PETER DENIES JESUS
MEMORY VERSE
Psalm 23:4, ESV
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
DAY 1
Mark 14:27-31, NIrV
27 “You will all turn away,” Jesus told the disciples. “It is written,
“ ‘I will strike the shepherd down.
Then the sheep will be scattered.’ (Zechariah 13:7)
28 But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
29 Peter said, “All the others may turn away. But I will not.”
30 “What I’m about to tell you is true,” Jesus answered. “It will happen today, in fact tonight. Before the rooster crows twice, you yourself will say three times that you don’t know me.”
31 But Peter would not give in. He said, “I may have to die with you. But I will never say I don’t know you.” And all the others said the same thing.
BIBLE STUDY
As the all-knowing Son of God, Jesus knew everything about the future. After his last meal, he told his disciples something about their future they refused to believe: "Tonight, you'll all run away from me, like sheep scatter when their shepherd is gone." Peter, the leader of the disciples, disagreed. "No way, Jesus! I’m ready to die for you!" All the disciples agreed with their leader. But is Jesus ever wrong? Nope! He even shared an extra detail about Peter’s future: before the rooster cock-a-doodle-doo'ed the next morning, brave-talking Peter would pretend he didn't know Jesus three times!
+ What did Jesus say about his own future? (vs. 28)
+ What did Peter say he was willing to do for Jesus? (vs. 31)
DAY 2
Luke 22:47-53, NIrV
47 While Jesus was still speaking, a crowd came up. The man named Judas was leading them. He was one of the 12 disciples. Judas approached Jesus to kiss him. 48 But Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you handing over the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen. So they said, “Lord, should we use our swords against them?” 50 One of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered, “Stop this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus spoke to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders. They had all come for him. “Am I leading a band of armed men against you?” he asked. “Do you have to come with swords and clubs? 53 Every day I was with you in the temple courtyard. And you didn’t lay a hand on me. But this is your hour. This is when darkness rules.”
BIBLE STUDY
Earlier that night, Peter said, “I’ll die for you, Jesus!” And when trouble came, he was ready to keep his promise! Soldiers tried to snatch up Jesus, so Peter whipped out his sword. But his aim was off; he only chopped off his enemy's ear! Before Peter could strike again, Jesus stopped him. If his goal was to escape, Jesus could have called down an army of angels and wipe the floor with his enemies. But Jesus hadn’t come to earth to escape: he came to save us from our sins. So before Peter could chop off any more body parts, Jesus ended the brief battle and even healed the man’s missing ear!
+ Why did Jesus tell Peter to put away his sword and stop trying to rescue him?
+ Why was Jesus able to heal a man’s chopped-off ear?
DAY 3
Matthew 26:52-56, NIrV
52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “All who use the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I can’t ask my Father for help? He would send an army of more than 70,000 angels right away. 54 But then how would the Scriptures come true? They say it must happen in this way.”
55 At that time Jesus spoke to the crowd. “Am I leading a band of armed men against you?” he asked. “Do you have to come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courtyard teaching. And you didn’t arrest me. 56 But all this has happened so that the words of the prophets would come true.” Then all the disciples left him and ran away.
BIBLE STUDY
With a snap of his fingers, Jesus could have ordered an angel army to wipe out Judas’ men. But if he chose to do that, Jesus said the “Scriptures wouldn’t be fulfilled.” All through the first half of the Bible (the “Scriptures”), God promised to send a savior to rescue his people. For God to keep that promise, Jesus had to be arrested. Because if he wasn’t arrested, he wouldn’t die on the cross. And if he didn’t die on the cross, our sins wouldn’t be paid for! So Jesus let Judas’ men capture him. When he did, the disciples, even brave Peter, scattered like scared sheep, exactly as Jesus said they would.
+ What could have Jesus done to escape Judas and his men? (vs. 53)
+ When Jesus was arrested, what did his disciples do? (vs. 56)
DAY 4
John 2:13-22, NIRV
13 It was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast. So Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courtyard he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves. Others were sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So Jesus made a whip out of ropes. He chased all the sheep and cattle from the temple courtyard. He scattered the coins of the people exchanging money. And he turned over their tables. 16 He told those who were selling doves, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered what had been written. It says, “My great love for your house will destroy me.” (Psalm 69:9)
18 Then the Jewish leaders asked him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do this?”
19 Jesus answered them, “When you destroy this temple, I will raise it up again in three days.”
20 They replied, “It has taken 46 years to build this temple. Are you going to raise it up in three days?” 21 But the temple Jesus had spoken about was his body. 22 His disciples later remembered what he had said. That was after he had been raised from the dead. Then they believed the Scripture. They also believed the words that Jesus had spoken.
BIBLE STUDY
This story from John took place long before Jesus was arrested. However, it contains details we need to know later. To prove he was God's Son, Jesus said something strange: "When you destroy this temple, I'll rebuild it in three days." The temple was a big building. It took many men and many years to build it. How could one guy rebuild it in three days? But the “temple” Jesus spoke of wasn't a building: it was his body! To prove he was God’s Son, he would raise his “temple” (body) back to life three days after he died. Later, his enemies would twist Jesus’ words to send him to the cross.
+ When Jesus talked about the “temple”, what was he talking about? (vs. 21)
+ When did Jesus’ disciples remember and understand what Jesus had said? (vs. 22)
DAY 5
Matthew 26:57-68, NIRV
57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest. The teachers of the law and the elders had come together there. 58 Not too far away, Peter followed Jesus. He went right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see what would happen.
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for something to use against Jesus. They wanted to put him to death. 60 But they did not find any proof, even though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally, two other witnesses came forward. 61 They said, “This fellow claimed, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God. I can build it again in three days.’ ”
62 Then the high priest stood up. He asked Jesus, “Aren’t you going to answer? What are these charges that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, “I am commanding you in the name of the living God. May he judge you if you don’t tell the truth. Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64 “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But here is what I say to all of you. From now on, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One. You will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes. He said, “He has spoken a very evil thing against God! Why do we need any more witnesses? You have heard him say this evil thing. 66 What do you think?”
“He must die!” they answered.
67 Then they spit in his face. They hit him with their fists. Others slapped him. 68 They said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who hit you?”
BIBLE STUDY
After his arrest, Jesus was dragged to a special court. The rulers of his country wanted to punish him. But they had a big problem: Jesus hadn’t done anything to deserve being punished! Some men told lies about Jesus, but they couldn’t keep their made-up stories straight. Others said, “Jesus bragged he’d destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days!” We know he was talking about raising his body from the dead. But when Jesus admitted to being the Christ (Messiah), the savior sent by God, that was it. “We don’t need to hear anything else!” the leaders cried. “This liar deserves to die!”
+ Why couldn’t the leaders find proof of anything Jesus had done wrong?
+ What did the people do after Jesus said he was the Christ/Messiah? (vs. 67)
DAY 6
Luke 22:54-62, NIRV
54 Then the men arrested Jesus and led him away. They took him into the high priest’s house. Peter followed from far away. 55 Some people there started a fire in the middle of the courtyard. Then they sat down together. Peter sat down with them. 56 A female servant saw him sitting there in the firelight. She looked closely at him. Then she said, “This man was with Jesus.”
57 But Peter said he had not been with him. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
58 A little later someone else saw Peter. “You also are one of them,” he said.
“No,” Peter replied. “I’m not!”
59 About an hour later, another person spoke up. “This fellow must have been with Jesus,” he said. “He is from Galilee.”
60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked right at Peter. Then Peter remembered what the Lord had spoken to him. “The rooster will crow today,” Jesus had said. “Before it does, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” 62 Peter went outside. He broke down and cried.
BIBLE STUDY
After his last supper, Jesus gave his disciples a glimpse into their futures. When trouble came, they would all run away like lost little lambs without their shepherd to protect them. Peter and the other disciples promised to defend him to the death, but Jesus was exactly right. When Judas snatched up Jesus, his sheepish disciples scattered!
But that wasn’t the only prediction Jesus made. Jesus also told Peter, “Before the rooster crows, you’ll say you don’t know me three times.” Peter still didn’t believe him, promising, “I don’t care if I die – I’ll follow you to the very end!”
When Jesus was arrested, all his disciples ran away, including brave Peter. But the leader of the disciples didn’t completely abandon Jesus. From a distance, he followed the crowd over to the house of the high priest. Inside the house, men made plans to punish Jesus, even though he’d done nothing wrong. Outside, some people started a fire. Peter joined them, trying to see and hear what was happening to Jesus.
As he sat there in the firelight, three different people at three different times noticed something familiar about Peter. “Hey, I recognize you!” they said, “You were with that Jesus guy. He’s the one who’s inside the house, the one in big trouble!” And each time, Peter told them a big fat lie: “No, I don’t know him!” Just like Jesus promised, Peter pretended he didn’t even know who Jesus was... three times!
After Peter’s cowardly lying, a couple of things happened. First, the rooster crowed, a sign that it was now early morning. Second, the Lord Jesus looked at Peter, probably through a window of the house he was in. When their eyes met, Peter finally had to admit: Jesus had been right and he had been wrong. That night at supper, brave Peter boasted, “I will die for you, Jesus!” But by the time the morning came, Peter wasn’t even brave enough to even say that he knew him!
We can understand why Peter did what he did. If they wanted to kill Jesus, there was a good chance they would come after his disciples next! But that doesn’t change the facts: what Peter did was wrong. He lied and he deserted his friend.
This wasn’t the end of Peter’s story. When Jesus died on the cross, he died to pay for all of our sins. That included the sin of Peter pretending to not know Jesus. The disciples ran away like scared sheep when trouble came, but they were among the first to see Jesus when he rose from the dead. When they saw Jesus alive again, they believed in him. And the records of the history of the church tell us something incredible: all these “scared sheep” were bravely willing to die to tell others about Jesus!
+ How many times did Peter say he didn’t know Jesus?
+ When Jesus looked at him, what did Peter do? (vs. 62)
© 2023 Andrew Doane. All rights reserved.