Hosanna Restoration Church

I have read this scripture many times and have had many different thoughts about it. But this time, my first thought was, crow rooster crow!! That probably sounds strange, but I realized that this crowing was a wake up call for Peter. Jesus had warned him that he would deny Jesus three times before the rooster crowed, and sure enough Peter did it. When the rooster crowed, he realized what he had done. It could be compared to the way the Holy Spirit will check us, only sometimes it seems the Holy Spirit is way too gentle with me. I need Him to crow at me from time to time. I am just making a picture comparison here, and am in no way intending to demean the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps it is because of this scripture, that before there were alarm clocks, people woke up to the crowing of the rooster.(We used be a Godly nation.) If the rooster did not crow then something was wrong. Either they had a bad rooster, or the rooster was dead, stolen, or something. I can well imagine that from time to time there was someone who did not like the early wake up call, and as a result shot the rooster. As Christians, we need to be careful that we do not shoot the rooster.

The rooster can take on many forms. Whether it be in the form of friend or enemy, family member, pastor, stranger, or any other, we need to receive the wake up call when it comes. I have agonized over how Peter must have felt when he heard that rooster. It opened his eyes to the way that he betrayed the one he loved. I agonized even more as I realize that I have betrayed Jesus many times in one way or another. Perhaps it was not as flagrant as Peter’s denial, and then again perhaps it was. It really makes no difference how blatant or subtle it might be, I just do not want to betray the Lord. Nor do I desire to grieve the Holy Spirit or break the heart of God. But if I do, I sure want the rooster to crow. I do not care how bad it makes me feel. Godly sorrow will lead me to repentance.

If we are betraying Christ, we need someone to wake us up. I am sure that Peter never denied Christ again after that experience. In fact, we know that he gladly died for the cause of Christ later in life.

If you will allow me, I might even go so far as to say that the rooster was a type of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is full of types and examples. Peter could have thrown a rock at that rooster, gotten mad, and turned his back on the gospel. But he didn’t. I would imagine that he thanked God for that rooster on many occasions later in his life.

If we will live our lives awake and alert to the things of God the rooster will never bother us. If it is our desire to be awakened, we will be glad when the rooster crows. After all, we sure do not want to be late for what God has in store for us. In fact, I have a feeling that this word about the rooster is just a seed for many, including myself. And that God will speak volumes to us as we contemplate the areas of our life with Christ where we may well be sleeping. It could even be that some will untie the rooster and welcome him to crow again in their lives. Others may even pray to raise their rooster from the dead, realizing that they shot him long ago. Let that rooster crow!!!