54 Peter had followed Him at a distance , right into the courtyard of the high priest ; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire . 55 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death , and they were not finding any. 56 For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent . 57 Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying , 58 "We heard Him say , ' I will destroy this temple made with hands , and in three days I will build another made without hands .' " 59 Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent . 60 The high priest stood up and came forward e and questioned Jesus , saying , "Do You not answer ? What is it that these men are testifying against You?" 61 But He kept silent and did not answer . Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, "Are You the Christ , the Son of the Blessed One?" 62 And Jesus said , "I am ; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER , and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN ." 63 Tearing his clothes , the high priest said , "What further need do we have of witnesses ? 64 "You have heard the blasphemy ; how does it seem to you?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death . 65 Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists , and to say to Him, " Prophesy !" And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.
66 As Peter was below in the courtyard , one of the servant-girls of the high priest came , 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said , "You also were with Jesus the Nazarene ." 68 But he denied it, saying , "I neither know nor understand what you are talking about." And he went out onto the porch . and a rooster crowed . 69 The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders , "This is one of them!" 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter , "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too ." 71 But he began to curse and swear , "I do not know this man you are talking about!" 72 Immediately a rooster crowed a second time . And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, "Before a rooster crows twice , you will deny Me three times ." And he began to weep .
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.