Monday, November 27, 2017

Lessons from the Apostle Peter's Life ...

The Relationship between Jesus and Peter is a beautiful picture of the transforming power of the Lord Jesus Christ in the life of one who would answer the call to follow Him. A brief overview of a few key events in this relationship is sure to give insight into the transformation of Peter’s life and the potential of a similar transformation that is available to all who would respond to Jesus’ call to follow Him with such water-walking faith. This transformation highlights Peter’s character flaws in a way that provides relationship lessons for any reader who desires to sharpen his character.

The Call to Follow
            It was common in the East to give a new name to denote a change of character, or to indicate a man's position among men.”[1] This is exactly what happened to Peter during his call to follow Jesus. “And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which, when translated, is Peter).” (Jn 1:42) The account of the call was short yet insightful. Peter in the Greek being petros means rock or stone. Jesus sees Peter for who he can become and gives him a name to describe the character and mission that he will grow into when his new relationship as a follower of Jesus reaches maturity. He will grow to be rock solid in character and his confession will be the rock on which the Church will stand.
Peter’s Confession of Christ
            The gospel of Matthew chapter sixteen records Peter’s confession of Christ. Peter explicitly states that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah. Jesus in turn establishes that upon Peter’s confession the Church would be erected and that Peter was to be foundational in the leading of this construction. Soon after this pertinent revelation Jesus informs his disciples of his imminent death. Peter, not fully understanding the prophetic plan of God, exercises his what Hunt describes as, “wolf”[2] like tendencies and chastises Jesus. Jesus in an effort to build Peter abruptly responds with words that pierce, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (V23) The Master is building His disciple so he can one day live up to his new name. At this time, Peter is still more concerned with self rather than service. His character is being sharpened like a knife against a stone, one stroke at a time.
Peter’s Denial of Christ
            Experiencing the Transfiguration and exercising water-walking faith were but two more character-building exercises for Peter. His relationship with Jesus is maturing; yet there is still more work to be done to prepare him to lead the launching of the Church in a world that is hostile to the Gospel and the bearers of the Good News. The denial and the events surrounding it would prove to be crucial in the molding of Peter’s character and the maturation of his followership of Christ. It is a hallmark event in his relationship with Jesus.
            Surely the prediction of the denial by Jesus had to be a blow in the gut to Peter who prided himself on being a faithful and loyal disciple. Jesus’ selection of words as He talked with Peter expressed His love and concern for Peter. Even His time of prayer in the Garden indicated the heavenly bond between the two. A careful study of each of these key events discussed will show Jesus praying just before each event happened. It is likely the Savior was praying for the shaping of Peter’s character. Prayer is definitely what Peter needed. The final sentence in Luke’s account of this event sums up this need, “And he went outside and wept bitterly.” (22:62) Any progress Peter had made up to this point in his character-building journey appears to have been stymied. However, his broken heart is exactly what God used as another step in preparing him to live up to his new name. The Psalmist wrote, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (34:18)

The Restoration of Peter
            After the resurrection, Jesus restores Peter giving him what he needs to grow into his new name. In his conversation on the shore with Peter, Pain writes, “Jesus is gently forcing a threefold declaration of his love that mirrors his threefold denial.”[3] Peter’s response to Jesus’ forgiveness clearly shows that his maturation process has advanced greatly. “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” (Jn 21:17) In this, Peter confesses complete devotion to His living LORD and acknowledges His Divinity. He has moved from reliance on self to His Savior.
Conclusion
 I at times suffer from the Peter syndrome. I have been known to put my foot in my mouth and to rely on my own strength. Obviously in these Peter like moments I face self-inflicted pain. Lane and Tripp write, “Some of our deepest and most painful hurts have been in relationships.”[4] This quick glance inside the life of Peter and His relationship with Jesus validate this statement. Peter experienced highs and lows in his journey with Jesus. It took both the mountaintop experiences as well as the valleys to chip away at his character defects and to build him into the man God made him to become. This is true about us as well. We must embrace both the peace and the pain that come from relationships. Without either of them we fall short of God’s perfect plan for our lives. To God be the glory!



[1] Miller, J.R. "Personal Friendships of Jesus: Jesus and Peter.” www.biblehub.com, 2004.

[2] June Hunt, Conflict Resolution Solving Your People Problems, (Torrance, CA: Rose Publishing, 2013), 28.      

[3]  Paine, Chris. "Jesus' Life-Changing Relationship with Simon Peter by Chris Pain." www.jubilee-centre.org, 2017.

[4] Tim Lane and Paul Tripp, Relationships A Mess Worth Making, (Glenside, PA: New Growth Press, 2008), 6.