Matthew 26:69-75 69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him saying, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71And after he went out to the entrance, another saw him, and she said to those there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73And after a little while, after coming to him, those standing around said to Peter, “Truly you are also one of them, for your accent makes you obvious.” 74Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately a rooster crowed. 75And Peter remembered Jesus had said, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
The next episode in Matthew’s account focuses upon Peter. The scene immediately begins with a surprise that a servant girl would recognize Peter. Often, the lowly people of society are forgotten, but they are observant and often know more than those who are in positions of power and influence. The text does not say where this girl may have seen Peter, but since she was associated with the high priest, it is likely she was around the temple precincts and other public areas. The girl’s question seems innocent and simple. The age of this girl is not indicated but she was likely on the younger side. She labels Jesus as the Galilean, which hints at the cultural differences between the capital city of Jerusalem and outback area of Galilee.
Peter immediately denied knowing anything about this. The question was simple but the answer was vague. Usually when a person answers this way, that person is trying to hide something. The word denied (ērnēsato) means to refuse to recognize, disown, and even has the strong sense of repudiate as true. Peter was not even brave enough to answer a slave girl of no social significance. This was about the lowest social pressure he could experience. What did he fear?
The scene shifts to the entrance of the courtyard. Evidently, the slave girl’s question bothered Peter enough that he left the courtyard–more like fled and attempted to escape from the little pressure and guilt he was experiencing. Slave girls were all over, probably because they needed to serve the large crowd of the Sanhedrin that had gathered at the housing complex of the high priest. The second young woman notices Peter and makes a similar declaration, that he was with Jesus of Nazareth. Peter’s response was even stronger by making an oath. He was more serious, and thus, he was descending deeper in his denial. Allowing sin to continue will only entrap us more in our rebellion.
Peter continued to hang around even though he had denied Jesus two times already. He still had some hope but it was being overwhelmed by doubt and fear. Peer pressure can be one of the greatest trials people face. This pressure is especially difficult to overcome when we are emotionally compromised or physically tired. This time the pressure was greater with more people around him. To deny even knowing Jesus after walking with him, experiencing his miracles, and hearing his teachings shows the depth of Peter’s problem. We have to be careful not to blame him too much because we deny Jesus with less social pressure and when we are strong. It took the crow of the rooster to wake Peter up from his spiritual delirium. Memory is a powerful tool to shake us from denial or compromise. Forgetfulness makes us vulnerable to temptation. Peter’s response of bitter weeping shows that he recognized what he did and was repenting through his sorrow. From this point on, Peter was a different person. He had gone through the valley, been wounded deeply, but would find restoration in the coming days.
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