It is possible that Peter is one of the more well-known disciples of Jesus. He was among the first called and from what we read about him in the Bible he was definitely the one who asked and answered questions first. He was not shy in voicing either his opinion or his questions.
From what we can read about him, he seems to be a passionate man. Someone who is quick tempered and impetuous.
Not someone who hangs back and assesses the situation or the people present. He is a straight shooter who tells it like it is…at least from his point of view.
In order to prepare for this study I read through each gospel and Acts of the Apostles to try to glean from scripture what the apostle Peter was like. What kind of a man was he? What were his strengths or his short-comings?
Background:
Peter’s birth name was Simon. He was the son of Jonah. His family probably lived at Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. Peter was married which is evidenced by the fact that Jesus healed his mother in law. He and his brother Andrew were fisherman by trade.
Peter was the first among the apostles. Jesus gathered His followers in 2 stages; first as disciples and later as apostles.
Peter was the first disciple to be called and the first to be named an apostle. (Mark 3:14-16).
His name heads every list of the twelve in the NT.
He was their recognized leader.
There was an inner circle of 3 apostles among the 12. Peter was also the leader of this small group. Peter, James and John were present when others weren’t; like the raising of a young girl from the dead and at Jesus’ transfiguration.
Each gospel tells the story of how Peter and Andrew were called by Jesus to become “fishers of men.”
Peter and Andrew were brothers and owned a fishing business together. The gospel of John tells us that Andrew and Peter had been following John the Baptist. Then Andrew heard Jesus teach and went home to tell Peter about him. Then in Luke we hear of this interaction between Jesus and the brothers.
Luke 5
The Calling of the First Disciples
5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."
5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Try and picture this: Peter and Andrew had been listening to the preaching of John the Baptist. John had been preaching about repentance and the coming of the Messiah. Jesus comes on the scene and the focus shifts from John to Jesus.
Andrew hears Jesus teach and tells Peter about him. But up to this time, they continue with their lives pretty much as usual.
Until one day, Jesus tells them to put their nets out into the sea. Now Peter and Andrew are seasoned fisherman. They know that the time of day is wrong to catch anything. And yet they obeyed Jesus because they had been following Him. They had some kind of prior knowledge of Him.
At first Peter tells Jesus that they have worked all night and caught nothing, but because it was Jesus asking he would do what He says.
They caught so many fish that not only were their nets in danger of breaking but their boats were about to sink. Undoubtedly this was the largest catch they had ever witnessed. Peter was confronted with something he had never experienced and his reaction was classic.
He drops to his knees and acknowledges his humanity. He realizes at some level that Jesus is no ordinary man and that he is undeserving of his notice.
He was trembling in fear. Jesus response was to re-assure Peter and then place a call on his life.
That is a very radical response to have. To leave your employment and the life you have known to follow a man you really don’t know all that well. And not just Peter left. Andrew, James and John followed along as well. Imagine when Peter went home to tell his wife he quit his job so that he could become fishers of men.
Pretty crazy!
Fast forward to Matthew 16:13-19
Peter’s Confession of Christ
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon 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 man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19
This is a crucial statement in Peter’s life. It is the most important question that any of us needs to answer.
“But what about you? Who do you say I am?” All of salvation lies in this answer. The answer to this question will determine how we spend eternity. You can debate Biblical issues until the cows come home, but until you answer this crucial question in your mind and heart you will not have a living relationship with God.
Jesus recognized this as the turning point, the pivot point. Hopefully each one of us has had this turning point, where we have confronted in some way, who do you say that I am?
Not a prophet, not John the Baptist, not just a good and moral teacher, but the son of the Living God!
Peter is the first to confess his faith that Jesus is the Messiah and yet Peter had his own ideas about what that was to mean.
At first he is praised by Jesus for his impetuous answer and in a few paragraphs he will be rebuked very strongly for his volatility.
Jesus Predicts His Death
Matthew 21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Because Peter had his own ideas of what Messiah would mean to the Jews he couldn’t accept what Jesus was saying. Suffering and rejection? That wasn’t Peter’s idea of an earthly king.
Sometimes our best friends, our most faithful colleagues, try to dissuade us from doing God’s will. Their intention is good; they desire to spare us trouble and pain. But we must not listen to them. We must do God’s will instead.
Peter is about to learn that confession of Christ is only the beginning.
He will learn that with faith comes action.
Jesus is very clear that being a follower of His will mean sacrifice, suffering and perhaps even death.
This is the gospel and yet hundreds and thousands were ready to accept and follow in the early church.
So the next important moment in Peter’s life comes in Mark 14:27-31
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
27 “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written:
“ ‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.’
28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
29 Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”
30 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”
31 But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.
But we know the story. Peter does disown Jesus. 3 times he denies ever knowing Him.
Think about this for a moment. Peter, the leader, the one who Jesus calls a rock and who He plans to build his church on. This man, who was the
first to be called,
the first to be designated an apostle and the
first to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.
He publicly says maybe everyone else will fall away but he certainly will not. Everyone else might scatter but not only will he stay loyal but he will die with Christ if need be. And yet a few short verses away…a few short hours away, Peter does exactly what Jesus predicts. He succumbs to fear and denies Christ.
When he realizes what he has done he goes away and weeps bitterly.
Thankfully for Peter and for us the story doesn’t end here.
As we know, Jesus is crucified and in 3 days he does rise from the dead. Think about what those 3 days were like for Peter.
Imagine the guilt and shame he must have experienced.
The grief that he let his best friend down and when he needed him most. Imagine what it must have been like to see the men that respected you as leader and the one that Jesus had chosen as the leader to look into your eyes, knowing that you were a coward and denied the Lord.
They didn’t know that Jesus would rise.
For all Peter knew, he was going to have to carry this guilt, remorse and shame to the grave.
Until he gets the news that the stone has been rolled away.
Mark 16:6-7:
The Resurrection
16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ” 8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
Imagine; a message specifically with his name on it. Could there be a greater mercy?
What would Peter have thought? Why did he mention my name? Does He know what I did? Of course He does. How can I face Him?
One last passage: John 21:15-19
Jesus Reinstates Peter
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
In this passage, Jesus and Peter went back to the beginning of their relationship; Peter catching fish because of Jesus intervention and Jesus calling Peter Simon instead of Peter.
Peter had failed miserably and he knew it.
He needed to be reconciled to Jesus and Jesus did it so gently by asking, Simon, do you love me more than these (the other disciples) and Peter of course says yes, Jesus repeats the question 3 times, perhaps to cancel out the 3 denials and the word choice here is so interesting. When Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him the first 2 times he uses the word agape for love:
agape (ah-gahสนpay), The other two words were eros, which meant sexual love, and philos, which meant friendship, although their meanings could vary according to the context in which they appeared. When used of human love, agape means selfless and self-giving love.
Peter replies the first 2 times that yes he loves Jesus with phileo love, recognizing that agape love is a high calling in which he failed miserably. Peter is humbled. And recognizing this, Jesus changes the word for love in his 3rd question to phileo. Peter now realizes that he, Peter is human and therefore in need of a savior; a wonderful position to be in to be used by God.
It was because Peter recognized his inadequacy apart from Christ that he was able to become a rock solid leader. When Peter fixed his eyes on Jesus and followed Him, others followed too.
Often we feel that our past defines us. We may feel that we have nothing to offer to God because we have been side-lined in some way and yet have you ever stopped to think that it may be because of your past that God is able to use you? We have a human understanding of leadership. We believe that leaders should have certain qualities, that they should be sure of themselves, have charisma, be decisive and directive. If you think that, you need to take a look at the people that God uses in leadership positions. Most of them are uniquely flawed individuals that have made seriously poor judgments.
God has a unique call on all our lives. He meets us in personal ways. He expects us to answer the question, ‘who do you say that I am?” and once we have answered that question, He expects us to live like we mean it.
He expects us to follow Him, sacrificially and in humility so that we can point others to Him. Like Peter did.
