Peter had once before in Matthew 16 declared that Jesus is the Christ! The Son of the living God! For this, Jesus commends His faith! Then only moments later to be rebuked by Christ for doing the devils bidding in forbidding Jesus’ death, our only hope of salvation! Peter represents one of the best of us! Yet His faith was fickle and fleeting! Peter just hours before this denial, boasted He would die for Jesus, even IF all the others deserted Him! Jesus warned Peter not to trust his own heart, he would deny Him not just once, but 3x this very night before the rooster crowed! Peter, the leader of the of disciples is now cowering in the courtyard as the Sanhedrin are prosecuting our Lord in the secrecy of shadows! Our faith can be bold when we trust our own affections, but cowardly when we love ourselves more than God! Jesus already knew and told Peter He would pray for him as Satan sought to tempt him! We are saved by God’s Grace, not our feelings! We boast not of our love for Him but of His Love for us, who do not deserve it! Heaven is for people who know they deserve hell! Hell is for those who think they deserve Heaven (on their own merit that is). Only Jesus’ love can save us, only His cross can pay for our sins! That is why he came! On the 3rd denial, Jesus turned and peered through the crowded courtroom, through the window and into Peter’s eyes. Peter, ‘the rock’ wept bitterly!