Peter Speaks - A First Person Narrative Series

Peter Speaks

Various accounts from the gospels about Holy Week

EASTER – April 16, 2017

You are welcome to use this first person narrative. It was a joy to write and a joy to share. I was just finishing a series on Peter but it could be used anytime but especially around Good Friday/Easter.

Enter and make sure doors are closed

We have to be careful. I am not really sure who I can trust these days. I’ve just come from the tomb and it is empty! I’m afraid that they will think that we’ve taken the body and they will be coming for us next and so here I am confused and scared. It has been a tumultuous week and one that I will never forget.

My name is Peter and as I sit here in this locked room with other followers of Jesus let me tell you all that has happened to me this past week.

It all started a week ago, well no, it really started about three years ago. My family are fishermen. My brother Andrew and I worked in the family business. Things were going pretty well. We had joined forces with James and John and we had a nice little fishing business.

Andrew came to me one day and said he had found the promised chosen one. I went to see and was captivated with Jesus. Jesus asked me once to take him out in my boat so he could teach from the water as the crowd listened on land. Then he wanted to go fishing, during the day??? Hey whatever Jesus wanted I was going to give him. He ended up being the one that gave in the most bounteous catch that we had ever witnessed. After that he called us away from our fishing and we have been following him ever since. He said he would make us fishers of men.

We had some crazy times out on the water with Jesus. One time he was so tired he was out in the front of the boat. I mean he was out! A storm came up and we were getting tossed all over the place. I was afraid we were going to get tossed out or the boat would break apart. We woke up Jesus and he commanded the wind and the waves to stop. We didn’t know what to think!

That isn’t the best one though. He sent us on ahead of him once across the Sea of Galilee and the winds came up and the waves were pretty impressive. We were struggling to get to our destination. All of a sudden Jesus was coming to us. He wasn’t in a boat however. He was walking on the water. We thought he was a ghost but he called out to us to not be afraid. I asked if it was him could I come out to him and he told me to come. I didn’t even think twice, I just got out of the boat and for a couple of steps I too walked on water. But then I got distracted and began to sink.

Do you ever get distracted? I mean as long as I was focused on Jesus I felt a peace but when I looked away at the stuff around me it was chaotic. I don’t mean just on the water, but that was scary, I started to sink but once again I cried out to him and he rescued me.

You know over the next three years I would see things that I never thought possible. People would flock to see Jesus. He always seemed to stay so patient with them. They all wanted something from the teacher and he was always willing to listen and give them what they stood in need of.

We have a lot of sick people. People that can’t walk see and hear. People with leprosy, a skin disease. There are some people around here that are crazy. They hear voices and they can’t seem to control themselves. They are possessed with evil spirits.

We tend to stay away from all of these people. They make me feel uncomfortable. What about you? I sometimes feel guilty that I’m okay and they aren’t. I wonder what they did or what someone in their family did for them to deserve the affliction that they have. Some I’m sure have had accidents growing up where they become crippled or blind.

As much as these people repulsed me Jesus seemed to be drawn to them. He never turned away from them in disgust. I was always told that they were unclean and that I should stay away. But Jesus, that never seem to bother him in fact he seemed to be drawn to them.

He would heal these people! I have never witnessed anything like this. People would do anything to get to Jesus. Some guys even tore open a roof and lowered their friend in front of Jesus. He was paralyzed and Jesus told him his sins were forgiven Oh boy! That created quite a buzz in the room. The Pharisees standing there you could tell didn’t like what Jesus had to say. It was like he knew what they were thinking because he backed up his claim by telling this guy to get up and walk and he did. I would watch Jesus heal all kinds of people. I would witness him bring back sight, hearing and sanity. I also watched him bring hope and peace to so many. He would tell them that they were forgiven and they to go and sin no more.