Today we will focus upon Peter’s denial of Christ after Jesus’ arrest. Here is the story from all the Gospels from “The Merged Gospels”. MT 26:57a, 26:69-75, MK 14:54c-d, 14:66-72, LK 22:55-62, JN 18:17-18, 18:24-27 

(Location – The courtyard of the house of Annas, Passover, 30 AD.)

Now the slaves and the officers were standing there making a charcoal fire, for it was cold, and they were warming themselves, and Peter was also standing with them. After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard, and had sat down together, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard among them, and warming himself at the fire. And then, as Peter was below in the courtyard, a certain servant girl of the high priest, who kept the door, came to him. And seeing Peter warming himself as he sat in the firelight, she looked intently at him, and said to Peter, “This man was also with Him. You too were with Jesus, the Galilean, the Nazarene. You are also one of this Man’s disciples, aren’t you?” But he denied it before them all, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him. I am not. I do not know, nor understand what you are talking about.” And a little later, when he went out to the gateway onto the porch, Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. And a different maid saw him and began once more to say to those who were there, the bystanders, “This man was also one of them, with Jesus of Nazareth.” And then they said, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” And again, he denied it with an oath. And Peter said, “Man, I am not. I do not know the man.” And after a little (while) about an hour had passed. The bystanders came up, and again were saying to Peter, “Surely you are also one of them.” Another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man was also with Him, for you are also a Galilean, for your speech makes you evident.” One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” Then Peter began to curse and swear, (and) denied it again, (and) said, “Man, I do not know this man, (or) what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, a cock crowed a second time. Then Annas and those who had seized Jesus sent Him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word which the Lord Jesus had said to him, how He had told him, “Before a cock crows twice today, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out, and thinking on it, he wept bitterly.

We can each identify with Peter in many ways. May we also identify with his return to Christ and future fruitful ministry to God’s glory.

Pastor Mike