It happens every morning across the world. A rooster crows in the early morning as the sun rises—this is as normal and natural as God created it to be. However, there was a morning 2,000 years ago where a rooster’s crow was a miraculous fulfillment of prophecy. It was the morning of Jesus’ crucifixion. Remember, Jesus had spoken to His disciples in the upper room about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom and told them each one would fall away that very night. Then, the often-boisterous Peter, spoke up against the words of His Savior, claiming he was ready to die for Jesus. At that moment, Jesus turned to his follower and close friend, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.” It was those words which resonated in the mind of Peter at the alert of the rooster that fateful morning— he realized that his arrogance had led him to fall prey to temptation. With this account in mind, what can we learn about the dangers and deceitfulness of sin?
First, we must recognize that God knows when we sin. Even before we sin, God knew we would (Heb. 4:13). Though we will not have the specific instance revealed as Jesus did for Peter on that night, we do have the words of the Apostle John, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 Jn. 1:8). We are saints who stumble at times, and it’s often due to our lack of focus. Though Peter was literally following Jesus, he lost focus. He, of course, had limited knowledge at the time but he did have what Jesus revealed to Him in the upper room just hours before. God is knowledgeable of our sins, even before we commit them.
Second, like Peter, we must also consider how seriously God views sin. Sin put our Savior on the cross. Jesus faced betrayal, mocking, striking, scourging, and ultimately, death by crucifixion—all because of the sins of humanity. Sin must not be taken lightly or dismissed. Instead, every Christian must be “watchful” for the roaring lion who continues to prowl (1 Pet. 5:8). Peter knew of sin’s deadly effects, yet in his arrogance to prove Jesus his loyalty, it caused him to forget until the moment the rooster crowed. We must be careful to avoid an arrogant attitude toward sin, because we know that “pride goes before destruction” (Prov. 16:18). His arrogance caused him to forget God’s omniscience. Let it never be the case for us that we run ahead of God or question His knowledge.
Third, we must repent of our sins to begin our return to God. How did Peter respond to his sin? Luke reveals, “Peter went out and wept bitterly” (Lk 22:62). He wept with not just sorrow but a great remorse for his vehement denials of His Savior because he knew how bad his errors were. The Apostle Paul revealed the difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow—actions of repentance. Peter not only wept but acted much differently the next time he was faced with the same temptations. If we merely weep over our sins but do not change, we have not repented, and our spiritual state is in jeopardy.
Finally, we learn of the restorative joy provided by God when those who express true, godly sorrow “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matt. 3:8). Peter’s actions along with God’s character, led him to have a renewed relationship with his Savior. We can have this, too, when we understand the pain our sin causes God and seek to make amends in God-appointed ways (1 Jn 1:9). We should want to model our repentance after Peter’s. He used his failings to become a better follower of Jesus Christ, one who stood as a “pillar” in the Church. Let’s make the determination to not let our failings define us. Instead, let our steps follow our Savior and His Apostles.
-Garrett English