Mark 14:66-72 - Crushed Rock
- Chad Werkhoven
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
A lowly rooster crow announced both our failure, and Christ's victory.
Mark 14:66–72 (NIV)
CONTEXT: The scenes below take place as Jesus was being put on trial before His crucifixion.
29 Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”
30 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”
31 But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.
--
50 Then everyone deserted him [Jesus] and fled.
---
66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.
“You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.
68 But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway.
69 When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” 70 Again he denied it.
After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”
71 He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”
72 Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Canons of Dordt
Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints
Article 4: The Danger of True Believers’ Falling into Serious Sins
The power of God strengthening and preserving true believers in grace is more than a match for the flesh.
Yet those converted are not always so activated and motivated by God
that in certain specific actions they - by their own fault - depart from the leading of grace,
and are led astray by the desires of the flesh,
and give in to them.
For this reason they must constantly watch and pray that they may not be led into temptations.
When they fail to do this, not only can they be carried away by
the flesh,
the world,
and Satan
into sins,
even serious and outrageous ones,
They sometimes are carried away by God’s just permission!
Witness the sad cases, described in Scripture, of David, Peter, and other saints falling into sins.
Summary
Peter was a natural leader. He was the one who often gave voice to what the other disciples were thinking, but were too afraid to say out loud. It was Peter who jumped out of the boat and walked on the water to meet Jesus. He was the one who first recognized Jesus to be the Messiah that Israel had been longing for, and boldly declared this to the group. It would be Peter who, filled with the Holy Spirit, would be used to initially lead Christ's new church after Pentecost. It was Peter who led the charge, promising to stick with Jesus until the death, inspiring the other disciples to make the same pledge.
This is the man who, after everyone else who had just promised their undying allegiance to Jesus had already fled, finds himself cold and alone in the courtyard of the high priest who currently presided over the sham trial that would lead to Jesus' execution. Peter, very much a co-conspirator in the eyes of the establishment, was in significant danger as he slowly edged towards the warmth of the fire.
But he got a bit too close, and as he drew near the light of the fire, he was had. First the servant girl twice identified him as one who was with that Nazarene, Jesus. Then some others recognized Peter's Galilean features. All three times Peter vehemently denied it, even going so far as to call down curses as he swore to them. It was at that very moment the rooster crowed the second time causing Peter to remember the word Jesus had spoken to him predicting his denial.
Dig Deeper
All four gospels record Jesus' trial and crucifixion from different perspectives, so not every element of what took place that long night is included in every gospel account. But Peter's denial was so significant that it is one of the few aspects that is found in all four.
It's easy to dump on Peter. His failures get remembered far more often than his leadership; he quickly sank after his first few steps on the lake; immediately after recognizing Jesus' true identity, Jesus calls him Satan for misunderstanding Jesus' mission. Peter, the initial leader of the early church, gets scolded by Paul later on in Acts. And worst of all is his bald faced denials of the Savior whom hours before he had bravely swore to stand by to the death.
But I think the reason that all four gospels include this element in their accounts isn't because Peter's an easy target, but for exactly the opposite reason. If Peter, the Rock who'd demonstrated his courage time and time again, could cave so easily, how much more quickly would the rest of us wilt? In this sad story, Peter stands in for us all.
But don't miss the good news in this story. Out of all the ways Jesus could have alerted Peter to his abject failure, He used a rooster. A rooster which was created to instinctively crow at one specific time each day: at the end of a long night, just before dawn.
That rooster's crow didn't just announce Peter/our dismal failure, but also the coming daylight when Jesus would triumphantly rise. The rooster's crow, which initially caused Peter to break down and weep, now reminds you that God's grace is stronger than Peter, so it's certainly stronger than us!
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who controls all things, even a lowly rooster;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength to stand firm for Christ, and thank God for His grace when you, like Peter, fall on your face in failure;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: John 7
