Peter had already denied that he knew Jesus (John 18:15-18).  He had proved his weakness even though he had boasted about his strength (John 13:37-38).  But instead of moving away from temptation, he was still in the courtyard of the High Priest’s house.  Why?  Perhaps he thought that he could still be strong for Jesus and somehow protect his Master.  If so, that foolish pride was about to be unmasked again.
 
Twice more he was asked if he belonged to Jesus.  The second person was a relative of Malchus, the High Priest’s servant whose ear Peter cut off when Jesus was being arrested (John 18:10) – but Jesus healed the man’s ear (Luke 22:51).  It was obvious that Peter was with Jesus, but with increasing anger Peter denied that he ever knew Him (Mark 14:71).  

At that moment, a cock crowed, just as Jesus had predicted, proving that Peter was the weakling Jesus knew him to be. Luke 22:61-62 says, “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the cock crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.”  Pride did indeed come before a fall.  A fall from truth, from honour, and from fellowship.  Once he was close to Jesus, now he was outside, and literally ‘out in the cold’.
 
When we deny we belong to Christ, He is never surprised.  He already knows the weakness of our nature and the foolishness of our boasting.  Yet He allows us to prove our moral and spiritual incompetence in order to humble us and bring us to repentance.  All the time He is wanting to use us, as He wanted to use Peter, but not in the way that we choose; for He is the Master and not us.  Our weak denial of Christ simply demonstrates that we are incapable of serving Him unless His Holy Spirit energises us.  It is only when we know how weak we are, that we will repent.  Not until then can we desire and receive God’s strength and re-commissioning (John 21:15-19).