Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Luke 22:54–62

54 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance. 55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56 And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.” 57 But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” 58 And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” 59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Commentary
Vs. 54-55 54 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance. 55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.

Having arrested Jesus, they now take Him to the high priest’s house. Now it will be here that Jesus will be interviewed by Annas the previous high priest who was removed from his position by Rome but still held great authority in the Jews religious sphere, then Jesus will be taken to Caiaphas’s, Annas’ son-in-law who was then the ruling high priest, however some believe that Annas was still exercising his own authority through him, finally Jesus will be taken to the Sanhedrin to stand trial there, and so when once “convicted” by them He will be turned over to the Governor for execution of their sentence against Him, but that’s all future, right now the Scripture is focusing on Peter’s denial which we must now also look upon. And so, it was when Jesus was led by those who seized Him into the high priest’s courtyard Peter also followed them at a distance and entered the courtyard with them, (the multitude being so great and with the nights darkness) Peter very easily slips in amongst them. And so, when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard, Peter also sat down among them (vs. 55).


Vs. 56-57 56 And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.” 57 But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”

Now Peter may have initially felt safe while sitting amongst them in the night being hooded and concealed with the shadows of the fire light also obscuring him to them. But it wouldn’t be long before a certain servant girl would recognize him, and so looking intently at him she says to all there, “This man was also with Him.” Which must have shaken him to his core when he heard her say that, and everyone turned to look at him. Yet whatever fear Peter was feeling inside he still managed to keep his composure and respond to her by saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” This then is Peters first denial which I’m sure he then thought was enough to keep back any further inquiries about his knowing Jesus. And so, having dodged her, Peter now finds another place to wait to see what is to happen to Jesus.

Vs. 58 And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

However, when Peter is once again relaxed and feeling relatively secure and obscured to the multitude gathered there; another individual sees him and recognizes Peter as one of Jesus disciples. However, this time unlike the servant girl who only declared to those there that Peter was with Jesus, this individual comes right up to Peter and confronts Peter face to face and says to him, “You also are of them.” To which Peter immediately, and now more adamantly responds, “Man, I am not!” This then is Peters second denial. A denial which is even more strongly asserted then his first denial, as the stakes were seemingly getting higher for him to be there.

Vs. 59-62 59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Having relocated himself again, and after about an hour had passed, Peter is again called out as being a disciple of Jesus Christ by another individual who confidently affirms to all there that Peter is indeed a disciple of Jesus Christ by saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” That is Peters Galilean accent exposes him as belonging to Jesus, for they were all Judeans there, while all the disciples (that is the twelve) were from Galilee. Peter then feeling the pressure because he cannot deny where he is from, offers up his most ardent denial yet, saying “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” vs. 60 Immediately then with Peters strongest denial which then fulfilled Jesus Word that he would deny Him three times, a rooster crowed, and Jesus being in the courtyard at that moment and within eyeshot of Peter then turns and looks at him. In that moment then Peter now remembers the Word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter then now realizing what he has just done, that he has denied the Lord these three times, whom He said he would never do that too, now goes out and weeps bitterly (vs. 61-62).

Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson.

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