22:31–32 Jesus teaches Simon that his perseverance and his ministry of helping others is to be attributed not to his own virtue but to Jesus’ prayer for him and the other disciples. The double use of “Simon” is both solemn and affectionate, just as Jesus said, “Martha, Martha” (10:41), to signify his love for her and reprove her gently. Jesus informs Simon that Satan has “demanded to have you.” What is not as apparent to English readers is that “you” (Gk. hymas) here is plural, and thus Satan has asked not just for Peter but for all the disciples. We think of Satan’s asking God to take away everything that belonged to Job (Job 1:6–12), even his health (Job 2:1–7), and Satan’s design was for Job no longer to fear the Lord. In the same way Satan desires to sift Peter and all the disciples (cf. 2 Cor. 2:11); he seeks to sift them to show that they are chaff, not edible and healthy wheat (cf. Amos 9:9). The sifting will come when Jesus is arrested, tried, and put to death. Following Jesus will seem very different when all of their dreams for the future come crashing down upon them.

Still, Satan’s design to subvert Peter’s faith will not succeed, for Jesus has prayed for Peter. The text returns to the singular “you” (sou) here. We might ask why Peter is the focus; the probable answer is that he is the first among equals, the leader of the Twelve, and thus his actions influence them all. Peter will not fend off Satan because of his own strength or piety; his perseverance instead finds its roots in Jesus’ prayer. This prayer has specific contours: Jesus prays that Peter’s faith will not flame out, that his faith will continue with vitality and strength. We see the same theme in John 17, in which Jesus prays for the disciples, asking for them to be kept from falling away (John 17:9, 11, 15). We also see here that Jesus’ prayer is effective; his intercession secures that for which he asks (cf. Isa. 53:12; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25). The reward promised in Luke 22:28–30 will be Peter’s because he will not fall away ultimately, since Jesus has prayed for him.

Thus there is no question of whether Peter will return and be restored. He will turn back and repent from his temporary defection. John 21 recounts the restoration of Peter. Once Peter has returned he is to strengthen his brothers, his fellow disciples, for Peter will not be the only one to defect or the only one to return. Peter plays the central role in the inauguration of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 1–5) and in the spread of the gospel to the Samaritans (Acts 8:14–17) and the Gentiles (Acts 10:1–11:18). To strengthen the brothers is another way of referring to Peter’s role in serving other believers; he is not to be autocratic but should humbly promote the faith of others.

22:33–34 Peter cannot conceive of a need to repent and turn back, for he is confident that he will never repudiate Jesus. Thus Peter protests that he is ready to go to prison and die with Jesus. Peter is not being hypocritical but is utterly sincere, for he believes he will meet the test when it arises. He makes the common mistake of thinking he knows himself better than he actually does. But he will discover depths of evil in himself that he does not know exist. Jesus’ response surely shocks Peter, for he tells Peter he will deny knowing Jesus three times before a rooster crows. Such a state of affairs seems impossible to Peter, but a flurry of events will lead him to do exactly what Jesus predicts (Luke 22:54–62). Jesus’ knowledge of Peter’s denial beforehand, especially its specificity (three times!), reveals his divine identity and stature.