I, Peter, was at Gethsemane when they came to arrest Jesus. I was afraid; I ran away—we all ran and deserted Jesus. How did Jesus feel seeing his friends, his followers run away like frighten children?
I followed those who arrested Jesus, but at a safe distance. They took him to the home of the high priest, Caiaphas. I sat with the guards in the courtyard unnoticed. Then one of the serving girls said to me. “You were with Jesus.” Out of fear, I denied knowing Jesus.
I moved over to the fire to warm my hands and then another young woman said she knew I was with Jesus the Nazarene. My God! Was I too going to be arrested? I became angry and vehemently insisted that I did not even know the man.
Then a third time a person came up to me saying that he saw me with Jesus’ group and that even my accent gave me away. I cursed and even swore that I did not know Jesus.
And then, then a rooster began to crow; I remembered Jesus had said to me earlier that evening: before the rooster crows you will deny me three times. I felt awful and wept with shame.