Luke 22:54–62 (ESV)
Peter Denies Jesus
54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire
in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But
he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And
after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.”
And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows
today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.
During Jesus’ interrogation, Peter denies Jesus
three times. But Jesus’ word and look bring Peter to tears and to repentance. Self-preservation is never justification for denying our Lord and His tie with us. Jesus ever looks at us in love to call us to repentance, forgiving our sins.
I pray: Lord, look on me this hour with Your forgiving love. Amen.
Edward A. Engelbrecht, The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2009), 1767.