54 And Peter followed him at a distance, till [he was] within the court of the high priest's palace; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself in the light [of the fire]. 55 And the chief priests and the whole sanhedrim sought testimony against Jesus to cause him to be put to death, and did not find [any]. 56 For many bore false witness against him, and their testimony did not agree. 57 And certain persons rose up and bore false witness against him, saying, 58 We heard him saying, I will destroy this temple which is made with hands, and in the course of three days I will build another not made with hands. 59 And neither thus did their testimony agree. 60 And the high priest, rising up before them all, asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? What do these testify against thee? 61 But he was silent, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and says to him, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62 And Jesus said, I am, and ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven. 63 And the high priest, having rent his clothes, says, What need have we any more of witnesses? 64 Ye have heard the blasphemy; what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. 65 And some began to spit upon him, and cover up his face, and buffet him, and say to him, Prophesy; and the officers struck him with the palms of their hands.
66 And Peter being below in the palace-court, there comes one of the maids of the high priest, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, having looked at him, says, And thou wast with the Nazarene, Jesus. 68 But he denied, saying, I know not nor understand what thou sayest. And he went out into the vestibule; and a cock crew. 69 And the maid, seeing him, again began to say to those that stood by, This is [one] of them. 70 And he again denied. And again, after a little, those that stood by said to Peter, Truly thou art [one] of them, for also thou art a Galilean. 71 But he began to curse and to swear, I know not this man of whom ye speak. 72 And the second time a cock crew. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus said to him, Before [the] cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice; and when he thought thereon he wept.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 14:54-72
Commentary on Mark 14:53-65
(Read Mark 14:53-65)
We have here Christ's condemnation before the great council of the Jews. Peter followed; but the high priest's fire-side was no proper place, nor his servants proper company, for Peter: it was an entrance into temptation. Great diligence was used to procure false witnesses against Jesus, yet their testimony was not equal to the charge of a capital crime, by the utmost stretch of their law. He was asked, Art thou the Son of the Blessed? that is, the Son of God. For the proof of his being the Son of God, he refers to his second coming. In these outrages we have proofs of man's enmity to God, and of God's free and unspeakable love to man.
Commentary on Mark 14:66-72
(Read Mark 14:66-72)
Peter's denying Christ began by keeping at a distance from him. Those that are shy of godliness, are far in the way to deny Christ. Those who think it dangerous to be in company with Christ's disciples, because thence they may be drawn in to suffer for him, will find it much more dangerous to be in company with his enemies, because there they may be drawn in to sin against him. When Christ was admired and flocked after, Peter readily owned him; but will own no relation to him now he is deserted and despised. Yet observe, Peter's repentance was very speedy. Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall; and let him that has fallen think of these things, and of his own offences, and return to the Lord with weeping and supplication, seeking forgiveness, and to be raised up by the Holy Spirit.