Peter’s Threefold Denial of Christ
It was in the courtyard of Caiaphas, just outside the Church of St. Peter Gallicantu, that Peter thrice betrayed Christ. Inside the church there is a beautiful icon that illustrates this gospel episode quite well. The icon presents several scenes at once. In the background, you see Peter and the maid exchanging words on either side of a fire. Peter is wearing a gold robe and gesturing with his hands that he doesn’t know Christ. Elevated on a column in the center of the icon is the rooster—the gallicantu. And in the foreground you see two figures standing side by side, but not too close: Christ looking at Peter after his thrice betrayal. It’s a striking contrast that while Peter’s hands are gesturing denial and almost pushing Jesus away, Jesus’s hands are bound. He’s a prisoner.
In the center of the sanctuary, behind the altar in the lower church, there’s another icon that shows us what happens after: Peter weeping bitterly. I love the Latin Vulgate translation of this verse, posted on a plaque beside the icon: “Et egressus foras Petrus flevit amare.” In English, this verse is normally translated “And [Peter] went out and wept bitterly” (Lk 22:62). In Latin, however, flevit means wept and amare means for love. This bitterness with which Peter wept isn’t just any ordinary bitterness. Rather, it is the bitterness of one uttlerly sorrowful for having betrayed his beloved. Peter fled and wept for love because the one he betrayed is love incarnate.
This is a powerful moment for Peter. Interestingly, the icon places the weeping Peter in the Cave of Betrayal. Peter is shown as having fled to the place he would go so often to be with Jesus and to hear him teach.
Icon of Peter weeping in St. Peter Gallicantu, Jerusalem
Considering Peter’s betrayal of Jesus, we can see that it was preceded by his following Jesus “from a distance.” If we follow Christ in a discipleship that is comfortable and easy—from a distance—we’re setting ourselves up for a discipleship that will end in denial. You can’t follow at a distance and remain a disciple for very long—a true one, at least. Have you ever tried to follow someone in a car when you don’t know the directions or where they are going? If you get separated because they go too fast or you have to stop at a light, then you are lost. To prevent this, you have to follow the car as closely as possible. It’s the same way with Christ. Following at a distance might seem comfortable and easy at first, but eventually we get separated from Christ, and then we’re lost.
Like Peter, the question for us is whether we are following Christ from a distance. Is that the key description of our discipleship? It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking we’re a disciple of Jesus and doing well so long as we don’t do all of the bad things that we see in the world. But after a while we begin to put our discipleship on the backburner. We get busy with our own lives and our own plans. But remember, it’s not about our will. Jesus shows us this clearly in the Garden of Gethsemane when he says, “Father, if you are willing, remove this chalice from me; nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done” (Lk 22:42). This is the discipleship of a Son who is close to his Father. In essence, Jesus models in a positive way how we should follow God closely, while Peter models in a negative way how we should not follow from a distance. As we move through the Passion narrative, Peter poignantly illustrates the question of discipleship. Are we following Jesus at a distance? This is dangerous because—as was the case with Peter—it can lead to denial. And we can’t be certain that, also like Peter, we will have the courage and conviction to repent and go on to become saints.
“Now the men who were holding Jesus mocked him and beat him; they also blindfolded him and asked him, ‘Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?’” (Lk 22:63–64). There is a great paradox in these verses. As the soldiers mocked Jesus as a prophet and commanded him to prophesy, Christ’s prophecy made during the Last Supper was fulfilled: outside in the courtyard, Peter denied even knowing the Lord three times.
If we didn’t know the end of the story, Peter’s denial of Christ at this point in the gospel might make us question what kind of leader he is going to make. Perhaps Jesus made a mistake in choosing him. But we know that Peter will make a great leader because of his repentance and experience of God’s mercy. Forgiveness is the main theme that will punctuate Peter’s preaching. We will see this over and over in the Acts of the Apostles and in Peter’s New Testament epistles. Peter understands perfectly that it is in Christ that we find forgiveness of sins. He is the best expositor of that truth because he is the first recipient of Christ’s forgiveness after the Resurrection.
Icon of Peter’s threefold denial in St. Peter Gallicantu, Jerusalem
Ironically, God can use our failures for our own discipleship. This is an astonishing truth. No matter what our sins might be, God can use our sinful past for his praise and glory. Just think for a moment of people who have made tremendous mistakes in their life and have so much regret. Yet, through repentance, they can receive God’s forgiveness and turn that regret into a beacon of God’s mercy, becoming a witness of God’s love. Whatever Satan does to tear us down, God can use to build us up in the truth of his mercy, love, and glory. I always think of sinners like Peter who betrayed the Lord, and now give eternal glory to God because they became signs of God’s great mercy and forgiveness. That’s what repentant sinners do for all eternity, and Peter is the foremost example.
