“By Faith – Peter”

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20; 26:69-75; John 21:15-19

Today we take our last look at the impact that faith has had on the lives of people within the pages of scripture.

We began with Job, whose trials all started when the Lord pointed out how faithful and righteous he had always been, and how Satan took that as a personal challenge! Throughout the ordeal that Job would have to endure, his pain and trial would be accentuated by the less than helpful comments of his friends, but his faith would never falter. There were times that he wondered what he might have done to bring about his dilemma, but he never cursed God so that he could die (as his wife suggested) [Job 2:7-10], he never repented of some unknown sin (as his friends suggested) [Job 5:17-18], and he never blamed the Lord God Jehovah for his condition. And God would bless him for that degree of faith.

We looked at Esther – a beautiful young Jewish girl whose family had been enslaved by the Babylonians, resulting in her being born into Persian captivity. Her life had taken a huge turn, when she had been chosen to be queen of the entire empire. This was the good news, but the bad news was that her Jewish heritage, combined with her royal position, would soon require that she take a tremendous risk so that God could work his ways against a treacherous plot to destroy his people (Esther 4:6-17).

We looked at Habakkuk, who had been mourning the sinful state of the Jewish nation, when the Lord spoke to him, revealing an unexpected, and quite outrageous plan to correct the situation. After wondering – and questioning (Habakkuk 1:12-13) - just what the great Jehovah might be up to, the prophet would come to not only accept God’s working, but would turn his disbelief into praise and rejoicing (Habakkuk 3:1-2,19).

We saw the unusual preparation that the Lord used to set Hosea on the path to carry his message of repentance to the people (Hosea 1:2-3), and as unlikely a plan as it was, it was the right one to show this prophet why he had been chosen to proclaim this particular calling.

Last week, we experienced the change that overtook the Pharisee Saul. He had been on his way to Damascus to carry out his vendetta of persecution on the Christians there, but through a visit from the risen Lord Jesus, and by the faithful obedience of Ananias, one of these targeted Christians, he would leave the persecutor Saul at the side of the Damascus Road, and would pick up the mantle as a witness for Jesus Christ as the Apostle Paul. (Acts 9:3-17)

Today, we take a brief look at the faith journey that one of Jesus’ disciples had to take. When the Lord chose Simon, he was a simple fisherman (Matthew 4:18-22), but would become one of the many who would carry the message of Jesus Christ throughout the known world. But the faith walk that Peter would have to take was anything but smooth! He had already tried to walk on water, which didn’t work out all that well. But how about a success? Were there any?

Read Matthew 16:13-20

Caesarea Philippi had been a cultic worship center dedicated to the Greek god Pan. It’s interesting that Jesus would choose a site like this to hold a conversation regarding faith, but then, Jesus seldom did the expected! But this is the right place to ask the question “Who do the people say I am?” This isn’t about who the disciples think he is, but rather who the general populace think he is. And the list is quite impressive – they believe that he is a resurrected prophet! And while this is a high and distinct honor, it still falls short of the truth.
So he then asks his followers who they say he is. Peter alone answers, possibly on behalf of the entire band, that Jesus is not only the Anointed One of God, but that he is actually the Son of God! Peter answers correctly – that Jesus is not just another who utters prophetic words, and who is able to heal the sick and lame, and who can raise the dead, but that he is the long awaited Messiah who would save both Israel and the gentile world.

God has revealed this great truth in the midst of a center of idolatry, and after all, why not? The entire world is afflicted with that same plague, and that is exactly why Jesus - Messiah, Anointed One, Son of the Living God, Redeemer of all the earth – came here in the first place. And it is Peter – the crude fisherman, the one who so easily lost his focus in the storm – who states this heavenly truth, and who Jesus says will be his instrument in carrying the message of life and hope to the idol worshippers of earth.

Peter’s “feet of clay” have become “feet of faith”, and one day, they will serve his Lord very well. But very soon, he will have to learn his lesson all over again.

Read Matthew 26:69-75

Jesus had just been arrested and taken to the Sanhedrin for a mock trial. Peter had already tried to fight the temple soldiers, but Jesus stopped him before he could do any extreme damage to them. Now he had followed the company to Caiaphas’ house, and was waiting in the courtyard with others.
He had been ready to fight for Jesus, but when his own identity was revealed, would he continue to take a stand for his Lord? Earlier that evening, Jesus had prophesied that Peter would deny him three times, but Peter had never accepted that word. (Matthew 26:31-35) But now he knew.

Peter – the one who had proclaimed Jesus as Messiah and as Son of the living God – couldn’t even admit that he had been with Jesus. It was no longer a matter of uncertainty – Peter’s “feet of faith” had reverted to his old “feet of clay”, and very soft clay at that! He even curses Jesus, and proclaims that curses should come down on him, too, if he was lying!
But now he remembers, and now he knows, and now he cries “bitterly” over his failure! Did his tears imply sorrow? A remembrance of all the other times he had failed Jesus? Was there repentance?

We don’t know, with any certainty, what began to stream through his mind and soul that night, but we do know that the Lord never goes back on his word. Peter would be restored in faith, and would become a great servant once again. But in the meantime, he had a few more dark days ahead of him before the light would shine again in his life.

Before we go on to our last passage for the day, a question – do you see yourself in Peter yet? Have you heard Christ’s call on your life? Have you made a confession of faith to Jesus?
But even in faith, have you avoided opportunities to proclaim him to others? To follow his will in your life? To let fear take possession of your spirit and overcome faith? Before you say “No! Never! Not me! ”, remember that Peter said those same words!

Read John 21:15-19

Peter is forgiven with the command to go and care for the flock. And the only qualification for receiving this responsibility is that Peter loves Jesus. He has the keys of heaven, he has the authority to act on behalf of Almighty God (from chapter 16), but now he knows what his love of God, and the authority that Jesus has given him, is going to cost him. Sounds strangely like Jesus’ life, doesn’t it?

How many times had Peter failed Jesus? More than we’ve talked about today! And yet, loving the Lord and accepting the call that is placed on his life is sufficient.
Do you love the Lord? Do you study his word and his ways, and do your best to follow them? Do you seek out the call he places on your life, regardless of what it may entail? Are you willing to live in a relationship with the Lord?

Theologian and author Miroslav Volk wrote:
We can be truly ourselves and free if God lives in us. This is what it means to be God's creature -- not to be a self-made, self-standing individual over against God, but to exist from God and through God. We are creatures precisely in that we live in God and God lives in us.
We are sinful creatures when we fail to recognize this and live as if we were self-made, self-standing individuals. Being a new creature, redeemed from sin, is, in this regard, similar to being a creature as God originally created us to be. It's to live in Christ and to have Christ live in us. United with Christ, we live in God, and God lives in us.

--Miroslav Volf, Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace (Zondervan, 2009), 149.

Think about the 7 people we have studied during the past month and a half – The times when they failed were when they “stood alone”. The times when they succeeded were the times when they allowed God to live within them. It had nothing to do with their abilities or lack thereof, nothing to do with their sinful condition, nothing to do with their greatness or weakness – it was all about trusting in the Lord, and loving him, and striving to serve him.

Can you identify with the struggles of Job, or Esther, of Habakkuk, or Hosea, or Paul, or Ananias, or Peter? If you can, then also identify with the faith that saw them through their trials. Our lives are no different than the lives of these apostles of the Living God – some days things are going to be great, and other days they are anything but great.

So I will leave you with these three verses to encourage you:
Proverbs 3:5 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”
Philippians 4:4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”

These thoughts strengthened the prophets, and the disciples, and every faithful person who has ever stepped out in faith to answer God’s call on their life. And they will strengthen each and every one of us, too.

Give it a try – you may never know until you do!