Anchor My Faith

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Author: Stephen Weller
576 words, 3 minutes read time

Three Denial Locations

Scripture: Mark 14:61-62

The previous lesson was longer than usual and covered five more denials of Peter knowing Jesus or being one of his disciples. In this lesson Peter realizes what he has done, and Jesus provides the information needed to convict him of death.

^{Mk 14:61} 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.

In the conclusion of the last lesson it was mentioned that there was a possible conflict with what Jesus said about Peter denying him three times and the narrative showing six times. There was also conflict between gospel writers over how many times the rooster crowed; was it once or twice? In the verse above, Peter remembered Jesus saying to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” I have thought about this and want to suggest the following solution.

The first denial is not questioned and occurred when the servant girl at the door to the courtyard recognizes Peter when Jesus was taken before Annas.

The second denial could be the collection of denials two through four that took place in the courtyard when Jesus went before Caiaphas the high priest. The narrative records the second denial with the slaves and guards in the courtyard by the fire. The third denial in the narrative occurred by the fire with Peter now sitting down. A servant girl points out who Peter was. The fourth denial in the narrative indicates Peter is about to leave the courtyard and go to the gateway and Peter denies before all that he knows Jesus and then the rooster crowed. These three denials occurred in the same location and ended with a rooster crowing and could be summarized as the second denial.

The third denial could be denials five and six of the narrative as they both occur outside the courtyard. The fifth denial of the narrative was when a servant of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, recognized Peter. The sixth denial occurs when bystanders recognized Peter. Peter then invokes a curse on himself and swears that he does not know Jesus and then the rooster crows. These two denials could be summarized as the third denial.

The above shows that the six denials are details that Jesus groups as denials occurring in three locations: the courtyard when Jesus was before Annas, the courtyard when Jesus was before Caiaphas, and then outside the courtyard. Did the rooster crow once or twice? That difference comes from what the gospel writers remembered.

Peter remembers denying Jesus at three different locations and was reminded of this when the Lord turned and looked at him as the rooster crowed. Was it the first or the second crow? That is not important. What is important is that Peter goes out and weeps bitterly over his betrayal of Jesus.

Conclusion

The six denials reported in the harmonization narrative occurred in three locations and are spoken of as three denials by Jesus. Did the rooster crow once or twice? There is no way to tell. With this issue behind us the focus in the next lesson will be back on Jesus and his trial.