<p>18:17 <em>The maid keeping watch at the door said to Peter: Are you also one of this man's disciples? He said: I am not</em>- Again the challenge comes out of the record to all hearers and readers: 'Are you one of this man's disciples?'. Although the Lord was not standing amongst them, all the talk was about &quot;this man&quot;. Again we see His utter humanity. That the girl would speak like this is utterly credible and again reminds us that the Biblical record is true. These words were actually said, these things really happened.</p><p>The failure of Peter is effectively emphasized by the very structure of the Gospel accounts. John frames the interrogation of the Lord as happening alongside the interrogation of Peter. The Lord peerlessly and bravely witnesses to the Truth, and is condemned to death for it; whilst Peter flunks the issue time and again to save his own skin. Whilst the Lord unflinchingly declares His identity before the High Priest, Peter is presented as doing anything to deny his identity as a disciple. Peter's denials are presented by the records as if in slow motion, for the reader to gaze upon in detail. Peter's denial &quot;I am not&quot; is placed by John in purposeful juxtaposition to the Lord's brave self-identification in Gethsemane: <em>ego eimi</em>, &quot;I am&quot; (Jn. 18:5,17). And yet this 'setting up' of the leader of the early church as a failure was done <em>by</em> the early church writers, ultimately inspired as they were The Gospel writers were <em>glorying</em> in their weakness and their Lord's supremacy. They were standing up for their unity with Him by grace, but openly and pointedly proclaiming the vast mismatch between them and Him.</p>