29

The Danger of Spiritual Overconfidence
(Luke 22:54–62)

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. (22:54–62)

Throughout their time with Jesus, the disciples experienced high and low moments. When He called them, “they left everything and followed Him” (Luke 5:11; cf. Mark 1:16–20; Matt. 9:9–13; 19:27). Even when many other “disciples” deserted Him (John 6:66), they remained, since as their spokesman Peter said to Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life” (v. 68).

On the other hand, they could be frustratingly obtuse. When they failed to understand the parable of the soils, Jesus chiding them said, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?” (Mark 4:13). After they failed to grasp the meaning of another parable the Lord again rebuked them, asking, “Are you so lacking in understanding also?” (Mark 7:18). Their misinterpretation of Jesus’ warning, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matt. 16:6), as a rebuke for forgetting to bring literal bread prompted the Lord’s rebuke,

Caught in a powerful storm on the Sea of Galilee, the terrified disciples woke Jesus and cried out, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” (Matt. 8:25). Jesus again reprimand them: “‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm” (v. 26).

Sometimes the disciples’ high and low moments came in the same incident. After miraculously feeding the thousands on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus sent the Twelve back to the other side while He dismissed the multitude (Mark 6:45), which was bent on forcing Him to become their king (John 6:15). After the crowd dispersed, the Lord went up the slope of a nearby mountain alone to pray (Matt. 14:23). Aware of the disciples’ boat being far from the shore (Mark 6:47) and being battered by strong winds (John 6:18) and large waves (Matt. 14:24), Jesus left the mountain and “came to them, walking on the sea” (v. 25). Imagining that they were seeing a ghost, the disciples “cried out in fear” (v. 26). But Jesus said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid” (v. 27).

Still not convinced, “Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water’” (v. 28). After Jesus told him to come, Peter courageously climbed out of the boat in the midst of the raging storm and began walking on the water toward Him (v. 29). But his remarkable demonstration of faith was short-lived. “Seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” (v. 30). After rescuing Peter, Jesus rebuked him for his lack of faith (v. 31).

Peter was also the central figure in another incident that went from triumph to tragedy. One day when they were in the region of Caesarea Philippi, the Lord asked the disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matt. 16:13). They replied that the people were giving various answers to that question: “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets” (v. 14). Then He asked them directly, “But who do you say that I am?” (v. 15). Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16; cf. John 6:66–69). The Lord pronounced him blessed because the Father had revealed to him who He really was (v. 17).

Peter, however, descended fast from the height of privilege and commendation into the depths of folly and condemnation. After warning the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ (v. 20; cf. Matt. 8:4; 12:16), Jesus told them that He had to “go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day” (v. 21).

Peter was shocked since, like his fellow Israelites, he expected the Messiah to drive out the Roman oppressors and usher in the earthly kingdom promised to Israel. There was no place in his theology for a dying Messiah. Peter brashly “took [Jesus] aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You’” (v. 22). Having just spoken revelation from the Father affirming Jesus’ true identity, Peter now became the mouthpiece of Satan, through whom the devil tried to dissuade Jesus from going to the cross. Christ’s response was immediate and crushing. The one whom He had just pronounced blessed by God (v. 17) He now shockingly addressed as Satan (v. 23).

But no incident more clearly reveals Peter’s impulsive and unpredictable nature than the one recorded in this section of Luke’s gospel. No other story of Jesus’ dealings with the disciples is both as low and high, dark and light, tragic and hopeful, or distressing and encouraging as this one. It was the worst failure followed by the most profound recovery. Peter’s denial of his Master was his worst failure; Christ’s restoration of him was His greatest demonstration of His triumphant love for Peter.

Edward Reynolds wrote concerning Peter’s mixture of devotion to the Lord and fleshly overconfidence,

The lesson to learn here is the danger of spiritual overconfidence. As the apostle Paul cautioned, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Cor. 10:12; cf. Prov. 16:18).

Peter’s fall and restoration may be viewed under two obvious headings: the way down, and the way up.

THE WAY DOWN

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. (22:54–62)

Luke condensed Peter’s denials, but a comparison with the other gospel accounts indicates they were stretched out over a period of several hours. They all took place in the courtyard shared by the quarters of both Annas, the former high priest and still the power behind the scenes, and Caiaphas, Annas’s son-in-law and the current high priest. Having arrested Jesus in Gethsemane, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest. The trial that ensued before the Jewish authorities took place in three phases. The first two phases, before Annas, and then Caiaphas, occurred deep into the night. Since according to Jewish law a trial had to be held in the daylight, there was a third phase after dawn, to formally legitimize the verdict they had already illegally arrived at. Interwoven with the trials before Annas and Caiaphas were Peter’s denials.

Five stages in Peter’s downfall can be noted, which can also be viewed as five aspects of his unwarranted self-confidence. First, Peter’s pride was impudent. Back in the upper room Jesus had warned him, “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). Peter’s reaction to Christ’s prediction of his fall and ultimate restoration reveals his audacious brashness. He indignantly protested, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” (v. 33).

Peter’s confidence was not only impudent, but also insistent. A short time later on the Mount of Olives, Jesus predicted that the disciples would all forsake Him that evening (Matt. 26:30–31). Once again “Peter said to Him, ‘Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away’” (v. 33). Jesus replied, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times” (v. 34), prompting Peter’s insistent, repeated (Mark 14:31) reply, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You” (v. 35).

Third, Peter’s confidence was indolent. Drastically overestimating his ability to cope with the situation in his own strength, Peter (along with James and John) ignored the Lord’s instruction, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Luke 22:40). Instead, he slept when he should have been watching and praying—even after the Lord repeatedly rebuked him for doing so (Matt. 26:40–45).

Fourth, Peter’s confidence was impulsive. He wanted to show Jesus that his repeated declaration that he would remain loyal to Him to the end was no idle boast. Therefore when the crowd came to arrest Jesus, Peter impetuously grabbed a sword and attacked, cutting off the ear of the high priest’s slave before Jesus stopped him (see the exposition of 22:49–51 in chapter 28 of this volume).

In the end, Peter’s confidence imploded. When the crisis came he was not up to the task. His faith wavered and finally gave way, and he denied Jesus three times—just as the Lord had predicted.

As noted above, Jesus’ Jewish trial consisted of three phases: a hearing before Annas, and another before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, both during the night, and a third after daybreak. The purpose of those hearings was not to fairly, impartially examine any alleged evidence against Jesus. They were instead nothing but attempts to manufacture charges against Him that could be used to convince the Romans to execute Him. In violation of every standard of fairness and justice, Annas interrogated Jesus (John 18:19), even though He had not been charged with any crime, clearly fishing for something he could use against Him. He was acting more like a corrupt prosecutor with no case than the fair, impartial judge he should have been.

When his efforts failed to trap the Lord into incriminating Himself, Annas sent Him to Caiaphas for a hearing with the Sanhedrin. That illegal hearing also failed to produce any legitimate evidence of guilt on Jesus’ part. In desperation, the Sanhedrin resorted to using the perjured testimony of false witnesses to accuse Jesus of blasphemy. Like Annas, the Sanhedrin violated every legitimate ethical standard. As judges, they were supposed to fairly, impartially weigh the evidence presented to them. Instead they, like Annas, acted like prosecutors, soliciting testimony against Christ with none in defense. But the testimony of those witnesses contradicted each other (Mark 14:56). Even the testimony of the two witnesses who claimed to have heard Him say that He would destroy the temple was inconsistent (v. 59). Without any credible witnesses against Him, the case against Jesus should have disintegrated into nothing.

They would, however, not let the truth prevail. In desperation, Caiaphas placed Jesus under oath and demanded, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God” (Matt. 26:63). When He replied, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:63–64), Caiaphas had the answer he had hoped for. Jesus had incriminated Himself. In a hypocritical display of supposed devotion to God’s glory the high priest “tore his robes [ironically, in violation of the law (Lev. 21:10)] and said, ‘He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?’ They answered, ‘He deserves death!’” (vv. 65–66). Once Caiaphas had the “evidence” he so desperately sought and the Sanhedrin had heard Jesus’ alleged blasphemy, there was no further need to rely on the testimony of the perjured witnesses. The Sanhedrin was finally able to render the verdict they had already decided on before they heard anything. This disgraceful farce of a trial was over.

Meanwhile Peter, who had fled with the rest of the disciples, turned back and was following at a distance, along with another disciple (John 18:15), presumably John. Since John was known to the high priest, he was able to get Peter into the courtyard of the compound shared by Annas’s and Caiaphas’s residences (v. 16). Peter, standing with some of the high priest’s slaves and officers of the temple guard who were warming themselves near a fire (v. 18), was trying to blend in and be undiscovered. His effort to remain anonymous was futile, however, because a servant-girl (the female servant stationed at the gate; John 18:17) seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Him too.” Caught off guard and in a panic, Peter blurted out his first denial saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” The other gospel writers add that Peter also said, “I am not” (John 18:17); “I do not know what you are talking about” (Matt. 26:70); and “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about” (Mark 14:68). Peter was on his own; Jesus was not there to bail him out. So much for proud confidence. Left to his own resources, he was no match even for a lowly servant girl. R. C. H. Lenski writes,

Immediately after this first denial Peter “went out onto the porch” (the corridor leading to the gate) (Mark 14:68) and the first rooster crowed. Unnerved, Peter headed for the exit. But before he could escape he was confronted again; another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too.” Matthew adds that another servant girl (the word translated “another” in Matt. 26:71 is in the feminine form) also identified Peter as having been with Christ, while Mark refers to “the servant-girl” (14:69); presumably the one from the gate who had already accused him repeated her accusation. Bombarded with accusations from all sides, Peter again denied any knowledge of Jesus, this time taking an oath to attest that what he was saying was true (Matt. 26:72).

Whether because his escape was blocked, or because his attachment to Jesus still would not allow him to leave, Peter stayed in the courtyard darkness. After about an hour had passed, he was confronted for the third time, when another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too.” This man, a slave of the high priest and a relative of Malchus, whose ear Peter had cut off in Gethsemane, said to him, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” (John 18:26). Now thoroughly alarmed, Peter’s denial was even more heated and emphatic. In response to this man and the rest of the bystanders who were also accusing him, Peter vehemently denied any knowledge of Jesus and “began to curse and swear” (Matt. 26:74). In addition to reaffirming his false oath that he did not know Jesus, Peter now pronounced God’s curses on himself, calling for divine judgment to fall on him if he were lying. What had begun as a single lie to a single girl had escalated into a fury of lying denials to many of the bystanders in the courtyard, accompanied with cursing and swearing.

Dramatically and suddenly two things occurred: a rooster crowed for the second time (Mark 14:72) and the Lord, at that moment being escorted across the courtyard after leaving His hearing before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, 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.”

The devastating reality of what he had done hit Peter with full force. All that Jesus had predicted he had done. His brash overconfidence had not given him the strength to meet this temptation. He had boasted too much, prayed too little, acted too fast, and followed too far. Overwhelmed with shame, guilt, and grief over what he had done, Peter went out and wept bitterly. Face-to-face with the truth of Jesus’ prediction and the weakness of his sinful nature, Peter cried out for pardon and forgiveness.

THE WAY UP

Peter had failed to believe the Lord’s warning promise, rejected reproof, slept instead of watching and praying, and ended up boldly setting himself in the middle of the enemies of the Lord. Such audaciousness had led to a shocking, demoralizing defeat.

Still, in God’s grace, mercy, compassion, and love, that was not to be the end of the story. After the resurrection, Jesus restored Peter. He granted him three opportunities, corresponding to his three denials, to reaffirm his love for Him (John 21:15–17). Peter’s faith had not totally failed, as Jesus had said it would not (Luke 22:32), and he was restored to usefulness, as the early chapters of Acts record. As Jesus had also predicted, Peter later used his experience of failure and restoration to strengthen other Christians. He was able to share the glorious truth that although it may be severely tested, saving faith will never permanently fail (1 Peter 1:6–7; 2 Peter 1:1). Peter also exhorted believers to avoid overconfidence by being on guard, and continuing to grow in grace (2 Peter 3:17–18).