Peter's Denial: A Look at the Courtyard Complex

You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk

about the Bible in fun in practical ways. Hey, welcome to the Bible

Guys. He's Chris, I'm Jeff. Yes, and man, you made

it. I'm so glad you made it just in time, made for this

really incredible podcast. You did it. You clicked. Yes, good job,

way to go. We're just always amazing you keep showing back up.

So that's great. This is your first time with us. We're just a

couple guys like to talk about the Bible and fun and practical ways, and

this is kind of a devotional conversation, right, So I think it's going

to be really challenging today because we're talking about Peter denying that he knew Jesus.

Yeah. That's a big one, big event, big event. But

before we do that, Jeff, Yeah, so I have a segment for

you today. We're going to do two truths in a Lie. Yeah.

And this is similar to what we did last week. Yeah, the last

time it was you did two truths in a Lie. Yeah, and I

had to guess yes today and I'm going to choose a theme today. Okay,

Yeah, Okay, so I'm gonna give you two truths in a lie?

So hit me. Yeah literally? Oh, I say, sweet,

that's even a better game. Let me see two punches of job. So

I once won a video game tournament and was invited to the World Championships.

I am ranked in the top half percent in the world on my favorite video

game right now, and I own a hybrid version of Gallica and misspac Man.

It's in my man cave in the basement. Okay, First of all,

all three of these statements are blowing me out of the world. I

have no idea. As long as I've known you, you have never talked

about any of this because I don't braggle it not even I'm not a breath.

I've never even heard you mentioned like, would you say, Miss pack

Miss is it the fast version of Miss pac Man? Yes, okay,

listen, this is this is we got to talk miss the fast version of

Miss pac Man? Is my game? Is that your game? Oh?

Dude? I remember getting the high score in Missouri. I would sit there

for hours and hours and hours. Yeah, but have you ever been invited

to World Championship? Okay, so too true? Is in a lie?

The first truth was you're you, you were invited to World Championship. The

next truth was you're considered in the top half percent. And the third truth

or the third statement was I owned it at home. You owned at home.

I'm going to say, and two of these are true. Man,

what is happening in my life? Okay, I'm going to say, you

were never invited anywhere? No I was. I was. Yeah, So

it's a funny story. So the lie was, well, do you want

to choose from the other two? Well, yeah, it's gonna be the

half percent. No, that was true too. How could you be something

that you don't on it's not the same game, that's what. So that

was that was a false flag. So I don't Gallica and Misspec man.

So the game that you're actually good at two games. So my sons,

here's here's me getting invited to a World championship. My sons were teenagers and

they wanted to go to a video game tournament. They thought they were really

really good at Mario Brothers. And so they went to this tournament and I'm

just walking around with them in the tournament and they had a Grand Triesmo set

up, and so they keep saying, hey, you want to do this.

I kept saying, no, I'm not interested. Oh there's big prizes,

all this stuff. I didn't want to do it. Finally, the

tournament just kept going on and on and on. So I go and I

sit down and I want d up winning the Michigan version of that. But

I placed in the top fifty in the world. So I got invited to

the World Championships in Dallas. And so I'm like forty something years old and

people call me and they say, hey, so Jeffrey. They call me

Jeffrey because I had to, you know, log in everything. Jeffrey.

We are so excited you placed in like the top twenty, and so we're

bringing in like the top twenty racers in the world to Dallas. And so

we're going to pay for you and your guardian to fly first class and you

can stay in a hotel and all's your guardian has to do is sign off

on this. It's going to be amazing. And I said, can I

have my wife sign off on it? She goes, what I said,

why do I have to have a guardian? She goes, how old are

you? I said, I'm forty and she went, oh, my gosh.

So it was all teenagers, said one and me, Okay, let's

back up and let me ask you this question. That's hilarious. Yeah what

uh so Grand Trees most a racing game. I know, but oh I

know that. But why were you good at it because you'd played a ton

or are you just just good at it? I literally I sat down and

won it. So, in other words, you'd never played it to that

point. Well, I'd played Grand Trees mo before, but not in the

whole rig you know, driving rigs, set up all that kind of stuff.

It just yeah, it was just something you were decent. So they

sent me thousands of dollars worth of prizes. It was pretty great, but

I declined to go to the World Championship. I didn't want to go play

against much of teenagers. I was kind of embarrassed at that point, and

I was pastoring a heritage church. So that's one. The other one is,

right now, I'm ranked in the top half percent in the world in

Call of Duty Mobile. Yeah. Yeah, there's there's like forty million people

or thirty million people something like that that play Call of Duty and yeah,

I'm in like the top twenty thousand or something. Yeah, Okay, isn't

it funny? You have never once breathed any of that information. Isn't it

weird? Yeah? Oh no, not weird. It's just it's surprising.

So that's my fallback in case ministry doesn't work. I'm a professional gamer.

I had no idea. Dude, I would not have pegged that. Wow,

you didn't know those two things about me? No good, you've never

missed I win. I know Okay, you know me well enough to know

had you breathed any of that, I would have logged that my memory back.

Yes, I know. That's why. That's why I did those,

because I knew. I don't think I've ever talked to you about that.

Wow, amazing. I am truly surprised. Wow, that's what. So

last week I think we had one of those secret skills that you've never mentioned

before. I remember I almost told those, and I thought, and I'm

going to save those for the next Wow. Yeah, son of a gun.

Yeah there you go. All right, Well, hey, why don't

you blow me away again by reading the passages found in Matthew, Mark,

Luke, and John. And this is the big event today? Yes,

so Matthew Chapter twenty six, verse sixty nine, It says, meanwhile,

you know doing this trial in Kyaphas's house. Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside

in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, you

were one of those with Jesus the Galilean, but Peter denied it in front

of everyone. I don't know what you're talking about, he said. Later,

out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said, those

standing around this man was with Jesus of Nazareth. Again Peter denied it,

this time with an oath. I don't even know the man, Jesus said,

a little later, some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and

said, you must be one of them. We can tell by your Galilean

accent. Peter swore a curse on me if I'm lying, I don't know

the man, and immediately the rooster crowed. Suddenly, Jesus' words flashed through

Peter's mind. Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times that

you even know me, and he went away, weeping bitterly. In Mark,

chapter fourteen, verse sixty six, it says, meanwhile, Peter was

in the courtyard below one of the servant girls who worked for the high priests

came by noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely

and said, you were one of those with Jesus and Nazareth, but Peter

denied it. I don't know what you're talking about, he said, and

he went out into the entryway. Just then a rooster crow. When the

servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others this man is

definitely one of them, but Peter denied it again. A little later,

some of the other bystanders confronted Peter and said you must be one of them,

because you're a Galilean. Peter swore, occurs to me if I'm lying,

I don't know this man you're talking about, And immediately the rooster crowe

the second time. Suddenly Jesus' words flashed through Peter's mind. Before the rooster

crows twice. You will deny three times that you even know me. He

broke down and wept. Luke chapter twenty two, verse fifty four. Remember

how we skipped this piece yesterday, yeah, says and Peter followed at a

distance, and the guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and

sat around it, and Peter joined them. There, a servant girl noticed

him in the firelight and began staring at him, and finally she said this

man was one of jesus followers. But Jesus denied it woman, he said,

I don't even know him. After a while, someone else looked at

him and said, you must be one of them. No, I'm not,

Peter retorted. About an hour later, someone else insisted this must be

one of them because he's a Galilean too. Peter said, man, I

don't know what you're talking about. Immediately, while he was still speaking,

the rooster crode. At that moment, the Lord turned and looked at Peter.

Suddenly, the Lord's words flashed through Peter's mind. Before the rooster crows

tomorrow morning, you'll deny three times that even know me. Peter left the

courtyard weeping bitterly. And then in John chapter eighteen, verse twenty five,

it says while Simon meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming

himself, they asked him again, you're not one of his disciples, are

you, And he denied it, saying, no, I'm not, but

one of the household slaves of the High priest. A relative of the man

whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, didn't I see you out there

in the olive grol with Jesus? And again Peter denied it, and immediately

a rooster crode. Yeah, so John includes two denials. But isn't it

isn't John the one that included the denial at Annis? Yeah, let's go

back and see. That's a great one, because I was going to ask

the same question. Yes it is, it's John. Yeah, so John

has John lets us know one of them was at Annis's house, the other

was at Caiaphas's house. The other two were at Caias, which, by

the way, I'm I'm not sure until this moment that I've ever pieced that

together. That's why it's the benefit of Okay, So in other words,

like so so Matthew, Mark and Luke talk about him being in a courtyard.

But let's keep in mind that through the last couple of days, what

we saw is that they were in the courtyard in front of Annis's house,

and they were also in the courtyard in front of Caiaphas's house, right,

which are very very close. If you ever look at a map of Jerusalem,

they're close, right, Caiaphas's house and Annies's house probably were very very

We're maybe even next door. Yeah. So remember John is the one who

knew them, and he had access in so he would have known this is

Caiaphas's house, this is Ani's house. But maybe Matthew didn't know the difference

between the two because oftentimes in the Middle East they build these big complexes.

Right, it's not just a house and you get your little yard and your

little fence around your yard. Right, a lot of times it would be

complexes, and then you're in the city where everything's built wall the wa the

wall to wall the wall, and so they may not have realized that they

were in two different homes at John level. But John clearly knew that courtyard

was Annis's courtyard, that courtyard is Caiaphas's courtyard, and that would make sense

with the insight of knowing that John was on the inside of things. Yeah,

he knew them. So first of all, Wow, that's fascinating,

because that's that's a detail that I don't think I've ever even heard anybody saying.

Again, those little details that prove prove the historicity of this to me.

Uh, And now let's talk about this fact. So I went to

Caiphas's house and uh, and there's you know, again when you go to

Israel, there are places where they rank you know, one, two and

three. This was definitely it. This may have been at this was close,

and they rank Kiphas's house as definitely as definitely it. So, you

know, and there's still there's a structure still there, and and the place

where Jesus would have spent the night in the dungeon down there in the cave.

And then also the walls separate, you know, the walls around Caipas's

house, which by the way, was a pretty big it was a pretty

big courtyard and pretty big property. And by the way, incidentally, side

note, there is also a set of stairs that Jesus would have had to

have walked up to get to get there. And those stairs, you know,

I could just even imagine, you know, as you're walking those stairs,

you're like trying to imagine how hard it would have been. Anyway,

So it was a very emotional place to be in. But let me talk

about the courtyard for a minute. This is a purpose of me talking about

this is that only Luke says the Lord took to turned and looked at Peter.

Right, So, how in the world would Jesus have been inside the

house and Peter outside in the courtyard and then all of a sudden, how

would Jesus have turned and looked at Peter. It wasn't through a window.

It was because at that moment Jesus was coming outside. And so there's two

systems of belief here that this is what the tour guide told us. Because

people in Israel, how knowledgeable are the tour guides whether they have to go

to college in order to get to be licensed as a guide, right,

right, right? Because they're historians is what they are. They're not just

tour guides, like and over here is the liberty bell. They're historians that

are that are preserving the history of Israel. So they can't get licensed unless

they've gone to college for it, right, Yeah, So I remember the

tour guide telling us that one of two things, either the courtyard was on

this side of the wall with a gate, or was on this side of

the wall. If it was on this side of the wall would have been

pretty small courtyard. It's not likely that would mean that Jesus would have come

out of the house and they would have been over here on this side of

the wall, which is a very small area, not likely for somebody who

was awaiting Kiaphas's trials. There would have been a larger, larger crowds,

which means probability is pretty high. They don't know for sure, but probability

is really high that it would have been outside walls with gates. So,

in other words, in order for Jesus to have looked upon Peter. And

by the way, the wooden doors were no longer there. So it was

like two walls that had come together with an entrance, and there would have

been either some iron gates or some wooden gates that would have been closed,

probably wooden gates because they want people peering in on private property with the houses.

So imagine these two walls, the courtyard being outside, the trial taking

place in the inside. And so Peter thinking he's, you know, separated

by Jesus with a wall and some gates, and then all of a sudden

he denies, and it says, as he was speaking, here's what must

have happened. So scholars say, what must have happened is the gates opened

at that moment Peter denies. The rooster crows. It happens in one swoop,

and all of a sudden, the Lord has his eyes locked on Peter.

So imagine that you're on the outside, Jesus is going through a trial

on the inside, and then all of a sudden, as you dine him

the third time, you know, boom, the gates open. The trial's

over. He's in chains or whatever. He is right guarded. And it's

that look, that haunting look that really sticks with you. And I mentioned

the haunting look in the garden when when Judas came in and he says,

do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss? And that that look

right into your eyes. Well, in this case it would have been completely

different because Peter is, you know, the follower of Christ, right,

he's considered by some to be the number one leader of the disciples on the

Inner Circle. And so that look is probably the most haunting and guilt filled

look maybe described in all the scriptures. Yeah, and so yeah, that's

just that's just terrible. Well, you find him denying Christ at the same

time trying to fit in with the crowd. Right. So the girl comes

in and she goes and she was a relative of Malchuses. Hey, wait

a minute, aren't you You were one of those guys. No, woman,

I don't know what you're talking about. So the guy says, no,

I'm pretty sure. Yeah, you were one of those things. He

goes, man, I don't know what you're talking about. And the last

one he's start it's cussing right right, blankety blank, I don't know what

you're doing. Yeah, and I don't know what you're talking about. And

they say, hey, no, we recognize you because you have a Galilean

accent. The people in Jerusalem they were the educated, they were the elite.

They were the ones who'd arrived, and they viewed the people from Galilee

kind of like Hillbilly's right. In their minds, they're thinking, uneducated,

very different accent. You stand out, you're not one of us. And

so in that context, he's kind of he's trying really hard to fit in

and he's around these tough soldiers. It's the soldiers that hauled Jesus in,

which is pretty crazy. Yeah, I can't imagine how that played out.

Did he like walk up to the fire and then realize, oh, their

soldiers act cool at cool Yeah, and just to start washing his you know,

warming his hands and trying to, you know, pull his cloak around

his face and not be noticed. But they could tell by his language and

his words. But he was trying to fit in. And usually when we

work hard to try to fit in with the world, we're gonna deny Christ

at some point. I think that's the path that he goes down here.

But the good news is, you know, there's a note here that says

for Luke twenty two to fifty five says Peter's experiences in the next few hours

would change his life. He would change from a half hearted follower to a

repent and disciple, and finally to the kind of person Christ could use to

build his church. Right, what a great that's what happens here, because

he weeps bitterly immediately, and that's what our sin should do to us,

right, should break our hearts. He weeps bitterly. He eventually Jesus gives

him an opportunity to repent after the resurrection, and then he gets back up

and he throws himself at serving Jesus the rest of his life. And he

has exactly the right response to his sin at this point, his denial of

Christ. But it came I think partly because he's trying really hard to fit

in, to not bring attention to himself. And a lot of times we

do that in the world. We don't want to stand out, so we

vote the way they vote, we talk the way they talk, we do

what they do. We don't want to stand up and say that's not the

right thing to do. And then eventually, you know, we've slipped into

you know, it reminds me of Daniel Chapter one, right, what is

it like, verse eight or whatever, where he says, but Daniel purposed

in his heart, you know, not to defile himself with a portion of

the king's you know, the vegetables and the wine, and it says that

he just he just refused. He made up his mind not to give in

or compromise. And it's the opposite of what Peter's doing here. So obviously

Peter's under a great duress. He's under great stress. He's afraid, he's

you know, he's he knows what might happen if he gets recognized as a

follower. His life can be on the line. And when that happens,

you don't know how you're gonna act in the moment. But Peter obviously was

scared so instead of going in there with great resolve, kind of like in

the garden, remember when you pull out the sword. He must have put

up this workcause he had great resolve. Yes, He's like, okay,

here it is, buddy, this is it. I'm going down with Jesus

right now. That's great resolve, that's that's purposing your heart. But at

this point, all that's gone, right, and so he's he's following.

He doesn't know what to do. There's no purpose or resolve, and so

the Bible says to be in the world, but not of the world.

Right, there's that reminds me of Elijah. Remember Elijah's so tough. He

goes and defeats the prophets of Bale and then he's running from Jezebel and he's

hiding and he just wants God to kill him right right the very next right,

you know. And that's what we do. So sometimes we're hot,

sometimes we're cold. But the issue is you have a choice every time you

face with these moments, either you run to Jesus or from Jesus. Right,

and Jesus came looking for Peter, and he gave Peter an opportunity to

come back to him and he just leaned in. There's also another note here

just in it to button up the piece we were talking about before. It

says Caiaphas's home and Ann's home were part of a huge palace complex there it

is, so yeah, so they probably shared multiple courtyards, which it makes

sense since they're related, right, right, And it's why the story of

Peter in John has ans courtyard, Caiaphas's courtyard, and Matthew Mark and Luke

just say Caiaphas's courtyard is because it was all together, right, it was

all blended together because they were part of a giant palace complex. So that's

really interesting, which would mean that when I was at Caiaphas's house, I

was also at Annis's house. Well, you were probably at Caiaphas's dwelling space,

but it would have been a giant palace complex. So a lot of

times what they do is they build those walls and then the homes to be

built into the walls. So if you were on the south wall and that

was Caiaphas's house and maybe Annis's was on the you know the other wall,

you know, to the north or whatever, that that's what it could have

been. But however it is Bonnie and I we went to Morocco and we

stayed in these riodds. They were palaces, and they had these big open

courtyards in the middle, and then the houses, the house itself, the

mansion. The palace was built around the courtyard. That's every place we stayed

in Morocco is the same way. It was really really cool, and so

we'd go out for breakfast in the morning, there'd be a fountain, there'd

be out palm trees and stuff in the courtyard, and there'd be other people

staying in the palace at the same time, and we'd all sit at different

tables and stuff, and there would be a couple of little courtyards, a

couple of little private spots throughout the thing. And that's exactly how I'm envisioning

this is, you know, this Middle Eastern mindset of building a multiple homes

around one courtyard, one giant complex, yeah, which which that was the

purpose of a courtyard was a shared space in the middle. And for political

reasons, to park you Lamborghini's I think, yeah, right, in Morocco

probably yes, right, But for here, obviously, for political purposes,

the courtyard would have been a shared space for crowds. That's correct, and

people and things like that gathering. Yeah. So wow, that is just

an unbelievable insight that John had and it makes so much sense since he was

in the inside of things. Yeah, and so when you read those things,

you should feel more confident that, wow, these are real eyewitness accounts

because they're giving details that fit, but they're different details and that that's really

great. And then obviously with Peter, this was these experiences over a twelve

hour period were some of the most devastating things that God used them in some

of the greatest ways to make him into the great man that he was going

to be right right, because we're about to see the breakfast on the beach.

It's coming, baby, So all right, Well, hey, that's

it for this week and hopefully we'll pick up on Monday with you on the Bibble Gosh