Matthew 26:69-75

Mat 26:69-75 The King Denied by his Disciple

69, 70. 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.

While our Lord was in the high priest's house, Peter sat without in the palace. In the courtyard overlooked by the rooms of the palace, the servants and officers had lighted a fire to warm themselves while they waited to see what would be done with Jesus.

Peter joined the company, and a damsel, who had let him in at John's request, said to him, "Thou also wast with all saying, "I know not what thou sayest." Whatever the consequences of confessing Christ might have been to Peter, they could not have been as bad as this base denial was.

71, 72. 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

There were so many who had seen Peter with Christ that he was easily recognized as one of the companions of the Nazarene. His second denial differed from the first, in that he added an oath to the lie, and declared concerning Christ, "I do not know the man." Perhaps the oath was meant to prove that he was no follower of him who said, "Swear not at all;" or it may have been a return to Peter's old habit before his conversion. When once a child of God gets on the dowwnward road, no man can tell how fast and how far he will fall unless almighty grace be vouchsafed to him.

73. 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.

Even when Peter swore, there was something of the brogue of Galilee in his utterance, so that these people in Jerusalem detected his provincial dialect, and said to him, "Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee" If a child of God begins to swear, he will not do it as the ungodly do, and he will be sure to be found out.

74, 75. 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.

Lying led to swearing, and swearing to cursing; no one but the Lord knows how much further Peter would have fallen if he had not been divinely arrested in his sinful career. Many men heard the cock crow that morning; but to Peter it carried a solemn reminder of his Lord's prophetic warning, "Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice." There was something else that affected Peter more than the crowing of the cock. Luke tells us that "The Lord turned, and looked upon Peter." Peter must have looked up at the Lord or he would not have seen that look of sorrow, pity, love, and forgiveness that the Lord gave him, ere he went out and wept bitterly.

If any one of us has denied the Lord that bought him, let him look up to him who now looks down from heaven, ready to pardon the backslider who cries with the returning prodigal, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son." This same Peter, when reinstated in his Lord's favour, preached on the day of Pentecost the sermon that led to the conviction and conversion of thousands of his hearers.