Luke 22:54-65 (ESV)

⁵⁴ Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. ⁵⁵ And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. ⁵⁶ Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” ⁵⁷ But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” ⁵⁸ And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” ⁵⁹ And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” ⁶⁰ But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. ⁶¹ And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” ⁶² And he went out and wept bitterly. ⁶³ Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. ⁶⁴ They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” ⁶⁵ And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.

Peter was probably the most “confident” of the twelve apostles. He made declarations like “Though they all (the other disciples) fall away because of you, I will never fall away” (Matthew 26:33). Peter also declared himself ready to go to prison and even death with Jesus (22:33). Peter was ready to fight. He was the one who pulled out his sword and cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear. Peter loved Jesus, and he was certain that he would follow the Lord at all costs. When Jesus was taken to the high priest’s house, it was Peter who followed at a distance. He entered the enemy’s territory because he wanted to stay with Jesus until the end. As he was warming his hands by the courtyard fire, a woman recognized Peter. She said he was with Jesus. But Peter reacted, “What? I don’t know him!” Someone else saw him and charged Peter with being a follower of Jesus. Again, Peter declared, “No.” An hour later, another said that Peter was a Galilean. Of course he was with Jesus! Peter responded, “What are you talking about? I don’t know that Jesus guy!” Then the rooster crowed. Wherever Jesus was, he was able to make eye contact with Peter at that very moment. Peter began to break down and sob.

Can you imagine how horrible Peter must have felt? Not only had Jesus been betrayed, not only was he about to be executed, but Peter denied him three times before his death! Ugh! When we see someone before she dies, we want our final words to affirm our love for her and let her know how important she has been to us. Peter’s final words were “I don’t know who Jesus is.” He must have been truly tormented. As Jesus had predicted, Satan sifted Peter like wheat (22:31). But thankfully, Jesus had prayed for Peter (22:32). May you never forget how critical it is to ask God to deliver you from evil. And may we continually pray for one another. God only knows how many times good has come from darkness as a result of prayer. Take a few minutes to pray for yourself, a family member, and someone at your church. Pray that the Holy Spirit would grace us with the strength we need to get up quickly after we fall.