I’ll follow You for ever; my life I’ll give away.
No one is more
important, to me Lord, on this day.
I will give you everything, regardless of the price.
Even if the
outcome is something that’s not nice.
Jesus interrupted him. “That really isn’t true.
I know what
soon will happen and know what you will do.
Three times you will deny me. Three times you will ignore,
The one who,
at the moment, you say that you adore.
Listen when the cock crow is heard the second time.
You will know
your blustering is hardly worth a dime.”
What was Jesus meaning? Where were the chickens there?
Was He referring
to some birds, or was He more aware,
Of all the local customs, that told the folk the time?
They didn’t
have a Rolex; not even the design!
So how was everybody advised if it was late?
They had a little
system that in those days was great.
They had a sort of trumpet perhaps an old ram’s horn.
They’d walk
around the city from sunset until dawn.
And at a given interval they’d give a trumpet blast;
Telling all
the people the time that had gone past.
The people of Jerusalem had three watches at night.
From sunset
until ten pm; the first watch in their sight.
From ten pm to two am. This was watch number two.
From two am to
day break, would see the whole night through.
They didn’t have a telephone so one oh and two six,
Hadn’t been
invented! So they were in a fix.
That’s where the cock crow came in. A double trumpet blast.
Declared that
it was two ‘o clock. The first watch had gone past.
So Peter’s great denial took place just after two.
The “cock crow”
fixed the moment, when Jesus’ words came true.
That special final supper, was just six hours behind.
And what the
Lord told Peter was branded in his mind.
We know that he was weeping. I would have done the same.
To know I had
denied the Lord! Oh what a dreadful shame.
How could it be corrected? In ten hours He was dead.
Judas went and
hanged himself. Could other words be said?
Peter thought he’d lost it. The Lord was dead and gone.
Would he ever
find the strength so he could carry on?
No wonder he was desolate. He’d be a cast away.
Imagine his excitement
when on that first Lord’s day.
Mary had a message. “My people have to know.
Go back to
Jerusalem, go back and tell them so.
That I have risen from the grave. And please tell Peter too.
I never will reject
him. Whatever he may do!”
Perhaps this gives a little glimpse into the Saviour’s heart.
In spite of
all you’ve said and done, He’ll give you
a new start!
Jim Strickland – Written 12th November 2011
