Peter and His Denial of Christ: What Can We Learn?

HOLY WEEK DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2025

RANDY JONES - PASTOR OF ADULT DISCIPLESHIP

Peter and His Denial of Christ: What Can We Learn? 

As we continue in holy week, today we want to take a look at a couple of pieces of narrative, one during the last supper, and one after the arrest of Jesus. Both of these instances deal with the apostle Peter. 

In the upper room, after dinner, after Judas has left, Jesus tells His disciples that where He is going, they cannot follow. Then, after Jesus teaches them a few other things, our friend Peter speaks up. 

John 13:36-38 

36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times. 

Now we don’t have a record of how Peter responded to Jesus telling him this. Did he look down at the floor in embarrassment, did he look around at the other disciples and wonder what they were thinking, or did he steel himself against what Jesus said and think, “No Jesus, I won’t ever deny you!” We don’t know for sure. 

But we do know that Peter, though often rash and impulsive, wanted to follow Jesus, obey Jesus, and represent Jesus well. And sure enough, as Jesus and the group head toward the Garden of Gethsemane, after Jesus prays, and as Judas brings some soldiers and officers of the Jewish leaders, Peter grabs a small sword and is ready to fight, to defend Jesus. He even attacks a man and cuts off his ear! So he is in one sense ready to die for Jesus, fighting to defend Him. 

But this is when Jesus is unbound and with him. After Jesus had just spoken and all the soldiers and officers fell to the ground, reminding Peter of Jesus’ authority. 

But how would Peter feel when Jesus was arrested and bound, when all seemed lost? Because Jesus then tells Peter to sheath his sword. Jesus heals the man’s ear, and He allows Himself to be arrested. Then we get to John 18:15-18. 

John 18:15-18 

15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high 

priest, 16 but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17 The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself. 

So there we have the first denial. And not in response to a soldier or a Jewish leader, but to a slave girl. The scene then continues in vv. 25-27. 

John 18:25-27 

25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27 Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed. 

So we see the second and third denials. And whereas John is just giving the basic facts here, Luke, in his gospel, gives some more detail and some more color to what happens after this final denial of Peter, which gives us more insight into the intensity of the moment. 

Luke 22:60-62 

60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly. 

So what happened? Peter goes from boldly declaring that he’d lay down his life for Jesus to ostensibly being ready to do so in the Garden as he draws his sword and begins to fight, to this, doing exactly as Jesus said, denying Him three times. 

Could it be, as I alluded to earlier, that before Peter was bold because Jesus was with him, and it was clear to Peter that Jesus was in control? But now, from Peter’s perspective, Jesus isn’t with him, Jesus has no authority, and all seems lost. And so he fails miserably. 

But we know, and Peter eventually learns, that all is not lost. We know that yes, Jesus is crucified, but He also rises from the dead and meets with Peter to restore him (John 21:15-19). And then, on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples, and so Peter is now indwelt and empowered by the Spirit of God. He now has God with him at all times. 

And Peter becomes the bold messenger for Jesus once again. Only this time the boldness isn’t from human strength-based bravado, but instead from Holy Spirit empowered humility and commitment. 

So, brothers and sisters, what does this mean for you and me? What can we learn from Peter’s example? Well, may I suggest that just as the ‘turnaround’ with Peter occurred after the presence and power of God through the Holy Spirit came upon him, that you and I should never forget that as post-Pentecost believers, we always have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, and always have the Holy Spirit available to fill and empower us to do God’s will, to be His messengers, to share the Good News of Jesus with those around us. 

He has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) and He will be with us always (Matthew 28:20). Let’s let Him give us boldness and courage to be His messengers to a world that needs Him desperately. God bless you, brothers and sisters.