Matthew 26:57-75
THE wicked, proud men who hated Jesus sat up all night. They sent their servants with some soldiers to fetch Jesus. They were in a fine house, seated on seats round the room, talking together and longing for Jesus to be brought.
They said one to another, ‘We will have Him killed when He comes. We will take Him to the judge.’
At last Jesus came in with the wicked servants. The proud men were glad to see Him. They made Him stand up in the middle of the large room. Then they spoke roughly to Him. ‘Art Thou the Son of God?’ they said.
‘Yes,’ said Jesus, ‘I am; and one day you will see Me coming in the clouds with the angels.’
Then the wicked men were angry. ‘Do you hear what He says?’ they cried out. ‘He calls Himself the Son of God. He must be taken to the judge to be killed.’
Jesus stood meekly all this time and hardly spoke a word. But what happened to the disciples?
They ran away.
Did Peter run away? Peter said he would die with Jesus. But he ran away too. At last Peter thought, ‘I will go and look for Jesus. I should like to see what the wicked men are doing to Him.’
So Peter came to Jerusalem and into the fine house. He came into the hall first. The wicked servants were sitting round a fire in the hall. A door was open, and through the door Peter could see Jesus. There He was, standing before the wicked men. Peter hoped that nobody would know that he was one of Jesus’ disciples. He was afraid that he too would be killed. But, as Peter was sitting by the fire warming himself, a maid said to him, ‘You are one of Jesus’ disciples.’
Peter was frightened and said, ‘No, I am not. I do not know the man you speak of.’
Then Peter got up and went outside the door, but another maid said to him, ‘I am sure you are one of the disciples of Jesus.’
‘No,’ said Peter, ‘I am not.’ So Peter went back again to the fire and began talking with the servants.
But some of them remembered having seen Peter in the garden, and they came to Peter and said, ‘We are certain that you are one of the disciples.’ And one of them said to him, ‘I saw you in the garden.’
Then Peter began to swear, and to say that he was not one of the disciples. But while Peter was speaking so wickedly, he heard a cock crow.
Peter remembered what Jesus had said, and he looked at Jesus. Then Jesus turned round His face and looked at Peter. It was such a look! Jesus did not speak, but His look seemed to say, ‘Is this Peter, My friend, who said he would die with Me? Is this his love for Me? Is he saying that he does not know Me?’
Peter felt very sorry; he felt as if his heart would break. He went out of the house and began to cry very much indeed. Peter really did love Jesus; only Satan had tempted him to be so wicked as to say that he did not know Jesus.
If Peter had prayed in the garden instead of going to sleep, he would have behaved better. But Christ had often prayed for Peter, so that Satan might not get his soul at last.
Questions
Did the proud men go into the garden themselves, or did they send their servants?
What had they been doing all night?
When Jesus came to Jerusalem, where did He stand?
Did they ask Him if He was the Son of God?
Did He say that He was?
What did the wicked men say must be done to Jesus?
Where was Peter all this time?
Could Peter see Jesus?
Did Peter wish people to know that he was one of Jesus’ disciples?
Why not?
Did anyone ask Peter who he was?
What did Peter say?
How many times did people ask Peter who he was?
What did Peter hear that made him feel how bad he had been?
What did Peter do after Jesus looked at him?
Did Peter really love Jesus?
Who had often prayed for Peter?
Did Satan get Peter’s soul at last?
How Peter repented of his sin
A verse from the Bible for you to learn:
And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. Luke 22:61, 62.