The Rooster Crows & Jesus Is Brought Before Pilate

Jesus Is Brought Before Pilate For Sentencing

Mark 15:1-5 (NLT)

Jesus’ Trial before Pilate

15 Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law—the entire high council—met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.

2 Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus replied, “You have said it.”

3 Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, 4 and Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?” 5 But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate’s surprise.

This event is also mentioned here:

Matthew 27:1-2, 11-14

Luke 23:1-12

John 18:28-37

Peter Weeps Over His Broken Promise

Mark 14:66-72 (NLT)

Peter Denies Jesus

66 Meanwhile, Peter was in the courtyard below. One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest came by 67 and noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and said, “You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.”

68 But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, and he went out into the entryway. Just then, a rooster crowed.

69 When the servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others, “This man is definitely one of them!” 70 But Peter denied it again.

A little later some of the other bystanders confronted Peter and said, “You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean.”

71 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed the second time.

Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept.

This event is also mentioned here:

Matthew 26:69-75

Luke 22:55-62

John 18:15-18, 25-27

A Step Further: Remorse vs Repentance

Judas and Peter. Both felt the shame of betraying Jesus, and they both chose to handle the shame of their sin differently.

Matthew 27:3 tells us that Judas felt remorse for what he did. In his remorse, Judas made it about himself – he felt badly about what he had done. It was less about Jesus, more about himself. Judas placed the weight of his sin on his shoulders and carried out his own judgement against himself.

The Gospels tell us Peter wept bitterly when he realized Jesus was right – he had denied his friend three times. Peter wasn’t just upset by the weight of his actions, it was that his actions had hurt his friend and Lord. Instead of it being about himself/his actions, it was about Jesus. Peter wept bitterly in repentance. Upon Jesus’ resurrection, the first of the apostles he appeared to was Peter (Luke 24:34, 1 Corinthians 15:5) and later again to Peter along with the others on the shore of Galilee (John 21), showing Peter he was restored.

We can be remorseful over our actions and not change, but God wants better for us. 2 Corinthians 7:10 tells us, “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.” Repentance is taking our sin to God, asking for forgiveness, and choosing to turn away from what caused the sin. Is there something in your life you feel remorse for and you’re carrying out your own judgement against yourself? The Lord desires that you would take the remorse you feel, bring it to him in repentance like Peter. Allow yourself to be restored so you can experience the joy of renewed relationship with God.

^{A Step Further written by Erin Branham. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.}

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