Peter's Story
A painting of Peter in the high priest's courtyard as Jesus looks at him

Peter's Story · Event 19 of 38

Peter Denies Jesus

The Last Night

Before thisAfter this

4 accounts of this passage

Luke 22:54–62

54They took Jesus and led him to the high priest's house. Peter followed from a distance. 55They started a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together. Peter sat down among them. 56A servant girl saw him sitting by the fire and looked closely at him. She said, 'This man was also with him.' 57But he denied it, saying, 'Woman, I don't know him.' 58A little later, another person saw him and said, "You are one of them too!" Peter replied, "Man, I am not!" 59About an hour later, another person confidently said, 'Truly, this man was with him, for he is a Galilean.' 60Peter said, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about." Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.' 62Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Read Luke 22
Up nextRunning to the TombJohn 20:1–10

About this event

What happened?

Jesus was taken to the house of the high priest, and Peter followed at a distance. He sat down by a fire in the courtyard. A servant girl looked at him and said, “This man also was with him.” Peter denied it: “Woman, I do not know him.” Twice more people said he was one of them, and twice more he denied it. While he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered what Jesus had said. He went outside and wept bitterly.

Who is here?

  • Jesus
  • A servant girl
  • Servants and officers by the fire
  • Another disciple, known to the high priest

Where this fits

Event 6 of 6 in The Last Night: Peter promises to die with Jesus, falls asleep in the garden, and denies him three times.

Good to know

The four Gospels tell the three denials with small differences in who asked and where Peter stood. Only Luke says the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Mark 14:72 says the rooster crowed a second time.

Keep exploring

Before thisThe Sword in the GardenJohn 18:10–11After thisRunning to the TombJohn 20:1–10

Peter's Story