Mark 14:26-31 26And after they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28But after I have been raised up, I will go before you into Galilee.” 29But Peter said to him, “Even if they all fall away, but I will not.” 30And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you that today, this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31But he said emphatically, “If it is necessary for me to die with you, I will never ever deny you.” And they all said the same.
Jesus and the group of now eleven disciples went to one of their favorite places (see chapters 11 and13), the Mount of Olives, which was just across the Kidron Valley and had a good view of Jerusalem but was still considered part of the city. Psalms 113-118 were traditionally sung during the Passover. Likely, Jesus and his disciples sang a portion of that before they left. The garden called Gethsemane was located on the Mount of Olives (verse 32).
The next words must have shocked the disciples after their introspection and inner decision to follow Jesus no matter what. Their minds must have been twirling in confusion. First, Jesus said one of them would betray him. Then he talked about his broken body and shed blood. And now he tells them that they will all fall away and desert him. He even quotes from Zechariah 13:7 to show that this was all predicted and part of God’s plan.
The verb fall away (skandalisthēsesthe) has different nuances in the New Testament. It can mean to cause to sin or stumble in a spiritual sense, or it can mean more of causing offense or shock to someone, like the English word “scandalize.” In this verse, the verse uses a passive voice, hinting that external factors influenced the disciples’ defection. They did not intentionally start off with this in mind, unlike Judas who had already decided in his heart to betray Jesus. The disciples would fail at keeping watch, which Jesus warned them before to do on the Mount of Olives in chapter 13. They were weak (in this case, physically tired), but in their weakness, they would be more open to temptation. Their falling away would not be permanent because of Jesus’ forgiveness and acceptance of them back. But fleeing like this could open the door to temptation (verse 38). Fear is a powerful force that opens the door to many temptations and possible sins.
Perceptive Peter was listening closely and picked up on the word fall away and emphatically stated he would never do that. He felt self-confident that nothing could cause him to leave Jesus. He had been faithful for three years. He had seen things others had not. He had shown faith when others were afraid. He failed to realize that in his own strength, he fell short. He needed God’s power inside him. The same boastful Peter who struggled that night became the powerful preacher on Pentecost because learned to rely on God’s power through the Holy Spirit.
The next words of Jesus must have been shocking and deflated Peter’s balloon. Jesus gives three times indicators, each getting more specific, of three times that Peter would deny Jesus. Peter would have plenty of warning to realize what he was doing. How and why would he keep denying Jesus? Peer pressure and temptation can sometimes blind us to the seriousness of what we are doing. We respond out of fear or intimidation or convince ourselves that a certain action is justified.
Peter gets even more serious in his next response with an emphatic I will never ever. It was easy for him to say that in the nice quiet place of a garden overlooking the city, but what about when he was in the thick of opposition and pressure? He would later come to realize the importance of staying strong in persecution, which is one of the major themes in first canonical letter attributed to him (1 Peter). Lest Peter be singled out in this story, all the other disciples (at this time, the ten remaining ones) all voiced their agreement that they would never deny Jesus. They all had a hard lesson to learn that night, a lesson we would do well to remember in our own lives.
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