When men sift corn they separate the grain from the chaff; the grain is precious, but it needs to be separated from the chaff before it can be used.
After Judas had gone out into the night, Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
Peter did not think that he needed to be sifted, he answered, “Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.”
Jesus said, “I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest Me.”
But Peter could not believe this, and he spoke more emphatically still, “If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise,” and the other disciples said the same.
“And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and He [Jesus] saith to His disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. And He taketh with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy. And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. And He went forward a little, and fell on the ground and prayed.”
And He came back to them and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, sleepest thou? Couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.”
But though temptation was so near at hand, they slept again while Jesus prayed: they slept from grief, but they missed the unspeakable privilege they might have had, of watching with their Lord in the hour of His soul’s deep agony.
And then Judas came, and with him a great crowd with swords and sticks to take Jesus.
When Peter saw Jesus in the hands of His enemies, he forgot that Jesus had once said, “I say unto you, That ye resist not evil,” and he drew a sword and smote one of those standing by, a servant of the high priest, whose name was Malchus, and cut off his right ear.
Then Jesus said to Peter, “Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it? “And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.
And then, when Peter and the other disciples saw Jesus taken and bound, they all forsook Him and fled. But as He was led away to the high priest, Peter followed afar off. John followed too, and because he was known to the high priest he was allowed to go in with Jesus to the high priest’s palace. But Peter stood at the door outside, and could not get in till John had spoken to the girl who kept the door.
And when he was inside, the terrible sifting came. The girl who kept the door said to Peter, “Art not thou also one of His disciples?” Peter said, “I am not.”
There were servants and officers standing there; it was a cold night, and they had made a fire of coals and were warming themselves, and Peter stood with them and warmed himself.
Soon another noticed him, and said to him, “Thou art also of them.”
And Peter said, “Man, I am not.”
It was about an hour after when another, a kinsman of Malchus, whose ear Peter cut off, spoke positively, “Of a truth this fellow also was with Him; for he is a Galilean.”
And then Peter began to curse and to swear; he said, “Man, I know not this man of whom ye speak.”
And at once, while he was yet speaking, the cock crew.
“And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice.”
“And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.”