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Matthew 26:35
ESV Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!" And all the disciples said the same.
NIV But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.
NASB Peter *said to Him, 'Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!' All the disciples said the same thing as well.
CSB "Even if I have to die with you," Peter told him, "I will never deny you," and all the disciples said the same thing.
NLT No!' Peter insisted. 'Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!' And all the other disciples vowed the same.
KJV Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
NKJV Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.

What does Matthew 26:35 mean?

Peter is flatly contradicting the words of Jesus. This is remarkable, in that Peter was one of the first to declare Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:16). He has been the boldest of all the disciples. He was the one who asked Jesus if He could walk on the water with Him (Matthew 14:28). Peter, though, also became afraid and began to sink (Matthew 14:30). Jesus has said that all the disciples will fall away in fear (Matthew 26:31), something Peter entirely denied.

Then, in a moment that must have been heartbreaking for Peter, Jesus added that not only will Peter fall away, but he will deny Jesus three times (Matthew 26:34). In short, Peter's great faith in his own courage will be revealed to be untrustworthy (Matthew 26:69–75). Faced with immediate danger or death, this very night, Peter will succumb to fear.

Peter still refuses to believe this is possible. He insists that even if it means dying with Jesus, he will never deny Him. Peter demonstrates once more that he is a leader, for good or bad. All the other disciples parrot his claims. They will all soon prove to be wrong (Matthew 26:56). Jesus does not want their self-confidence. They will eventually learn to keep their confidence in Him.
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Context Summary
Matthew 26:17–35 begins with locating the room which will be used for the Passover meal. While they are eating, Jesus announces that one of His closest disciples will become a traitor. Judas discovers that Jesus knows it is him. Jesus introduces the concept of bread and wine as symbols of His sacrificial body and blood. After the meal, Jesus tells the disciples they will fall away that night and that Peter will deny Him three times. They insist that will not happen. Mark 14:10–31, Luke 22:3–23, Luke 22:31–34, and John 13:21–38 feature these events, as well.
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Chapter Summary
The Jewish religious leaders further their plots to arrest and kill Jesus, finding a willing traitor in Judas Iscariot. A woman anoints Christ with oil during a dinner at Bethany. Next, Jesus and the disciples hold the Passover meal in an upper room where Jesus predicts His arrests and introduces the sacrament of communion. Then Jesus prays in unimaginable agony in the garden of Gethsemane before being betrayed by Judas and captured. The disciples scatter. Before the high priest, Jesus explicitly claims to be divine. They convict Him of blasphemy and sentence Him to death. As this happens, Peter denies knowing Jesus and runs away in shame.
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What is the Gospel?
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