Forming Faith Blog

Peter Denies Jesus (John 18a)

Posted on February 24 2026 by Gregory Rawn
  • Date: March 8, 2026
  • Bible Reading: John 18:12-27
  • The Point: Even for the most faithful disciple, it is not always easy to follow Jesus.
  • Unit Theme (February 18—March 8): Following Jesus

While our situation isn’t as dramatic as Peter’s, we often deny Jesus with our words and actions. What can we do to be more faithful? Read more background, context, and suggested activities below.

Note: For Lent, I’m trying something new with this blog. Let me know what you think!

A rooster like the one that crowed for Peter.
Photo by Enrique
About the Story

Last week, Jesus served his disciples and called them to do the same. At the end of that chapter, Jesus told Peter that he would deny his Lord. Jesus then gave a long discourse (John 14–17) before the story continued with Jesus’ arrest (John 18:1-11). Today’s passage begins with Jesus in front of the high priest.

It is often difficult to see how Peter could deny Jesus, especially when Peter was one of Jesus’ closest friends and followers. He himself promised to lay down his life for Jesus (John 13:37). Peter certainly had reason to be afraid—he was surrounded by a crowd who might turn him in to share Jesus’ fate. Additionally, Peter had brandished a sword, attempting to prevent Jesus’ arrest (John 18:10-11). Had Peter’s identity been revealed as a follower of Jesus, his own life would have been at risk.

How would we act in such a situation? We can’t know for certain, but the important thing to keep in mind is that Jesus did not condemn Peter when he foretold his denial. Instead, Jesus told all his disciples, Peter included, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1). Jesus knew Peter would deny him but looked on him with compassion and gave him and the other disciples words of comfort. 

We may not deny Jesus as Peter did, but we often find ourselves in situations where we do not worship God alone or follow Jesus’ call to love and serve others. We can deny Jesus in our words and in our actions. But we can look to Peter as a source of hope—even Jesus’ closest friends and disciples messed up, and Jesus looked on them with compassion. Jesus looks on us with that same compassion and forgiveness. (Adapted from Living the Word: Small Groups)

Context Insights

The following are a few insights found in our background resource Living the Word: Contexts & Connections.

  • Linguistics: Peter does not deny that he knows Jesus. He denies that he is a follower of Jesus. In John 18:15-16 and in verse 25, when asked if he is a disciple, Peter responds, “I am not.” This stands in contrast with Jesus, who says in several statements, “I am.” 
  • Culture/Religion: Annas’ interrogation of Jesus suggests that the high priest was digging for something not criminal but theological. By asking Jesus about his teachings, Annas was trying to bring him to trial as a false prophet. Annas was hoping to find that Jesus’ teachings were deceptive or sought to lead believers astray (see Deuteronomy 13:1-11). The crime of being a false prophet was punishable by death.
  • Audience: After the fall of the Jerusalem temple in 70 CE, the Jewish communities struggled to define who they were without the worship at the temple that had defined Judaism for so long. At the same time, small groups of Jews were beginning to claim Jesus as the Messiah. Many of these Jewish Christians were forced out of their communities, deemed not Jewish enough for the newly emerging Jewish identity. The original recipients of John’s Gospel would likely have included many of these Jewish Christians, who would have been working to define their identity apart from the synagogue, apart from the temple, and as a developing minority within the Roman Empire.
Connections and Suggestions

We have Narrative Lectionary curriculum resources for all age groups. Here are a few activity summaries you can use. The full activity descriptions and much more are available in the product noted.

  • Kids: Introduce the story by creating a campfire with a flashlight, lantern, or battery-operated candle surrounded by sticks and covered with crumpled red, yellow, and orange tissue paper. Challenge students to act out things they can do at a campfire before transitioning to telling stories around the fire, in particular, the assigned story about Jesus and Peter. (From Living the Word: Kids (PK-2nd))
  • Youth: On a piece of mural paper (or a large piece of paper), have someone draw a rooster. Around the rooster, have the youth write statements about how they feel Jesus’ presence in their lives, especially when they are scared like Peter. (From Living the Word: Youth)
  • Intergenerational worship: Distribute notecards, envelopes, and writing utensils to worshippers, and encourage them to write a short agape letter (or draw a picture) for prisoners in a local prison. (From Living the Word: Cross+Gen Worship)

I hope you find this useful! If you have any questions or feedback on this blog post (or anything else), comment on this post below or on Facebook, or send me a message.

In Christ,

Gregory Rawn (Publisher)

Order Faith Formation Resources

Lent is here, but it’s not too late! Order the Spring Quarters of our various resources and download them immediately. Our Narrative Lectionary (Year 4, 2025-2026) and Revised Common Lectionary (Years C & A, 2025-2026) resources are online, ready to order, and available for immediate download! If you don’t have much time for full-length children’s Christian education, then check out our Kids Mini Lessons for the NL and RCL. If you don’t use a lectionary, check out our non-lectionary Living the Word: Classroom (PK-2nd, 3rd-6th).

Brand new RCL faith-at-home resource!

I’m excited to announce a new product series for Spirit & Truth Publishing: Taking Faith Home. Taking Faith Home is a set of weekly devotional resources (often distributed as worship bulletin inserts) that follows the Revised Common Lectionary. Originally published by Milestones Ministry, they handed it off to us as of January 1, 2026. We offer it as a Church Year (Dec. 2025 to Nov. 2026) and a Program Year (Spring & Summer 2026 and Sept. 2026 to May 2027). You can also purchase by quarter (Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall). Learn more here!

Lent, VBS, and More!

Are you looking for resources for Lent, VBS, topical Sunday school, family/intergenerational events, retreats, and more?

Learning Together is a series of five-lesson units on a variety of topics. Our faith formation resources are easy to use, theologically sound, and inclusive. Each unit can be used at any time in many different settings, but here are a few suggestions:

+ Lent: The I AM Statements of Jesus (free!), Travelers (Immigrants and Refugees), Do Justice
+ VBS: Paul’s Adventures (NEW!), Celebrations, Created to Care, God’s Gift of Water, Heroes of the Bible
+ Education/Events: Women of the Old Testament, Bible 101

Our unit Celebrations is a recommended VBS curriculum by Building Faith (and the only curriculum they reviewed from a small, independent publisher)!!! You can read outside reviews on both our Do Justice and Created to Care units!

I am very honored to announce that I was a guest on the premiere episode of season 3 of the Around the Table podcast! The topic: how faith formation is different than Christian education. Check it out at Around the Table S03E01.

Our Resources

At Spirit & Truth Publishing, we might have exactly what you are looking for:

Stay updated by liking our Facebook page, subscribing to our e-newsletter, or following this blog!

Leave a Reply