Jesus Uses A Rooster
Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. Mark 13: 35
Jesus is speaking about signs before the End of the Age and how no one knows when the exact time will be, except the Father. He uses a parable to fully explain what He is saying to them. Jesus likens this coming, to a man who goes away and leaves his house in the care of servants, each to whom he has assigned tasks. He tells the one at the door to keep watch. Then Jesus tells them that they are to be watchful.
He is warning them to keep watch always, and not be found sleeping, for the time the owner of the house returns, can be any time. Jesus is specific and painstaking, in mentioning that this coming of the owner may be at dawn, evening or at midnight. Jesus also includes the crowing of the rooster.
This really fascinates me, for Jesus gives the rooster a prominent place here. He speaks of literal times of day and night. Dawn, evening and night are words that are all related to measurable times. In other words, they all describe different time periods. But among these time periods, Jesus mentions the rooster's crows. What is it about the crow of the rooster that is so important?
As a child, I was told that the rooster or cock – short for cockerel- was the wakeup call for the villagers, signifying that it was time for them to get up from their beds of sleep and begin to prepare for the tasks of the day. The rooster never called you to sleep, but he certainly called you to wake from your sleeping. I have asked the Lord what the cock, or rooster means, and I wait to receive all that has been prepared for me. We are identifying three areas of rising of the crowing of the rooster. In each there is an awakening.
Rising from Slumber
The crowing of the rooster, early in the morning, awakened many villagers, in past times especially, for the work on the farms and estates, had to begin even before the rising of the sun. The crowing of the rooster was as the ringing of a bell, to get people up from sleep. If sleep is a kind of ‘death’, then the crowing of the rooster is a call of rising up from death and returning to the life of living. It is a call for you to get up from your beds of slumber, complacency and unawareness. The crow of the rooster awakens you to rise from your present slumber.
Rising from Sin
Jesus was speaking to His disciple Peter, at a most scary time in Peter’s life. Jesus knew that there would be all kinds of responses from His disciples, to what was about to happen to Him. He knew that the deceiver would see this as a field day, to take away all those with whom Jesus was working, in training, grooming and teaching them to continue His work on earth. Peter was the one on whose shoulders Jesus would rest the heaviest responsibility, as it were. But Jesus knew that Peter would fall into the death of sin and needed the call to be brought back to life, to rise again, after the death of sin. Jesus, using the crowing of a rooster to accomplish this, spoke these words to Peter. I tell you the truth, today – yes, tonight – before the rooster crows twice, you yourself will disown me three times. Mark 14: 30
Just as Jesus had indicated this to Peter. he was adamant about his love and loyalty for his Master, but he was too weak to sustain this love, under life-threatening pressure. He was so vocal and sure of his love for Jesus being strong, he said that he would never leave Jesus and never fall away, even if all the others did so. But Peter fell into sin and it took the crowing of a rooster, to bring him from this death of sin and raise him to repentance.
Listen to this again. The Lord’s words included the call, or crow of the cock, not to damn Peter, nor keep him in the grave of sin. The crow of the rooster was certainly not to condemn him to eternal hell and damnation. No! Glory to God! No! The crow of the rooster was to bring Peter to his senses; to awaken him to a path of repentance; to offer him the life there is in repentance. Look at this picture as viewed in Mark 14: 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.
You and I know these words by heart, but this is the first time I am being awakened to this truth. Peter fell into the death of sin, fell totally and deeply at that, into the deep grave of sin, with one crow of the rooster. He never crowed twice, before Peter was swallowed in by this death of sin. In other words, sin was so immediate, so spontaneous, and so swift, the rooster did not even have time to crow twice, before Peter was buried in the sin of disowning his beloved Lord and Master. What does this do for you and me? It gives further testimony to us and seals it in our hearts and minds that the call of this rooster was given to raise Peter to a glorious rising.
With one crow of the rooster, Peter had done it all. With the second crow, Peter was awakened and came to his senses. The rooster awakened Peter to the Word of Jesus to him. It was that remembrance, which brought new life of repentance through:
Conviction of Sin: Peter did not continue in his disowning of Jesus. Once he was made aware of his wrong, he was so pierced to his heart, so utterly sorry that he forgot fear of man and knew the fear of God.
Confession of Sin: There are no words recorded, which tell of the confession made by Peter. But confession comes in many ways. When your sin confronts you, when you are caught red-handed, with not one leg to stand on, your confession may come in different forms. I can identify with Peter in confession, for when you are confronted with your sinful actions, you cannot but confess that you are not just guilty, but that you have done wrong against the Lord, your love. Within the weeping of this convicted heart, is the confession of sin.
Contrition of Sin: Peter began to weep. He was just not crying, but he was weeping. These were tears that came from the depths of his very soul. Listen to these words. He broke down weeping. Do you know what it is to break down weeping? Yes you do, just as I do. It is weeping that is not controlled by you. It is weeping that breaks your sinful heart down, right where you are. It is the weeping of conviction that knows no pride, no haughtiness, no hiding, no covering up, and no shame. It is weeping that has no qualms about where you are, or in whose company you are. The crow of the rooster awakens you to rise from your present sin.
Rising from Self
Very often, from the area where I live, I can hear the crowing of a rooster in the distance. I don’t hear his voice every day, but whenever I hear his voice ringing through the stillness of the early morning, that’s still clothed in the dress of night, my thoughts go straight to the Lord. I am brought to remember who my Lord is and who I am in Him. I am reminded of my human frailty and always seek the help of God, to hear and obey Him. The rooster I hear is not mine, nor does it belong to anyone in my neighbourhood, since no one keeps live poultry in this vicinity. In fact, you never ever see, not even a stray chicken, in our community. Yet, from my far place, I am given hearing to hear the rooster.
I don’t know exactly where this rooster is, and I have never seen it, but I hear his voice and receive the one message he brings each time I hear him. His crowing always takes me back to an awareness of who Jesus is to me and who I am to Him. Even more personal, is the fact that hearing the rooster crowing early on mornings, I thank God, not just for physical hearing, but for reminding me that He has also given me spiritual hearing. I am awakened each morning to the gift of hearing, both physical and spiritual, and this is always an awakening for me.
I believe that we all have the gift to hear our roosters, which bring us to a daily waking, lifting us out of our buried places. These places do vary in form, but their nature is the same. These, grave places, always seek to keep us in their hold, ensuring that we do not live the free life for which Christ gave His life. But there is still the Rising Call of the rooster, which awakens us to daily truth in all God’s ways.
Comments