John 18:12-14 Before the High Priest
“Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. “And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
Peter Denies Jesus
15-18 “And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?”
He said, “I am not.”
Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.”
Jesus Questioned by the High Priest
19-24 “The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.
Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed, they know what I said.”
And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”
Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”
Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Peter Denies Twice More
25-27 “Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore, they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”
He denied it and said, “I am not!”
One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.”
One thing about John the Apostle-he’s about as humble as they come. What a change for someone whom Jesus has once described as one of the “sons of thunder.” Any time John refers to a disciple as “one whom Jesus loved” or “another disciple,” you know that John is actually referring to himself. John and Peter both follow the soldiers who have arrested Jesus to the house of Annas, who is also considered a high priest. John goes on to say, “Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.” How or why John is known to Annas, we can’t tell. Perhaps John is distantly related to Annas. At any rate, John has no problems entering the courtyard and standing with the crowd there. Nobody challenges John or confronts him in any way; neither does anybody harass him for being a Galilean.
As Peter is standing at the doorway, John returns to speak to the servant girl to allow Peter to enter the courtyard. Evidently, the girl has already recognized John as one of Jesus’ disciples and now asks Peter if he too is a disciple of Jesus. Peter denies being a disciple, brushing by the girl and heading for the fire where others are already warming themselves, for it’s a bitterly cold night.
Inside, Annas is interrogating Jesus, and things are not working out well for Annas. As a high priest, Annas has assumed that he can easily cow this ridiculous Galilean carpenter; however, Jesus appears unimpressed and even at ease. Annas is taken aback, for Jesus answers his questions wisely. When one of the officers strikes Jesus, Jesus asks him why he has done this. Both the officer and Jesus know that Jewish law forbids the officer’s action.
Meanwhile, out in the courtyard, two other men are questioning Peter. Evidently, these men realize fully that John is one of Jesus’ disciples and therefore leave John alone. But Peter attempts to bluster his way through, despite his Galilean accent. It’s possible that even Peter’s clothing betrays him as being a Galilean. And the last man to confront him is a close relative to Malchus, whose ear Peter has cut off. This man also was in the garden with the temple guard and saw Peter there. As Peter is denying Jesus for a third time, a cock crows and Peter remembers Jesus’ prediction that Peter will betray him three times before a cock crows.
Luke 22:60-62 tells us, “Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”So Peter went out and wept bitterly.”
Peter is a rough tough Galilean fisherman who has risked his life on the Sea of Galilee for years, battling rough seas and stormy weather. Peter has faced times when he can’t catch anything despite fishing all night. For three years, Peter has followed Jesus all over Judea and Samaria, walking long distances, bearing extreme temperature changes, and sometimes suffering hunger and thirst. Give Peter a physical challenge, and he’s your man. But Peter has a weak place. Galileans are considered to be ignorant villagers, lacking any culture or refinement. When Peter has been in Jerusalem, even small children have mocked his Galilean accent. Evidently, either John appears to be more cultured than Peter or John simply allows all the ridicule to run off his back. Satan attacks Peter at Peter’s weakest point: his sensitivity about his Galilean roots. And Peter fails miserably, just as Jesus has predicted.
We read this story and immediately assume that if WE were tested, surely, we would do better than Peter….but would we? None of us is perfect and each of us has some weak point at which we are most vulnerable. Perhaps we pride ourselves on our honesty and hate the thought of anyone accusing us of lying. Perhaps we are impatient when others accuse us. Perhaps we care so passionately about what we are doing that any threat to the stability of our situation triggers a rage response. Perhaps we are tempted to gossip about others. Perhaps, like Peter, we come from a humble background and are unduly sensitive about it. No matter the failing, rest assured that both God and Satan know our weak spots far better than we do.
Jesus was tempted throughout his lifetime. Hebrews 4:15 tells us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” How can we withstand temptations? Don’t be like Peter! Peter was so certain that he would never fail, that he never asked God for help. When Jesus was teaching his disciples the prayer that has come to be known as “The Lord’s Prayer,” he taught them to say, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” The Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 106 explanation says, “we pray, that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.”
How can we avoid making the same mistake as Peter?
- Ask God to show us our weak spots
- Ask God for help, so that we will rely on Him and not on ourselves.
- Ask God to help us so that we become strong in the broken places.
When Jesus warned Peter that Peter would deny him, Peter passed up a golden opportunity. Peter could have immediately begged Jesus to pray for him, so that Peter would not fail. Jesus would have gladly done so, and Peter would have survived the test. Instead, Peter relied on his own resources and failed miserably. Any of us who make the same mistake as Peter will get the same results. We will fail and bitterly regret it for the rest of our lives. May God help us, so that we will remain humble and rely on Him for help!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we have so many weak spots and so many different ways that we might fail You or deny You. Please help us to rely on You and not on ourselves. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
March 4, 2025 at 2:36 am
A Very Good Devotional, as Always!!