Men of the Bible X
When we left Peter the last time, he was dejected and all hope seems to have been dashed.
Jesus was crucified on Friday morning and has been dead for three days. And Peter as far as we can tell from the scriptures has been hiding in the upper room this whole time.
Sunday morning arrived like any other Sunday, the day after Sabbath except that the women Jesus was the closest to came to the tomb to complete the burial procedure for their master.
Matthew, Mark and Luke record very little that applies to Peter but they do give us some hints. We should not be surprised that not much is said of Peter, after all he did deny knowing the Lord.
Matthew deals with the apostles as a group. The angel tells Mary to go and tell the disciples and she does. The next thing recorded is Jesus giving the disciples the great commission
Mark gives us a bit more. The angel tells Mary Mark 16:6-7 (NASB) 6 And he said* to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen;
He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him.
7 "But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.' "
The singling out of Peter here is important. It means God is not quite done with Peter yet. Yes he denied the Lord, but clearly he has been repenting and praying ever since the Lord looked him in the eye that evening. Go tell his disciples AND PETER.
Again the Great Commission is given and the disciples are told to spread the gospel throughout the world.
The women at the tomb were Mary Magdalene, Silome, Mary the mother of James, Joanna and other women not named. They are given the good news that Jesus is risen and quickly go tell the disciples although the disciples thought this was nonsense.
EXCEPT PETER!
Mark tells us that upon hearing this news Luke 24:12 (NASB)
12 Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw* the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.
We’ll get back to those linen wrappings in a minute but Peter obviously saw something and marveled at what had happened. But what happened? Was the body stolen? Had Jesus been revived? Could Mary be right that he had risen from the dead?
The word thaumazo, here translated as marveling means to be amazed, astonished, filled with wonder or astonishment.
While Luke does not record Jesus appearing to Peter, after Jesus appears to the two men on the road to Emmaus, they return to Jerusalem and find the 11 and begin telling them they had met the Lord along the way. And they tell the two me, we know, he has appeared to Peter.
Those are the accounts from the synoptic gospels and the information as to Peter is a bit sparse. John on the other hand has far more to say and really shows something about Peter that I find both touching and amazing.
John’s gospel tells us that Mary ran specifically to Peter and John to tell them the Lord had risen. I am sure the other apostles were there but John makes the point she went to Peter and John.
While Mark told us Peter ran to the tomb, John gives more information. John, here called the disciple Jesus loved and Peter ran to the tomb.
John 20:4-5 (NASB)
4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead, faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first;
5 and stooping and looking in, he saw* the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.
Whether by respect of timidity we are not told but John did not enter the tomb. But again the mention of linen wrappings.
John 20:6-7 (NASB)
6 And so Simon Peter also came*, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw* the linen wrappings lying there,
7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.
Ah, that’s the Peter we all know and love. He just rushes in to see exactly what is going on. Again we have the linen wrappings mentioned. You would think these people had never witnessed a burial before. Why so much attention on these wrapping and does it really matter that the face cloth was on the other side of the room, all by itself?
John 20:8-10 (NASB)
8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.
9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
Finally John enters the tomb and we are told something curious. He saw and believed? Saw what? Believed what?
Is an empty tomb really evidence of a resurrection? But they saw far more than an empty tomb. They saw linen wrappings!
In verse 5 we are told John saw the linen wrapping lying (the word there is not in the original)
In verse 6 we are told Peter saw the linen wrapping lying (again the word there is not in the original)
Finally in verse 7 we are told that the face cloth was “not lying” with the wrappings. So how important is this. In the English not so much but in the Greek it is massive.
The Greek indicates by verb tense that the linen wrapping were lying just as they were before. In other words wrapped around something only that something was not gone.
What Peter and John saw was a sort of empty cocoon or shell where a body once lie but now all that is left is a hollow vacancy. And since there were never spices and gums used on the face, the face cloth is lying in another place and lying flat.
It was that sight that transformed Peter and John that day and it was something they would never forget.
We are then told they both went home to ponder what they had seen.
Jesus makes a few other appearances and reassures the disciples this was all a part of Gods plan and they were going to be witnesses to that plan to the entire world – hence the great commission. But what about Peter, is there no punishment coming for his denial?
Only John records perhaps one of the most moving and tender encounters for us and one that set the course for Peter until the day he died.
Peter had denied the Lord three times just as Jesus predicted but Jesus said something else that evening. Luke 22:31-32 (NASB)
31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;
32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
Notice Jesus did not say “if” you turn again but rather “when”. Jesus knew Peter would repent but so many times God forgives us much easier than we forgive ourselves.
John’s gospel in chapter 21 records for us the minds of the apostles even after they had seen the risen Lord.
John 21:2-3 (NASB)
2 Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.
3 Simon Peter said* to them, "I am going fishing." They said* to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.
The Lord has been killed. Yes he has risen again but I just can’t see how any kind of a kingdom will be set up now and so I’m going back to fishing.
For Peter, he had not just lost Messiah. He had lost a good friend and one that he had just betrayed. One can see where this might cause one to retreat to what one knows best. But Jesus had something else in mind.
While they are returning from an unprofitable night fishing the Lord appears on the shore (although they do not recognize him). The Lord tells them to cast their net on the right side of the boat and they will find a catch.
Is this guy crazy? We’ve been out all night and caught nothing and now he wants us to cast our net in the shallow waters near the shore where fish never are? But they do it
And lo and behold a great catch of fish. So large a catch they could not handle it. The apostle John immediately says, It’s the Lord. And when Peter hears this he puts on his outer garment and jumps in the water and starts paddling towards the man on shore.
There Jesus has set a fire and has cooked some fish and bread and he invites them to eat breakfast with Him.
I’m wondering if Peters intent was to make some excuse to Jesus for denying Him or perhaps apologizing but breakfast interrupted anything he had planned. We then have this precious moment recorded for us
John 21:15-17 (NASB)
15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said* to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said* to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said* to him, "Tend My lambs."
16 He said* to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said* to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said* to him, "Shepherd My sheep."
17 He said* to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said* to him, "Tend My sheep.
This is like one of my favorite passages in scripture. On the surface it seems that either Jesus was hard of hearing or very forgetful. Why ask the same question 3 times? We He didn’t.
In the Greek in which the NT was written Jesus asked Peter if he loved (agapeo) Him. Do you love me above all else and in a sacrificial way
Peter’s response was “yes Lord you know that I love (phileo) you. Phileo love is brotherly love, which is why Philadelphia is called the city of brotherly love. But Peter could not muster the words agapeo, especially after having denied the Lord three times. So the Lords asks a second time and the same answer is given
But on the third time Jesus asks Peter do you phileo me and Peter grieved that Jesus has changed the question and perhaps is even questioning that Peter loves him like a brother says, you know all things and so you know I love you as a brother.
After each of the questions, there is a command.
1. Tend My lambs.
2. Shepherd My sheep
3. Tend My sheep.
Again the words in the Greek are important. The word tend is bosko and literally means to feed and the word shepherd poimaino means to lead and care for.
Peter denied the Lord three times and the Lord asked him three times if he loved Him to establish it in Peter’s heart. At the same time he reinstated Peter as a shepherd and teacher three times. One for each denial signifying a total forgiveness of the wrong done.
A good shepherd will feed (teach his flock, give them nourishing scripture) twice as much as he rules or leads them in an authoritative position.
What we see is the reconciliation of a broken and discouraged man and Peter from this point forward is one of the most powerful figures in the church.
During that same encounter however Jesus makes another prediction concerning Peter in John 21:18-23. He tells Peter how he will die and it isn’t pretty. John 21:18-19 (NASB)
18 "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go."
19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said* to him, "Follow Me!"
Lord certainly there must be another way I can glorify God? Perhaps I can join the choir, or teach Sunday School or perhaps throw a cover dish dinner.
No, your death is what will glorify God.
Peter sees John standing there and in perfect character asks, what about this man? Well I am sure John loved that. But Jesus’ reply is you just follow me and let me worry about everything else.
We know from tradition that Peter did in fact die in a way that agrees with what Jesus said here. He was crucified on a cross on the Apian way in Rome for the gospel. We are told Peter did ask to be hung up side down not feeling worthy of dying exactly as his Lord.
Remember those keys Peter was given? The Roman church has taken that to such extremes as the establishing of a papacy, an infallible authority in the church, one who can decide condemnation or forgiveness and so much more but that was never the intent.
Jesus gave the apostles a great commission, “go into all the world and make disciples.” No internet, no e-mail, no television or radio, no newspapers or mass media. So how does a small group take on such a massive task?
Well these men were still human and still did not fully understand Gods plan and so in the first chapter of Acts we read: Acts 1:6-8 (NASB)
6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"
7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
Yes preaching the gospel in all the world is a massive task but they were going to be given a much more massive power to do it. The Holy Spirit and after the Lord ascends into heaven that is just what happened on Pentecost.
Now for the keys:
Remember Jesus’ words as to how the gospel will be preached.
1. In Jerusalem – this was the occasion of Peters first sermon in Acts 2 and 3000 souls came to the Lord
2. In all Judea – about a week later Peter preached again and another 5000 souls come to the Lord and Peter went all through Judea with John and preached the gospel in Acts 3
3. In Samaria – although Philip was the one who preached the gospel to them, Peter was sent down to Samaria to verify that the Lord had accepted them into the body in Acts 8
4. And even to the remotest parts of the earth – while we credit the Apostle Paul with the most work among the gentiles or non-Jewish world, it was Peter who first preached the gospel to the gentiles, to a Roman soldier named Cornelius in Acts 10-11
Keys open doors and Peter was involved with opening the gospel door to all three people groups. That was the true meaning of the keys and how they were to be used.
Peter is a huge figure in the early church. The once cowardice apostle who denied knowing the Lord to a slave girl and hid in the upper room was not an unstoppable force for the kingdom
Boldly he stood before the same council that condemned and killed his Lord and proclaimed that he could not stop preaching Jesus just because they said to. He had his command from God and that was that.
When they had beaten him to warn him of what could happen if he continued he rejoiced that he was counted worthy of being flogged for the Lord
He went on to write two epistles and even went to his death for the cause of the gospel. Was Peter now a perfect man? No! he was still a man but he had the power of the Holy Spirit within him and this made all the difference in the world. That same Holy Spirit is promised to all who are in Christ.
Just to show his humanness or perhaps as an encouragement to us, the last recorded account about Peter concerns the Jerusalem council held to deal with the Judaizers. A group of men that did not want the gentiles as a part of the church unless they became Jews first. Unless they were circumcised and bowed under the Mosaic Law.
You can read that account in Acts 15 where the church decided that the gentiles did not have to become Jews first and that no additional burden would be placed on them
Peter was a main witness in that council since he was the first to bring the gospel to the gentiles but what we do not read in Acts we read in Galatians chapter 2.
Galatians 2:7-9 (NASB)
7 But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised
8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles),
9 and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
Well it seems that the gentiles will be given a great preacher in Paul and Barnabas and all that previous prejudice was now gone. Well not exactly
Galatians 2:11-13 (NASB)
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.
13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.
Yes Peter was the chief of the apostles and yes he was filled with the Holy Spirit but he was as are we all human. Satan does not stop battling with us just because we are now Christian.
This was a difficult thing with Peter. Something that had been ingrained in him since his birth and it was not easy to shake.
I think we all have that one demon we struggle with. That one sin we find so hard to shake. I know I do.
Peter was in so many ways like us and this is why he is one of my favorites. I find it hard to get close to the apostle Paul. And perhaps even harder to identify with the apostle John
But Peter, a God loving and God fearing man who had his weaknesses I can identify with.
So many believers beat themselves up when they stumble. Some even get so discouraged they fall away completely. Let Peter be your patron if you will. Yes we are saved and yes we are Christian but no we are far from perfect. At least in this world.
Let us pray.
