Peter the Son and Servant
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
We well remember a stained, art-glass window in which the artist had depicted Peter floundering in the sea of Galilee and half drowned. That Peter began to sink we know, but why emphasize it all the time and forget about how he walked on the water.
The fact that Peter cursed and swore and said, "I know not this Man of whom ye speak" is no reason why we should forget the wonderful deeds of greatness which he wrought. It is our joy to study the other side of Peter's life.
1. His call. In Matthew 4:18-19 we read. "And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And He said unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." In this call, which came to Peter, there are two things worthy of note.
(1) The Lord did not mention the future failures and the false steps which would enter Peter's life. He merely set forth that he was to be a fisher of men. That He knew Peter's coming mistakes, we have no doubt. On one occasion Christ said, "Thou art Peter," but the Lord saw Peter beyond the years of his preparation, as a Gibraltar rock, standing firm for the faith, even unto the death.
(2) Peter did not hesitate to obey. Thus, in the very beginning" of his discipleship, we see prompt and immediate obedience. Here was a man who with his heart, followed his Lord.
(3) Peter's confession. There is a wonderful little touch in Luke 5:1-39 concerning Peter's call. There were two ships standing by the lake as Jesus came by, but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. Christ entered into one of these ships which was Peter's and asked him to thrust out from the land. There, for awhile, Christ sat and taught the people who were standing around on the shore.
When He had finished speaking, He said unto Simon, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught." Incidentally, the Lord was teaching that a kindness on Simon's part in loaning the use of his ship should be repaid. Peter hesitated, saying, "Master, we have toiled all night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at Thy Word I will let down the net." When they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
As Peter saw what had happened, he fell down at Jesus' knees saying, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." To us this is one of the most beautiful manifestations of Peter's character in the Bible. First, he was quick to obey; secondly, he was just as quick to confess his faults.
Withal, he never refused to acknowledge the Lordship of Christ.
2. His leaving all to follow Jesus. After the miraculous draught of fishes Jesus again said unto Simon the same words which we found in Matthew, "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." Then come the wonderful words, "And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed Him."
God grant that every one, both young and old, will be as ready to leave their all, as was Peter and his comrade fisherman. This act on Peter's part was never regretted. He never sought to turn his face back again, permanently, toward his home and his nets, and away from his call.
I. THE STORMY SEA (Matthew 14:29)
1. Peter's walking on the water. The story of the tempestuous sea and of the disparaging disciples with Christ coming to them walking upon the waves is found in Matthew 14:1-36. In Matthew 14:28 of that chapter we read: "Peter answered Him and said: Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water." Peter seemed to be making a test as to whether it was a spirit and apparition of Christ walking upon the water, or whether it was Christ Himself. The Lord replied. Then Peter quickly responded and walked on the water to go to Jesus.
The fact that he began afterward to sink may mar but it does not obliterate the fact that he truly walked on the water. He did something that no other disciple and no other person in the wide world excepting his Lord had ever done. He showed us the truth of the statement, "According to your faith be it unto you." He did that which could not naturally be done.
2. In walking upon the water, Peter demonstrated to us forever the better way to meet our troubles. The disciples pulled at the oars, but he walked the waves.
How many there are who meet their troubles by gritting their teeth and dogmatically saying, "I will pull myself through." It is far better to take our eyes off of our own strength and to fix them on the Lord Jesus. "We can never, alone, successfully overcome.
"The way is dark, O Father,
And troubles linger nigh,
Reach from above, and take my hand,
Hear Thou my feeble cry.
"Take Thou my hand and lead me on,
Across the turbid wave,
I call for help, I look to Thee,
For Thou alone canst save."
Thus Peter knew not only how to walk on the sea, but he also knew how to cry to Christ in the hour of his distress.
II. PETER'S GREAT CONFESSION (Matthew 16:16)
1. The Lord's question. The Lord Jesus came with His disciples to Caesarea Philippi. It was there that He said unto His own: "Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am?" Immediately, the disciples responded: "Some say that Thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets." This was what the people, the populace, said of Christ. The Lord then asked: "But whom say ye that I am?" "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God."
2. The glory of Peter's response. Hidden away in Peter's words, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God," are two great considerations.
(1) There is the contrast between the worldly and the Christian conception of our Saviour. The world acknowledges Jesus as no more than a man. They will grant Him human greatness, they willingly enroll His Name with that of John the Baptist, and Jeremias, and other great religious leaders. However, they will not grant unto Him His own claims that He came forth from the Father, and that He was in every way equal with God.
To the contrary, the Christian with Peter, acknowledges Christ's claims to Deity, and places upon His brow the coronet, Son of God, and God the Son. In the contrast of these two confessions concerning Christ, there is a chasm as deep and as wide as the gulf that separated Abraham and Lazarus from the rich man. The gulf is impassable.
(2) There is an inside look into Peter's own heart throbs. He recognized Jesus both as the Messiah, and the Son of God. We will see more of the depth of the meaning of Peter's confession as we proceed.
3. The Lord's response to Peter's confession.
(1) "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona." Yea, and blessed is every man who makes this acknowledgment of Peter's, his confession of faith.
(2) "Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee." The Lord immediately crowned Peter's confession with the statement that it was Divinely inspired by His Father who is in Heaven. This meant that what Peter had said of Christ was what the Father had said at the baptism. The voice of the one was the voice of the other.
(3) "Upon this rock will I build My Church." Peter's confession was so glorious, so wonderful, so true, that the Lord Jesus immediately announced that such a confession was the rock upon which He would establish the Church.
Let the present day ecclesiasticism remember that, to the extent the Church denies that our Lord is the Christ the Son of the Living God, to that extent the Church is building upon the sand, and great shall be the fall thereof.
III. PETER'S RUSHING TO THE EMPTY SEPULCHER (John 20:3-6)
1. Peter's denial was now behind him. The man who had denied his Lord with an oath had spent three miserable days. He had, after his denial, crept along to some point of vantage from whence he could stand and see Christ who was dying on the Tree. We know this, because he said that he was an eyewitness of the crucifixion. He had, no doubt, heard the Lord in the seven cries of the Cross, but he had heard no word of comfort to himself. Still brokenhearted because of his sin, still loving Christ unto the death, he stood there hoping, but hoping in vain, for some word of pardon from the lips of his dying Lord.
After Christ was dead it seemed to Peter that a chaos had entered his soul as deep and as dark as that which hung over the primeval earth.
2. Peter begotten to a lively hope. When Mary came to Simon Peter and to John announcing that the stone was gone from the sepulcher and that they knew not where they had laid the body of the Lord; Peter and John ran together. Their hearts were no doubt filled half with fear and half with hope. John did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulcher. Stooping down he saw the linen clothes lying, yet went he not in. Peter, following, came up to John, pushed by him, and went into the sepulcher. John followed after Peter. As they stood there together beholding the napkin not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself, they saw and believed.
To me this whole scene gives an insight into Peter's character as does no other Scripture. There was nothing left in Peter of the desire to sulk. He was no longer up the miff tree, as he was when he followed afar off. There was nothing of the old self left within him, which desired to deny the Lord. He was still heavy-hearted because of his perfidy, but his heart was all aglow with love and expectant hope. Once more life seemed worth the while. A new light was kindled in his eye, a new ambition stirred his soul.
IV. PETER'S RECOMMISSION (John 21:19)
Three things stand out before us.
1. Peter had his work restored. To him Christ said, "Feed My lambs"; "feed My sheep"; "feed My sheep." And how Peter did work. No task assigned to him by the Holy Spirit seemed too hard, no sacrifice too great. He spent himself in earnest toil.
2. Peter had his second call. To him Christ said once more, "Follow Me." How meaningful were these words to Peter. Before Christ gave the call, He announced by what death Peter would glorify God; therefore Peter knew what it meant to follow on. Nevertheless, undaunted, he pressed on his way, until the prophesied martyrdom became his glorious privilege.
"I saw the martyr at the stake,
The flames did not his spirit shake,
Nor death, his soul appall;
I asked him whence his strength was given,
He looked triumphantly to Heaven,
And answered, Christ is All."
Even so it was with Peter. He was faithful even unto death.
3. Peter strengthening his brethren. The Lord in speaking to Peter of his wanderings, added, but "when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." This is just what Peter did do. His two Epistles bear witness to his fidelity in this very thing. How illuminating are the opening words of the First Epistle "Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ." And he was an Apostle, one sent of God.
How noteworthy are the words, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the Appearing of Jesus Christ."
Thus did Peter ever hold before suffering saints the glory of Christ's coming, as their reward and joy, supernal and eternal. Thus did Peter encourage the saints of his day, and thus does he encourage us to press on unto the end unto the glory that shall be revealed.
V. HIS CONFESSION (Acts 1:16)
1. In the upper room. How delightful it would have been could we have slipped into that upper room where abode both Peter and James and John, and the other disciples, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and the faithful women. How we would have listened, with ears alert, as Peter arose and said, "Men and brethren, this Scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake."
Who is this who makes so strong a statement about the Scriptures, their authorship and their certainty? It is Peter, the one who said once, "I know not the Man." It is Peter the stalwart, but vacillating disciple of the three years past.
Peter quoted the Scripture with the conviction that their authority was final, and their meaning was sure.
2. On the day of Pentecost. How marvelous it would have been could we have stood with the crowds at Pentecost, as Peter sounded forth his words of faithful testimony. He had there no appearance of the man who had quailed before the Temple maids.
With courage undaunted and with a faith touched with fire, he heralded Christ as the Man, crucified, slain, raised, and seated at the right hand of God. With gripping power he thundered out the words, "Him, * * ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." That day there stood a gaint in faith and boldness, declaring the whole counsel of God.
3. Under the test of persecution. It would have stirred our soul, if we could have slipped in among the people and could have heard the threatenings of the rulers, as Annas, with others, questioned the disciples asking, By what power and by what name, have ye healed the lame man who sat at the beautiful gate.
Now watch Peter! Without a tremor upon his breath, he lifts up his voice with all authority, and clothed with the Spirit he says: "If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; be it known unto you all, * * that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole."
VI. PETER'S GREAT OBJECTIVE (Acts 2:38-39)
Behold a man who once had sought a chief place, who had once thought of self! What was the passion of his heart as now he preached?
1. Behold him at Pentecost. First he sought to glorify Christ. He did this throughout his discourse. He emphasized Christ's God-ordered death; His God-given resurrection; His God-accepted exaltation to the right hand of the Father; and His glorious anticipated return to reign on David's throne.
Secondly, Peter sought to lead the people to repentance, conversion, the remission of sins, to water baptism, and to that great climactic the receiving of the Holy Ghost. Peter, herein, set before us all, a ministry that remains most vital.
May we never cease to preach repentance, remission, baptism, and the filling or receiving of the Spirit. Study the Acts of the Apostles, and you will discover how faithfully and forcefully the Apostles always pressed this same testimony. They never failed withal, to enforce the definite receiving of the Spirit as the one chief need of all believers in life and service,
2. Behold him at Caesarea. When Peter was called by Cornelius God prepared him to go willingly and undaunted, by the letting down of the four-cornered sheet. While Peter was doubting in himself what the vision meant the men from Caesarea arrived, bringing the message from Cornelius. Peter therefore went doubting nothing.
How marvelous was the truth that Peter preached. It was a touch of the Pentecostal sermon over again. Once more Christ crucified and raised up was definitely set forth. The remission of sins was proclaimed, through the Name of Christ upon whomsoever believeth. As Peter yet spake, the Holy Ghost fell upon all that heard the Word. Then Peter said: "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?"
Thus' we have seen two glimpses of Peter the mighty preacher of a mighty Gospel.
VII. A RESUME OF GOD'S MINISTRY AND MESSAGE THROUGH PETER (2 Peter 3:17-18)
We have sought in this study to show Peter as the stalwart son and servant of his Lord. We believe this will be established in the minds of the students. Peter did begin to sink as he walked upon the waters. Let us, however, consider how Peter's life and ministry following Pentecost radiated not only the glory of his own Christian integrity but the glory of his glorious Lord.
Perhaps it is in his Epistles which he wrote under inspiration of the Spirit that we can catch just a few glimpses of his great conceptions of the faith. These we will sum up under the following statements:
1. Peter proclaimed election as based on the foreknowledge of God the Father (1 Peter 1:1).
2. Peter set forth the double security of the Christian's inheritance in Heaven and of the believer kept by the power of God for that inheritance (1 Peter 1:4-5).
3. Peter emphasized the martyr's victorious entrance into the glory of his Lord (1 Peter 1:6-7).
4. Peter asserted the inspiration of the Prophets and their own diligent study of their inspired prophecies (1 Peter 1:10-11).
5. Peter emphasized redemption through the Blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-20).
6. Peter set forth regeneration in unmistakable words (1 Peter 1:23).
7. Peter told of the glory and endurance of the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23; 1 Peter 1:25).
8. Peter plead with saints to recognize in Christ the Living Stone (1 Peter 2:6-8).
9. Peter pressed the call to saints to separation and holy living during their earthly pilgrimage (1 Peter 2:9-12).
Thus we could go on. As we have studied the two Epistles of Peter we find that there is no realm of Divine truth which is overlooked. The great messages of the Bible were certainly accepted and preached by Simon, the son of Jonas.
We delight to see how the Apostle Peter got down where people lived. How he took them by the hand and led them along with every encouragement through the darkness of suffering and trial that beset them. We are rejoiced to behold Peter speaking to the elders of the Churches as he exhorts them to be faithful shepherds abstaining from the love of money and from becoming lords over God's heritage.
In all of Peter's writings the 1st chapter of the Second Epistle will remain with us as his epochal message.
1. He urges saints to add every Christian virtue to their faith.
2. He tells them that by so doing they will obtain an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour.
3. With glowing and ascending beauty he sets forth the Second Coming of Christ urging saints to study the more sure Word of prophecy.
4. Peter finally warns concerning false prophets and urges saints in spite of the scoffers of the last days to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
5. Peter's final word is concerning Jesus Christ his Lord and Saviour to whom he ascribes glory both now and forever.
AN ILLUSTRATION
A little girl in a Chinese village where a China inland missionary lived watched this man as he went about his Master's work. She saw him going to the homes where there were sickness, death, and sorrow; and she watched him as he moved about that village. She never heard him speak in public. One day she went to another village, and followed some girls into a mission school. There she heard a lady talking to them, in Chinese, about some one full of gentleness and sympathy and kindness, some one to whom little children came. One of the little girls asked the visitor: "Do you know who it was?" "Yes," she replied, "she was talking about the missionary that lives in our village." She had never heard about Jesus Christ, and when the teacher described the beautiful life of Jesus Christ she thought she was describing the missionary.
That missionary was a living witness for Christ, a walking Bible. Or, to change the figure, he was bearing the Christ-fruit, so the little girl knew he was a Christian. All who saw him knew he was a Christian because he acted like one.
It is the duty of every Christian to be a living witness for Christ. The testimony can be of two kinds, Up testimony and life testimony. We must both "by our lips and lives express the holy Gospel we profess." H.