Immediately, the rooster crowed.

His disciple Peter was waiting outside in the high priest's house to find out the end. That evening, he had said to Jesus with all his might:

"Even if everyone should be offended by you, I will never be offended... Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you" (Matthew 26:33-35).

He said it with sincerity and confidence in himself rather than his reliance on the Lord's support and strengthening grace.

This was also Peter's night, who had been outbidding others, asserting that he would be faithful even to death. But during his stand that night in the courtyard outside the house, he denied three times that he even knew Jesus. A servant girl confronted him about this, and he denied it, claiming before everyone that he didn't know what she was saying. Shortly afterward, he said that he didn't know the man. When they noticed his Galilean accent, thus confirming that he was one of Jesus' disciples, he began to curse and swear, asserting that he had no connection to the man at all.

Thus, Peter failed the first test because he didn't take care of himself and relied on his feelings and his impure heart, like all human hearts. Peter, like us, was quick to speak, but he was slow to know God, and how quickly he fell.

His Master didn't rebuke him or publicly shame him. Rather, his gaze was a gentle rebuke, rather a gentle reminder of what had happened. He said to him, "And when you have returned, strengthen your brothers."

Tears of repentance streamed from Peter's eyes as he remembered his promise and his failure, beginning a new level in his discipleship to Christ.

As for the other disciple, Judas, who had betrayed him, when he saw that Jesus had been condemned, he repented and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? You see better." He threw the pieces of silver in the temple and left. Then he went and hanged himself.

Remorse led Peter to weep and return to God in repentance, but Judas repented without repenting, despaired, committed suicide, and went to eternal torment. How beautiful it is when remorse is coupled with repentance so that the Lord may return us to His warm embrace and restore our souls to loving fellowship with Him.

By Brother /Makram Mashreqi