In continuing our study of the book of John at the youth house on Wednesday nights, and specifically looking at the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, I have found that I can identify with Peter. Peter was bold, at times. When Christ told the disciples what he was going to experience, and that where He was going (the cross) they could not follow, Peter asks why he is not able to follow and that he is willing to lay down his life for Christ’s. Then, when Jesus and His disciples are in the garden as Judas leads a cohort of soldiers to arrest Jesus, Peter stood up. He took out his sword, while the hundreds of soldiers had their weapons, and he strikes the ear off of the high priest’s servant. He was willing to fight the soldiers, even if he had to do it all by his lonesome. He was bold.
There were other times, however, when he let his guard down. As the disciples go with Jesus to the garden to, He tells a few of them to keep watch and pray so that they would not fall into temptation. Peter, who was one of those disciples, fell asleep. Then when Christ is arrested and the disciples flee, Peter turns and follows Jesus at a distance. As Jesus was standing in front of Annas, Peter stood outside the courtyard of the high priest. Someone lets him in, and as he passes by the servant girl who kept watch over the door, she asks if he was one of Christ’s disciples. Peter then denied Christ, and would deny him two more times, as Jesus had said he would.
Peter, who was ready to take on a whole army by himself to stand by Christ’s side, denied Christ because he felt threatened by a servant girl. There is no doubt that they girl caught him off guard, and he answered before he had time to think. He was probably concerned for his safety. Had he prayed and kept watch, he may have been better prepared for the girl to ask him of his association with Jesus.