Shade of the Moriah Tree

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 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

DOES IT HAVE you wonder sometimes the significance of the rooster crowing after Peter denied he knew Christ? Why have this sound as a ‘landmark’ trigger? It was certainly an alert that morning (as with every morning), a new day has dawned just prior to the sun’s rising. It was alarming to the shock and horror of Peter; a stark realisation that Peter had surely fallen in a most grotesque way exactly as his Master had predicted. That alarm acutely brought Peter to all of his senses, realising in full measure what he had just done – cowardly fighting to preserve his life at the expense of knowing the One who called into being out of nothing the world as we see, hear and feel it; knowing – through direct revelation by God the Father – that this Man, like no other before or after, God incarnate was vehemently denied after zealously stating he would even die for him.

What miserable depths of depression and utter despair Peter fell into, and there was no way out; given the greatest discovery and opportunity to walk in ways that turns the world upside down was literally thrown away. No other mind-blowing and world-changing scenario would ever (in his mind) enter Peter’s life again. He’d reached the pinnacle of man’s highest revelatory discovery, only for such dreams being excelled as reality unfolded its greater meaning… now brought to a crashing halt as his Hero faces a fatal end. What a send-off as Christ glanced at Peter as soon as the rooster crowed. Those eyes that looked into Peter’s eyes for the first time when that call came to follow Him and he couldn’t withstand that soul-penetrative gaze as everything about Peter was laid bare before Him Who knows everything – now those eyes look again into Peter’s for the last time.

I’m sure we feel those depths that we can’t put into words as we ponder over that scene and what Peter must have felt. I know it brings tears to my eyes as I embark just upon the fringes of Peter’s agony. Immediately after that gaze from Christ, Peter went out, away from everything and fell apart as he wept bitterly. Inconsolable depths of pain. Still alive, but life is not worth living anymore.

When Jesus stated that “in this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33) – it has some measure of victory for us, but just like a military General who has earned the respect of all who follow his commands, who is with them through wars, there is the stark reminder that we’re not all like that General who is strong, resolute and immovable, especially when he’s out of view. Oh, how we all wish we were as strong as such a leader and victor; how we all wish we were like Christ, victorious and overcoming as He, but we are more aware of our frailty, our proneness to wander, failure and the concern of how we will fair under life-threatening scenarios when it comes to our loyalty to Christ.

“I have overcome the world” – great, but will WE also overcome the world?

When we are brought to our senses, we know we can’t trust ourselves and the possibility of denying our Lord for the cowardly flesh that still remains within us can have us restless at times. Are we going to make it and remain steadfast to our Master?

Beware of being presumptuous – just like Peter – in stating we will never deny Christ. That same temper under a crises is within ALL of us.

Depravity has touched ALL of us. Some of us may not have fallen to whatever grotesque depths, but the heart was there to commit unimaginable conduct. God in His mercy prevented such circumstances to our detriment.

When Oswald Chambers went through several years of ‘the dark night of the soul’, he discovered the depths of his depravity. He became acutely aware that it was possible to commit the most grievous and heinous sins that the vilest criminal could ever commit. What say we? Have we had that blow to our pride? We’re all in the same boat as Peter; we all have that nature within us to fall away from God, no matter how confident we feel.

Judas fell eternally and there was no way back. Such agonising and mysterious depths. Peter came back ONLY because Christ kept hold of him.

Peter could fall no further, and if there could be depths beyond rock-bottom Peter was there. Peter could not have picked himself up; he couldn’t have willed or decided to turn himself around; he was finished and everything within nature nailed that sentence through the inner core of his being.

“And when you are restored, go to your brethren…” echoes so powerfully this same Shepherd who restores our soul.

Christ overcame the world, and we should take heart at that, but this goes infinitely further. Peter only made it back because Christ prayed that his faith would not fail. We have the same effectual calling of grace on our lives who have been chosen before the foundation of the world.

Christ in us is stronger than he that is the world, and that is a tremendous revelation, but higher than this is that our Great High Priest – the Shepherd of our souls – is interceding for us at the right hand of God, praying that our faith shall NOT fail.

It is not our hand of faith that is holding onto Christ that will bring us through but Christ’s omnipotent hand that eternally holds us through whatever comes our way.

God knows the worst about us, long before He called us, and yet He is the One Who loves us the most.

Whatever depths of depravity we may be aware of within ourselves, there is the Love that has gone infinitely deeper that picks us up, lifts up our heads and elevates us to where Christ is now seated in the heavenlies.

We may feel weak and dare not trust ourselves, but the continued work of the Gospel and God’s saving grace will have us look away from ourselves to Christ alone – our eternal solid Rock, our righteousness, our steadfast and immovable Hope. It is not a hope as we are accustomed to – a hope as we know that can be lost; no, this is a fixed guarantee.

This does not negate our calling unto holiness, or is a license to live as we please. No, when we taste what depths of sin, waywardness and evil within our hearts and we simultaneously and overwhelmingly encounter God’s love that descends beyond such depths for us, it breaks us and ignites an eternal fire of greater loyalty and to love Him. In fact, the love in return to Him is inevitable and is a sure mark of our authentic regeneration by the almighty power of God’s Spirit at work in our hearts.

We are Christ’s inheritance, His treasure, His possession, and He will lose none of His. The price He paid was too much to lose any of His chosen and because of this, “He that began [such] a good work in us shall bring it unto [perfect] completion” (Philippians 1:6) for His glory and our eternal worship and enjoyment of Him.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in God’s excellent Word!
What more can be said than to you God hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
for I will be near thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake.

(Hymn by John Rippon, 1751 – 1836)