#1438 Luke 22 Part 4 Let Me Tell You About The Rooster

 

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” Luke 22: 31-34 ESV

Luke 22: 31-34 

Simon, Simon - They had just been arguing over who was going to be the greatest, and note that Christ does not say, "Peter", but goes back to his old name, Simon, and twice, like when your teacher corrects you, "Calvin, Calvin, what am I going to do with you?" It's like having your mom call you by your full name, you know you are being dressed down, she is disappointed, and here Christ brings some unwanted and unbelieved reality to the situation. 

…41He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ). 42Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter). 43The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.”… John 1: 41-43

…16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.… Matthew 16: 16-18

Satan demanded to have you - This is not the first or last time that the devil has made such a request. One of the scariest passages in all of Scripture is when the devil and his demons come before God and request to test Job. It is a terrible and frightening line, "Consider my servant Job", and I should prefer that my name not be brought up in such conversations, but it is a great comfort for me to know that Satan has to ask permission from my Master before he can do anything against me. It is ultimately the hand of the Lord, to His greatness and glory, and my growth. Remember what we talked about before, the devil is God's devil so no need to be superstitious, and we should not speak beyond what we know. Those who challenge such creatures speak beyond their means for they are much more powerful than you or I, and you are but a chihuahua barking at a T-Rex so talk to God and not demons, and be mindful of your place.

…7“Where have you come from?” said the LORD to Satan. “From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it.” 8Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil.” 9Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing?…

…10Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11But stretch out Your hand and strike all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.” 12“Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “Everything he has is in your hands, but you must not lay a hand on the man himself.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.… Job 1: 7-12

5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” 10 But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. 11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. 12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. Jude 5-13

V. 32 I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail - Jesus is the great intercessor, and we see the character of this type in Moses when he would be the intermediary for the people, falling on his face before God, taking the place of humility for those that were to stupid to prostrate themselves. 

1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 3By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.… 1 John 2: 1-3

…7maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” 8Moses immediately bowed down to the ground and worshiped. 9“O Lord,” he said, “if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, my Lord, please go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our iniquity and sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”… Exodus 34: 7-9

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. 2 And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. 3 Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. 4 And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out. 5 And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. 6 And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. 7 Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” 9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.

10 When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. 11 And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned. 12 Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother's womb.” 13 And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.” 14 But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” 15 So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again. 16 After that the people set out from Hazeroth, and camped in the wilderness of Paran. Numbers 12: 1-16

V. 32b And when you have turned again strengthen your brothers - This would also be comforting, Jesus foretelling your repentance and return to your post. It is also a revelation for the others that they will need Peter to encourage them after his own fall. This means that they will be shaken and scattered as well. They can't see it yet, but knowing Who is saying it should have been enough, regardless of the way we like to see ourselves.

…2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. 3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function,… Romans 12: 2-4

V. 33 Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death - Again, someone who knows better than God does. I have found that men talk like this though, that we shadow box with our words, but there is no preparing for something like what is coming other than complete trust in the Words of the Savior. We are all brave when we are walking with our big friend who can beat anyone in a fight, we talk beyond our own ability, like drunks do, we go about crowing in the yard, but what if they take your friend? What if you find yourself alone? Will you be able to stand? Peter has misplaced his faith in his resolve, in his own ability and toughness. The man who doesn't trust himself is the smartest man you will ever meet.

…19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28: 19-20

…5“Do you not know what they are?” replied the angel. “No, my lord,” I answered. 6So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts. 7What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain. Then he will bring forth the capstone accompanied by shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’ ”… Zechariah 4: 5-7

…16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.… Ephesians 6: 16-18

I tell you, Peter - He is calling him back with the name He gave him, and like a Father to a child, saying, "stop, listen, this is non-negotiable."

The rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know Me - He is really preparing him, first by telling him that Satan is coming for him, then by telling him He knows this and is praying for him. Next in the outline is Christ's forgiveness in advance, that Peter will return and needs to go comfort the others. He is preparing them for an evil day. Peter doesn't want to believe it, "Jesus, if you knew me, really knew me, then you would know that I got your back bro." So Jesus amplifies it even more, and gives him a sign so that he will know when it took place, but can look back upon this conversation and seek forgiveness. You are going to deny Me thrice and then hear the rooster crow. There is no other scenario, even with being warned, you are going to pee yourself, you will feel the courage drain out of you like someone pulled a plug, and you will lie like a scared little boy. I cry just thinking about it. I have held an image of myself that has fallen so many times in the reality of a moment, when things are ugly, when I should have been looking to Jesus, but was dumb enough to believe in self.