For Palm Sunday last week, I wrote about Judas, the betrayer of Jesus. For this Easter Sunday, I want to talk about another betrayer: Peter. His story had a very different ending.
Peter’s Confidence
Peter was the most prominent of the twelve disciples. In the lists of disciples given in the Gospels, his is always the first name listed (Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:14-16) 1. He is mentioned more often than all the other disciples put together 2. He speaks more often, and frequently acts as spokesperson for the group 3. Some examples are:
- When Jesus asked “Who do you say that I am?“, Peter was the one who answered “The Christ, the Son of the living God“. (Matthew 16:13–20, Mark 8:27–30, Luke 9:18–21)
- When Jesus asked if the Twelve would leave him as so many others were doing, it was Peter who answered “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68–69)
- When the rich young ruler was not willing to give up his wealth to follow Jesus, Peter spoke up “Behold, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” (Matthew 19:27, Mark 10:28, Luke 18:28)
Beyond speaking, Peter was also the one who acted first. For instance, it was he who left the boat to walk to Jesus on the water (Matthew 14:28–31). He acted to defend Jesus during His arrest in Gethsemane, cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant (then was rebuked by Jesus, who healed the servant) (John 18:10, Matthew 26:51, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:49–50). He was the first to run to the empty tomb; even though John outran him, Peter was the one who entered it first (John 20:3–10, Luke 24:12).
Most relevant to today’s discussion is the conversation during Jesus’ last supper before His arrest and crucifixion. Jesus warned the Twelve, telling them that they would all “fall away” from Him that night. While they all protested that they would follow Him no matter what, Peter was the most vehement:
- But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” (Matthew 26:33)
- But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not…But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” (Mark 14:29, 31)
- But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” (Luke 22:33)
Peter was VERY sure of himself!
Peter’s Downfall
Peter’s protest led to a prediction specifically for him, that he would deny Jesus three times before the rooster crowed the following dawn (Matthew 26:34, Mark 14:30, Luke 22:34, John 13:38).
Fast-forward a few hours. Jesus was arrested, despite Peter’s abortive attempt to defend Him. Out of several sham “hearings”, the first was at the house of Caiaphas, the high priest 4. Peter was in the courtyard outside the high priest’s house while that first hearing was going on. As Luke recounts:
Having arrested Him, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance. After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Him too.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” A little later, another saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Luke 22:54-62, see also Matthew 26:69-75, Mark 14:66-72, John 18:25-27
Peter’s self-confidence took a hard fall! But…
Not Just Peter, Though
Although Peter’s denials are the most explicitly described, the others weren’t far behind. We are not told where any of them (other than John) were during the crucifixion that followed. John was with Jesus’ mother Mary; other women watched from a distance. But the rest of Jesus’ closest followers and friends had not been heard from since Gethsemane, where “they all left Him and fled” (Matthew 26:56, Mark 14:50). Jesus had predicted that “I [God]will strike down the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered” (Matthew 26:31, Mark 14:27) 5. He was right.
Imagine yourself as any one of the disciples, but especially as Peter. The Rabbi you’ve followed for years, giving up your entire life in order to be with Him, has been arrested. You knew the tension had been rising. He had been warning that this would happen. Still you love Him so much that, only a few hours earlier, you had sworn to follow Him to the death. Then, when the crisis hit, you betrayed Him.
Now, you are on the outside while He is being tortured to death as the lowest of criminals. You don’t even help with the burial afterward. That had to be done by a couple of men who finally found their courage just as you lost yours (John 19:38-42).
Then follows the silent Sabbath, that long, long day while Jesus is in the tomb and all hope seems lost. Where are you? What are you thinking? How do you feel?
How low can you go?
But Then…
Then…The tomb is empty. The angels say He is risen. Mary even says that she has spoken to Him!
But listen to the message she was given:
And he *said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’”
Mark 16:6-7 (emphasis added)
Despite their cowardice and betrayal, Jesus was coming to them. And, even despite his cowardice and betrayal, Jesus specifically wanted to see Peter. Imagine how much those two words “and Peter” meant to him! We aren’t told exactly when it occurred, but Paul tells us that Peter had his own private meeting with his Messiah:
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
1 Corinthians 15:3-5 (emphasis added, “Cephas” is the Aramaic version of the Greek “Peter”)
That appearing “then to the twelve” would be the locked upper room appearances, first without Thomas present and then a week later to give Thomas the proof he needed (John 20:19-29). Despite their abandonment, Jesus never abandoned them. Instead He said “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21)
Peter’s Restoration
But then John chapter 21 gives us one more scene. Apparently, Jesus did not stay physically with the disciples all the time after His resurrection. There’s a bit of a gap in the action (as written in the Gospels, at least). In the absence of something better to do, Peter — still speaking up first as usual — announced that he was going fishing.
They fished all night long, and caught nothing. Jesus was at the shore as they came back in, although they did not recognize Him at first. He told them to let down the nets one more time. When they did so, the catch was larger than they could haul in. That gave them a hint! (Sound familiar? See Luke 5:4-11, when Jesus called Peter to be His disciple.)
After cooking their fish for breakfast, Jesus had a question for Peter, and a fresh commission:
So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.“
John 21:15-17
Notice: Three denials, three affirmations.
This encounter was not an accident. Jesus was planning it even as He predicted Peter’s denials.
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.
Luke 22:31-32 (emphasis added)
Peter went on to be a leader of the church after Jesus’ ascension. In fact, at Pentecost, it was his great sermon (Acts 2:14-36) that was used to found the church (Acts 2:37-47). He then continued to lead, attested by miraculous healings (Acts 3:1-10, Acts 5:12-16), acting in judgment (Acts 5:1-11), and confident rebuttals to the very same religious leaders who had formerly frightened him (Acts 2:14-26, Acts 4:7-12, Acts 5:27-32). He also led in opening the church to Gentiles: first in Samaria (Acts 8:14-17), then in Caesarea (Acts 10), and finally as leader (along with James) of the Council of Jerusalem affirming Paul’s ministry (Acts 15:1-21).
He would later write to other believers facing persecution that their faith “even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3-9). He could testify to that!
Peter’s Legacy
Peter’s story gives both caution and also great hope. No matter how sure we are of our faith, we can still fall. But no matter how hard we fall, Jesus will still be there to pick us up. Peter’s greatest failure gave rise to his later success. As he trusted more in Jesus rather than in himself, he grew to be the “rock” of the church…just as Jesus had planned all along.
The classic Easter song from Peter’s perspective is “He’s Alive” by Don Francisco. Here is his version, plus two others by David Phelps and Charlie Daniels. Happy Easter!
Footnotes and Scripture References
- And Judas is always listed last.
- The grok.com AI web-search summary finds between 150-200 mentions for Peter vs. 130-150 for all the others combined.
- The grok.com AI web-search summary finds about 20-25 times that he speaks, 10 or so of those as speaking for the others as well.
- The others were before the full Sanhedrin, then Pilate, then King Herod, then back to Pilate.
- quoting Zechariah 13:7