Why Did Peter Forget?

by Dan Richardson

“And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times”’ (Luke 22:61). Peter had just denied the Lord, not once, but three times. After his denials, and when the Lord looked at him, he then “remembered” what Jesus had previously said to him. Our question concerns why he forgot what the Lord had said to him. Perhaps to reflect on this will help us with our own forgetfulness. There are some facts recorded, previous to Peter’s denials, which may shed some light in answering this question. They are timely lessons for us to consider.

Perhaps it would be helpful to first consider this matter negatively, that is, matters that were not the cause of Peter’s forgetfulness. First, and perhaps it should go without saying, Peter was not mentally incompetent, unable to understand what Jesus had said. Too much is revealed of his character to suggest he was inept. Second, Peter didn’t forget because of a lack of clarity in the Lord’s teaching. The Lord’s communication was crystal clear, so much so that Peter vehemently denied what the Lord said he would do (verse 33). Characteristic of all the Lord’s teachings is their clarity to be understood (John 8:31-32; Ephesians 3:34; 5:17). Third, Peter’s forgetfulness was not because of a long interval of time between when Jesus spoke to him and when he denied Jesus. To the contrary, Jesus had foretold Peter’s denials that very night. So, why did Peter forget?

He was more judgmental of others than himself. When the Lord previously revealed He would be betrayed by one of His own disciples, the record states of the disciples, “And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this” (verse 23). That they were lacking in proper disposition of heart can be observed in the next verse, “A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest” (verse 24). They were more focused on their personal greatness than humility. Jesus had warned of this one-sided judgment toward others (Matthew 7:1-5). Arrogance makes it easier to see the faults of others more clearly than our own. We must use God’s word as a “mirror” to reflect personal flaws rather than as a binocular to view everybody else’s sin (James 1:22-25).

He was over-confident in his own strength. When Jesus told Peter he would deny Him, he answered assertively, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death” (verse 33). It’s always easier to “talk the talk” than to “walk the walk.” Jesus warned of Satan, their adversary, but Peter seemed ready to stare the devil down! Christians are warned, “Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (I Corinthians 10:12) and, “… not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment” (Romans 12:3). Having boldness (confidence) in the Lord’s strength is one thing (Ephesians 6:10), being self-reliant in one’s own strength is something else.

He underestimated the power of the flesh. While Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, He instructed Peter, James and John, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation” (verse 40). Mark’s account adds these words of the Lord specifically to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). The Lord sought to prepare His disciples for the time of temptations ahead; they were to “watch” (be vigilant, stay awake, alert), and “pray” (trust in God for their direction and strength). When Peter faced his temptation later that night, he failed. Earlier, in the context of Jerusalem’s destruction, the Lord had commanded the disciples, “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap … But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34, 36).

We, too, must stay alert and trust in God, never underestimating the power of the flesh. Paul instructed the Christians in Thessalonica, “but let us keep awake and be sober, for those who sleep, sleep in the night; and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation” (I Thessalonians 5:6-8). Also, Paul admonished Christians in Rome, “… the hour is come to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:11-14).

It is interesting to observe that Peter, by following the Lord “at a distance” (verse 54), is found warming himself by the fire of those opposed to the Lord. Putting himself in this circumstance led to him denying the Lord. Likewise, when we put distance between ourselves and the Lord, we too are making provision for the flesh and setting ourselves up for failure. Let us instead, draw near to God (James 4:7-8), ever “looking to Jesus” (Hebrews 12:12), so that we will remember what He says.