There's a thing about roosters - they crow every day.
Even on Good Friday.
---- Matthew 26:69-75 ----
Peter was a fierce and devoted follower of Jesus. He was one of His closest friends.
But on that Thursday night, confusion and fear left him guarded. He had jumped to the rescue at Jesus' arrest, but was called down by a calm and compliant Jesus (John 18:1-12).
So now what?
Jesus is alone, wrongly accused, and outnumbered.
What's the plan?
Jesus doesn't want help?
You can see why Peter is confused.
Emotions are high; it's the dead of night; and Jesus is strangely calm.
As morning breaks, the disciples find this nightmare to be real.
And the rooster wakes Peter - but not from a slumber-
it wakes him to his sin.
Jesus had warned Peter. He knew Peter would struggle.
He knew he would fail, so he gave him a rooster.
The rooster revealed Peter's sin - but also -
it revealed the love of the Messiah.
The rooster reminded Peter that Jesus knows.
Conviction and grace were offered in that wake-up call.
A grace sufficient to carry Peter through those dark days.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us today with those same reminders,
with that same conviction and grace.
We have an even greater intimacy and access to the prompting and guidance than Peter was able to have that weekend.
You see- that calm, compliant Jesus was not obeying a mob.
He was obeying His Father out of a love for us.
Now, His Spirit lives inside us, when we choose the salvation He died for that day.
We can be in relationship, without the separation the disciples had to experience.
He is present.
He is faithful to direct us and correct us, if we are faithful to listen.
And - you never know what God might use to wake you up . . .
When the "rooster" crows, you have choices:
Get mad at the rooster. You're asleep and comfortable, and that cock-a-doodle-doo spoils the whole thing. Blame it on the rooster.
Ignore the rooster. You can roll over and pretend you never heard it.
Think of others who should be hearing that rooster. Surely all those other sleepyheads are the reason it's crowing.
Start a new day with new mercies. Listen and repent. Be thankful that the Spirit provided a rooster and the grace of hearing.
What do you do, when the rooster crows?
Lamentations 3:22-23 The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.
1 John 1:8-10 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
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