A Man Called Peter

Peter’s life is a rich example of what it means to be held on to, rather than to be holding on. What it means to be made strong, rather than to be strong. His life was cut short, but the fruitfulness of his labour has been long, real long.

Peter was one of Jesus Christ’s earliest disciples, an Apostle, and one of the ruling elders of the first century Christian church. He was born in Bethsaida, a small fishing village on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Peter’s given name was Simon, but Jesus renamed him Peter, which means “rock,” because he would become a foundation stone of the early church (Matthew 16:18).

Peter was the son of Jonah (John 1:42) and often acted like the namesake, ready and willing to hide out in Tarshish when things got hot. He had a brother named Andrew, who also became a disciple of Jesus. Both Peter and Andrew were fishermen and worked in partnership with James and John, the sons of Zebedee.

Peter’s early life was characterised by his occupation as a fisherman. He was married (Mark 1:30), and he and his wife likely had children (Matthew 8:14).

He was first introduced to Jesus by his brother Andrew, who had heard John the Baptist speak of Jesus as the Lamb of God.

Andrew brought Peter to meet Jesus, and Jesus immediately welcomed Peter as a disciple.

Peter was impulsive (Matthew 14:28-31) and sometimes had trouble understanding Jesus’ teachings (Mark 8:31-33). But he was also fiercely loyal (John 6:68-69).

Peter, along with James and John, was present at many of the most important events in Jesus’ life, including the Transfiguration, arrest and trial of Jesus.

However, Peter’s faith faltered during Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. He denied knowing Jesus three times, just as Jesus had predicted. After Jesus’ resurrection, Peter was filled with remorse and repented of his actions.

Peter was one of the apostles to whom Jesus appeared after his resurrection, and he played a key role in the early church. He preached the gospel in Jerusalem and helped to establish the first Christian community there. He also played a role in the conversion of the first Gentile believers (Acts 10:1-48), Gentiles like you and me.

However, his conduct was not always without controversy. Having been instrumental in the conversion of the first Gentiles he oddly  opposed their inclusion in the Christian community, though he was eventually convinced to snap out of it via a round house kick from the Apostle Paul (Galatians 2:11-21).

Peter was imprisoned and later released by King Herod. History also suggests he faced martyrdom through crucifixion – something Peter was told about in advance (John 21:18-19). And yet, Peter remained faithful to Jesus and continued to spread the gospel until his death.

Peter’s life was a testament to the transforming power of Jesus Christ. From his early years as a fisherman to his repentance and salvation, and ultimately his ministry to the early church, Peter was a model of real, human and fumbling faith and commitment to Christ.

A couple of life lessons from Pete.

Peter’s life reminds us of the need for honest confession and repentance. Peter knew his sin (Luke 5:8), but He also knew and believed the glorious promise of redemption (Acts 2:38-39).

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God. (John 6:68–69)

Peter denied Jesus three times, and fell into some serious errors. None of this surprised Jesus and it was His kindness and love that enabled Peter to keep running (Luke 24:12), and swimming (John 21:7-8), and turning back to Jesus, rather than wander away.

Just as the Apostle John was not consumed with how much he loved Jesus, but by how much Jesus loved him (John 13:23), so Peter was not consumed with how tightly he held onto Christ, but how tightly and how willingly, Christ had held onto him (Matthew 14:29-31).

Peter is also a stand out example of God’s willingness to accept and perfect imperfect people. Peter was impulsive, stubborn, and even cowardly at times, but God had saved Peter and that was that.

Peter did not have to win the Lord’s love, and neither do we. Peter only needed to keep following the Lord, even when his legs were weak, leaving for us and example that we should follow, weak knees and all.

That said, the Lord who accepts our weakness is also the Lord who transforms us.

Peter was transformed from a sometimes timid and headstrong disciple to a bold preacher and humble servant of the people of God after he received the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that rested on Peter also rests on us whose faith is in Jesus.