Who Is Peter?
As we have been reading the book of Matthew I have noticed that Peter is mentioned by name lots of times. Look at the following scriptures to get a feel for this man Peter.
Matt. 4:18 – one of the first disciples called
- brother of Andrew
- left it all (his fishing business) when Jesus called him and followed Jesus
8:14 – took Jesus into his house, watched Jesus heal his mother-in-law (he was married)
14:28 – saw Jesus walking on the water in the middle of a storm and asked Jesus to let him come if it was really Him. Jesus said he was one of doubt and little faith
15:15 – Peter asks Jesus to explain the parable
16:16-17 – Jesus asked the disciples who they say He is; Peter answered “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus said that Peter was blessed because the Father in heaven revealed that to him
17:1- 4 – one of the three who went up on the mountain with Jesus, saw Elijah and Moses talking, said it was good he was there to make 3 tabernacles. Heard God speak and fell to the ground terrified
17:24-25 – the tax collectors approached Peter about whether his master paid taxes, before he had a chance to talk to Jesus about it, Jesus questioned him and sent him to find the coin to pay the tax
18:21 – It was Peter who asked the question, “How many times must I forgive my brother? Seven times?” No, you have to forgive from the heart.
26:33 – Peter tells the Lord that even if others deny Him, he will never deny Him. Jesus assures him that he will deny Him 3 times before the rooster crows.
26:36-46 - Jesus takes Peter, James and John with Him in the garden to pray with Him. When He came and found the disciples sleeping, He asks Peter, "So, couldn't you stay awake with Me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won't enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
26:69-75 – Peter denies ever knowing Jesus, 3 times. When he heard the rooster crow, he remembered what the Lord had said. He went outside and wept bitterly.
My heart goes out to this man maybe because he reminds me of me. He really wants to do the right thing. He has such good intentions but as soon as the going gets rough his intentions fall flat. What emotions he must have experienced as he watched Jesus being crucified and buried. How timid he must have felt waiting to see Jesus after he heard that He was indeed alive.
If it were me I would have replayed everything in my mind wondering why I was so stupid to deny Him. Why couldn't I have stayed awake in the garden to pray with Him? Would He ever forgive me for failing Him so many times? What now? Was the last three years a total waste?
In the midst of his sadness Peter must have remembered how tenderly Jesus had understood him and loved him. Did he remember that Jesus had seen his willing spirit but had known how weak his flesh was in thos final hours?
Read John 21 to see how Jesus gently yet firmly invites Peter to a restored relationship after the resurrection:
He gets tired of waiting around (It has been eight days and Jesus has only appeared twice to them.) So he says he is going fishing. So they went fishing and caught nothing. Jesus was on the shore and told them to try on the other side. So they did and caught a large number of fish. They realized it was the Lord and Peter plunged into the sea. It was Peter who hauled the net to shore when Jesus asked them to bring some of the fish to Him. After they had eaten breakfast Jesus directs his questions to Peter, “Peter (full name), do you love me more than these? He answered with a yes all three times Jesus asked him and Jesus responded, “Feed My lambs, Shepherd My sheep, Feed My sheep.”
Peter was grieved that the Lord asked him the third time.
Then He gave Peter a glimpse into the future about how he would die, and then told him,
“Follow Me.”
So Peter turned around, saw John and asked the Lord, “What about him?” Jesus told Peter not to worry about John, “You, follow me!"
I sense God calling me in the same way, "Don't worry about what I am doing in anyone else's life, Verna. You follow Me.
I love how the Lord meets Peter in his hour of need. Now, we see a man who is ready to wait for the Holy Spirit to come. A man who is ready to walk by the Spirit instead of by his flesh. We will see that transformation when we read the book of Acts.
It is no wonder that Peter later writes a letter to the scattered believers about believing the gospel in the midst of suffering (1 Peter)! What growth in confidence in God's forgiveness, mercy and love.
Verna McCrillis, 1/25/2009