The Rooster Crowed

I taught the youth (grades 7 - 12) Sunday School class for years and years in our previous church. The curriculum we used, which that denomination has since dropped, was designed to cover the entire Bible in six years. It wasn't terribly even in its approach, and there were things about the way the studies were written that bugged the stew outta me, so instead of using the lesson plans I just used the syllabus...we covered the scripture that was listed for each lesson in its entirety, rather than looking only at the few verses that were termed the 'focal passage'.

Despite the flaws, it was a great idea...kids who grew up in the church got at least a passing acquaintance with the entire Bible in the six years they were in the youth age group. Not something that can be said of too many churches any more, more's the pity.

However, there were a few times each year that the lesson material deviated from the steady journey through the Scripture. One was Easter Sunday, on which we *always* interrupted the study of whatever book we were in and looked at the Resurrection.

Now, I'm just gonna say that no matter how incredible the spiritual truth is, repeating it over and over again creates a risk of losing the awe that it should inspire. So I worked hard to keep the story fresh with each year's telling.

I don't know if I managed to keep the story fresh for the kids, but those gems of revelation kept my awe-meter up.

One year, the revelation that hit me had to do with Peter's betrayal. (You didn't know all that was the *introduction* for today's Bible-studyish post, did you? But hang in there...this is a nugget, not a sermon!)

The way I approached the story was to piece together the events from the different Gospel accounts. And, as I was doing that, a couple of verses in Luke grabbed my attention. The passage is Luke 22:60-61 -
Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord has spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times."

I'd come to the conclusion that Jesus was being led from Caiphas' home to the meeting of the Sanhedrin just as the rooster crowed; he was outside at that moment. And he knew exactly where in the crowd Peter was.

Peter, watching as Jesus was pulled/pushed/led in chains out of Caiphas' house, had just denied knowing him for the third time...and the rooster began to crow.

Jesus, already bruised and abused, turned and looked straight at him.
Eye contact. Acknowledgment. Devastation.

This year, especially, I am finding myself startling at the rooster crow. Yesterday's post was an acknowledgment of sorts that I am in denial mode...denying not only myself the time to spend in His presence, but denying His claim to my life...my minutes, as I posted back on New Year's...which is a denial of Him.

And He is looking straight at me.