Good Morning, For today's communion let's turn our bibles to Luke 22: 54- 62
54Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him."
57But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said.
58A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied.
59About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean."
60Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61The 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." 62And he went outside and wept bitterly.
54Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him."
57But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said.
58A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied.
59About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean."
60Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61The 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." 62And he went outside and wept bitterly.
For three years Peter had lived with the Lord; had walked with the Lord; had eaten with the Lord. He had seen the Lord perform many miracles: healing the sick, raising the dead, walking on the water, calming the storm. And yet, in the moment of trial, in the moment of testing, in the moment of temptation, he had denied a relationship with Jesus.
The story does not end there for Peter repented. The relationship was reconciled and Peter was restored, and went on to become one of the most dynamic Christians of the early church. Jesus said, before the rooster crows three times you will deny me. I have often wondered why Jesus chose the rooster crowing to be that trigger for Peter's memory to remind him that he had failed. Jesus could have said, Peter, when you get approached by servant girl; or he could have said Peter, when you hear the judgment of the Sanhedrin; or Peter, when you have heard I have gone before Herod; or Peter, when you see me on the cross. But Jesus said when you hear the rooster crow.
I grew up in New Delhi wherein I always used alarm clocks to get up in the morning. One time, when I was a teenager, I went to my parent’s hometown. It’s a village in south India. I have heard rooster crowing early morning around 4am and people wake up at that time to go field for farming. In the land, during the time of peter the rooster crowed every morning. The rooster crowing was alarm clock to many of them. The rooster crowing was a spiritual alarm clock for peter. I believe from the day he denied Jesus till the day his relationship was restored with the Lord, every time when he heard the rooster crow, he was reminded of his failure.
There are people and places and things that are associative with our deepest failures. We may have failed, we may have asked forgiveness, we may have grieved, and yet that person, that place, that thing will catch us and remind us that we have failed. And there's a little voice that whispers in our ear -- maybe you weren't forgiven; maybe you're not really saved.
When the rooster crowed, peter thought that’s the end of his spiritual life. He would have felt down, discouraged and hopeless. But for Jesus, it was not the end but just a beginning.
Let’s turn to John 21: 15-18
15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."
After peter repented, the rooster crowing would have reminded him not just his failure but also his repentance in Our Lord. We may have failed like peter in our relationship with Jesus; today is the day and this is the time to get restored in him.
Let’s Pray.
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