Mark 14:53-72

Mark 14:53. And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.

Thus we learn what a cold night it was,-that night in which the Saviour's «sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.» Often, at Jerusalem, the days are extremely hot, yet the nights are as cold as if it were winter, through the abundant dews that fall, and cause a dampness everywhere.

Mark 14:66. And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: and when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him,-

I think I see her, with her eyes fixed upon him, as he was warming himself at the fire: «She looked upon him,»-

Mark 14:67. And said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

This first time was not the regular season of cock-crowing, but those birds crow when they please. Before the fixed period called the cock-crowing, Peter was to deny his Master three times; this was the first time.

Mark 14:69. And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.

«Thou hast the peculiar brogue of that part of the country: ‘Thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.'»

Mark 14:71. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cockcrow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

He does not say that he went out, and wept bitterly, as Luke says in his version of the incident. This is Peter's own account of it, so he says as little as he can to his own credit, while he tells all that is to his discredit. You notice that there seem to be some slight differences between these two accounts, and it is quite natural that it should be so. If any two honest men here were to describe any scene that they had witnessed, the two would be sure to differ in some particulars, yet both accounts might be true. Matthew tells us that Jesus said to Peter, «Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice;» but Mark tells us that he said, «Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.» Yes; but there is no real contradiction, and the incident introduced by Mark shows how, to the very letter, both of those utterances of our Saviour were fulfilled, So is it with regard to those who spoke to Peter; when we come to another account, you will see that they differ very considerably, yet they are all true, for all that. (See Luke 22:54)

This exposition consisted of readings from Matthew 26:31; Matthew 26:57; Matthew 26:69; Mark 14:53; Mark 14:66; Luke 1:54; and John 18:15; John 18:25.