“The Cock Crowed!”

“Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26:74-75 ESV).

Matthew chapter 26 marks the beginning of heartbreak for those of us who understand the cost of our Salvation: the Lamb of God, who knew no sin but became sin on our behalf. The chapter begins with Jesus’ foretelling of His own death: “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” Then we see the story of the woman who anointed Jesus for His upcoming burial with very costly perfume.

We are then introduced to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas for 30 pieces of silver, the going price to purchase a common slave in the first century, showing the Jewish leadership’s contempt for the King of Kings. The crucifixion is fast approaching, and we can feel the events of the next 24 hours as they race toward the cross.

We are shown the Last Supper and the First Communion, where Jesus explains the purpose of his broken body and his shed blood, which was poured out for the forgiveness of sins. How can’t we forget the prayer of Jesus as His spirit is tormented when He prayed “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Then we see that our Blessed Savior was betrayed by a kiss of all things, arrested, and taken to the high priest for an illegal trial at night that had false accusers testifying against Him. Finally, we arrive at what is one of the most heartbreaking events in the Bible, Peter’s Denial of Jesus.

There are so many life-changing truths in this chapter that it was very difficult to pick one event to focus on. But the last verse of this chapter is a picture of each of us breaking the heart of our Savior, “And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.” I’m sure all of us are familiar with the events leading up to this denial, and most of us can see Peter wearing our shoes and our clothing as he, or symbolically we, deny knowing Jesus. 

You see, it wasn’t that Peter was an evil man living a life of debauchery; earlier that evening, he was with Jesus in the garden, attempting to protect Him from capture. Peter was walking closely with Jesus; he was one of the inner circle of three apostles —James, John, and Peter —on whom Jesus depended. Peter was as close to Jesus as any of the 12 apostles, yet he denied knowing Him, not once, not twice, but three times. How did this happen? I’ve asked myself this question many times. How could someone go from declaring that they would be willing to die for Jesus, just to turn around a couple of hours later and deny that they ever knew Him? How could this happen?

The answer, my friends, is a path that all too many of us have taken. Look at the actions of Peter and his path to denying Jesus. In verse 58, we read “And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside, he sat with the guards to see the end.” You see, Peter started his denial of Jesus by “following at a distance”. He was torn between his loyalty to Jesus and his own personal safety. He followed Jesus at a safe distance, which reminds me of, well, me! Too many times, in my life, I have “followed Jesus at a safe distance”, not speaking up for Him in a small crowd, not correcting someone in a personal conversation when they misrepresent what Jesus stood for. I’m sure we have all done it. Following Jesus at a safe distance feels safe!

Then we see that Peter “sat with the guards”. Look who he started associating with, the very people who arrested Jesus. Again, that reminds me of me! How many times have I aligned myself with non-believers and participated with them in activities and conversations that do not bring honor to my Risen Savior?  You see the road to verses 70 and 72, where Peter said, “And again he denied it with an oath: I do not know the man.”, was a gradual path drifting further and further away from Jesus—a gradual step-by-step, moving ever so slowly away from the one he actually loved.

Just like you and I have done on more than one occasion, we take one step at a time—not necessarily in the wrong direction, but at a safe distance—so no one would know we are followers of Jesus. Then in verse 74 we find one of the saddest verses in Scripture immediately after Peter denied Jesus for the third time, “And immediately a cock crowed”; fulfilling Jesus’ words in verse 34, “Jesus said to him, Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” You see, Jesus knew Peter’s heart. Satan knew Peter’s vulnerability, like he knows mine and yours.

Friend, don’t let the “Cock Crow” with your denying Jesus, stand up for Him during conversations, take a stand for His righteousness, don’t take that slow path which leads to “denying” Him in practice if not using outright words. Stop “hanging out” with those who deny His deity and ability to save. Stop being influenced to deny Him and what He stands for.

Don’t be like Peter when the cock crowed, “And he went out and wept bitterly.”

Take a stand for the One who has saved you by His grace for all of eternity.

"Living in Grace is not about what I can do, but about what Jesus has already done!"