It Doesn’t End With A Rooster

And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. Luke 22:59-62

Jesus had forewarned Peter that before the cock crows, Peter will have denied him three times. But Peter could not imagine betraying his Lord in this way. Surely not. He loved Him so.

During our Luke Out-Loud month, eight little words caught my eye.

And broke my heart.

And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. v.61

Can. You. Imagine?

I tried to imagine the sorrow on Jesus’ face. I envision eyes full of love and disappointment. I imagine after a brief glance, Jesus held his head down, dark hair falling over a sharp cheek. Bowing His head in prayer to the Father. Praying for Peter, the very man His church would be built upon, to be strengthened in the coming days. Interceding that the God-Head would have mercy on Peter and forgive him of this sin.

Peter’s sin of self-preservation.

Jesus’ glance urges an inward examination of my own heart. To my own sin. I reflect on the many, many, many, many times I deny my Lord. Granted, I have never verbally said, “I do not know Jesus” but my actions have said it countless times.

If a rooster crowing is any indicator of the sin in my life, then my rooster has done gone and lost his voice. Laryngitis has struck my rooster mute.

Gossip. Crow. Glance.

Yelling. Crow. Glance.

Jealousy. Crow. Glance.

Worry. Crow. Glance.

Anxiety. Crow. Glance.

Sassy wife. Crow. Glance.

Self-centeredness. Crow. Glance.

Loose tongue. Crow. Glance.

I could go on and on. And to think, that every time I walk in my ways, and not God’s, I am denying my LORD. Denying His Word. Denying the abundant life. Denying the Power of Christ in me.

I acknowledge my flesh and disown my Jesus. And He turns and looks at me. Those precious eyes. The Holy eyes that saw the world spoken into existence. The eyes that have seen the Father in His perfect display of Splendor. Those flawless eyes look upon my heart.

And loves me anyway.

Actually, He loves me even more.

I write this not to condemn myself. But to connect myself. Peter’s story is like my own. A lover of Jesus. Dead-set on following Him to the ends of the Earth if he could. But still, Peter, a man weak with fears, denied the One who came to save Him.

Jesus could have thrown in the towel right there. He could have ripped that place apart with one Word.. Called the whole “dying on the cross” thing off. But He didn’t.

He died anyway.

For Peter.

For me.

For you.

Despite our denials.

Despite our disappointments.

Today, let us remember that glance.

And be thankful that the story doesn’t end with a rooster.

But with an empty tomb.