Making Progress

"We must see that Peter's habit of doing rash things was no deterrent to what God wanted to do in him."

THE LIFE of Peter forms a curious pattern. Here’s an everyday hardworking man, whose entire life seems already written. Trained to fish, he’ll live by fishing and die at an old age as a fisherman. Except, we find him in history as a martyr for the church. This isn’t about history, although he is a real person, but about the work of the Spirit in him. When he first encounters Jesus, it’s to a boatful of fish that miraculously appear at Jesus’ word. What he’s trained to do, through human effort, had been a failure that night. He’d caught nothing. Jesus didn’t fill Peter’s boat, right then, simply to provide a financial blessing, though it did just that. But we see this miracle again at the end of the gospel of John where a Resurrected Jesus does the same thing, and except for two differences, they’d be identical.

In Luke 5, where Peter meets Jesus, the nets almost brake. In John 21, they didn’t. Now, a lot happened between those two dates, so see Peter’s reaction as well. In Luke 5, Peter, the everyday fisherman, isn’t looking for the prophesied Messiah. So, when he comes face-to-face with Him, he falls on his knees.

“When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:” (Luke 5:8-9)

In John 21, seeing Jesus, Peter jumps in the sea and swims to shore. Why does this matter? Note the progression of Peter’s life. A man consumed by everyday life, aware of his sins, at the shores of the lake, later, proclaims Jesus the Christ in Matthew 16, a revelation which Jesus says was given to him by the Father in heaven. Peter heard from the Spirit who Jesus was and KNEW IT in his heart. And Jesus says, in that moment of revelation, that Peter has a new name. Much has been taught about what the name “Peter” means, and though that is significant, what we should see first is that he didn’t lose his name, Simon. Jesus calls him that later. He’s still the son of Jonas, still the brother of Andrew. Instead, what caused the addition of the name “Peter” was the revelation he received from the Father.

It must also be noted that just a short time later, stated in the same chapter of Matthew where this story is told, that Peter denies Jesus the right to die as He’d just prophesied.

“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matthew 16:21-23)

Jesus’ rebuke which followed was not to Peter but to Satan. He rebuked Satan for speaking THROUGH Peter as much as for speaking TO Himself. He protected Peter, despite Peter’s words, and denied Satan the right to be there. God knew Peter. God loved Peter for being Peter. And Peter’s revelation of Jesus as the Christ wasn’t complete. Nor was he perfected in that he knew it now.

We must see that Peter’s habit of doing rash things was no deterrent to what God wanted to do in him. He would do other rash things: refuse Jesus the right to wash his feet then proclaim “wash my hands and my head” as well. Too little then too much. He cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear when Jesus was arrested. Notice, Jesus’ words and the healing of the servant’s ear.

“Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:11)

And, of course, Peter denied Jesus three times before the cock crowed. Notice in all of these that Jesus never stopped loving Peter. He never changed his calling, never quit teaching him and sending him out to preach the gospel. More importantly, in his denial of Jesus, we are told Peter cursed. That didn’t remove the Spirit from his life nor take away the revelation he’d had. We judge Peter, but we need to see him in ourselves. And even greater, we need to see God continually working to lead him where he was supposed to be, a man of the Spirit who walked in the Spirit, hearing His Voice, doing the works of Jesus.

No greater example of this appears than when Peter asked to walk on water. This was a physical miracle, but this was a spiritual revelation. Jesus only walked on water through the power of the Holy Spirit. He is God in human flesh. He couldn’t walk on water physically either but trusted the Spirit to take Him across the lake, though there was a violent storm. What made Peter decide to get out of the boat wasn’t just nerves of steel. He wasn’t even sure that it was Jesus standing in front of them (Matthew 14:28). Instead, he was led of the Spirit to go forward despite the physical impossibility. He heard from the Father of the revelation of Christ. He heard from the Spirit to step out of the boat.

It couldn’t happen in reality. Like so many miracles of their history – the crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan River on dry land, the walls of Jericho falling down at the people’s praises, the birth of Isaac to a man and woman who were barren and past the age of having kids – here was a turning point that required hearing God and taking that first step.

A man can’t walk on water on any day, much less a stormy one. See the spiritual picture here, as much as the physical one. Then turn to the book of Acts, chapter 2, and compare the new man, Peter, saved by Jesus’ death and Resurrection, a new creature, and then filled with the Spirit. Compare this Peter to the one who could only see his sins when the story began. No one starts out in the front seat. This was Jesus’ example (Luke 14:10). Growth is a process and maturing in the Spirit to better hear Him and to completely trust Him is done over time. It is done knowing God loves you and has the best plans for you. Even with the ups-and-downs. Like Peter, we must continue to listen, ask for forgiveness where we mess up, and looking at ourselves and the progression of Peter’s walk in the Spirit, refuse to judge others. Because what stage are they at? And where are we?

Peter recognized Jesus as the Messiah on the shores of the Sea of Galilee but could only see his sins. He thought it was Jesus who walked on the water and so dared to do the same, yet minutes in, doubt rose and he began to sink. You don’t begin to sink when walking on water. He proclaimed Jesus the Chris then said no way Jesus would die and leave them. He denied he even knew Jesus in Jesus’ worst hours. Yet, the grave emptied and the Resurrected King standing on the beach again, their fishing nets overflowing, Jesus asked Peter a huge question, “Do you love me?” then bid him to feed His sheep.

The Father loved Peter. He spoke to Peter. Jesus loved Peter. Jesus forgave Peter. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, fell upon Peter, and three thousand souls were saved.

“But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:” (Acts 2:14)

Image by Chil Vera from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com