The Apostle Peter
Matthew 10:2a
July 11th, 2010
If you’ve ever gone into a fancy church you’ve probably seen pictures or statues of the Apostles. Growing up in Germany there were beautiful cathedrals all over the place: you couldn’t throw a rock without hitting a huge, ancient church (though you would get in some big trouble if you did). In those churches you could see the Apostles depicted in beautiful stained glass windows, ornate pictures, and in statues placed upon fancy pedestals. The apostles seem larger than life and make them seem like something bigger and better than an ordinary person. The church has done a disservice by portraying these men this way, like they were some kind of spiritual superheroes who were holier than the rest of us mere humans when this is not the case at all. The Apostles were great men and they did amazing things and we should be grateful to them. But we have to be careful not to lose sight of the fact that they were ordinary people like you and me. When Jesus found them they were not the smartest, the holiest, the most faithful, or even the most obedient. They were not wealthy, powerful, or educated. They were just regular guys who were transformed by the hand of Jesus to be used in powerful ways. They kind of remind me of those homes you see on Extreme Home Makeover. If you tune into the end of the show and see the way the house looks you might be impressed, but you are always MUCH more impressed when you see the “before” shot and see what the house looked like when they got there. The amazing things that the Apostles did are so much more amazing when you see what they were like BEFORE Jesus got hold of them.
Simon Peter is the perfect example of this point. Today I’m going to be talking about Simon Peter who was, in many ways, the first Apostle. Matthew 10:2 says Matthew 10:2 (ESV) 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Notice that Matthew says, “first, Simon, who is called Peter”. That doesn’t just mean that Peter was the first apostle called or that he was just the first in the list: he was first in the sense that he was a natural leader among the apostles. Even a quick read through the Gospels will show that he was “first” in a number of ways. In all of the lists of Apostles Peter is always mentioned first, for a reason. He was not just among the 12 chosen to be Apostles but first among those 12. He is usually right by Jesus’ side in all the events of the Gospel, including some of the most private events like when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, when he was praying for strength the night before he was crucified and when Jesus was being tried by the high priest. His name is mentioned more than any other in the Gospels other than Jesus. He was usually the first to react: the first to get out of the boat, the first to grab a sword, the first to answer Jesus, the first to question Jesus. He was the boldest to confess Jesus as Lord and was the most insistent that he would never deny or desert Jesus, yet he was also the one who denied Jesus the most publically. Jesus praised him more than any of the other apostles but he was also the one that Jesus called Satan at one point. He was the only Apostle brave enough and silly enough to correct Jesus and he was also the one who was the most harshly denounced by Jesus. He went on to become not just the first Apostle in the Gospels but the first Apostle in the early church. It was Peter who delivered the first Christian sermon which led to over 3,000 people getting baptized. Peter was the apostle who led the first Gentile to Christ, a man named Cornelius. Peter was a bold preacher in the early church and the leader of the church at first. In fact, the first 12 chapters of Acts focus predominantly on Peter before the emphasis shifts to Paul.
Peter reminds me of the guy who has been at every church that I’ve been a part of. He is that guy who has a heart that is sold out to Jesus and wants to serve him with all his energy. So much, in fact, that he is always the first to jump in when something needs to be done to serve Jesus. He is always impulsive, quick to say something without first thinking it through, quick to do something as soon as the need is known, and not afraid to make mistakes. As a result, though, he is usually resented and is often seen as a bull in a china shop. But, while others are talking about planning to think about getting together to have a meeting to form a committee he usually has the job done. I’ve known and loved this guy in every church. This guy is just like Peter, the first apostle.
Peter’s name, or I should say ‘names’, say a lot about who he is. There is a bit of irony and a lot of humor about his name and when you understand this humor you will understand Peter more. His given name—the name that his momma gave him—is Simon. Simon was a pretty common name at this time: there are a lot of Simon’s in the bible, no big deal. But when Jesus first meets Peter he gives him a nickname that has a lot of meaning, even if the meaning is a little bit ironic. As soon as Jesus meets him and before he really knows much about his personality from a human standpoint he tells him that he will be called Peter, which is a Greek word meaning “rock”. Cephas is the Aramaic word for “rock” which is the language the Jesus and the apostles spoke with one another.
John 1:40-42 (NIV) 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 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).
Here’s the irony of this. Simon was often not very deserving of the nickname “rock”. He was not the steadfast, immoveable rock that his nickname would suggest. The name “rock” for Peter is like one of those nicknames that are meant to be funny, like a fat guy who is known as “Tiny” or a bald guy named “Curly”. But, Peter would grow into his name. He would go from being a dedicated disciple swearing to NEVER leave or deny Jesus one moment and the next he would be denying Jesus three times. Sometimes he would give an answer that would bring him to the front of the class and then give an answer that would land him in detention. He was brave enough to take on the 500 or so soldiers who were coming to arrest Jesus and he was the only disciple to step out of the boat to walk on water, but he was the first disciple to give up on Jesus after his death and go back to fishing. A more appropriate nickname might have been wave or water instead of rock. In fact, you can tell a lot about how Peter is doing by the name Jesus uses for him. When Peter does something right or gets an answer right Jesus calls him “Peter”, or “rock”. It’s kind of like at our house: when Lee hears his full name being called, “Robert Lee!”, he knows that he’s done something wrong (and by the way, the same is true for me). When Peter goes back to his old ways or does something wrong Jesus calls him by his old name, “Simon.” When Peter was sleeping when he should have been praying, when he had gone back to fishing after denying Jesus, when he questioned Jesus’ ability to miraculously catch fish: in all those occasions Jesus referred to him as Simon. So, when you see Peter called Simon by Jesus, you know that he was being called out. But, as you watch the progression of Peter’s life you see that Jesus knew what he was doing when he called him the “rock”. Simon was being transformed by Jesus into a rock: a solid, determined, immoveable foundation for the church who was willing to serve Jesus with all his heart up to the point of his death.
TRANSFORMATION We will learn a lot today as we see how this wild, reckless, impulsive, inconsistent man named Simon became the rock of the church named Peter. The change from Simon to Peter came about because of what Jesus did in his life.
Here’s what we know about the life of Peter. He was a fisherman and was the brother of Andrew, another of Jesus’ apostles. He was from Bethsaida but lived in Capernaum during the time of Jesus’ ministry: his house was probably the base of Jesus’ ministry and might have been the house where the lame man was lowered through the roof. He was married, which we know because Jesus healed his mother-in-law and Paul mentions that Peter brought his wife along with him on missionary journeys. He followed Jesus as an apostle, was a leader in the early church, and later on went on missionary journeys. Most church historians assert that he ministered in Rome from where he probably wrote his two letters. The church historian Eusebius says that he was martyred in a horrible way. First he was forced to watch his wife crucified; as she was being led away he told her over and over, “Remember the Lord.” When it was his turn he insisted that he was not worthy to die in the same way as Jesus so they crucified him upside down.
The lesson for us from his life and the message of this sermon is found in seeing how Jesus turned Simon into the Rock; what was it about Peter that enabled him to become such a great man of God when he had so many obvious character flaws that made him just like you and me? There is a question often debated: are leaders born or are they made? In Peter’s case we can see that the answer is “yes”. There was a lot that was naturally within Peter that made him a leader, but there was a lot of work that had to be done on him by Jesus to make him what he became. First let’s look at the things that were in the raw material of Peter that gave Jesus so much to work with as he transformed Peter from an impulsive fisherman into the rock of the church.
First, Peter was not afraid to seek after Jesus. Peter was not shy about asking questions and seeking deeper knowledge about the Lord. There’s an old saying that goes, “If you keep your mouth shut people will think you’re stupid; open it up and people will know that you are.” I’ve never liked that saying: I’ve always thought it was better to ask questions and find out stuff rather than to just remain blissfully in the dark. I was that annoying kid in class that when the teacher said, “We’re all done here unless anyone has any questions…” and then would ask a bunch of questions. It really irritated my classmates, but I learned a lot that way. That being said, you know when your teachers used to say that there was no such thing as a dumb question? I’m guessing that in the teachers’ lounge they all agreed that there were plenty of dumb questions out there. Peter had decided to follow Jesus and as a result he wanted to know as much as he could about him and was usually the first one to ask questions of him. Let me give you some examples.
Matthew 15:15 (NIV) 15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”
Matthew 19:27 (NIV) 27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
Mark 11:20-21 (NIV) 20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
Mark 13:3-4 (NIV) 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”
John 21:20-21 (NIV) 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?”
When Jesus did something or said something that didn’t make sense the other apostles would often be clueless but would not say a word; I can just imagine them sitting there nodding their heads like they knew what Jesus was talking about. But not Peter, if he did understand he would pipe right up and ask for some clarification. For his trouble Jesus would often call him slow or lacking in faith, but that never stopped Peter from asking. If you want to grow in the Lord, you’re going to have to seek after the Lord without worrying about what you look like or where those questions take you.
Second, Peter was eager to serve Jesus. Just like he was usually the first to ask a question, he was also usually the first to give Jesus an answer: even when that answer was wrong. Again, Peter reminds me of myself. I’ve always hated it when the teacher would ask a question and there was just dead silence; I felt bad for the teacher. So, I would just blurt out my best guess at an answer; sometimes I got it right, I often got it wrong. That’s Peter, whether it was out of a desire to please the Lord or going with his thirst for knowledge of the Lord, he would be quick to give the Lord an answer.
The most brilliant answer he gave is still repeated by those in the Christian church every time that a person believes in Jesus Christ and is about to be baptized; we call it the Good Confession and it’s one of the most important answers in the history of the church. Jesus was asking the disciples about what the people were saying about him, who they said he was. The people had all kinds of ideas about who Jesus was; some thought he was John the Baptist come back from the dead, some thought he was a prophet like Elijah, and so on. But, it didn’t matter that much what the people thought of Jesus, he wanted to know who his disciples thought he was. Here’s Peter’s answer:
Matthew 16:15-16 (NIV) 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This was a spectacular answer, and one that we need to take note of in the church today. Jesus is not just a good teacher or a miracle worker, he is the Christ, the Son of the living God. It was such a good answer that Jesus said, Matthew 16:17-18 (NIV) 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Jesus was making a sort of pun here: Peter, the rock, gave the answer which was revealed to him by God, and it was this answer—that Jesus is the Christ—that would be the rock that the church was to be built on.
Or course, being the first to jump in with something is not always a good thing. Initiative is good, but it has to be restrained with wisdom. For example, right after Peter gave this wonderful answer about Jesus being the Christ, to which Jesus praised him, he also spoke up without thinking and got a very different response from Jesus. Jesus was telling the disciples that he was going to Jerusalem where he would be arrested and killed. Peter, thinking in human terms, tried to talk Jesus out of going and even rebuked Jesus. Peter could not see how it was a good thing for Jesus to be sacrificed and had the initiative to tell Jesus as much.
Matthew 16:21-23 (NIV) 21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
Wow, in just a few verses Peter gives the best answer of his life and receives the highest praise from Jesus and then turns around and gives the worse advice and receives the sternest rebuke from Jesus, all from speaking too fast.
Another time Peter’s eagerness almost got him killed. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane a cohort of soldiers was sent to arrest Jesus. The word cohort was used of a detachment that could have included as many as 600 soldiers: remember, the Romans were led to believe that Jesus was some kind of terrorist. Picture the scene: there is Jesus with 12 disciples, probably armed with simple swords meant to ward off robbers. A whole detachment of professional Roman soldiers, armed with swords, spears, shields and armor show up. What does Peter decide to do?
John 18:3-11 (NIV) 3 So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.
10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”
Thankfully Peter was a better fisherman than he was a warrior, and instead of taking off the servant’s head like he was trying to do he only got his ear, which Jesus healed. I guess Peter though he was going to be some sort of Rambo and take on this whole squadron of soldiers in order to protect Jesus. He obviously didn’t think it through, he was just wanting to serve his Lord.
And that leads to the final trait about Peter that prepared him for what he was to become: he had the courage to obey Jesus. When Susan was little she was always bruised because she was always right next to her mother: when her mother would turn around she would constantly bump into her. I have a feeling Peter was the same way. He loved Jesus so much and was so eager to serve him that he was always right by Jesus’ side and we see him in every major scene in Jesus’ ministry; it’s like Jesus couldn’t turn around without bumping into Peter. When Jesus went up to the mountain to be transfigured Peter was there. When Jesus prayed in the Garden for strength before his crucifixion, Peter was there (even though he had a habit of falling asleep). When word got back to the apostles that Jesus was resurrected Peter would have been the first one there if he could have only run faster than the much younger John. Don’t forget that even though Peter’s faith failed him and he sank into the water, it was Peter who was the only disciple to actually get out of the boat and go to Jesus.
Matthew 14:25-31 (NIV) 25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Also, don’t forget that another of Peter’s major failures only occurred because he was so eager to be with Jesus. Peter was always quick to speak up, so when Jesus predicted that his disciples would desert him Peter was quick to say that he would NEVER desert or deny Jesus. It must have broken Peter’s heart when Jesus predicted that he would deny him three times that very night. Sure enough, though, Peter denied that he knew Jesus while waiting in the courtyard where Jesus was being tried. That was a failure, but do you know why none of the other disciples denied him? Because with the exception of John, none of the other disciples were even there! Peter messed up, but at least he was there with Jesus, he was close enough for Jesus to look at him with the rooster crowed. He always wanted to be by Jesus’ side, doing the work of Jesus with all his strength.
Now, take all of these qualities and you have a lot of raw material to work with. He wanted to know more about Jesus and was not afraid to ask questions. He was eager to be involved with Jesus in every area of his ministry. He was quick to jump in and do the work of Jesus. As we can see, though, his enthusiasm and energy could be good or bad: sometimes he was so eager and enthusiastic that he would do things without thinking them through. Jesus had to take that raw material and mold it into something useful, and he did.
By the end of his life, we see that Peter had taken all that raw talent and eagerness to serve and made him into the rock of the church. Anyone who has lived for a while will tell you that we learn a lot more from our mistakes and failures than we do from our successes, and Peter was no exception to this rule. There is no crime in making mistakes, the crime is not learning from those mistakes. By the time Jesus ascended into heaven Peter had learned so much from Jesus and from his mistakes that he became the natural leader in the church. Peter, the one who was quick to jump into things, was the one who jumped up and delivered the sermon on Pentecost that led to 3,000 being baptized. It was Peter who questioned God about whether it was OK to preach the Gospel to Gentiles, yet it was Peter who learned from God, changed his mind, and went and led Cornelius the Gentile to Jesus. It was Peter who judged Ananias and Sapphira when they tried to withhold from the church. It was Peter who became the leader of the church in Jerusalem who gave advice when the church faced their first tough decision.
We can see a lot about what Peter learned from Jesus on his way to becoming the Rock from the words he wrote in his letters.
Peter learned that while it’s good to have enthusiasm and passion, we must restrain ourselves in a Godly way. Peter was quick to pick up a sword, give an answer, rebuke someone who he thought was wrong (remember, Peter not only rebuked Jesus but also God the father in his vision), and jump into the water if the Lord commanded him. But he had to learn self-control. He learned from Jesus how to restrain himself in a Godly way:
1 Peter 2:21-23 (NIV) 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Peter knew all too well that it is easy for Satan to take our enthusiasm and turn it into something bad. Jesus even warned Peter in Luke 22:31-32 (NIV) 31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” This is why Peter warns in
1 Peter 5:8-10 (NIV) 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Peter also learned the importance of humility. Peter might have been the leader of the disciples, but he also made a lot of mistakes and had to learn to be humble. I really don’t think that he was the kind to lord over other people because he had been knocked down enough times. The incident that taught him this the most had to be when he insisted that he would never deny Jesus and then turned around and denied him three times. He said he would never desert Jesus and then ran off to go back to fishing. Yet Jesus came in John 21 and restored Peter back to the ministry, showing him grace and mercy. Thus, Peter writes
1 Peter 5:2-6 (NIV) 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
He also had to learn the cost of sacrifice in serving the Lord. Peter was eager to serve the Lord and that eagerness did not diminish even when he found out that the cost of serving Jesus would involve great sacrifice. Of course, Peter sacrificed a lot to follow Jesus, leaving behind his job and his home. But Jesus prophesied that Peter would sacrifice much more in his service to Jesus, even his life.
John 21:18-19 (NIV) 18 I tell you the truth, 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!”
In his letter, Peter would write this:
1 Peter 4:13-19 (NIV) 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
Peter also learned the importance of having courage in serving Jesus. It’s not enough to seek Jesus, to show initiative, and have enthusiasm if we lack the courage that we will need to serve Jesus when the going gets rough. Peter had a lot of desire to serve God, but he suffered greatly as a result and surely would have turned back if he had not developed the courage to go with it. When Peter and John were arrested for preaching in the Temple they were warned not to preach anymore. Their actions and answers showed so much courage that even the rulers commented on it:
Acts 4:13-20 (NIV) 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Peter went on to show this courage everywhere he went, preaching and spreading the Gospel, even when he was thrown in jail. Thus he writes in his letter,
1 Peter 1:3-7 (NIV) 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. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Finally, Peter also learned that love is the chief virtue of a Christian, a lesson he learned from Jesus, the author of love. Of course, Jesus showed love to Peter in many various ways, but he showed it most by washing the feet of his disciples. Peter didn’t want Jesus to wash his feet, but Jesus insisted, saying that it was necessary for Jesus to show this kind of love to them. And, of course, Peter learned about love by seeing Jesus on the cross. Thus, Peter writes, SLIDE 18 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV) 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Jesus showed Peter great love when he forgave him and called him back into service after Peter denied him three times; Jesus love covered a multitude of Peter’s sins. The same grace and forgiveness that Jesus showed Peter needs to be shown by all of us to one another.
To sum it all up, Peter was willing to be used by God and so Jesus molded him and shaped him like a master craftsman. Jesus took the raw material of Peter’s life, mixed it with his enthusiasm and willingness to serve, and created a rock that served Jesus and the church till his death. He taught Peter restraint, humility, sacrifice, love, and courage which Peter went on to teach the church and even us through his letters.
We can learn a lot from the life of Peter. I’ve only just scratched the surface of Peter, there’s a lot more to say about him, but from what we’ve learned we can see how we can be used by Peter as well.
We should come to him with the interest that Peter showed, willing to ask questions and seek out the answers. We should come to him with the initiative that Peter showed, willing to volunteer to be used by Jesus in any way he needs. We should come to him with the enthusiasm that Peter showed, always wanting to serve Jesus in any way that he needs us.
When we do that, we will learn the lessons that Peter learned, sometimes the hard way. Jesus will teach us the restraint we need to be used most effectively, he will teach us the humility we need to wash other’s feet, he will teach us the sacrifice that is required to serve the crucified Lord, he will teach us the courage that comes from serving the King that the world rejected, and he will teach us the love that comes from following the Lord and love.
And if we do this, then our life can be summed up in the same way that Peter summed up his life: 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV) 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
