Peter Denies Jesus

Today at our 11:15 service the adult choir presented the Heinrich Schutz St. Matthew Passion in its entirety. Here is an excerpt that dramatizes Peter's threefold denial of Jesus. It features Phillip Magness as narrator, Trevor Magness as Peter, Elaine Gavin and Bethany Novak as the maids, and Erich Keller as Judas. The text is found below the video.

St. Matthew Passion - Heinrich Schutz from Cheryl on Vimeo.

Narrator: And then they came forward and spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and others slapped him in the face as they said to him:

Chorus: "Can you tell us, can you tell us, O Christ, who was it? Who slapped your face?"

Narrator: Now Peter sat outside the palace, and a maid came up to him and said:

1st Maid: "And you! You were also with Jesus of Galilee!"

Narrator: He denied it in front of them and said:

Peter: "I, I don't know what you're saying!"

Narrator: Then he went outside the door where another maid saw him and said to the others:

2nd Maid: "This man was also with Jesus of Nazareth!"

Narrator: And he denied it again, and he swore:

Peter: "I do not know the man!"

Narrator: And a little while later, some of the bystanders came and said to Peter:

Chorus: "Truly you are also one of his disciples. Your way of speaking betrays you."

Narrator: Then he began to curse and swear:

Peter: "I do not know that man!"

Narrator: And at once a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the words of Jesus spoken to him: ""Before the rooster crows, three times you will have denied me." And he went out and wept bitterly. When morning came, all the high priests and the elders of the people considered the case of Jesus, that they might kill him. And they bound him, and led him away, and took him to the governor, Pontius Pilate. When Judas had seen the results of his betrayal and that Jesus was condemned to die, then he repented, and took the thirty pieces of silver to the high priests and elders and said:

Judas: "I have sinned. I have betrayed innocent blood."

Narrator: And they said:

Chorus: "What is that to us now? You did it!"

Narrator: He threw down the silver in the temple and went out and hanged himself. But the high priests took the silver pieces and said:

Chorus: "We cannot put them in the treasury of the temple. They are the price of blood."