Judas betrays Christ, and leads the Jewish authorities to the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest the Lord. Jesus continues His messianic assignment to the cross alone without the company of the twelve. Even the Peter thrice denies Jesus before others. Christ has been abandoned by His own disciples yet His concern for them, especially Peter, remains steadfast. Jesus expresses concern by offering prays for Peter, speaking forthrightly about the expected betrayal, and reaching out to lapsed disciple for reconciliation. The following will unpack the way this steadfast concern for the disciples is expressed in Luke’s narration of Peter’s betrayal and Christ reconciliation with Peter.
Christ Intercedes for Peter
Jesus says, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat” (Luke 22:31). [1] Note in the Greek the second person pronoun is plural, indicating all the disciples would be subject to the sifting, which means that “Satan wants to test the disciples so that they fall from the faith.”[2] In the hours to come, the disciples would likewise share in the unparalleled sufferings of their Rabbi.
But the Lord offers Peter encouragement and simple instructions for afterwards: “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail, and when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). Judas has already given himself to Satan, and Peter will face intense spiritual warfare later in the evening. Jesus is deeply concerned and petitions the Heavenly Father for Peter’s faith to remain steadfast. Lord is also hopeful, instructing the disciple that upon his return to strengthen his compadres. Here we are reminded that even in most intense battles against the powers of darkness, Christ is on our side to see us through to the end.
Christ is Forthright with Peter
Peter, ever bold and self-confident, could hardly believe it. His response is to fiercely declare absolute allegiance: “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). But Jesus speaks forthrightly on the things to come: “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me” (Luke 22:34). Despite the bravery of the disciple’s words, Jesus already knew he would stumble. Very soon Simon would experience this bitter prediction come to realization.
Peter Denies Christ
Later the same evening, Jewish leaders arrested Jesus. They had the temple guards take Him to the house of the high priest. Peter followed closely, kept his distance, and tried to blend with the servants gathered around a kindled fire in the courtyard (Luke 22:54-55).
John tells us another disciple accompanied Peter, and because that disciple knew the high priest, he was able to persuade the servant girl posted at the gate to let them into the courtyard (John 18:16).
“This man also was with him,” said the servant girl. Peter replied, “Woman I do not know him” (Luke. 22:56-57).
Another servant at the fire also stated, “You are also one of them.” But Peter responds, “Man, I am not” (Luke 22:58).
An hour later, a third servant spoke up, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean” (Luke 22:59). Simon Bar-Jonah’s own accent outed him as Jesus’ disciple. Not only that but this third servant so happened to be a relative of Malchus, the high priest’s servant whose ear Peter cut off (John 18:10, 26). “Man, I do not know what you are talking about” Peter rebutted (Luke 22: 60).
Simon never finished talking when the rooster crowed, and “the Lord turned and looked at Peter” (Luke 22:61a).[3] That look—Jesus and Peter’s eyes meeting upon the moment of failure—must have pierced deeper than any sword. It was not a look of hate, but of sorrow, love, and foreknown pain. The disciple immediately recalled the Lord’s words, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” Peter then “went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:61b-62). The overwhelming shame, guilt, and dejection filled Simon for having done the very thing he swore never ever do. Cephas thrice denied Christ.
Christ Calls Peter
On the third day after the body of the Lord was put into the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, the women who followed Christ were first to discover the opened burial chamber. Mark recalls an angel appearing as young man dressed in white had rolled away the stone covering and announced: “Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here…tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee” (Mark 16:6-7). The women who followed the Lord are then called to tell the good news of Christ risen from the dead to the disciples, especially Peter.
Luke indicates “Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened” (Luke 24:12).[4]
An ancient creedal statement recited by Paul indicates that Jesus appeared individually to Peter (Cephas) after the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:5). We have no record about the details about that the first encounter Peter had with the resurrected Lord. Simon would certainly have been awestruck. Afterwards, Cleopas and another disciple were on the way to Emmaus when they encountered the resurrected Jesus (Luke 24:13-32). The two then returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven disciples along with others saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” (Luke 24:34). Christ rosed from the dead, called Peter, and Peter came to Christ. This is the gospel experienced.
Peter’s denial and return to Christ is among the most gripping and grace-saturated happenings in all of Scripture. In them we find Cephas, one of the prominent followers of Jesus, experiencing the shame of failure but discovering the betrayed Son of God risen from the dead calling out for the wayward son to come back. Peter’s journey offers a window into the heart of Christ and a word of hope for every Christian—especially leaders—who have stumbled. We too deny Christ in so many ways. But the Christ died for sinners and rose again so that they can be forgiven and experience everlasting life with God. God sends us angels to tell of the good news and calls us back, as Peter is called back.
— WGN
Notes:
[1] All Scripture cited from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), unless noted.
[2] Gary M. Burge and Andrew E. Hill, eds., The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012), 1104.
[3] Now the four Gospels pose an apparent contradiction: Matthew, Luke, and John indicate Peter would deny Jesus before the rooster crows (once). On the other hand, Mark includes an extra detail: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times” (Mark 14:30, emphasis added). The rooster crows after Simon’s first denial before the servant girl and crows again after the last denial to another bystander (Mark 14:68, 72). The discrepancy between the four Gospels is an apparent contradiction as opposed to anything historically irreconcilable. It is a matter of emphasis. Mark simply gives a more precise detail—perhaps from Peter’s own memory as Mark’s gospel is often associated with Peter’s eyewitness account. The rooster likely crowed twice, as roosters do early in the morning. Jesus’ prophecy in each case remains accurate: Peter would deny Him three times before the final cockcrow that marked daybreak.
[4] One of the women who witnessed the stone cover rolled away from the tomb was Mary Magdalene. She left the group to inform Peter and John. The remaining women check inside the tomb and witness angels and hear their pronouncement that Jesus had risen from the dead. Peter comes later to examine the empty tomb. Mary Magdalene also returns to the empty tomb and there witnesses the resurrected Jesus. For forty days after Resurrection Sunday the risen Lord intermittently appeared to the disciples (cf. Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18; Acts 1:3). I found a good ordering of events in the New Testament Gospels concerning the witnesses to the risen Lord from Resurrection Sunday to Pentecost can be found in Lydia McGrew, Testimonies to the Truth: Why You Can Trust the Gospels (Tampa, FL: DeWard, 2023) 153-155).
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