The Rooster Crows

And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Mark 14:66–72
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The Rooster Crows
Peter's denial of Jesus unfolds as he denies his Lord three times before the rooster crows. This passage starkly reveals our human weakness and the devastating impact of fear and self-preservation. Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, succumbs to fear and denies even knowing Christ. Yet, this story does not end in despair. The rooster's crow serves as a divine alarm, awakening Peter to his sin and leading him to deep remorse. Here, we witness the beginning of repentance—a crucial step in forgiveness and restoration. As Christians, we, too, falter and deny Christ through thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and what we have left undone. But, like Peter, we are called to repentance. God's grace, revealed through Christ's sacrifice on the cross, offers us forgiveness and the strength to stand firm in our faith. Let us heed the rooster's crow, repent, and embrace the mercy freely given to us.