The Beginning:
After Jesus is arrested, He is taken to the high priest for questioning. Peter follows at a distance and enters the courtyard area, staying near a fire among servants and others watching events unfold.
The Middle:
Several people recognize Peter as a follower of Jesus and confront him in turn. Peter denies knowing Jesus three times, with the denials growing stronger and more emphatic in some accounts. As he speaks the final denial, a rooster crows, just as Jesus had predicted earlier that night.
The End:
Peter remembers Jesus’ words about denying Him before the rooster crowed. In Luke’s account, Jesus turns and looks at Peter, and Peter leaves and weeps bitterly. The scene ends with Peter’s failure exposed and Jesus’ warning fulfilled.
This episode highlights both human weakness and Jesus’ foreknowledge and faithfulness in the face of betrayal and fear. Peter’s denial does not overturn Jesus’ mission; instead, it underscores that the path to the cross proceeds according to God’s saving purpose, even when disciples falter. The story also prepares for the broader Passion narrative theme that restoration and renewed witness come through God’s mercy rather than human resolve.
Courtyards in large Jerusalem homes commonly served as open-air spaces where household servants could gather; during nighttime proceedings, a charcoal or wood fire provided light and warmth (John 18:18). Such settings also made identification easier, since speech patterns or accent could mark someone as a Galilean (Matt. 26:73; Mark 14:70).
“Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” — Matthew 26:34
Answer the questions below. When you choose an option, you will see the result and an explanation.
1. Where was Peter when people began to recognize him and confront him about following Jesus?
2. What happened as Peter spoke his final denial of Jesus?