The experience of St Peter

Peter is unprepared

When Jesus arrived at the Garden of Gethsemane shortly before his arrest, he told his disciples to keep awake and pray, lest they entered into temptation.  But Peter and the others went off to sleep instead.  The result was that Peter was completely unprepared to meet the test when it came, and when Jesus’ enemies poured into the Garden, he made a hurried cut at one of them with his sword and then ran away with the rest of the disciples, leaving Jesus alone.

Peter denies Jesus the first time

Now Peter had already been warned by Jesus that, at dawn, before the cock crowed twice, he would have denied his Master three times, that is, he would say openly three times that he did not know Jesus (Mark 14:30).  But Peter had not yet learnt his lesson and so, as he followed afar off and saw Jesus being taken into the palace of the high priest, he slipped into the courtyard and there sat down with the high priest’s servants as they warmed themselves round a fire.  After he had been there a little while, he saw one of the servant-girls staring at him.  “You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth”, she said accusingly.  But Peter denied, saying, “I do not know or understand what you are talking about” (NRSV, Mark 30:67,68).  And he got up and went into the porch to get away from the firelight.  And the cock crowed the first time.

Peter denies Jesus the second and third times

But the servant-girl said to those standing near, “This man is one of them” (NRSV, Mark 30:69).  And Peter denied again.  But he still stayed on, even though he had already been tempted twice and had given way each time.  But now they were getting really suspicious of him, and they came up to him and said, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you”.  And now Peter began to curse and to swear, “I do not know the man!” (NRSV, Matthew 26:73,74).

The cock crowed a second time.  And Jesus turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered what Jesus had told him, “…before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times” (NRSV, Mark 14:30).  And Peter went out, and wept bitterly (Luke 22: 61-62).