26:75 Peter remembered the word of Jesus. It was at this point that the Lord turned and looked at Peter (Lu 22:61). The hall where Jesus was being tried was probably open toward the court, and Jesus may easily have heard all the denials of Peter. Now he turns and looks at Peter, and brings to his mind what he had few hours before foretold.
He went out, and wept bitterly. The look of Christ broke his heart. As the cock crew, his own confident assertions and the word of the Lord, Before the cock crow twice (before the second cock crowing) thou shalt thrice deny me rushed upon him (Mt 26:34 Mr 14:30 Lu 22:34). He rushed out into the darkness of the night to weep. Judas sinned, betrayed and sold the Lord from covetousness. Afterward he was sorry, but it was the sorrow of this world that worketh death (2Co 7:10). It was remorse, not repentance, and he went and hanged himself. Peter's repentance was attested (1) by the bitterness of his tears; (2) by his humble submission to his Lord's subsequent rebuke (Joh 21:15-17); (3) by his subsequent courage in confessing Christ in the face of threatening danger (Ac 4:8-12,19).
THE ORDER OF EVENTS, after the prayer at Gethsemane, for this night were as follows: After the arrest, and its incidents, (1) Jesus was taken first to the house of Annas, ex-high priest (Joh 18:13). (2) Next, to the palace of Caiaphas, Peter and John following (Joh 18:15). (3) Here was a preliminary examination before Caiaphas (Joh 18:19-24). (4) The trial before the council illegal, because held at night--before three o'clock, the cock-crowing (Mt 26:59-65 Mr 14:55-64). (5) Peter's three denials during the trial (Mt 26:69-75 Mr 14:66-72). (6) After the Sanhedrin had pronounced him guilty it suspends its session till break of day (7) During this interval Jesus is exposed to the insults of his enemies (Mt 26:67-68 Lu 22:63-65). (8) At the dawn of day the Sanhedrin re-assembles (Mt 27:1 Mr 15:1 Lu 22:66). (9) After hearing Christ's confession again, he is formally condemned to death for blasphemy (Lu 22:66-71). (10) He is bound and sent to Pilate (Mr 15:1).
ON THE ILLEGAL CONVICTION OF CHRIST, Prof. Greenleaf, a distinguished jurist, says:
Throughout the whole course of the trial, the rules of the Jewish law of procedure were grossly violated, and the accused was deprived of rights belonging even to the meanest citizen. He was arrested in the night, bound as a malefactor, beaten before his arraignment, and struck in open court during the trial. He was tried on a feast-day, and before sunrise. He was compelled to criminate himself, and this under an oath of solemn judicial adjuration; and he was sentenced on the same day of conviction. In all these particulars the law was wholly disregarded.''
26:69-75 Peter's sin is truly related, for the Scriptures deal faithfully. Bad company leads to sin: those who needlessly thrust themselves into it, may expect to be tempted and insnared, as Peter. They scarcely can come out of such company without guilt or grief, or both. It is a great fault to be shy of Christ; and to dissemble our knowledge of him, when we are called to own him, is, in effect, to deny him. Peter's sin was aggravated; but he fell into the sin by surprise, not as Judas, with design. But conscience should be to us as the crowing of the cock, to put us in mind of the sins we had forgotten. Peter was thus left to fall, to abate his self-confidence, and render him more modest, humble, compassionate, and useful to others. The event has taught believers many things ever since, and if infidels, Pharisees, and hypocrites stumble at it or abuse it, it is at their peril. Little do we know how we should act in very difficult situations, if we were left to ourselves. Let him, therefore, that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall; let us all distrust our own hearts, and rely wholly on the Lord. Peter wept bitterly. Sorrow for sin must not be slight, but great and deep. Peter, who wept so bitterly for denying Christ, never denied him again, but confessed him often in the face of danger. True repentance for any sin will be shown by the contrary grace and duty; that is a sign of our sorrowing not only bitterly, but sincerely.
