Mark 14:66-72 - I don't know this man

14:66-68

We now come to Peter’s denial of Jesus, an invent predicted by Jesus (14:27-31). Peter was in the courtyard at the same time as Jesus was being beaten and mocked. A servant girl came along and looked at Peter. She remembered having seen him with Jesus at some point and told him that she knew he had been with Jesus. “I don’t know or understand ..” is a legal form of denial, used in Jewish courts. Peter then left that area.

14:69-72

The servant girl saw him again, and this time said to those around about that Peter was on of Jesus’ disciples. Again Peter denied it. The third time those standing near Peter accused him of being with Jesus. His accent may have given him away as a Galilean, and they knew that many of Jesus’ disciples were Galileans. Galileans were looked down upon, regarded as peasants. Peter then denied knowing Jesus all the more vehemently, even calling down curses upon himself. Then the rooster crowed and Peter came to his senses, remembering what Jesus had said, and realising what he had done. It is so easy to do the wrong thing. In 1 Per 1:13 Peter tells us to prepare our minds for action. We need to do this in order to reduce the risk of our doing something sinful or wrong. Otherwise it is easy for us to be caught off guard and our flesh will cease the opportunity.