Roosters

Luke 22:34 – Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me." (NIV)

One of my dear friends absolutely loves roosters. She has replicas of roosters on cabinet tops in her kitchen. She has a mirror and cabinet in the front hall with roosters painted on them. She has salt and pepper shakers in the form of roosters, and, at times, she has had calendars with pictures of roosters on them. She adores roosters!

Sometimes, when I am out in one of the malls, and I see a rooster of some sort, I will buy it for her as a gift. I like roosters too!

I do like roosters, but for a different reason. Every time I see a rooster, alive or replicated, it makes me think of Peter and Jesus. Jesus knew that Peter loved Him, but He also knew that Peter would deny knowledge of Jesus on that fateful night.

Luke 22:56-62 – A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him." But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean." Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 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." And he went outside and wept bitterly. (NIV)

Peter knew that acknowledging that he knew Jesus at that time could possibly have cost him his own life, so he took the easy way out. He denied Jesus. I wonder: if it meant putting our lives on the line to simply acknowledge being a Christian today, would we also deny Jesus, or would we go the way of many of the saints and die for Jesus? Can we say that we love Jesus?

Prayer: Loving Father, give to each of us the strength to acknowledge Jesus as our King. Give to each of us the courage to say, "Yes, Jesus is my Saviour, and, by His blood, I am washed of my sins, and am free from the corruption of the world." These words we pray in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

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