared himself for accusations from temple officials or guards, but he was totally unprepared for this innocuous comment “not from a man, but from a woman; not from a mature woman, but a girl; not a free woman but a slave.”[1] While Jesus is standing firm before all the Jewish authorities, Peter collapses before a servant girl.

Peter had said to Jesus, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” Now, in answer to this girl, Matthew 26:70 says, “But he denied it before them all, saying, ‘I do not know what you are saying.’” Notice in this first denial Peter simply pretends not to know what she was talking about. He doesn’t come right out and disown Jesus here, but he doesn’t speak up for Jesus either. His answer is deliberately evasive.

That’s strike one!

B. Second Denial (Matt. 26:71-72)

After this, Matthew tells us that Peter went “out to the gateway” (Matt. 26:71), probably to distance himself from his accusers. But it doesn’t work because “another girl saw him and said to those who were there, ‘This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.’” (Matt. 26:71). It’s the same accusation, but instead of addressing Peter directly she accused him to the others who were there. This steps up the charge against him.

Unfortunately, Peter also steps up his denial. This time he not only denied being with Jesus; he denied even knowing him, and he does so with an oath. Matthew 26:72 says, “But again he denied with an oath, ‘I do not know the Man!’” Jesus has just taken a solemn oath before Caiaphas the high priest affirming that He is indeed the Christ, the Son of God. And Peter takes an oath to deny Jesus.

Peter is falling rapidly down the slippery slope. He has moved from an evasive lie in his first denial to perjury under oath in the second. He has gone from saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” to saying “I don’t know Jesus!”

That’s strike two.

C. Third Denial (Matt. 26:73-75)

And the third denial gets even worse. This one happens when “… a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, ‘Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.’” (Matt. 26:73). Luke tells us it was about an hour later (Luke 22:59). That would have given Peter plenty of time to think about what he had just done and the problem with it. He should have remembered Jesus saying, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 10:32-33). He should have recalled Jesus saying, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38).

But Peter is already in a downward spiral, headed for a crash. He has already laid aside integrity and sound judgment for dishonesty and fearfulness.

This third accusation is no just that Peter was with Jesus, but that he is “one of them”—one of Jesus’ followers. His Galilean accent gives him away. The more Peter talks, the more they recognize it. This time, what comes out of Peter’s mouth is as strong a denial as he can make. Matthew 26:74 says, “Then he began to curse and swear, saying, ‘I do not know the Man!’” Cursing and swearing doesn’t necessarily mean using profanity. By cursing and swearing, Peter is most likely calling on God to punish him if what he says is not true, something along the lines of: “May God strike me dead where I stand if I am not telling you the truth.”

Back in Matthew 16, when Peter had confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Lord had pronounced a blessing on him, saying, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven,” (Matt. 16:17). Now, Peter calls curses down on himself as he denies Jesus.

That’s strike three. Peter had now reached the very bottom of the slippery slope. He denied his Lord three times, just as Jesus told him he would. Inside, the soldiers are striking Jesus in face and mockingly saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?” (Matt. 26:68). And outside, Jesus’ prophecy about Peter is fulfilled.

Then Matthew writes, “Immediately a rooster crowed,” (Matt. 26:74). The crowing rooster jarred Peter back to reality. Matthew 26:75 says, “And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’” Remembering the words of Jesus, Peter saw the selfish cowardice of his denials. He recognized the sinfulness of his own heart. It broke him. “So he went out and wept bitterly,” (Matt. 26:75b).

This is the last time in the Gospel of Matthew that we see Peter mentioned by name. We know from the other Gospels and the rest of the New Testament that Peter’s bitter weeping is godly sorrow. Peter is truly sorry for his sin, and he is truly sorry that he has denied his Lord whom he loves so much. This is completely different from Judas, whom we will look at next week. As we’ll see, it’s the difference between life-giving repentance and death-inducing remorse.

We know from the rest of the New Testament that after Jesus was raised from the dead, He met privately with Peter on that resurrection Sunday. We don’t know what was said, but we know the results. Peter was forgiven and restored.

2. Lessons from Peter’s experience

First, it’s helpful for us to look at some things that took place earlier that evening, because we can identify issues that contributed to Peter’s denial. This is the way that sin often works in our lives. Bigger sins grow out of smaller sins. Show me a man who suddenly falls into gross sexual immorality, and I will show you a man who repeatedly compromised his mind and heart with lust. Show me a woman who unexpectedly embezzles millions from her employer, and I’ll who you a woman who seared her conscience by coveting over many years. When seemingly insignificant sins go unconfessed, the unthinkable sin eventually becomes possible. And we wonder, “How did that happen?”

So looking at what contributed to Peter’s fall, we can learn to:

A. Beware of spiritual pride.

Earlier that night, after Jesus told His disciples that they would all stumble that night because of Him in fulfillment of scripture, look at Peter’s boast: “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” (Matt. 26:33). Then after Jesus told Peter that he would deny three times, Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” (Matt. 26:35). Peter was over-confident. He thought he was better than the other disciples. He thought he knew himself better than God knew him. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Never let your pride cause you to say, “That could never happen to me.” 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Beware of spiritual pride.

B. Guard against spiritual laziness.

Remember what Peter and the other disciples were doing in the Garden while Jesus prayed? They were sleeping. Three times Jesus found them sleeping. Spiritual lethargy is a serious temptation. Jesus told Peter, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

But Peter didn’t pray. He slept in his hour of greatest temptation. Peter’s spiritual pride led to his spiritual sluggishness. Never put your confidence in the power of your flesh. We are all weak and lazy in the flesh. Our flesh wars against the spirit (Rom. 7:23; Gal 5:17).

This is why we must watch and pray. Peter, who has learned this lesson well, later writes in his first epistle,

⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. ⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Peter 5:6-9).

Spiritual laziness puts you in great danger. When Peter failed to watch and pray, instead of following the humble example of Jesus, he impulsively tried to defend the Lord with a sword in his own flesh.

Listen to Jesus. Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation.

Finally, we learn from Peter …

C. Stay close to Jesus.

Peter’s over-confident pride and lazy prayerlessness led him right into the enemy camp. In Matthew 26:58, we read, “But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.” Peter followed Jesus from what he thought was a safe distance. In fact, he winds up sitting with Christ’s enemies! It is never safe to try to follow Jesus from a distance.

Peter was walking in the flesh. He boasted in himself. He trusted in his own strength. He saw no need for prayer. He thought he could follow Jesus from a distance. That, my friends, is a recipe for stumbling, denial, and sin.

How often have we tried to distance ourselves from Jesus? We hear someone criticizing Christianity or the church and we walk away or pretend we didn’t hear it. What’s the answer? Stay close to Jesus.

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[1] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, (Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1992) p. 688.