Oh, Peter….

 Oh, Peter…

1 Peter…” this letter was written primarily to bring them a message of hope and encouragement…” Study Bible…

I thought it was interesting just to look up passages which specifically named Peter…a fisherman…

He left his vocation of fishing to become a disciple of Jesus…a follower of the Messiah…

I wondered what these fishermen talked about as they fished…Peter so easily left his boat and followed…had he been waiting in expectation of this Saviour…his heart rejoicing that he could follow, learn and encourage…he was married…what did his family think? Did they balk, wondering how they were going to fare if he left his vocation, his money making way of life? Where was their provision going to coming from?

Peter witnessed Jesus first hand…he saw Jesus’ miracles, his teaching, his life…he was both bold and humble…he was first to speak many times…both protective and a coward…he questioned and he listened…he was impulsive….and he was part of the inner circle of disciples…he was courageous, standing before crowds to testify of Jesus….

This first letter reads  similar to Acts 2, lays out history, who Jesus was…then adds the “therefore”…”set your hope on the grace “ of Jesus…be obedient…love one another deeply…rid yourself of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander….grow…”living godly lives in a pagan society “…

His letter could be a modern letter to Christians…and it is …just as appropriate now as it was two thousand years ago.   We face the same things now as they did then…as much as some would like to believe, people have not gotten any better down through history…we face the same temptations, the same emotions….need the same Savior….

Thank YOU…

A few references to Peter…

 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 

 At once they left their nets and followed him.

Matt.4.18-20

 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

Matt.8.14-15

 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. 

“It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. 

“You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matt.14.25-31 

 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”

Matt.15.15

 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” 

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Matt.16.13,Matt.16.16-19, Matt.16.22-23,Matt.17.1-5

 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Matt.18.21-22

 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” 

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 

But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Matt.19.27-30

 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

John.13.5-9

 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”

Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” 

Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 

Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

John.13.31-38

 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 

Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

John.18.10-11

Matthew 26…

The book of Acts, chapters 1-15,

 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. ….

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Acts.2.14,Acts.2.37-40,Acts.2.4

Galatians…

( Paul writing) “ On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. 

For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles.”

Gal.2.7-8

Living Hope…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f2FXxDVO6w

 

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/4-powerful-life-lessons-from-the-books-of-1-peter-and-2-peter.html