“…the black panic took hold of him. He was blind, helpless, mindless.”

Mark 14:54 – “And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire.”

Mark 14:66-68a – “And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, ‘You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.’ 68 But he denied it, saying, ‘I neither know nor understand what you mean.’”

“Seeing,” Gk. ἰδοῦσα (idousa), “to see”
“She looked at him,” Gk. ἐμβλέψασα, “to look attentively, to gaze, to stare”

“The Nazarene,” a derogatory term

Mark 14:68b – “And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed.”

Mark 14:29 – “Even though they all fall away, I will not.”
Mark 14:30 – “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

Truth: Jesus either gets all of you, or none of you.

Mark 14:69-70a – “And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it.”

“Denied” in v.68: Aorist tense (simple past)
“Denied” in v.70: Imperfect tense (ongoing)

Mark 14:70b-71 – “And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.””

Matt. 26:73 – “After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.”

“Curse,” Gk. ἀναθεματίζω (anathematizō)
ESV: Intransitive, meaning Peter cursed himself
NASB, KJV: Transitive, meaning Peter cursed the bystanders

“Swear,” Gk. ὀμνύω (omnyō), “to promise with an oath”

Mark 14:72 – “And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.”

John 21:15 – “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’”
John 21:16 – “‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’”

John 21:17 – “He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ And Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and Peter said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’”

1 Jn. 4:18