Peter’s denial
Peter had claimed he would follow Jesus to the death. But when people started asking him if he knew this man who had been arrested, he denied it. This happened three times and then he remembered that Jesus had said, ‘Before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.’
More
Jesus’ friends had all deserted him after he was captured. Judas had betrayed him and now Peter, one of Jesus’ closest friends, had announced he never knew him. It looked like a hopeless situation.
However, that all changed when Jesus rose from the dead and the Christian church began. Peter became one of the best known of the apostles. He ended up dying for his faith.
Peter's pride
Peter always spoke his mind and declared, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you’. He was proud of his loyalty to Jesus.
But it was a different story when he was put on the spot and no-one else could stand up for him. He was scared.
As soon as he heard the cock crow he was filled with regret and he wept bitterly.
Dig deeper
While Jesus was being held under arrest Peter was waiting in the courtyard to find out the result of the trial. The rest of the disciples had run away and were probably in hiding.
Peter wanted to find out what was going to happen to Jesus so he followed at a distance.
Peter was braver than the others, or so he thought. When challenged he denied knowing Jesus.
The Bible says
Mark 14:29-31
Peter declared, ‘Even if all fall away, I will not.’
‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘today, yes, tonight, before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.’
But Peter insisted emphatically, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the others said the same.
Matthew 26:69-75
Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. ‘You also were with Jesus of Galilee,’ she said.
But he denied it before them all. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ he said.
Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, ‘This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.’
He denied it again, with an oath: ‘I don’t know the man!’
After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, ‘Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.’
Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, ‘I don’t know the man!’
Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: ‘Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.