PER340

The Denial of the Apostle Peter, Accompanied by the Apostle John

This article describes the denial of the Apostle Peter as recounted in the Gospels, when he denies his Master Jesus three times. The article highlights the precise circumstances of this event and explores the role of the apostle John. By setting the different versions of the Gospels side by side, this tragic moment is analyzed in depth within the historical and religious context of the time.

18 min denial Peter Jesus John Gospels 26 verses 4 books

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Biblical texts

Matthew
Matthew 26.69-75 (King James Version)

Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.

But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.

And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.

And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.

And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.

Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
Mark
Mark 14.66-72 (King James Version)

And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:

And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.

But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.

And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.

But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.

And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
Luke
Luke 22.56-62 (King James Version)

But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.

And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.

And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.

And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilæan.

And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.

And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
John
John 18.17-27 (King James Version)

Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man’s disciples? He saith, I am not.

And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.

The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.

Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the , and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.

Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.

And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?

Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?

Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.

And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.

One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him?

Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.

King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org

Technical details

Year AD 33

Place: The city of Jerusalem

Date: Friday, April 1, very early in the morning

Method: We now follow Mark

Note on the method: Matthew, Luke and also John specify this fact

Map of Jerusalem and its region
Friday bar graph

Never would Peter have imagined sinking so low, he who denies his beloved Master three times.

Chronological details, according to our conclusions:

_13 Several disciples, and in particular Simon Peter and John, follow the procession from a distance. They go into the courtyard of the house of the High Priest Caiaphas. Matthew 26.58, Mark 14.54.

_14 The Messiah Jesus is taken to the house of the incumbent High Priest, Caiaphas, who also lives near the Temple, around 4:30 a.m. Luke notes that Peter and John stayed more than an hour in the courtyard. Mark 14.53-72, Matthew 26.57-75, Luke 22.54-62, John 18.15-27.

_15 The Messiah Jesus is questioned for two hours, from 4:30 to 6:30 a.m. Matthew 26.59-68, Mark 14.55-65, Luke 22.67-71, John 18.19-24.

_16 The rooster crows around 6:15 a.m., a little before sunrise. Matthew 26.74, Mark 14.72, Luke 22.61-62, John 18.27.

_17 The appearance before the should have taken place after sunrise at 6:38 a.m. But this was not the case, because at the moment the rooster crows the Master is, according to our interpretation of Luke’s text, taken to Pilate right after the sentence of the , which therefore waited for daybreak to pronounce it. Luke 22.66-71, Mark 15.1, Matthew 27.1-2.

You can consult the complete chronology in the study ANN026 : The hour of the crucifixion.

Commentary:

While their Master faces the alone, the disciples are utterly bewildered. Several have fled and hidden, and Mary’s house probably served as a refuge for a time. Simon Peter and, according to our conclusions, the apostle John, are meanwhile in the courtyard of the residence of the high priest Caiaphas. The servant girls are busy, perhaps because Caiaphas had a snack or hot drinks prepared for those keeping watch. According to Luke, Peter and John remain there more than an hour (Luke 22.59).

We notice that John is never troubled. He seems to go unnoticed, perhaps thanks to his acquaintance with the high priest (John 18.15). Peter, on the other hand, draws attention. Once again he must have intervened, spoken or shown himself in a way that made him recognizable. Even though that was not his intention, he finds himself at the center of the conversations. And it is there, in that cold courtyard, among the servants and the guards, that Peter is going to live through the worst moment of his life.

Three times he denies his beloved Master. Three times he claims not to know the one he had sworn to follow to the death. It is a terrible disillusionment for him. He would never have imagined sinking so low. Yet the Messiah Jesus had warned him (Matthew 26.34). The events of the night have been unsettling: the arrest, the violence, the confusion, the fear. The pressure is immense. This time, Peter can no longer “walk on water”; on the contrary, he is overwhelmed by the waves of anguish and panic.

Luke adds a heartbreaking detail: at the very moment Peter denies Jesus for the third time, the Lord turns and looks at him (Luke 22.61). That look is not a reproach, but a wound of love. It pierces Peter, who instantly understands what he has just done. From this scene we deduce that the Messiah Jesus was being led out of the courtroom, probably to be transferred next to Pontius Pilate, and that the trial had been held in a room of Caiaphas’s large house.

It is precisely at that moment that the rooster crows. This detail helps us to fix the time: the rooster usually crows at the first light of day, shortly before the official sunrise, around 6:30. This means that the night trial is drawing to a close. The small , convened in an exceptional manner, has already debated for about two hours. It is now waiting for sunrise to sit officially and ratify the sentence already decided.

Peter, for his part, goes out and weeps bitterly. His life is shattered. He does not yet know that a helping hand will soon come to raise him up, that the Risen One will offer him a restoring forgiveness and a new mission. For even in this night of denial, the divine plan moves forward: the Messiah Jesus walks willingly toward the cross, where the Father’s love for the world will be fully revealed (John 3.16-17).