Peter's Hope
Peter's Hope
May 27, 2007
This summer we are going to look at one of the lesser known books in the New Testament, but is written by one of the best known figures, Peter. Instead of jumping right in, I believe it is prudent to take a bit of time and look at the life of Peter. When you read a letter or book, it is crucial to know who wrote it and the better you know the person the better you understand and relate to what they have written.
Peter - is the "everyman" of the New Testament. Everyone can relate to Peter in someway or another. He embodies a bit of us all
A fisherman from Bethsaida on the east side of Galilee and had a home in Capernaum, approx 5 Km west of Bethsaida.
Peter was a Galilean
Josephus - historian and one time governor of Galilee - so he knew what they were like:
Galileans: ever fond of innovations; by nature disposed to changes and delighted in seditions, they were ever ready to follow a leader and begin an insurrection.
Notoriously quick in temper, and given to quarreling, but with all, they were the most chivalrous of men. The Galileans have never been destitute of courage
Talmud:
They were ever more anxious for honor than for gain. Quick tempered, impulsive, emotional, easily roused by an appeal for adventure, loyal to the end.
This region of Galilee had a strong accent and was most likely influenced by the preaching of John the Baptist. Andrew his brother was a disciple of John
Saw adventure, possibility of change
Mark 1:16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
Peter was married and his wife traveled with him.
Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus (Jn 1:42)
What was Peter's role
Reached leadership early on. Some leadership gravitates in certain directions
In a disaster a leader arises - a take charge person
Matt 10:2
Matt. 10:2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Protos - first in order and chief
met in peters house - he quickly was willing to open his life and home to Jesus
Mark 1:29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
Spokesman for group
Mat 15:15 - asks questions others are thinking - ‘explain the parable to us...'
Mat 18:21 - risked a question - came and said ‘ lord, how often should I forgive...'
Mat 19:27 - ‘behold we left everything...' ‘whats in it for us'
People asked questions to
Mat 17.24 - does your teacher not pay his taxes?
Matt 16.13 - answered questions - ‘who do people say the son of man is?"... P blurts out an answer. Some never risk, some ready to risk ‘ you are the Christ, son of living God.' J blesses him and changes name from Simon - Peter
"Peter" was a sort of nickname Jesus gave to Simon when he first met him -
John 1:42 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 ).
"Rock" (Petros - Gr for a piece of rock, stone) "Cephas" = Aramaic
when Jesus first looked at him - he knew there was something about him and gave him this nickname
Jesus used the power of a name to help shape this man into who he could be, and would become. Jesus changed his name it appears, because He wanted the nickname to be a perpetual reminder to him about who he SHOULD be and whenever Jesus wanted to send a subtle reminder he would call him Simon, a signal that he was acting like his old self. If he called him Rock, He was commending him for acting the way he ought to be acting.
Tommy Lasorda, former manager of Los Angeles Dodgers, tells the story of a young skinny pitcher who was new in the Dodger's minor league system. The youngster was timid but had an extraordinary powerful and accurate arm. Lasorda became convinced the young pitcher had potential to be one of the greatest ever, but the young man needed to become more fierce and competitive. He needed to loose his timidity so Lasorda gave him a nickname that was exactly opposite of his personality: "Bulldog". Over the years that is exactly what Orel Hershiser became - one of the most tenacious competitors who ever took the mound in the major leagues. The nickname became a perpetual reminder of what he ought to be and before long it shaped his whole attitude.
The young fisherman named Simon, who would become Peter was impetious, impulsive, arrogant and overeager. He needed to become more stable, like a rock - a person Jesus would build on
Peter was always interested in himself first and comparing himself to the others around him
Matt. 19:27 Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"
John 21:20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
By nature, Simon was brash, vacillating and undependable. He tended to make great promises he couldn't follow through with. He was impulsive, the type to jump out of a boat to see if he could walk, but then freak out and begin to sink. He was often the first on in and also the first one out. He was the first disciple to run to the empty tomb, but then the first one to run back to his fishing profession when things got uncertain and confusing.
Peter knew he was one of the inner few in Jesus ministry, and at times felt he had ‘special' access or even equality with Jesus
Mark 8:29 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Peter answered, "You are the Christ.'"
Mark 8:30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Mark 8:31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
Mark 8:33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
When Jesus told him that he would have to suffer
Mark 8:32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At the transfiguration
Matt. 17:4 Peter said 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."
Impulsive - Peter took aside and began to rebuke - intense loyalty, your not going to leave us.
Peter was exactly like most Christians - both carnal and spiritual. He subcomed to the habits of the flesh sometimes; and functioned in the spirit other times. He was sinful sometimes and other times acted as a righteous man ought to.
Peter is a biblical ‘everyman' - someone everyone can relate to.
He is emotional, image conscious, impetuous, arrogant, envious, legalistic, racist, prejudice;
He asks hard questions and expects honest answers
Quick to take the lead, overcome by his physical nature
He sleeps when he should pray and sometimes prays when he should be silent
His timing is off sometimes and other times he knows exactly what to say at just the right time
Peter embraces challenges and also runs from uncertainties
Peter knows the darkness of failure
Mark 14:27 "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."
Mark 14:29 Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not."
Mark 14:30 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today-yes, tonight-before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times."
Mark 14:31 But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you."
Words Peter would live to eat!
Mark 14:66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.
"You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus," she said.
Mark 14:68 But he denied it. "I don't know or understand what you're talking about," he said, and went out into the entryway.
Mark 14:69 When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, "This fellow is one of them." 70 Again he denied it.
After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean."
Mark 14:71 He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about."
Mark 14:72 Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept.
Mk 16:6-7 an invitation to be restored, Peter knew the hope of restoration
1Pet. 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
Peters heart and mind remained open to the ongoing transformation of his life and as a result Jesus opened the treasures of a deep spiritual life to Peter.
Something had happened that welded Peters heart, mind and soul to Jesus so that even in his foolishness, failings, arrogance his heart remained teachable
John 6:66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
John 6:67 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
John 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
Peters life was in constant transformation of putting sin to death and living in the life and character of Christ.
He was the man who spoke so powerfully at Pentecost,
Who rebuked Ananias and Saphira to their death
Who God spoke to through dreams and visions
Who was imprisoned and experienced God's miraculous release
Who healed people and raised Dorcas from the dead
He is the same man Paul confronted in Antioch for his prejudice
Peter is just a man that God changed and used in significant ways, He grows in humility and holiness - a man who becomes very aquainted with suffering and sees the significant benefit of it - that it is actually the fire of refinment that God uses to our benefit.
The letter is written to "God's elect, strangers in the world..." and lists some cities in northern asia.
He was writing to these churches where the majority had come from pagan backgrounds as opposed to Jewish backgrounds. And it is a letter full of encouragement.
The readers share a common faith with Christians everywhere and share common problems. Their basic problem is to live for God in the midst of a society ignorant of the true God. Because they are Christians, they are misunderstood and mistreated and Peter wants to encourage them to view their current challenges in light of God's Hope.
The sovereign God will help keep them and enable them to have faith and experience joy. Life in a pagan society is difficult and requires humility and submission, but God will provide the grace to enable the community of the faithful to grow in maturity.
Peter was a Biblical ‘everyman' but was ever open to changing himself because of his unique and intimately personal relationship with Jesus. He was open to changing himself for the sake of the gospel being lived out in his life
This morning, would you open yourself up to Jesus, is your heart in a condition to change?