157 Peter – Pre-Pentecost

Lessons from their lives.  Talk 23.  Peter (Part One)

Welcome to talk 23 in our series, Lessons from their lives. Last time we were considering the call of the four fisherman in Matthew 4. We saw seven lessons that we can learn about winning others for Jesus:

1. Winning others for Jesus means calling them to repentance
2. You don’t need a special call to tell others about Jesus
3. Winning others for Jesus may well involve a complete change in lifestyle
4. This may involve forsaking one’s means of livelihood
5. It may also involve leaving one’s family behind
6. Winning others for Jesus means allowing him to make us
7. Winning others for Jesus means proclaiming the kingdom of God

These points (esp. 6) can be clearly seen in the life of Peter who was, of course, one of those four fishermen. Peter is the subject of our talk today and as we look at the key aspects of his life we see how Jesus was making or moulding him into the person he wanted him to be.

As we saw last time, Jesus’ first recorded words to Peter were, Come follow me.

Jesus’ final words to Peter (and to all the disciples) are found in Acts 1:4-8 where he told the disciples not to leave Jerusalem but to wait until they were baptised in the Holy Spirit, finishing with the promise in v.8:

… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

This was of course fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) and the difference this made in Peter’s life is clearly seen in the book of Acts.

So, bearing this in mind, we’ll divide our study into two sections:

Peter before Pentecost (today)

Peter after Pentecost (next time).

Peter before Pentecost

Peter is probably the best known and best loved of Jesus’ disciples, partly because the Gospels tell us more about him than the other disciples and partly because in Peter’s life we see a reflection of our own shortcomings.

In this talk we’ll be looking at a few well known examples from Peter’s life and see how Jesus was preparing him to become a fisher of men. We’ll discover that the lessons Peter had to learn are in many ways applicable to our lives too.

Walking on water

In Matthew 14:25-33 we have the story of Peter walking on water.

The disciples are in a boat on the sea of Galilee when Jesus comes to them walking on the water.

The disciples are terrified thinking they’re seeing a ghost, but Jesus says, Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.

‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replies, ‘tell me to come to you on the water’

and Jesus says, Come.

So Peter gets out of the boat and walks on the water towards Jesus.

But when he sees the wind, he’s afraid and begins to sink. So he calls to Jesus,  Lord, save me!

Jesus reaches out his hand and catches him.

You of little faith, he says, why did you doubt?

Peter believes that Jesus had the power to enable him to do the impossible (28)

Peter acts on Christ’s command and starts to do the impossible (29)

BUT

As he looks at the natural circumstances Peter is afraid and begins to sink (30). This is the result of Peter doubting (31).

Peter needed to learn to keep looking to the Lord, whatever the outward circumstances might be.

Confessing Jesus as Lord

In Matthew 16:13-25 Jesus asks his disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is? (13)

They reply, John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, one of the prophets (14)

Jesus asks, But what about you? Who do you say I am? (15)

Peter answers, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God (16).

BUT

When Jesus begins to explain that he must suffer and be killed in Jerusalem (21)

Peter begins to rebuke Jesus and responds, ‘Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!’ (22)

Jesus turns his back on Peter, saying,  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 (23).

Peter needed to learn that the cross is central to our faith, that like Jesus he must deny himself (v24)

The Transfiguration

In Matthew 17:1-8 Jesus takes Peter, James and John and leads them up a high mountain. There he is transfigured before them. His face shines like the sun, and his clothes become as white as the light. Then Moses and Elijah appear before them, talking with Jesus. Peter says to Jesus:

Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. (Luke adds: He did not know what he was saying. See Luke 9:28-36).

But while Peter is  still speaking, a bright cloud covers them, and a voice from the cloud says,

This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!

The disciples are terrified and fall face down to the ground. Jesus comes and touches them and tells them not to be afraid. When they look up, they see no-one except Jesus.

Peter needed to learn to listen before he spoke.

(Jesus is the fulfilment of the law and the prophets).

Cutting off Malchus’s ear

In Matthew 26:49-54 and John 18:10-11 we read how, when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. But Jesus said to him:

Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?’

John tells us that the servant’s name was Malchus and that Jesus said to Peter:

Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?

Peter needed to learn that

• the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual
• angelic forces are more powerful than military weapons
• what God has said in the scriptures must be fulfilled
• it’s more important to do the will of God than to avoid personal suffering

Denying Jesus

Still in Matthew 26 we read how after Jesus was arrested Peter denied that he had anything to do with him. The relevant verses are 30-35, and 69-75.

In v.31 Jesus tells his disciples

This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: ‘ “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”

Peter replies, ‘Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.’

To which Jesus answers

Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will disown me three times.

But Peter declares

Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.

But of course we know what happened. Sitting in the courtyard of the high priest, Peter is accused three times of being one of Jesus’ disciples. And three times Peter denies it. He begins curse and swear.

I don’t know the man!

And immediately a cock crows and  Peter remembers what Jesus said: ‘Before the cock crows, you will disown me three times.’

And Peter goes outside and weeps bitterly (75).

But even despite this awful failure the Lord’s purpose for Peter remains unchanged. In John 21:15-19 Jesus gives Peter the opportunity to make amends.

15. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you 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 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. Very truly I tell you, 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!’”

Brief comment on the use of Greek verbs for love.

Peter needed to learn that despite his failures, Jesus was willing to forgive him and still had a purpose for his life.

Summary – how does all this apply to us?

Like Peter we need to learn:

1. to keep looking to the Lord, whatever the outward circumstances might be
2. that the message of the cross is central to our faith and that like Jesus we must deny ourselves
3. to listen before we speak
4. that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual – the angels are on our side
5. that we can have confidence that what God has said in the scriptures must be fulfilled
6. that it’s more important to do the will of God than to avoid personal suffering
7. that despite our failures, Jesus is willing to forgive us and still has a purpose for our lives.