Faithful Friday : A Portrait of Peter (a.k.a. Simon)
by Debbie Waltz
Peter (a.k.a. Simon) is one of the most prominent people in the New Testament. Prior to his encounter with Jesus, Simon Peter lived a life of manual labor and had a humble religious upbringing. Originally from Bethsaida, a town on the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee, he and his brother Andrew were both engaged in fishing. He shared his dwelling with his wife and her parents. Growing up in a small town, he had the usual elementary schooling for a Jewish boy, which included learning Hebrew, enough Greek for trade, and fluency in both Aramaic and common Greek.
Previously an average fisherman, Simon abandoned everything to follow Jesus and become a “fisher of men.” As recorded in Matthew 4:19, Jesus uses this phrase when he calls his earliest disciples, inviting them to a different way of life. The phrase is intentional, referring to the character of those Jesus chose to be a symbolic commission with spiritual roots. Later, Simon is renamed “Peter” signifying a significant shift in faith, recognizing Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus recognized this act of faith, explaining that it did not stem from his earthly understanding, but from the Spirit that was bestowed by His Father (Matthew 13:17).
The experiences Peter had while following Jesus greatly molded his personal beliefs. On one specific occasion, Jesus displayed his divine power when Peter requested him to cure his mother-in-law, who was ill with a fever. Jesus instantly commanded the illness to leave, and the mother-in-law rose at once to attend to them (Mark 1: 29-31). In another situation, Peter and the other disciples were caught in a storm and became frightened. At that moment, they witnessed Jesus walking on the sea. Most of the disciples were convinced it was a ghost, but Peter asked Jesus to instruct him to come to him if it was real. In response, Jesus called to him. The famous narrative describes Peter’s gaze fixed on Jesus as he walked toward Him. Fear struck him midway through his walk, prompting him to cry out to the Lord for help. (Matthew 14:25-31)
Peter’s confidence undoubtedly grew from walking with Jesus and witnessing his ministry firsthand. When Jesus told him during the Last Supper that Peter would deny him, he was greatly surprised. He even stated that he was prepared to die for him. The boldness of this statement was astounding, clearly demonstrating his fundamental misjudgment of his spiritual depth. His humanity meant he was not immune to spiritual vulnerability and the grip of fear.
The denial occurred just as Jesus had predicted. But Peter’s tale isn’t over yet. Logos summary puts it best: “Though the episode is tragic, it carries hope- God is a God of second chances..” Though that specific passage says nothing about Peter’s restoration, others go into more detail. Shortly after his resurrection, Jesus appeared and Peter was recommissioned as the leader of the Church (John 21:16-18). During this deeply personal exchange with Peter, Jesus posed three distinct questions to him. This discussion, while implicitly acknowledging Peter’s earlier denial, simultaneously offers him a chance to reaffirm his faith, thus providing a form of restoration
Emulating Jesus, he persisted in proclaiming God and advocating for steadfast faith amidst adversity. Hope is a consistent and significant theme throughout Peter’s ministry recorded in the Book of Acts, and in his writings in his 2 epistles, though it’s always depicted as a way to surmount and transcend the constraints of our earthly lives. This implies continuing to anticipate the Lord’s return and the complete joy of experiencing His future promises on a renewed earth.