Have you too heard the cock crow?

There can be very few people who don’t know the story of Peter’s denial. It’s referred to in all four gospels and is a particularly low moment for Peter. Despite all his proclamations of faith and his conviction that everybody else might balk when the going got tough, but he would never let Jesus down, in actual fact, when his best friend was going through hell, Peter couldn’t even face admitting that he knew him, scared and worried that he’d be next for the chopping board. (See Mark 14:27-31)

It ends with the cock crowing ominously and immediately Peter remembers that Jesus had predicted this. In Luke’s gospel Jesus turns and looks straight at him. It is like a knife to his heart and he goes out weeping bitterly – broken and despairing.

But is that assessment of Peter too harsh? Why pick on him? After all, unlike the rest of the disciples, Peter had at least tried to follow Jesus when he got arrested.  He was in the forecourt , just outside the court of the high priest agitated and afraid, but at least he was there.

But John tells it slightly differently, doesn’t he? According to John’s gospel, Peter was actually with ‘another disciple’, (presumably John himself, although there is some debate about this) one who was ‘known to the high priest’ so was able to go into the main court with Jesus (See John 18: 15-27). If this was indeed John, then it would appear that he, wasn’t tested like Peter. He was able to ask the maid to let Peter into the court as well. But, it was at this point that everything went wrong for Peter didn’t it? When the maid sees Peter she’s not happy about it, ‘Are you not also one of the man’s disciples’? She is, understandably, reluctant to let in any one else associated with Jesus. Does Peter deny it so that he can be let in?  But, although that is a possibility, when he then stands warming himself by the fire with the servants and officers, his true identity is again brought into question and his previous confidence has now completely cracked. Three times he denies it and in Mark’s gospel we are told that Peter even began to get a bit ‘worked up’ and started swearing that he didn’t know Jesus.

This was from the lips of the same man who had sworn that, if it came to it, he would lay down his life for Jesus.

How confident Peter had been! How cock-sure that everyone else might crumble when the going got tough – but not he – not the great Peter! He wasn’t some lily-livered half-baked follower, he was different! He was special! And yet, at that moment it turned out that he wasn’t any different really. Once inside the ‘Lion’s Den’, his strength and confidence completely failed him didn’t it? It’s so easy to proclaim that you are going to do something when you are in a safe place amongst friends but a totally different matter when amongst ‘enemies’ isn’t it?

The worst of it all is when some of us realise that we too, are just like Peter. i.e. over-confident and convinced we are unlike all the other weaklings around us!

Some time ago I remember having the proverbial ‘right old moan’ about a certain individual who had been trying my patience. Of course, afterwards I felt bad and swore I would never do it again. Then , would you believe it, the very next day, I made exactly the same mistake, this time on the phone to someone else. But as soon as I put the phone down I could hear the metaphorical cock crowing, and just like Peter, knew I had let the Lord down badly. We repeat mistakes, don’t we; partly because we think we are stronger than everyone else! What a wake-up call that was to discover I too had been over-confident and egotistical!

This is why it is so important to spend time with the Lord – every single day! Keep your eyes focused on Him and Him alone. And don’t go into the Lion’s Den feeling over confident!

But wait! Peter’s story doesn’t end there does it? This incident could have destroyed him, couldn’t it? That sudden realisation that he was no better than any-one else could have brought him so low that he might have given up entirely. But fortunately for us, Christ wouldn’t let him go! Later he went into that same court and proclaimed with absolute boldness that ‘The stone which was rejected by you builders, has become the head of the corner’ (See Acts 4: 5-12). This Peter, was a new, better version of the old Peter , quite simply he had been taken over by the Holy Spirit ! Praise God! Peter was given the confidence he had lacked. And let’s pray for all to be transformed in the same way this Easter!