NOTES for Joh 18:15-27
Christians have long held differing views on whether Peter's denial should be considered betrayal in the full sense of the word, or whether it is something else. The answer, as so often, depends on what exactly one understands Christianity to be. If Christianity is seen as a kind of new religion, then Peter's denial can be considered merely a misunderstanding, and nothing more. Indeed, the central thing that Peter and the other apostles thought their Teacher had been speaking about had failed. There would be no messianic war. It was all over before it had really begun. In denying Him, Peter was essentially betraying no one and nothing: there was no one and nothing left to betray. All that remained was loyalty to what had once been and was now gone. To former relationships. To former goals and ideals. Of course, someone who keeps such loyalty even in the face of possible death must be considered a hero.
But we can hardly demand such heroism of everyone. Especially since it was important to Peter to keep watch on the high priest's courtyard, on what was happening to the Teacher. His personal relationship with Him remained absolutely important to Peter in any case. And now people were pestering him with awkward questions about something that no longer made any sense, but could prevent him from doing what he was doing. He brushed the questioners away like annoying flies: I know nothing; leave me alone. What difference did it really make now? What had been the meaning of life only an hour before had now collapsed, and there was no point recalling it. If, however, Christianity is seen as a new life, then the denial does turn out to be betrayal.
It is no accident that the crowing rooster reminds Peter of the promises he made to the Teacher. In reality, nothing is over yet. On the contrary, everything is only beginning. The most important thing lies ahead. And for that, nothing matters more than the relationship linking Peter to Jesus. Peter alone went into the high priest's courtyard — seemingly without any particular purpose, since there was nothing he could do to help the Teacher. In reality, it was his sense of the depth of the relationship binding him to Jesus that made Peter go where he did.
And now he casually brushes aside what had been the foundation of that relationship only a short time before. Of course, Peter himself does not yet understand what is happening. He understands only that it has all turned out to be more serious than it seemed to him at first: the rooster really has crowed, just as the Teacher predicted, and the denial really has been uttered. True understanding will come later, at his encounter with the Risen One. Then true repentance will come too — repentance that fully restores Peter's relationship with the Teacher. This time forever.