When you think of Simon Peter, what immediately springs to mind?
I imagine Peter walking on water. Though he looked away from Jesus and sank into the angry waves, he first exhibited the great faith to step out of the boat (Matthew 14:25-33).
And, who can forget the chaotic scene in the Garden of Gethsemane? With Judas leading the way, the Sanhedrin and their thugs, armed with swords and spears, had marched into the peaceful place of prayer. When they grabbed Jesus, “Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear” (John 18:10). Jesus rebuked his disciple, saying, “Put your sword away! Am I not to drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11) and then, gently touching the man’s ear, “he healed him” (Luke 22:51). Peter … a fisherman … or one of the Three Musketeers?
I also picture the courtyard at the home of “Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had convened”(Matthew 26:57). Peter had courageously followed, and stood watching, as Jesus stood trial during the kangaroo-court proceedings. “When a servant saw him sitting in the light, and looked closely at him, she said, ‘This man was with him too.’ But he denied it: ‘Woman, I don’t know him’ ” (Luke 22:56–57). Peter was tough enough to pick a fight with a grizzly bear, but wimped-out when a girl asked him if he was a follower of Jesus.
What else do you remember about Peter? Pentecost! Filled with the Holy Spirit’s powerful presence, Peter preached, and three thousand people responded. “Three thousand!” (Acts 2:41).
When I think about Peter, I remember the ups and downs of his frailty and faithfulness. He was often the first to follow, and the first fall.
I’d like to dedicate the next blog posts to a chronological review of Peter’s life. Why? Because Peter is so real, so human, so much like us. And though his life was riddled with missteps, he became increasingly aware that Jesus was loving, forgiving, and forever faithful to His promises.
Just prior to his martyrdom, Peter penned these comforting words: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3–5).
“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).
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