John 18:25-27

“Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said therefore to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it, and said, "I am not." One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" Peter therefore denied it again; and immediately a cock crowed.”

 

While Jesus has been moving Himself closer to the cross, Peter is trying to avoid it. Those with him at the fire asked whether Peter was one of Jesus’ disciples, just as the girl at the door had asked, but Peter denied it a second time.

 

When Peter denied it, one of those who had gone to the garden, a servant of the high priest related to the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him again, asking essentially, “So you’re saying I didn’t see you in the garden with Jesus?”

 

If I had been Peter, that would have scared me to death, having someone challenge my denial who had been in the garden and had witnessed my sword-wielding defense of Jesus. Predictably, Peter denied a third time that he was one of Jesus’ disciples. And then a rooster crowed, fulfilling Jesus’ words that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed (John 13:37-38).

 

Peter’s story proves two things. First, Peter was not really willing to die for Jesus, despite his best intentions. Second, Jesus truly knew all that would take place on His way to the cross and was going there deliberately. While Peter was not really willing to die for Jesus, Jesus was really willing to die for Peter. Jesus had known that He was heading to the cross, and He had known that Peter’s denials would take place because Jesus was heading to the cross. To prevent both, Jesus could have led His disciples to flee. Then Jesus wouldn’t have died and Peter wouldn’t have denied Him. But Jesus meant to die. And since Peter’s denials would come in the context of Jesus’ trials, Jesus’ walk toward the cross meant that Peter would deny Jesus. It was inevitable. Jesus was in control. He knew all that would happen, and He chose to walk to the cross. Peter’s denial doesn’t just prove that Jesus knew Peter would deny Him; it proves that Jesus knew exactly what He, His disciples, the high priests, the Romans, and the Jews would do as He went to the cross. Jesus knew it all (John 18:4).

 

Jesus foresaw that Judas would bring a crowd to arrest Him (John 18:1-4), that Peter would strike Malchus with a sword (John 18:10), that He would be taken to Annas (18:12-13), that Peter and another disciple would follow and enter into the courtyard (18:15-16), that the doorkeeper, those warming themselves, and Malchus’ relative would ask Peter whether he was Jesus’ disciple (18:17, 25-26), that Peter would deny it each time (18:17, 25, 27), that Annas would question Him (18:19), how He would answer (18:20-21), that the officer would strike Him (18:22), how He would answer the officer (18:23), that Annas would send Him on to Caiaphas (18:24, 28), and all the rest of the events and statements that would be made as Jesus headed first to the cross and on to His resurrection. Jesus knew it all. And He chose to walk this road of pain because He received it from the Father as glory, and knew that it would glorify the Father (John 17:1-5).

 

Father, if I never saw before how perfectly in control You and Your Son are, if I never realized before that Jesus gave His life over – that it was not taken from Him, but He chose to give it up – may I see it now. Jesus knew all that would happen to Him, and He accepted it from Your hand as glory, using it to glorify You! Father, may I accept whatever comes upon me as Your hand, Your plan, Your way of glorifying me so that I may glorify You. And may I recognize my own weakness and lack of understanding because I am weak like Peter. Strengthen me despite my lack of foresight and courage to obey You in whatever circumstances You send my way.