⁶⁹ Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” ⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” ⁷¹ And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁷² But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” ⁷³ And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” ⁷⁴ Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

Matthew 26:69-75 shows how Peter handled pressure. All four gospels relate Peter’s disloyalty.

26:69

Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”

As Peter sat with the soldiers and servants of the high priest, a servant girl recognized him as being with Jesus.

26:70

But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”

Peter’s denial of Christ revealed the accuracy of Jesus’ prediction that he would deny Jesus.

26:71

And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

Yet another girl identified Peter as having been with Jesus.

26:72

But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”

This time Peter denied Jesus with an oath.

26:73

And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”

For the third time, a relative of Malchus (Peter cut off his ear in Gethsemane) insisted that Peter had been with Jesus (Jn 18:26).

26:74

Then he began to curse [to call curse upon oneself] and swear [swear under oath], saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.

After Peter’s third denial the rooster crowed. Peter had manufactured his own misery.

26:75

And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

The crowing of the rooster reminded Peter of Jesus’ words that he would deny the Lord three times that evening.

So he went out and wept bitterly.

Peter realized the sinfulness of his sin and genuinely repented.

PRINCIPLE:

Realization of the sinfulness of sin brings us back into fellowship with God.

APPLICATION:

Jesus restored Peter publically to fellowship after His resurrection (Jn 21:15-19). Forgiveness is a great gift. Without it there can be no fellowship with God. There are times when we need the trigger of an event to get our attention.

Peter asserted later in his ministry that it is necessary to walk in grace and maturity before the Lord:

2 Pe 3: ¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; ¹⁸ but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.