“Did not I see thee in the garden with him?”
The full verse · John 18:26 · KJV
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Asked by
Relative of Malchus: one of the servants of the high priest, a kinsman of Malchus, whose ear Peter had cut off in the garden (John 18:10, 26)
Asked to
Peter: Simon Peter, one of the twelve apostles, who had twice denied being Jesus' disciple that night (John 18:17, 25)
The Scene
Still at the fire in the high priest's palace, Peter is confronted a third time, now by a servant related to Malchus, the man whose ear Peter cut off (John 18:10, 25-26).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionThis questioner had been in the garden and believed he had seen Peter there. The first two questions were suspicions; this one was an eyewitness claim. He was also a relative of the man Peter had wounded (John 18:10), so he had reason to remember. Gill calls him "a near relation" of Malchus and paraphrases his meaning: "I saw thee with my own eyes along with Jesus, this very night."
The Response
What Scripture records"Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew" (John 18:27). Matthew and Mark add that he began "to curse and to swear" (Matthew 26:74; Mark 14:71). Luke records that "the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter," and Peter remembered Jesus' word, "went out, and wept bitterly" (Luke 22:61-62). The three denials Jesus foretold were complete (John 13:38).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsThe garden lay over the brook Cedron, a place where Jesus often went with His disciples (John 18:1-2). There Peter drew a sword and "cut off his right ear" of the high priest's servant, whose name was Malchus (John 18:10). Only John gives the servant's name and tells us this questioner was his kinsman.
The cock crowing marked the time Jesus had named: "The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice" (John 13:38). Mark specifies that the cock crew "the second time" (Mark 14:72).
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyThe garden question brings Peter's two worlds together. In the garden he had drawn his sword for Jesus (John 18:10), and Jesus had told him, "Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" (John 18:11). Now, by the fire, he denied ever being there. The cock's crow shows that every part of that night was within Jesus' knowledge, including Peter's failure (John 13:38).
John does not end Peter's story at the fire. Luke shows the Lord turning to look at Peter, and Peter weeping (Luke 22:61-62). After the resurrection John records Jesus asking him three times, "lovest thou me?" and giving him the charge, "Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17).
Look Closer
Why was this third question harder for Peter to avoid?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord, when my failures come to light, will You show me how to turn toward You instead of hiding?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- Peter's past in the garden caught up with him by the fire. Why is it so tempting to deny what others have already seen?
- Peter was later restored by Jesus (John 21:15-17). Tell about a time God met you after a failure.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Peter's denials did not stay hidden; the cock crew. When a failure comes into the light, the question is what you will do next. Peter wept bitterly (Luke 22:62), and Jesus later met him with three questions of love (John 21:15-17).
Don't read this story only as a warning. It is also a picture of Jesus' grace toward a disciple who failed Him at the worst moment. If you have denied Him in word or action, the way back is not to hide but to return to Him.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“Art not thou also one of this man's disciples?”
“Art not thou also one of his disciples?”
“The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”
“Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Lovest thou me?”