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I. FOREANNOUNCED (John 13:38). Three surprises.

1. The person concerned. Peter the man of rock, whose faith had appeared the brightest (John 6:68; Matthew 16:16). Whose zeal had seemed the greatest (John 13:37), and whose courage had been accounted the boldest (Matthew 14:28). Had it been Thomas the desponding (John 11:16), the wonder would have been less; had it been John the beloved, it could hardly have been more. Let it teach —

(1) That no man knows himself or his fellows as Christ does.

(2) That they who seem the least assailable are often the soonest overcome.

(3) That no saint, however large his capacities or high his attainments, is beyond the possibility of a fall.

2. The time indicated. That might of the Paschal feast, &c., when Peter would have said that his faith was strongest and his love warmest. This too has lessons.

(1) That times of highest spiritual excitement are often seasons of greatest danger.

(2) That there are moments when Christ's followers need most to be on their guard.

3. The sin predicted. Desertion would have caused a shock: it staggers one to read of denial. It discloses.

(1) How near the best of saints are to the abysses of sin.

(2) How suddenly and swiftly one may be hurled from a pinnacle of moral goodness to the lowest deep of guilt and shame.

(3) How close even in renewed hearts lie the extremes of godliness and wickedness.

(4) How needful it is for him who thinketh he standeth, to take heed lest he fall.

II. ACCOMPLISHED.

1. The first denial (ver. 17).

(1) The place — the court of the high priest, beside a fire.

(2) The time — shortly after Peter had been admitted.

(3) The questioner — the maid who kept the door.

(4) The question — variously reported because variously given, first to Peter and then to the bystanders, but every time insisting on the fact that Peter was one of Christ's disciples.

(5) The denial — spluttered forth in various forms, because of the uneasiness Peter felt, in all forms repudiating his discipleship, and telling a direct lie — "I am not"(6) The result — restless and unhappy: Peter with-drew from the fire, and sauntered out into the porch (Matthew 26:71; Mark 14:68). While there a cock crew. If Peter's ears heard, his conscience did not.

2. The second denial (ver. 25).

(1) The place — first in the porch and afterwards by the fire.

(2) The time — "after a while."(3) The questioner — in the porch the maid, who was perhaps joined by another female domestic; by the fire the maid and the officers.

(4) The question — still insisting on the fact of His discipleship.

(5) The denial — to the maids, with an oath he denies all knowledge of Christ, to the officers he curtly denies his discipleship.

3. The third denial (ver. 27).

(1) The place — the court (probably).

(2) The time — a little after, when Christ's trial before Caiaphas was drawing to a close.

(3) The questioner — the bystanders, among whom was a kinsman of Malchus.

(4) The question — first the bystanders remark that he speaks like a Galilean, and must be a disciple; then one in particular maintains this vehemently; finally Malchus's kinsman identifies him with one whom he had noticed in the garden.

(5) The denial — with cursing and swearing. Oh! Peter, how are the mighty fallen!

III. EXPLAINED. By three things.

1. Peter's over-confidence in the upper room (John 13:3; Matthew 26:33). "Pride goeth before destruction" (Proverbs 16:18).

2. Peter's over-rashness in the garden (ver. 10). His lawlessness upon the sward made him timid in the palace. His foolish sword-practice wrought less damage to Malchus than to himself.

3. Peter's over-forgetfulness in the palace. If Peter forgot his own sin, he should not have forgotten Christ's Fords. A good memory would probably have averted his fall.

IV. BEWAILED (Matthew 26:75). Learn —

1. That Christ accurately gauges the characters and foresees the histories of His people.

2. That Divine foreknowledge destroys not human responsibility, while Divine foreannouncement increases it.

3. That overweening confidence in oneself is no mark of grace or stability, but rather of the opposite.

4. That it requires little to lead a good man, left to himself, into sin, and once started on the downward path none can predict when he will stop.

5. That Christ knows, if the world does not, when Christians deny Him, and that no greater indignity can be put upon Him than to be disowned by such as bear His name.

6. That if a child of God sins He must and will be brought to repentance, perhaps suddenly and painfully, but always with tears.

7. That those who have truly sorrowed for sin will sorrow on every remembrance of it; yet not so as to hinder, but rather increase, their joy in God and in His mercy and grace.

(T. Whitelaw, D. D.)

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KJV: And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.

WEB: Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered in with Jesus into the court of the high priest;