In the courtyard of the high priest’s house, Peter sat huddled by a charcoal fire with his cloak tightly wrapped around him. A servant girl suddenly recognized him as the flickering flames revealed his face. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” Peter’s heart leaped in fear, and he blurted out, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Simon Peter is in a desperate situation. He is implicated with a condemned prisoner, Jesus of Nazareth, and he is responsible for cutting off an arresting officer’s ear. He is in big trouble if recognized. So, to extricate himself, to get free, integrity went overboard. You can read the story in Matthew 26:69-75.
Just as he was again getting comfortable hiding in the crowd, another girl accused him, but he was more prepared to respond this time. “I swear that I don’t know this man.” And a short time later came the third accusation. “Of course, you are one of them; after all, the way you speak gives you away.”
Peter was in it too deeply now. So, in a last despairing attempt to free himself from any association with Jesus he made his most thoughtless defense. “May God punish me if I am not telling the truth. I don’t know the man.” And at that very moment a rooster crowed.
According to Luke, “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”
It was only the evening before, in the upper room, sitting around the Passover Table, that Peter heard Jesus say, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me.” And Peter had replied, “even if all fall away on account of you, I never will. … Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.”
Peter was confident of his own loyalty to Jesus. Surely no one was more committed to Jesus than he was. Yes, Peter’s intention and promise were sincere, but like all noble intentions, they remain mere words until they are put to the test.
And the test came with sudden, shattering consequences. Peter, the man who affirmed unbreakable loyalty to his Master, quickly submitted to the basic human instinct to protect self, to survive, by swearing a lie, “I don’t know the man.” And, at that moment he heard the rooster crowing.
The crowing sound of a rooster seemed like the accusing finger of Jesus was pointing directly at him as “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.”
The crowing rooster shattered his attempted escape and faced him with the awful truth about himself. It was the worst sound Peter had ever heard, and sick with guilty grief, he rushed outside and burst into tears. Guilt and shame burst through his charade of toughness, and with awakened mind and broken heart, he weeps tears of remorse and repentance.
Even though the crowing sound of a rooster pierced Peter with conviction, the crowing is more about the promise of a new day, a crowing announcement that darkness is passing, and light is coming. And indeed, Peter’s readiness to acknowledge his sinful denial with tears of remorse, was the beginning of his powerful ministry of proclaiming Jesus as Lord. It all began that morning with the sound of a crowing rooster and tears of repentance.
Are you hearing a rooster crowing? Many are the ways we may be guilty of denying the Lordship of Jesus in our life. Denials do not need to be written on paper or verbally declared from public platform. In fact, most denials are never spoken at all. They are lived.
This story of Peter’s denial reminds us not to be over-confident about our own goodness. It is easy to be faithful in words only. The real test will come when our commitment to Christ costs us something.
Peter was a sincere believer and passionately committed to Jesus. His painful experience poses an equally painful question for us who claim to be Christian. When did we put or find ourselves in a hot, uncomfortable situation and take a risk for Jesus?
Like Peter, when we acknowledge and repent of our denials, Jesus freely forgives and takes our weakness and transforms us with His Spirit and strength, thus enabling our ministry acts of faithfulness to His Lordship and Kingdom work.
As the grey light of morning broke through into the courtyard, it spoke to Peter of the end of the old and the beginning of the new Peter. Three days later, Peter dashes to the empty tomb and sees the light of a new day. He hears the words of forgiveness and acceptance from Jesus. “Give this message to his disciples and Peter. He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – March 23, 2022
Ray M. Geigley
Healing Rays of Righteousness 
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