15. Peter denied it, the cock crowed, and Peter remembered what Jesus had said

Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:56-62; John 18:17, 25-27

NARRATOR:    Peter fled the mob arresting Jesus. He followed to the courtyard where the angry mob awaits Jesus' fate. They have gathered around a bonfire. Peter tries not to call attention to himself. It will be dangerous if he is identified.

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Meanwhile Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came up to him

 

While Peter was down below in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s servant-girls came up. She saw Peter warming himself there,

 

and as he was sitting there by the blaze a servant-girl saw him,

 

As Simon Peter stood there warming himself, someone

saying, ‘You, too, were with Jesus the Galilean.’

 

she looked closely at him and said, ‘You too were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.’

 

peered at him, and said, ‘This man was with him too.’

 

said to him, ‘Aren’t you another of his disciples?’

But he denied it in front of them all.

‘I do not know what you are talking about,’ he said.

 

But he denied it.

‘I don’t understand, I do not know what you are talking about,’ he said.

 

 

But he denied it. ‘Woman, I do not know him,’ he said.

 

He denied it saying,

‘I’m not his disciple.’

 

 

And he went out into the forecourt, and a cock crowed.

 

 

 

 

When Peter went out to the gateway another servant-girl saw him and said to the people there, ‘This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.’

 

The servant-girl saw him and again started telling the bystanders, ‘This man is one of them.’

 

Shortly afterwards someone else saw him and said, ‘You’re one of them too.’

 

One of the high priest’s servants, a cousin of the man who Peter wounded, said, ‘Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?’

And again, with an oath, he denied it, ‘I don’t know the man.’

 

But again he denied it.

 

But Peter replied, ‘I’m not one of them, my friend.’

 

Again Peter denied it;

A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, ‘You’re certainly one of them too! Why, your accent gives you away.’

 

A little later the bystanders themselves said to Peter, ‘You’re certainly one of them! Why, you’re a Galilean.’

 

About an hour later another man insisted, saying, ‘This fellow was certainly with him. Why, he is a Galilean.’

 

 

Then he started cursing and swearing, ‘I don’t know the man.’

 

But he started cursing and swearing, ‘I don’t know who that man is.’

 

Peter said, ‘My friend, I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ 

 

 

 

And at once

the cock crowed,

 

 

And at once

the cock crowed

for the second time,

 

 

At that instant, while he was still speaking,

the cock crowed,

and the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter,

 

and at once

a cock crowed.

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and Peter remembered what Jesus had said,  

‘Before the cock crows you will have denied me three times.’

 

and Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him, 

‘Before the cock crows twice,

you will have denied me three times.’

 

and Peter remembered the Lord’s words when he had said to him,

‘Before the cock crows today,

you will have denied me three times.’

 

 

And he went outside and wept bitterly.

 

And he burst into tears.

 

And he went outside and wept bitterly.

 

 

So when the hammer fell and darkness flooded in
the man that Peter said was Christ is brutalized by men.
Dear Peter could not rest safe in the dark of night:
for love and life he must draw near the fire's warmth and light.

 

A woman near him stares: I saw you with that man.
What man? That man. Not me! Oh, yes! I saw you as you ran.
I never knew that fool!
A cock crows, then he hears; remembering his Lord's own words, his face is washed with tears.

Music: melody Southwell, William Daman, 1579