Jump Start # 3754
Luke 22:61 “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peer remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, ‘before a cock crows today, you will deny Me three times.’”
I was listening to the Hollies song, “Just one look,” the other day. It’s a song about a boy seeing a girl and falling in love with her. It just took one look, as the song goes. Love at first sight, is another way of saying this.
Sometimes nothing has to be said. It’s just a look. Wives can do that to husbands as they see what we are wearing. Nothing needs to be said. It’s just that look. That look speaks volumes. “You are really not going to wear that are you?” is what that look says. Parents have a certain look at their kids. Nothing needs to be said. One can tell when mom is mad. It’s in her eyes. Just one look.
Our verse today is an illustration of a look without words. Nothing was said. It was just a look. Our Lord had gone through a series of Jewish trials and while this was going on, Peter was sitting among the enemy pretending that he didn’t know Jesus. When fingers were pointed at Peter, he started denying the Lord. Jesus told Peter that this would happen.
As Jesus is being led away, He sees Peter. The Lord looked at Peter. Nothing was said. Nothing needed to be said. Peter knew.
We are not told what the expression was on the Lord’s face. Was it anger? Was it disappointment? Was it a look of pity for Peter? Was it disgust? Was it sorry? Was there no one that would defend Jesus? Was there no one that believed in Him? Was there no one that had an ounce of courage in their hearts?
Jesus looked at Peter. That’s all it took. The words came rushing back to Peter. It was a prophecy that Peter did not want to see fulfilled. He denied the Lord, just as Jesus said. He didn’t just deny, but he did it three times. The exact number that Jesus said. And, Peter wept. He wept bitterly. He had failed. He had let the Lord down. The look.
There are some lessons for us in all of this:
First, if we could imagine Jesus looking at us, when we did something sinful, we too, ought to weep. It is so easy to hide our faith. It is so easy to be a spiritual coward. It is so easy to break the laws of God. When we open the doors to temptation and invite the devil in, all we think about is the fun, satisfaction, and self. But, there stands Jesus looking.
Second, at the resurrection of Jesus, the angel tells the women, who were first at the empty tomb, to go tell Peter. Peter runs to the tomb. He wants to see. As John’s Gospel ends, the Lord asks Peter three times if he loved Him. Three times. The number of denials. The tears of sorrow that came from Peter’s failure, quickly become a burning boldness deep within his heart. Courageous and strong, Peter stands before thousands in Acts 2 and declares openly that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. When threatened with jail, Peter tells city officials that I cannot stop speaking about Jesus.
How did he change? How did he change so quickly? A look. An empty tomb. A promise.
When Jesus touch the eyes of a blind man and his sight returned. He saw Jesus. When Jairus’ little daughter opened her eyes from death, she saw Jesus. When John heard a voice like a trumpet, he turned, as Revelation begins, and saw Jesus.
Just one look. Nothing needs to be said.
Third, the last chapter of Revelation tells us that we shall see His face. A look. He looks at us and we look at Him. I believe this look will be so different than what Peter saw after his denying. A look that invites. A look of acceptance. A look that welcomes. A look with a smile. A look of love.
Just one look…
Roger