Why Did Peter Deny Jesus?

1987

In Mark 14:27, “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written:

‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

“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.”

In Luke 22 Peter goes on to say, “I’ll die with you or go to prison. I’ll do anything for you.” Now, do you think he meant that when he said that? Do you think he was convinced that that was true? I want to show you something. Turn to John 18.

A lot of this started working in me in California back in July, and several things have happened, and people have said things that have really prompted me to keep pursuing this and to find out what this is about.

John 18:1, “When Jesus had finished praying, he left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.

“Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

“Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’

“‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied.

“‘I am he,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.

“Again he asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’

“‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they said.

“Jesus answered, ‘I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.’ This happened that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: ‘I have not lost one of those you gave me.’

“Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

“Jesus commanded Peter, ‘Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?’

“Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.

“Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.

“‘You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?’ she asked Peter.

“He replied, ‘I am not.’

“It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.”

The question is, and maybe this isn’t too deep but it’s important. It’s been real important to me. What was Peter’s motivation for denying Jesus? Was it fear? Well, the fact that Jesus looked at him and then he went out and wept bitterly, tells me there was something more going on in his heart probably. Although, in a sense, we might think that would work.

But there’s something else in this passage that’s worth noticing. First of all, I don’t think it was fear because Peter had already left everything, right? He left his family, he left his boats, he left everything for Jesus’ sake already. He said he would die or go to prison. A couple of the other disciples said, “Hey, we’ll drink the cup you drink.” And Jesus said “Yeah, you will.” So Jesus knew that they would die for Him. He knew that they would.

So there’s that part of it where Peter said he would die or go to prison. And he was honest about it. And then he takes a sword. He has a whole army of people coming at him, and he takes a sword. He knew he could get run through by a spear just like that when he cut off the servant’s ear. He knew he could lose his life when he did that. So I think probably, that’s a demonstration to me at least that it’s not fear.

But this is interesting. Look in John 18:15, “Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus.” Most of the scholars believe that was probably John, because John tended to refer to himself that way as “another disciple.” I’ve heard recently somebody thought it was maybe Lazarus. But it doesn’t make any difference at this point.

“Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.”

Did they know Peter was a disciple? Did they know the other guy was a disciple? Yes! It says that the disciple was known to the high priest and went to Jesus. The high priest himself knew that whoever this was, was with Peter (we’ll call him John, I believe it probably was); this guy that went in was a friend of the high priest. So apparently, there wasn’t any real problem with a disciple of Jesus being in the courtyard. Because they knew the other disciple of Jesus and he was there, and that was okay. See what I mean?

It wasn’t really a problem for a disciple of Jesus to be in that courtyard. The high priest knew him. The high priest knew he was there. The high priest knew he was a disciple of Jesus and it didn’t make any difference. He let him stay there. Not only that, the one that knew the high priest, also apparently knew the servant girl. So he went and said, “Let this guy in. He’s okay. He’s with me.” The servant girl is registering all this. She knew the guy that came and talked to her was a disciple of Jesus. She knew he was there and that wasn’t a problem.

So the issue isn’t that he was a disciple of Jesus and was in the courtyard. I don’t think he was in any real danger being in that courtyard. Otherwise, the other guy would have been in danger. And notice the question she asked.

“Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in. ‘Surely you’re not another of this man’s disciples?’” See that word “another?” As in this guy I just talked to that I knew was a disciple of Jesus. “Surely you’re not another of this man’s disciples?”

Then it goes on a little bit later in verse 25, “Simon Peter stood warming himself, and he was asked, ‘Surely you’re not another of his disciples?’”

It doesn’t seem to be a threat to a person’s life to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and to be in that courtyard. Because the guy was a friend of the high priest and the high priest knew who he was. Are we clear on that point? So Peter has given up everything to follow Jesus. Peter has already stated he would die for Jesus. Peter cut off the high priest servant’s ear, indicating, “Okay, take me, kill me if you want. But I’m going to stand for Jesus Christ.” And Jesus rebuked him for that. And now he’s in the midst of all this going on, and that doesn’t seem to be a big threat to his health because the other disciple was there and that was okay. So if his motivation for denying Jesus isn’t fear or loss of life, what is it?

He’s coming to the realization...he doesn’t really know what it means to follow Jesus. Maybe?

I think you’re real close. I’ll share with you what I believe is the case. The question is not, “Is Jesus the Christ?” If anybody had asked him, “Is this man the Christ?” What would he have said? “Absolutely, kill me before I’ll retract that statement.”

The question wasn’t, “Is this man the Christ?”

The question was, “Are you this man’s apprentice? Are you this man’s disciple?”