he
first denial, shocked at the second, horrified at the third, what were
John's feelings when one was "with an oath," and with another "he began
to curse and to swear." But concerning this climax of Peter's sin, John
is silent. It finds no place in his story.

At last "the Lord turned and looked upon Peter," either from the hall,
or as He was being led from it. At the same moment, Peter turned and
looked upon Him. We imagine John turning and looking upon them both,
marking the grief of the one, and the sense of guilt and shame of the
other. But he knew the loving, though erring disciple so well that he
need not be told that when "Peter went out" "he wept bitterly." We
almost see John himself weeping bitterly over his friend's fall; then
comforting him when they met again, with assurances of the Lord's love
and forgiveness. John's next record of their being together shows them
united in feeling, purpose and action for their Lord.

There was another toward whom John's watchful eyes turned during the
long and painful watches of that night. The picture of him is not
complete without this Apostle's records.

"Art thou the King of the Jews?" asked Pilate of Jesus. Such John had
thought Him to be. For three years he had waited to see Him assume His
throne. He has preserved the Lord's answer,--"My kingdom is not of this
world." This declaration contained a truth to which even the favored
disciple had been partly blind. Was he not ready to ask with Pilate,
though with different spirit and purpose, "Art thou a King then?" The
Lord's answer must have meant more to the listening Apostle than to the
captious and heedless Governor. It was a declaration of the true
kingship of the Messiah-King,--"To this end have I been born, and to
this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the
truth."

"What is truth?" asked Pilate in a careless manner, not caring for an
answer. "What is truth?" was the great question whose answer the Apostle
continued to seek, concerning the King and the kingdom of Him whom He
had heard say, "I am the Truth."

In that night he saw the Messiah-King crowned, but with thorns. He saw
the purple robe upon Him, but it was the cast-off garment of a Roman
Governor. A reed, given Him for a sceptre, was snatched from His hand to
smite Him on His head. Instead of pouring holy oil of kingly
consecration, as upon David's head, His enemies "spit upon Him." It was
in mockery that they bowed the knee