Peter
His name means: “Rock”
His work: A career fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. His character: Peter was a determined and impetuous man who became bold in his witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His sorrow: Like many impulsive people, Peter’s greatest enemy was his mouth-speaking without thinking. This landed him in all kinds of trouble. His triumph: The leadership of the disciples, the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles, and his martyrdom for the Savior he loved. Key Scriptures:Luke 9
A Look at the Man
Simon Peter had heard about Jesus. Living close to the Sea of Galilee, as Peter did, it would have been hard to miss him. But Peter’s career kept him busy. Being distracted by the Teacher wouldn’t be good for business.
Then one morning, as Jesus walked along the shore with the usual crowd of people surrounding him, he stopped and, without warning or permission, stepped into Peter’s boat. Imagine the fisherman’s shock when Jesus said to him, “Push out into the deep and drop your nets.”
“But, Master,” Peter protested, surprised that Jesus knew his name. “We’ve been up all night fishing and haven’t caught anything.”
Jesus turned to look at Peter with a glance that for the next three years would become familiar.
“Okay,” Peter sighed. “Because it’s you, I’ll do it.”
The moment the nets drifted below the water’s surface, they filled with fish. Peter called for a second boat. But the nets were so full of fish that both boats nearly sank. Suddenly Peter made the connection between the miracle and his own wickedness. “Go away, Lord,” he pleaded as he fell to his knees. “I’m a sinful man.”
The Master must have instantly bonded to this rough but tenderhearted fisherman. “Don’t be afraid, my friend,” Jesus said to him. This may have been the first time anyone had ever said these words to this brave man. Then Jesus added, “Follow me.”
The most outspoken and visible of Jesus’ disciples, Simon Peter was a remarkably complex man. He was impulsive, brash, thickheaded, courageous, tough-and fearful. But there was a special place among Jesus’ closest followers for this man. We have no record of there being an election of officers, but the gospel writers put Peter’s name first when they list the disciples. He was their designated leader.
And there was a special place in Jesus’ heart for Peter as well. He was the only disciple who received a new name-a nickname. “Blessed are you, Simon son of John,” Jesus announced to him one day. “Now you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. And against my church, the gates of hell don’t have a chance.”
But like the man who carried the name, the word rock had many faces. Certainly there was the kind of rock that provided stability-bedrock on which the church was to be built. But there was the rock that represented shallowness-an impediment for the seed to grow. There was the rock that got in the way of progress-the stumbling stone of offense. And there was the rock that was many Jews’ weapon of choice. And in a contemporary setting, rock sometimes refers to a precious gem. Jesus couldn’t have given Simon a more appropriate moniker.
But any instability that marked the man prior to Jesus’ resurrection was permanently erased once he touched the risen Savior and heard his call once more: “Follow me!” It was Peter who stood at Pentecost and preached a radical conversion message. It was Peter who, like his Lord, healed the sick-even his shadow had healing power! It was Peter who confidently stood before the antagonists in the Sanhedrin, the same men who later murdered Stephen. “Salvation is found in no one else but Jesus,” he declared. “There’s no other name under heaven by which we must be saved!”
It was Peter who was singled out for an extremely unpopular assignment-to take the message of salvation to non-Jews. Peter, whom King Herod imprisoned for his refusal to stop preaching the Good News, was miraculously set free by an angel. And it was Peter whose death, Jesus said, would “glorify God.”
While ministering in Rome, Peter was arrested by Nero and was later tried and crucified. However, unwilling to be killed in the same sacred way his Master had died, Peter requested that he be crucified upside down. His wish was granted, and God was glorified.
Reflect On:2 Peter 4:12ÔÇô13Praise God: For his love. Offer Thanks: For the wonder of a Savior who meets us where we are and transforms us by his Spirit. Confess: Your inconsistency in wanting to follow him but so often neglecting to be his unfailing and faithful ambassador. Ask God: For the will to be in his presence daily and to find in that encounter his redeeming power.
“What should we learn from the life of Peter?”Simon Peter , also known as Cephas, was one of the first followers of Jesus Christ. He was an outspoken and devoted disciple, one of Jesus' closest friends, an apostle, and a "pillar" of the church (Galatians 2:9). Peter was enthusiastic, strong-willed, impulsive, and, at times, brash. But for all his strengths, Peter had several failings in his life.
Still, the Lord who chose him continued to mold him into exactly who He intended Peter to be.Simon was originally from Bethsaida (John 1:44) and lived in Capernaum (Mark 1:29), both cities on the coast of the Sea of Galilee.
He was married (1 Corinthians 9:5), and he and James and John were partners in a profitable fishing business (Luke 5:10).
Simon met Jesus through his brother Andrew, who had followed Jesus after hearing John the Baptist proclaim that Jesus was the Lamb of God (John 1:35-36). Andrew immediately went to find his brother to bring him to Jesus.
Upon meeting Simon, Jesus gave him a new name: Cephas (Aramaic) or Peter (Greek), which means "rock" (John 1:40-42).
Later, Jesus officially called Peter to follow Him, producing a miraculous catch of fish (Luke 5:1-7). Immediately, Peter left everything behind to follow the Lord (verse 11).For the next three years, Peter lived as a disciple of the Lord Jesus.
Being a natural-born leader, Peter effectivelybecame the spokesman for the Twelve (Matthew 15:15, 18:21, 19:27Mark 11:21Luke 8:45, 12:41John 6:68, 13:6-9, 36).
More significantly, it was Peter who first confessed Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God," a truth which Jesus said was divinely revealed to Peter (Matthew 16:16-17).Peter was part of the inner circle of Jesus' disciples, along with James and John. Only those three were present when Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37) and when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain (Matthew 17:1).
Peter and John were given the special task of preparing the final Passover meal (Luke 22:8).In several instances, Peter showed himself to be hotheaded to the point of rashness. For example:It was Peter who left the boat to walk on the water to Jesus (Matthew 14:28-29)-and promptly took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink (verse 30). It was Peter who took Jesus aside to rebuke Him for speaking of His death (Matthew 16:22)-and was swiftly corrected by the Lord (verse 23). It was Peter who suggested erecting three tabernacles to honor Moses, Elijah, and Jesus (Matthew 17:4)-and fell to the ground in fearful silence at God's glory (verses 5-6). It was Peter who drew his sword and attacked the servant of the high priest (John 18:10)-and was immediately told to sheath his weapon (verse 11). It was Peter who boasted that he would never forsake the Lord, even if everyone else did (Matthew 26:33)-and later denied three times that he even knew the Lord (verses 70-74). Through all of Peter's ups and downs, the Lord Jesus remained his loving Lord and faithful Guide.
Jesus reaffirmed Simon as Peter, the "Rock," in Matthew 16:18-19, promising that he would be instrumental in establishing Jesus' Church.
After His resurrection, Jesus specifically named Peter as one who needed to hear the good news (Mark 16:7). And, repeating the miracle of the large catch of fish, Jesus made a special point of forgiving and restoring Peter and re-commissioning him as an apostle (John 21:6, 15-17).On the day of Pentecost, Peter was the main speaker to the crowd in Jerusalem (Acts 2:14ff), and the Church began with an influx of about 3,000 new believers (verse 41).
Later, Peter healed a lame beggar (Acts 3) and preached boldly before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4).
Even though he was arrested, beaten, and threatened, it did not dampen Peter's determination to preach the risen Christ (Acts 5). Jesus' promise that Peter would be foundational in building the Church, that was fulfilled in three stages:
Peter preached on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
He was present when the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8). He was summoned to the home of the Roman centurion Cornelius, who also believed and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 10).
In this way, Peter "unlocked" three different worlds and opened the door of the Church to Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles. Even as an apostle, Peter experienced some growing pains. First, he resisted taking the gospel to Cornelius, a Gentile. However, when he saw the Romans receive the Holy Spirit in the same manner, Peter concluded that "God does not show favoritism" (Acts 10:34).
After that, Peter strongly defended the Gentiles' position as believers and was adamant that they did not need to conform to Jewish law (Acts 15:7-11).Another episode of growth in Peter's life concerns his visit to Antioch, where he enjoyed the fellowship of Gentile believers.
However, when some legalistic Jews arrived in Antioch, Peter thought to calm them down, it would be best for them if he withdrew from the Gentile Christians. The Apostle Paul saw this as hypocrisy and called it such to Peter's face (Galatians 2:11-14).Later in life, Peter spent time with John Mark (1 Peter 5:13), who wrote the gospel of Mark based on Peter's remembrances of his time with Jesus.
Peter wrote two inspired epistles, 1 and 2 Peter, between A.D. 60 and 68. Jesus said that Peter would die a martyr's death (John 21:18-19)-a prophecy fulfilled, presumably, during Nero's reign.
Tradition has it that Peter was crucified upside down in Rome, and, although such the story may be true, there is no scriptural or historical witness to the particulars of Peter's death. What can we learn from Peter's life?
Here are a few lessons:Jesus overcomes fear. Whether stepping out of a boat onto a tossing sea or stepping across the threshold of a Gentile home for the first time, Peter found courage in following Christ. "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18).Jesus forgives unfaithfulness. After he had boasted of his loyalty and devotion to Jesus , Peter passionately denied the Lord three times. It seemed that Peter had burned his bridges. As we look at it ,we could actually say that Peter was a failure, but, with Jesus, failure is not the end. Jesus lovingly rebuilt all his failures and restored Peter to service. "If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself" (2 Timothy 2:13).Jesus patiently teaches. Over and over, Peter needed correction, and the Lord gave it with patience, firmness, and love. The Master Teacher looks for students willing to learn. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go" (Psalm 32:8).Jesus sees us as He intends us to be. The very first time they met, Jesus called Simon by the name of "Peter." which means "rock"
The rough and reckless fisherman was, in Jesus' eyes, a firm and faithful rock. "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion" (Philippians 1:6). Jesus uses unlikely heroes. Peter was a fisherman from Galilee, but Jesus called him to be a fisher of men (Luke 5:10). Because Peter was willing to leave all he had to follow Jesus, God used him in great ways. As Peter preached, people were amazed at his boldness because he was "unschooled" and "ordinary." But then they took note that Peter "had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). Being with Jesus makes all the difference.
“Why did Jesus ask Peter ‘Do you love me?’ three times?”Answer:Jesus asked Peter the threefold question "Do you love me?" as recorded inJohn 21:15-17. This occurred when Jesus was having breakfast with His disciples soon after His resurrection. Jesus used this opportunity to encourage and exhort Peter about his upcoming responsibilities and even prophesies the manner in which Peter will die. By asking Peter "do you love me?" three times, Jesus was emphasizing the importance of Peter's love and unswerving obedience to his Lord as necessary for his future ministry.Jesus begins by questioning Peter about His love for Him, and each time Peter answers in the affirmative, Jesus follows up with the command for Peter to feed His sheep. His meaning is that if Peter truly loves his Master, he is to shepherd and care for those who belong to Christ. His words reveal Peter's role as the leader of the new Church, the Body of Christ there in Jerusalem that will be responsible for spreading the Gospel after Jesus' ascension into heaven.It is possible that by His repeated question Jesus is subtly reminding Peter of his three denials that took place as Jesus was being led away to appear before the Sanhedrin, Pilate and Herod, and later crucified. There's no doubt those denials made by Peter, the subsequent crowing of the rooster just as Jesus prophesied would happen (Luke 22:34), and how he felt when Jesus turned to look at him at that moment became an event seared deeply into his mind (Luke 22:54-62). It wasn't lost on Peter that Jesus repeated His question to him three times, just as Peter previously denied Him three times.There is also an interesting contrast when you look at the Greek words for "love" used inJohn 21:15-17. When Jesus asked Peter "do you love me?" inJohn 21:15-16, He used the Greek wordagapewhich refers to unconditional love. Both times, Peter responded with "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you," using the Greek wordphileowhich refers more to a brotherly/friendship type of love. It seems that Jesus is trying to get Peter to understand that he must love Jesus unconditionally in order to be the leader God is calling him to be. The third time Jesus asks "do you love me?" inJohn 21:17, He uses the wordphileo, and Peter again responds with "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you," again usingphileo. The point in the different Greek words for love seems to be that Jesus was stretching Peter to move him fromphileolovetoagapelove.Whatever the reason for the three-fold "do you love me?" question, Jesus was impressing on Peter how important his new role of tending the flock of Christ's followers would be. When someone repeats instructions to us over and over, we quickly understand that it's extremely important for us to heed them. Jesus wanted to make sure Peter understood this vital charge He was tasking him with and the ultimate reason for it, to follow Him and glorify God (John 21:19).
“Why did Jesus tell Peter to ‘feed my sheep’ in John 21?”Answer:Jesus gave Peter a three-fold command to "feed my sheep" inJohn 21:15-17. Each time Jesus said, "Feed my sheep," it was in response to Peter's three-folddeclaration of lovefor Jesus. The setting was one of the last of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances to His disciples on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus prepared a breakfast of fish and bread for them, and then commissioned Peter with the task of feeding His sheep and tending His lambs.The three commands, although often translated the same way, are subtly different. The first time Jesus says it, the Greek means literally "pasture (tend) the lambs" (v. 15). The Greek word for "pasture" is in the present tense, denoting a continual action of tending, feeding and caring for animals. Believers are referred to as sheep throughout Scripture. "For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care" (Psalm 95:7). Jesus is both our Good Shepherd (John 10:11) and the Door of the sheepfold (John 10:9). By describing His people as lambs, He is emphasizing their nature as immature and vulnerable and in need of tending and care.The second time, the literal meaning is "tend My sheep" (v. 16). In this exchange, Jesus was emphasizing tending the sheep in a supervisory capacity, not only feeding but ruling over them. This expresses the full scope of pastoral oversight, both in Peter's future and in all those who would follow him in pastoral ministry. Peter follows Jesus' example and repeats this same Greek wordpoimainoin his first pastoral letter to the elders of the churches of Asia Minor: "Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers" (1 Peter 5:2).The third time, the literal translation is "pasture (tend) the sheep" (v. 17). Here Jesus combines the different Greek words to make clear the job of the shepherd of the flock of God. They are to tend, care for, and provide spiritual food for God's people, from the youngest lambs to the full-grown sheep, in continual action to nourish and care for their souls, bringing them into the fullness of spiritual maturity. The totality of the task set before Peter, and all shepherds, is made clear by Jesus' three-fold command and the words He chooses.What is this food with which shepherds are to feed the flock of God? It can be no other than the Word of God. Peter declares that Christians are to desire the pure spiritual milk of the Word so that by it, we can mature in our salvation (1 Peter 2:2). As early as the book of Deuteronomy, we see the Lord describing His Word as food for His people who live not by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from His mouth (Deuteronomy 8:3). Jesus reiterates this thought in His temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:4). The importance of the Word of God as food for our souls cannot be over-emphasized.Clearly, the job of the shepherds of God's people is to provide them with the pure milk of the Word of God so they can move on to the meat and solid food of the spiritually mature (Hebrews 5:12-14). Pastoral ministry should be primarily one of pastors feeding their people the Word of God. Only then can pastors declare, as Peter did, their love for the Lord Jesus.“What was the reason behind Peter’s denial of Jesus?”Answer:The story of Peter's threefold denial of Christ is found in all four Gospel accounts:Matthew 26:69-74,Mark 14:66-72,Luke 22:55-62, andJohn 18:15-18,25-27. But why would the chief of the disciples, the one closest to Jesus, deny even knowing Him? There were two main reasons why Peter denied Jesus: weakness and fear.Peter's denial was based partially on weakness, the weakness born of human frailty. After the Last Supper, Jesus took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane to await His arrest. He told them to stay awake and pray while He went off to pray alone. When He returned to them, He found them sleeping. He warned Peter to stay awake and pray because although his spirit might be willing, his flesh was weak. But he fell asleep again and by the time the soldiers had come to arrest Jesus, it was too late to pray for the strength to endure the ordeal to come. No doubt his failure to appropriate the only means to shore up his own weakness-prayer- occurred to him as he was weeping bitterly after his denials. But Peter learned his lesson about being watchful, and he exhorts us in1 Peter 5:8, "Be on the alert, because your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Peter's weakness had caused him to be "devoured" momentarily as he denied his Lord because he hadn't been prepared through prayer and he underestimated his own weakness.A second reason for Peter's failure was fear. To his credit, although all the others had fled (Mark 14:50), Peter still followed Jesus after His arrest, but he kept his distance so as not to be identified with Him (Mark 14:54). There's no question that fear gripped him. From the courtyard, he watched Jesus being falsely accused, beaten and insulted (Mark 14:57-66). Peter was afraid Jesus would die, and he was fearful for his own life as well. The world hated Jesus and Peter found that he was not prepared to face the ridicule and persecution that Jesus was suffering. Earlier Jesus had warned His disciples as well as us today: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first" (John 16:18Matthew 24:9). Peter quickly found he wasn't nearly as bold and courageous as he had proclaimed and in fear he denied the One who had loved him.We might well wonder why Jesus allowed Peter to fail so miserably and deny his Lord three times that night. Jesus revealed to Peter that Satan had asked for permission to sift Peter like wheat (Luke 22:31). Jesus could have easily protected Peter and not allowed Satan to sift him, but Jesus had a higher goal. He was equipping Peter to strengthen his brothers (Luke 22:32). Not only did Peter strengthen the other disciples. He became the pillar of the early church in Jerusalem, exhorting and training others to follow the Lord Jesus (Acts 2). And he continues to this day to strengthen us through his epistles, 1 and 2 Peter. As with all our failures, God used Peter's many failures, including his three denials of Christ, to turn him from Simon, a common man with a common name, into Peter, the Rock.