John 18:27
Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.
Jesus said it would happen…and so it did (Jn. 13; Lk 22; Mk. 14; Mt 26). Peter denied even knowing Jesus and he did it three times. Matthew, Mark, and Luke record that he “went outside and wept bitterly,” while John omits that detail. Luke adds another detail that has always broken my heart: After his third denial and the crowing of the rooster, Luke records that, “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.” Can you imagine how that must have made Peter feel? I wonder what kind of look Jesus had on his face. Was it anger? Maybe pity? Disappointment? Given the character of our Lord and Savior…I think it was most likely compassion.
How many times have you heard the rooster crow?
In his remarkable Psalm of repentance, King David said, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me” (Ps. 51:3). He was a man with a broken heart…while remaining a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). And so it was with Peter…and so it should be with you and me. The Holy Spirit has become our “rooster” and He “crows” as it were, every time we sin…every time we disappoint the Lord. Add to that our Holy Spirit empowered conscience and you should have a rather potent combination. But alas…it is not always the case, is it? The rooster crowing is not always enough to get us back on track.
A Puritan writer once said, “Even our tears of repentance need to be bathed in the blood of the Lamb.” Let that one soak in for a moment. I am confident that sometimes my repentance is deeply honest and heartfelt…but sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes I do it because I know I need to, but I don’t “weep bitterly” over the infraction as Peter did. Do you think that changes how Jesus looks at me in that moment? How He looks at you? I don’t believe it does. The Apostle Paul wrote, “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). If Jesus were to look at you condemningly, He would be denying his very nature…and he simply can’t do that.
Our LORD knows in advance all of our ups and downs. He knows of our great moments…and our moments of great shame. Yet, “While we were sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Our sin has no negative impact on His love for us. He might even love us more because of it. When your moment comes (again), and your rooster crows yet again, I hope you will think about the moment when Peter locked eyes with his Lord and Savior. It must have been devastating for him, but Jesus knew it was coming…saw it happen…and loved him anyway. The same is true today. Jesus looks upon us with love and compassion—even after the rooster crows—and that should help us repent well.
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.”
