Mark 14:69 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.”

NIV: When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, 'This fellow is one of them.'

NASB: The slave woman saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders, 'This man is one of them!'

CSB: When the maidservant saw him again, she began to tell those standing nearby, "This man is one of them."

NLT: When the servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others, 'This man is definitely one of them!'

KJV: And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.

NKJV: And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.”

John explains that Peter initially stays outside Caiaphas' house while John goes in. John returns to the door and convinces the servant girl to let Peter in. Still, Peter doesn't follow John all the way to Jesus' trial. He stays in a lower courtyard with the soldiers and servants who are warming themselves by the fire. The servant girl who guards the door asks if he is with Jesus, and Peter gives his first denial (John 18:15–18; Mark 14:66–68).

A different servant girl (Matthew 26:71) now tells the soldiers and servants that Peter follows Jesus. It was bad enough when Peter had to defend himself against the servant girl who manned the door. This girl is speaking with armed men employed by those conspiring to kill Jesus. When they had gone to arrest Jesus, they apparently wanted to arrest His followers, as well, as evidenced by their attempt to grab the naked young man (Mark 14:51–52). John, who somehow knows the high priest (John 18:15), doesn't feel threatened, but John didn't cut off the ear of the high priest's servant (John 18:10). If the other men warming themselves by the fire look closely enough, they might realize who Peter is and what he did.

With Jesus, Peter is bold and impulsive. He even went so far as to "correct" Jesus in front of the other disciples (Mark 8:31–33). More recently, he promised that he would not deny Jesus, even if he must die with Him (Mark 14:29–31)). Under normal circumstances, Peter might go with John and watch the trial. But the fact that servant girls may reveal his own crime makes things very dangerous.

As we follow God, spread the gospel, and teach others about Jesus, we need to remember this. Perhaps our faith in God will never waiver. But if our character leads us to commit a sin we feel we need to hide, we lose a large part of our effectiveness and mar Jesus' reputation to others (Romans 2:24).

Mark 14:66–72 occurs while Jesus is in an upper courtyard in the home of high priest. The Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, is trying to find something to charge Jesus with, finally settling on blasphemy (Mark 14:53–64). Having found their charge, they are now free to beat Jesus (Mark 14:65). John is apparently watching (John 18:15). Peter is in a lower courtyard, warming himself by a fire, surrounded by servants and guards who grow increasingly suspicious of his presence and his role in the proceedings. Peter's denial is also found in Matthew 26:69–75, Luke 22:54–62, and John 18:15–18, 25–27.

Jesus is anointed in a symbolic anticipation of His death. Judas decides to secretly cooperate with local religious leaders to arrest Jesus in secret. During the Passover meal, Jesus predicts His betrayal by Judas, and Peter's denial. He also institutes the Lord's Supper, also known as communion. After praying on the Mount of Olives, Jesus is captured when Judas identifies Him to a hostile mob sent by Jewish authorities. He endures a corrupt, prejudiced trial, ending in a conviction for blasphemy. Peter, fearing for his life, lies about knowing Jesus, before remembering Jesus' prediction and breaking down in sobs.

Jesus has finished His public teaching ministry and now prepares for the crucifixion. His sacrificial loyalty will provide the means by which the disciples' abandonment will be forgiven. Next, the Romans, as representatives of Gentiles throughout history, will join the Jews and kill Jesus. Jesus will be buried, but He will rise again with the promise that His sacrifice will redeem the world. Matthew 26 and Luke 22 follow Mark 14 more closely while John 13:1—18:27 records more of Jesus' teaching in the upper room.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.