Jesus and Peter made dueling prophecies. Only one could come true.
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus prophesied that all His disciples would be made to stumble. He supported His prophecy by quoting Zechariah 13:7, saying that God would “strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (Mark 14:27). Jesus, of course, is that Shepherd.
“They might be made to stumble, but I certainly won’t!” Peter protested, referring to his fellow disciples.
“Oh, but you most assuredly will,” Jesus responded. “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
Vehemently Peter insisted, “I’ll show You, Jesus. Your prophesy about me is wrong. Even if I must die, I will not deny You!” The rest of the disciples said it too.
Peter believed in himself. He trusted his version of his future. He determined to prove Jesus wrong. When the mob came to arrest Jesus, Peter mustered enough courage to swing his sword and cut off a man’s ear (Mark 14:47). But Peter soon hid his sword and fell back to follow Jesus at a distance.
The mob brought Jesus before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious leaders behind His arrest. Peter arrived later, acted casual, and tried to blend into the crowd in the courtyard below Jesus. A servant girl of the high priest recognized Peter as having been with Jesus.
“I have no idea what you are talking about!” Peter claimed as he exited to the porch. There he heard a rooster crow for the first time that night.
The servant girl wouldn’t let her suspicion of Peter go. “This man must be one of them,” she said to those in the crowd.
Later the crowd recognized Peter’s manner and speech as being Galilean. “Surely you’re one of them,” they said.
Peter, fearing arrest and perhaps even death, began to curse and swear: “I don’t know this Man of whom you speak!”
“Cock-a-doodle-doo!” went the rooster a second time. On cue, Jesus looked at Peter. Jesus’ prophecy immediately replayed in Peter’s mind, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
Peter pondered Jesus’ words, left the crowd, and began to weep. He had denied Jesus’ prophecy and replaced it with his own. How foolishly self-confident he had been to think he could out-prophesy Jesus. Peter wept for his lack of trust in his master and for his failure to keep his word.
In the meantime, the Sanhedrin found Jesus guilty of blasphemy for claiming to be the “Son of the Blessed” and for prophesying that He will one day be seated at God the Father’s right hand before returning in the clouds. The religious leaders blindfolded Jesus and had men spit on Him and beat Him. “Prophesy! Who just hit you?” the abusers cried, convinced their little game proved Jesus a prophetic fraud.
Like the crowing rooster, the Sanhedrin proudly strutted around Jesus, mocking His prophecies. Little did they know that Jesus’ prophecy of Peter’s denial was simultaneously playing out.
Peter’s denial proved Jesus a prophet. That’s good news. For Jesus had also prophesied He would be raised and would go before His disciples into Galilee. Jesus indeed rose from the dead after bearing the sins of the world, including those of the mocking Sanhedrin and the denying disciple. Jesus went before His band of followers to Galilee and then returned to Heaven to sit at God’s right hand, just as He had predicted.
So what happened to Peter? Read what he later wrote to believers who had been scattered in the face of persecution.
“Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:23–25).
Peter returned to the Shepherd, having been forgiven of his sin once for all through Jesus’ death on the cross. Because Jesus rose from the dead, Peter lived with absolute confidence in Jesus’ prophesies concerning His yet-future return and reign. Peter dedicated his life to righteous living to the point of being crucified upside down for his devotion to Christ.
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Jesus’ resurrection makes eternal life possible, but it also gives us a purpose for life. That purpose doesn’t include trying to fulfill our self-prophecies or live out our selfish dreams. It means dedication to Jesus in light of His sure return to reward believers for serving Him well by the Holy Spirit’s power and for God’s glory.
This Easter, be thankful Jesus rose again so you might have eternal life. But also devote yourself to serving Him well. Seek to know and do His will above all else, because He will one day return just as He prophesied.
Mark 14:27–31, 61–72; Luke 22:61–65
Alex Bauman is interim director of Regular Baptist Press.
