From Cowardice to Courage

 

Today we are finishing up our series on Simon Peter.  If Jesus is the star of the gospels, Peter is the costar.  His name is mentioned over 200 times in the gospels while all the other disciples combined are mentioned about 50.  Peter’s story emerges as the one we are to focus on because God wants us to know that his story is our story.  He was a faithful and yet flawed follower of Jesus.  Peter was filled with a desire to follow Jesus no matter what, but failed often and yet Jesus still loved him and used him for God’s purpose.    

Peter failed to keep his eyes on Jesus when he was walking on water.  He failed to understand what it was going to mean for Jesus to be the Messiah.  He didn’t want Jesus to suffer or die because he didn’t want to suffer or die.  And last week we heard how when Jesus needed Peter to be faithful and stand with Him during His arrest and trial, Peter denied Him three times and fled.

This is where we left Peter last week. While Jesus was being questioned by the most powerful religious leader in Jerusalem, the High Priest, Peter was being questioned by some lowly servant girls.  Jesus stood firm in His faith, but Peter failed.  He denied that he knew Jesus 3 times and then ran away in sorrow and shame. 

If this was the end of the story and Jesus' death on the cross had been the final word, this would be a tragic story of denial and defeat.  Peter would not have been the Rock Jesus said he would be and there would been no church to build and no community of Jesus to keep moving forward.  It would be a sad and hopeless ending, but it wasn’t the end of the story for Jesus and because it wasn’t the end for Jesus there was hope for Peter.  

We know what happened to Jesus after his arrest and trial.  He was sentenced to die and then carried a cross to a place called Golgotha where He was crucified.  Peter wasn’t in the crowd as Jesus made His way to the cross, he wasn’t there when Jesus passed by so he wasn’t the one to pick up the cross when Jesus needed it.  Peter wasn’t there when they nailed Him to the cross and he wasn’t there when Jesus died.  

Peter wasn’t the one who claimed Jesus' body and he wasn’t the one who laid Him in a tomb.  Peter, the right hand man of Jesus, the man who was hailed as a leader and mentioned more than anyone else was nowhere to be found.  The truth is that Peter was hiding in fear.  He was afraid that as a follower of Jesus he would also be arrested and crucified.  Peter was afraid, humiliated, ashamed, and hopeless, but it is not the end of his story.

There are three things that happened that completely turned around Peter’s life.  Three things that took Peter from cowardice to courage.  These are also the three things that make all the difference in our lives.  These things always remind us that defeat and denial, failure and flaws are never the end of our story.  

The first thing that happened is that after three days in the tomb, there was a resurrection.  On the third day after Jesus' death, women went to the tomb and found it empty.  Then they heard a message that Jesus had risen from the dead and that they needed to go and tell the disciples.  But we also hear that Jesus specifically wanted Peter to know what was going on.   

Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”  Mark 16:2-7

Why single out Peter for this good news?  It’s because while the resurrection of Jesus was going to mean something to all the disciples, it was going to mean something very personal for Peter.  This message was going to open the door for Peter to find forgiveness and restoration.  After Peter’s failure, forgiveness was now possible.  For Peter, after three days there is hope.  

The resurrection brings hope that failure and sin is never the end of the story.  Peter did see Jesus on that resurrection day and Jesus didn’t come with anger seeking retribution for them all falling away, He came offering peace.  Jesus appeared on several other occasions but the most detailed story of Peter and Jesus being together after the resurrection comes a few weeks later when 7 of the disciples had returned to Galilee and were fishing.   

We believe this story takes place at Tabgha along the Sea of Galilee.  (Map and then pic)  It is a beautiful and quiet place with a very rocky shoreline.  One reason we think this is where the story takes place is because there is an ancient church on the site that is dedicated to Peter.   (pic 2) While we often want to honor special sites by keeping them as they originally looked, the early church often built church buildings on holy sites.  This is an ancient stone church right along the sea of Galilee named The Primacy of Peter. 

It was early in the morning and the disciples had been fishing all night without catching anything when Jesus appeared on the shore.  He called out and asked if they had any fish and they said no.  They don’t know it is Jesus at this point, but He tells them to cast their net off the right side of the boat and they will catch some fish.  They do what He says and they haul in a huge catch of fish.  

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.  The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.  John 21:7-9

A closer look at this story tells us that this encounter with Jesus isn’t going to be for all the disciples, it is going to be for Peter.  We know this because in the first week of this series Jesus called Peter along the shores of the Sea of Galilee.  The disciples had been fishing all night and they were cleaning their nets in the morning when Jesus asked to use their boat as a kind of floating stage so He could preach to the crowds. After a little while, Jesus told Peter to throw their nets out but Peter said, Master, we have been fishing all night and have caught nothing, but because you say so, we will do it.  They throw their nets out and bring in a huge catch of fish.  

So here it is, morning again along the Sea of Galilee and Peter and the rest haven’t caught anything all night.  Once again Jesus asked them to throw their nets out; they did and brought in a huge catch of fish.  The scene is so familiar that they suddenly realize it is Jesus along the shore and just like before, Peter leaves his boat and fish and goes to Jesus. 

Jesus first called Peter in the morning, along the sea of Galilee and He asked him to throw his nets out to fish when no fish seemed likely.  They brought in a huge catch of fish and Peter followed Jesus.  Here Jesus called Peter in the morning, along the Sea of Galilee and asked him to throw out his nets when no fish seemed likely.  They brought in a huge catch of fish and Peter left everything to follow Jesus. Some people have called this the second call of Peter.  

But there is more here that tells us something is up with Peter.  When we find an interesting and unexpected detail in a story, it usually means something, and John tells us that when they get to shore they see Jesus and a fire of burning coals.  It was a charcoal fire and the word is anthraxian, where we get the word anthracite. 

Anthracite is charcoal used in building a fire.  The word is used only one other time in John’s gospel.  It was used to describe the fire Peter stood around in the courtyard the night he denied Jesus.  

It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.  John 18:18

This is not a coincidence.  John didn’t have to tell us what kind of fire it was in both places, but he does because this is going to be a story about Peter.  Around a charcoal fire Peter denied Jesus and now, around a charcoal fire, Peter would have a second chance.  

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.  John 21:15-17

Three times around a charcoal fire Peter had denied Jesus and now three times around a charcoal fire Peter has expressed his love and devotion to Jesus.  This is a moment of forgiveness and restoration for Peter, but it comes only through humility.  

This is the second thing that happens to Peter that turns his life around, he is humbled.  For Peter to go from cowardice to courage not only took the resurrection of Jesus but it took Peter being humbled.  I have often pictured this story taking place with Jesus and Peter going off by themselves to be alone and at some point in the conversation that may have happened, but it doesn’t say that at first.  It says after eating Jesus said to Simon do you love me more than these and here, Jesus was pointing to the rest of the disciples.  Do you love me more than these men love me?  

This had to be difficult for Peter.  Remember, he had said in front of all them that even if they fell away he never would, but then he did.  Peter alone is being singled out for his lack of love and faithfulness in front of the rest of the disciples because he alone had made such a bold prediction and then failed so completely.  It’s a moment of humility for Peter and this humility was important.  

Jesus wasn’t humiliating Peter, he was helping him realize that true faithfulness only comes when we humble ourselves.  There is no walking on water or being the Rock or carrying a cross in our own strength and power, it comes when we are willing to humble ourselves and trust in Jesus Christ alone.  True courage and faithfulness isn’t going to be found looking deep in ourselves, it will come when we humble ourselves and trust in Jesus. The bible says Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up.  

Peter humbles himself and three times expresses his love to Jesus.  Three times he had denied Him and now three times he has said how much he loves Him and three times Jesus sends Peter back out to work by saying, feed my lambs, tend my sheep.  

Jesus, as the good shepherd, was calling Peter to go out and be a good shepherd.  Shepherds are humble workers who are willing to lay down their lives for the sheep.  Shepherds aren’t cowboys who ride high above the herds, they walk along in the mud  and lead the sheep from within.  Sometimes they get in front and call the sheep by name.  Sometimes they have to push from behind and sometimes they have to leave the 99 and go find the 1 that got lost.  Jesus has humbled Peter and now calls him to be a humble servant.  

The resurrection gave Peter hope that his failure was not final.  He has now been humbled, forgiven and restored as a servant leader but one more thing is needed for Peter to become truly courageous.  

If we jump ahead a few weeks, we find the disciples back in Jerusalem where they had been told to go and wait.  It is the festival of Pentecost which is celebrated 50 days after the Passover.  Peter and the rest of the disciples aren’t very courageous at this point because they have gathered in the upper room behind closed doors.  They are still afraid of the religious leaders who arrested and killed Jesus just a few weeks ago, but then something happens.  

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.  Acts 2:2-6

The last thing Peter needed to go from cowardice to courage was the strength and power of the Holy Spirit!  Every time I read this story of the Holy Spirit filling the disciples, the thing that strikes me isn’t that they felt a mighty wind or saw tongues of fire, and it isn’t that they started speaking in other languages.  What amazes me is that they were moved by the Holy Spirit to leave the safety of the upper room and enter into the world.  They had the courage to enter the city of Jerusalem knowing that they could be arrested, tried and sentenced to die as a follower of Jesus.  

It shouldn’t surprise us that it is Peter who emerges as the Rock.  

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd:  Acts 2:14  

Peter then preaches a sermon so powerful and so full of the Holy Spirit that 3,000 people turn their hearts to God and trust Jesus as the Messiah.  The church had grown from 120 to over 3,000 in a single day and it was built on Peter’s faith, passion and courage, a courage that came from the second chance he was given through the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.  

All through this series we have said that Peter’s story is our story, which means that this part of Peter’s story is also our story.  We have available to us the power of God’s Holy Spirit.  We have the potential to overcome any failure, find courage in any situation, and become living stones that can change our world if we do three things.  Believe in the resurrection of Jesus, humble ourselves before God, and then ask for and receive the power of God’s Holy Spirit.  These three things turned Peter’s life around and they can turn our lives around as well.  

I Will Never Deny You

 

Today we continue our look at the life and faith of the disciple Peter.  Peter is a great role model for us because as much as we want to follow Jesus faithfully every moment of every day, we will fail. We don’t want to be a stumbling block, but there are those moments when we focus on ourselves and our own wants and needs and lose sight of what God is asking us to do and how Jesus is calling us to follow Him.  Last week, Jesus had gathered His disciples in the region of Caesarea Philippi, which was about 25 miles to the north of the Sea of Galilee.  

All of the stories we have looked at so far have taken place in the area around the Sea of Galilee and this is where most of the ministry of Jesus took place.  But the final week of Jesus' life took place in Jerusalem.  Jesus would have gone to the city several times during his life and ministry, but most of the stories we hear about Jesus in Jerusalem take place in the final week of His life.  

Jerusalem is about 80 miles from the Sea of Galilee using modern day roads, but it could have been anywhere from 70-90 miles for those who walked in Jesus’ day.  The journey would have taken several days and maybe longer if Jesus stayed over at people’s homes along the way.  In Jerusalem itself  there are many different places that we hear about.  While we don’t know the exact location of these places, tradition and history gives us some insight on where they may have been.

This may have been where the last supper was held.  This is where we think the Garden of Gethsemane was located because there are Olive trees that date back more than 2000 years that you can visit, and this is where we believe the house of Caiaphas the High Priest was located and this is the place where today’s story takes place.  

We are near the end of Jesus' life and if you remember, Jesus was crucified during the feast of Passover.  Passover was the celebration of God leading His people out of Egypt with the final plague of death.  God had told the people to stay in their homes and put the blood of a lamb over the doorposts of their house so that the angel of death would “pass over” their homes and not take the life of anyone in their home.  That night, the first born in all of Egypt died and it was only then that Pharaoh allowed God’s people to leave Egypt and travel to the Promised Land.  Each year, God’s people celebrated their deliverance with a feast and a sacrificial lamb to remember how God had led them to freedom.  Many people traveled to Jerusalme to celebrate the Passover.  

Jesus traveled to the city with His disciples and He knew it would be during this Passover that He would be betrayed, beaten and crucified.  Jesus came to the city knowing that He was going to be the sacrificial lamb who would be slain for the deliverance and salvation of the world.  The night before He died, Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples.

At the meal, Jesus not only showed His friends how much He loved them, but He also gave an example to his followers then, and us today, what love should look like.  While all the disciples had gathered at the table for the meal, no one had been there to wash their feet and none of the disciples wanted to lower themselves for this rather disgusting job.  So Jesus got up, took a towel and basin and washed the feet of His disciples. 

We know this was uncomfortable for the disciples because Peter seemed to push back and tell Jesus that he wasn’t going to let Jesus wash his feet, but Jesus insisted.  Then He said, I have given you an example of what love looks like.  It looks like lowering yourself to serve others.  Like Peter, sometimes it is hard to allow other people to serve us, but when we do we learn the power there is when we serve others.  We only really understand the power of service in the lives of others when we are able to receive it ourselves.  

Like many people, I struggle to accept help.  I’m the pastor so I should be helping others and it’s hard to accept help when people want to give it.  As many of you know, last year my Dad was diagnosed with cancer, was battling dementia and then ended up with an infection that caused a very significant delirium.  I ended up needing to make many trips to CT and during those difficult few months there were so many people who stepped up and they didn’t offer help, they just helped.  They didn’t ask if they could wash my feet, they just washed my feet.  OK, they didn’t really wash my feet but they brought me food when I was in town, provided gas cards for my trips, covered for me while I was away and stepped into the gap in so many ways.  Receiving care makes us understand the power of love and service when we offer it to others.  

How are you doing on loving and serving others?  In your marriage, are you taking the time to think of your partner first and meet their needs?  In your family, how are you serving others?  Are you setting aside what you want to do in order to fulfill the lives of others?  How are you able to serve others at work or in the community?  You may never know the power of putting someone else first, but it was one of the final acts of love Jesus gave to His disciples with a clear command to love and serve as He did.  

Once He washed the disciples' feet, Jesus served them the Passover meal and when it was over He told the disciples that one of them was going to betray Him and that all the rest would fall away and leave Him.  All the disciples assured Jesus that they would never desert Him, but Peter took it one step further.  Peter said, Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will. Matthew 26:33

Peter was throwing all the disciples under the bus saying, they may desert you Jesus, but I never will.  He went on and boldly said, I am even willing to die with you.  I’m sure Peter meant it in that moment - he was a faithful disciple, but as we have seen over and over again, Peter is faithful and yet flawed.  Jesus tells him that before the rooster crows in the morning, Peter will have denied Him three times, but Peter says absolutely not.  

A few hours later, the disciples were in the Garden of Gethsemane where they had gone to pray.  We see them beginning to fall away when Jesus asked them, begged them really, to stay awake and pray with Him, but they all fell asleep.  Then Judas arrived to betray Jesus and hand Him over to the religious leaders.  All of the disciples fled the scene so they wouldn’t be arrested with Jesus.  While Peter also ran, he was bold enough to at least follow along behind Jesus in the shadows.  

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.  Matthew 26:57-58

If we go back to the map, we can see that this may have been the route that Jesus traveled from Gethsemane to Caiaphas’ house.  What’s amazing about this location is that they have uncovered some stone steps in Jerusalem that lead to a location they believe to be the High Priest's house.  (pic)  These stones date back to the time of Jesus so it could have been this actual road that Jesus walked and then Peter followed behind in the dark.  

While Jesus was being questioned by the religious leaders who were looking for any reason to hand Him over to the Romans to be crucified, Peter was going through his own interrogation in the courtyard.  

 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.  Matthew 26:69-75

It’s really important for us to see what is going on here.  Jesus is being questioned by the High Priest and they are falsely accusing Him of all kinds of things.  During the questioning, Jesus remains either silent or gives honest answers.  While Jesus is being questioned by the most powerful Jewish leader, Peter is being questioned by a servant girl, a person who has no power, no authority and no standing among the Jewish people.

As she questions Peter, he could have remained silent or been truthful and told her that he was a follower of Jesus, but he didn’t.  He denied that he knew Jesus and each denial got more intense.  First he said, I don’t know what you are talking about.  Then he said, I don’t know the man (Jesus), and then he called down curses on himself and swore that he did not know who Jesus was.  It was after this third denial that the rooster crowed and Peter knew that his faithfulness to stand with Jesus had turned to failure.  All his bragging and boasting about how everyone else might fall away but he never would, turned into betrayal, brokenness and shame.  Peter fled the courtyard weeping.  

Faithfulness had turned into failure.  Conviction had turned into cowardice.  Boasting had turned into betrayal.  Peter had come face to face with his own failure and sin and he is broken.  He wanted to be faithful - he really did.  He thought he could be faithful and stand with Jesus, but when it came right down to it, he had failed.  

Most of us have been Peter at this moment.  Most of us have felt like we would be strong in our faith and be able to stand with Jesus only to find ourselves failing to be who we wanted to be.  Most of us have felt the shame that comes with failure and have been confronted with our own sin. It happens when we deny Jesus not so much by our words, but by our actions.  Maybe we have stood silent when a joke was told that puts down a group of people.  Maybe we have found ourselves being quick to judge others when God might want us to show grace and mercy.  Maybe we have had to come face to face with the reality of our own sin and it has caused us to weep and want to hide in grief and shame.  

Peter’s story is our story.  It’s a story of great faith and faithful intentions, but the reality of being weak and broken.  The good and faithful things we want to do we don’t do, and the things we don’t want to do we end up doing.  This is Peter’s story.  He wanted to walk on water, but took his eyes off Jesus.  He wanted to follow Jesus as the Messiah but didn’t want to have to suffer or sacrifice like the Messiah.  He wanted to follow Jesus to the death, but then shrank back in fear.  His story is our story.  Our denials and betrayals might look different but the results are the same.  We deny Jesus and while this sounds hopeless and full of despair, it’s not the end of the story.  

Stop and think about this story of Peter.  It is found in all 4 gospels.  There is great detail about who asked Peter these questions and what his response was.  It tells us of the deep sorrow and shame Peter experienced when the rooster crowed.  How do we know all this?  How do we have this story in so much detail?  It’s because Peter told it!

Next week we will see that this is not the end of the story for Peter.  Forgiveness and restoration are coming, but why would Peter, the rock of the early church, the leader of the Jesus movement after Jesus was gone, why would Peter make sure this story would be included in all 4 gospels?  It’s because Peter wants us to know the story.  If Peter was here today, he would say, look, you think you have failed to be strong and courageous and faithful… let me tell you a story. 

Peter made sure his story of betrayal and failure was told so that the world would know that no matter what we have done, there is always hope and redemption is always possible. Failure never has to be the end of the story.  

Peter’s willingness to talk about his failure also teaches us that God can use our stories of failure to be an encouragement to others.  If we can share our failures and success, our faults and our faith, we can give people hope and encouragement because we remind them that their failures are not final.  Forgiveness is real and powerful.

Peter was a faithful and yet flawed follower of Jesus and yet Jesus made clear each step of the way that Peter’s failures would not hold him back.  Jesus did use his boat to help spread the gospel.  Jesus did call Peter to walk on water and do amazing miracles, and Peter did become the rock on which the church would be built.  Even Peter’s greatest failure and denial of Jesus was not the end of the story but led Peter to a place of bold and undeniable faith.  

Peter’s story is our story.  God will use our gifts to accomplish His mission in the world.  With our eyes on Jesus, we will do more than we ever thought or imagined.  We can be the rock on which the church of Jesus Christ can be built and our testimonies of faith and failure can inspire and encourage many others.  Let me close with a message Peter gave to the early church.  It comes from 1 Peter 5 and this is from the translation called the Message.  

Keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.

The suffering won’t last.  The sin and faults and failures won’t last.  God gets the last word and it is a word of grace and mercy and love.  God will put us together and set us on our feet for good!  

Next Steps

I Will Not Deny You!

Review the events of the Last Supper  Matthew 26:17-36

How did the disciples begin to fall away in the Garden of Gethsemane?  Matthew 26:36-46.

Why did they all finally fall away?  Matthew 26:47-58

How do we see both Peter’s faithfulness and failure up until this point?  

How do we see it in the rest of the story?  Matthew 26:69-75

How is Peter’s story our story?

When have you wanted to stand firm in your faith, and with Jesus, and yet failed?  What fear contributed to the failure?  

We know Peter’s story because he wanted it to be told.  

What stories of failure and redemption have inspired you?

How has God redeemed and forgiven some of your failures?

How can your stories of redemption be told to encourage and lift up others?  

Peter’s message of hope for all of us:

Keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does. 1 Peter 5:9-11

Stumbling Block or Bedrock

 Today we continue our series looking at the life and faith of the disciple Peter.  Through his relationship with Jesus we get a really good picture of who Jesus is and what it means for us to follow him.  Last week we saw that Jesus is the one who walks to us on the water in the middle of a storm to be with us and provide us with strength and courage.  Jesus is also the one who can call us to walk on water with Him and has the power to calm the storms in our lives. Pastor David shared with us that Jesus is also the one who wants to partner and work with us in the world.  Jesus asked to use Peter’s boat so He could preach to the crowds and there are times Jesus wants to use what we have and who we are to accomplish His mission in the world.  

The story we are going to look at today is recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke, and in Matthew and Mark’s gospel we are told where the story takes place.  The location helps us understand what is going on, so we are going to go back to the map we used last week.  

This is the Holy Land and if you remember, the Sea of Galilee is in the north and the water flows into the Jordan River and finally ends up in the Dead Sea.  The headwaters of the Sea of Galilee come from Mt. Hermon which is in the north.  There is snow year round on Mt. Hermon and the snow melt fills springs and streams that all flow into the Jordan River above the Sea of Galilee.  

At the foot of Mt. Hermon, about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee, is the city of Caesarea Philippi, which is where today’s story takes place.  This region was first called Paneas after the pagan god Pan, who was the god of nature, shepherds, and flocks.  It was given this name because the water from Mt. Hermon kept this area lush and green.  There is a cave at the foot of the mountain that seemed to have a bottomless pit that was always filled with water and people would travel to this site to worship the god Pan and offer sacrifices.  

You can see here the entrance to the cave but also the beginning of the Jordan River with water that flows from the cave and nearby springs.  Pan was just one of the gods who was worshiped in this location.  Over the course of time, many different gods were worshiped at Paneas and you can still see the niches and alcoves where they would have set up idols for people to worship.  Pic.  In excavations of the area, they have found the foundation of 14 different temples that have been built in this area and one of the temples was for Caesar Augustus.  

When the Holy Land came under the rule of the Romans, many of the regions and cities had their names changed to show their allegiance to Rome and Panaes became known as Caesarea Philippi.  So the location for today’s story was one that was known as a place where people went to worship foreign and pagan gods. It was a place people came to honor and give thanks for their gods and just about every god was represented there.    

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

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

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.  Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

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.”  Matthew 16:13-23

Jesus took His disciples to a place where they could literally see a variety of gods that people worshiped to ask them who people were saying He was.  Did people think Jesus was one of these gods?  Who did they think Jesus was?  They replied that some people thought Jesus was John the Baptist.  John had recently been beheaded and some people thought that Jesus was either John who had come back to life or that maybe the news of John’s death was misinformation, and he was still alive.  Because Jesus' message was similar to John’s and He did great miracles, many thought that somehow Jesus was John the Baptist.

Some people thought that Jesus was the prophet Elijah who had returned to set the stage for the coming reign of God.  People believed that before the coming of the Messiah, the great prophet would return and prepare people for the coming of God’s kingdom.  Again, both the teaching and miracles of Jesus reminded people of the great work done by the prophets so some thought He was Elijah.

Jesus then asked His disciples, who do you say I am?  After years of walking with them and instructing them, Jesus wanted to know what His disciples thought about Him. I’m not sure what they were thinking at that moment.  They had followed Jesus as a rabbi so were they thinking that He was a great teacher and that is what they should say?  Did they think He was one of the prophets who had returned?  I picture a moment of prolonged silence that was finally broken by Peter who said, you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

The word Messiah means anointed one.  It was someone who was holy and set apart for God's purpose.  While all the kings of Israel had been anointed, it was believed that there would be one king who would surpass them all and make Israel a great nation again.  This King would be completely devoted to God and bring in the reign of God’s kingdom to earth.  Having been ruled over by other nations for generations, Israel was longing for this Messiah to come and free them from the oppression of Roman rule. 

Jesus had taken the disciples to a region that identified and honored many gods, kings and rulers to ask them, who do you say I am, and Peter’s response was to say that Jesus was like one of these great kings and gods, but that He was not the son of a dead god like Caesar, but the Son of the living God.  Peter didn’t understand all that he was saying, and he didn’t fully understand what it meant to call Jesus the Son of God, but he had seen and heard enough from Jesus to know that when he looked at Jesus he was looking at God.  

Jesus is encouraged by Peter’s response.  He knows that Peter gets it even if he doesn’t get it all.  Encouraged by his response, Jesus tells Peter that he will be the Rock on which He will build His church.  On Peter’s faith and courage and passion and willingness to walk with Him on the water and proclaim Him as the Son of God, Jesus was going to build a community of faith that would be a light to the world.  

Through Peter, we are able to see that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.  We all have to wrestle with the question of who Jesus is and Peter helps us understand that Jesus is an anointed and holy leader who is the son of the living God.  We may not know all of what this means, but can we proclaim our love for Jesus and follow Him by faith?    

While Peter was the rock, the leader who helped establish the beginning of the church, anyone who comes to Jesus and is willing to follow Him in faith is a rock on which God can build.  This is what Peter said.  As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-5

We are living stones on which God wants to build His kingdom and when we come together, we are a fortress that hell itself can not stand against.  Truly, when the church comes together, there is no power on earth that can overcome it.  Think about how many governments have come and gone since the time of Jesus.  There was the Roman Empire, the Spanish Empire, the Russian Empire, the Qing Dynasty, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Prussians, the Germans, the Soviet Union and many more powers in Africa, Asia and Southeast Asia.  All of them have come and gone and the church of Jesus Christ still stands.  

When Jesus called Peter the Rock, Peter may have thought of himself as the second in command.  He was the only one willing to get out of the boat and walk on water, and now he was the only one willing to speak up and identify Jesus as the Son of God.  Jesus had praised him for what he did and I can imagine Peter feeling pretty full of himself in this moment, but the moment didn’t last.  

After Peter declared Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus went on and made clear what kind of a Messiah He was going to be and what was going to happen to Him when He went to Jerusalem. Jesus said that in Jerusalem, instead of being hailed as a King, He was going to be  betrayed by the people who should have welcomed Him.  Jesus makes clear that He is going to suffer and eventually be put to death. 

When Peter hears this, he takes Jesus aside to correct Him and tell Him that these things will never happen.  This isn’t the kind of future Peter is picturing for the Messiah or for himself.  This can’t be what’s in store for them.  This isn’t what they signed up for. They want victory and success not betrayal and death.  Peter is not going to let it happen and so he rebukes Jesus.  Jesus' reply was swift and sharp.  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.

In the matter of a few moments, Peter has gone from a faithful follower who Jesus said would be the foundation of the church to a failure who Jesus actually calls Satan.  Peter had faithfully declared Jesus to be the King and son of the living God, but then he failed to understand what it was going to mean for Jesus to be the King and what the kingdom of God was going to look like.  Following Jesus wasn’t going to be all success and smooth sailing, there was going to be suffering and struggle for the Messiah and there was going to be suffering and struggles for His followers.  

This is often where we get it wrong too.  Too many times we think that following Jesus will lead us into a life where there is no suffering or pain, where there are no storms or struggles, and where we get everything, we want when we ask for it.  The idea that following Jesus will only bring us the blessings of life is nothing new - it’s what Peter thought, but Jesus is clear that this kind of thinking is wrong.  Faithful obedience and loyalty to God calls for self-denial and sacrifice and Jesus makes clear to His followers then and now that we need to be prepared.   

Jesus said: If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.   Matthew 16:24-25

To proclaim Jesus as the Messiah and to walk with Him does mean we need to surrender ourselves and at times give up our own wants and needs.  To be the rock on which Jesus can build, we need to be willing to humble ourselves, sacrifice and serve others.  

When Peter didn’t want to consider this way of life, and wanted to keep Jesus from this way of life, Jesus called him a stumbling block.  That kind of selfish attitude would trip Jesus up and keep Him from God’s purpose and plan for Him.  Jesus knew what was coming and how hard it was going to be and if anyone was going to stand in His way or suggest that He didn’t have to take up a cross and die was going to be a stumbling block. Jesus was going to need all the support and strength He could find to be faithful to God, He didn’t need His friends telling Him there was another way to go.  

Peter can help us answer the question, who do we say Jesus is.  He is the Messiah, the son of the living God but Jesus is a Son who sacrifices his life and a King who humbles himself and serves to lift others up.  When we are willing to lay down our lives for others, take up a cross and follow Jesus, we become a living stone that not even the gates of hell can overcome.  Let us come to Jesus and become living stones on which God can build His kingdom.  

 

Next Steps

Living Stone or Stumbling Stone?

Read Matthew 16:13-25.

● Why did Jesus take His disciples to Caesarea Philippi to ask them this question?  

● How does this location help define who Jesus is?  

Who do you say that Jesus is?

What does it mean to call Jesus:

● Messiah

● The Son of the Living God

● Savior

● Lord

● Lamb of God

What other titles of Jesus are there?

Which title is the most comforting for you?

Which title is the most challenging for you?

How does Jesus define what it means for Him to be faithful to God?  What kind of Messiah is He going to be?  

Why was this challenging for Peter?

Why is this challenging for us?

What does it mean for you to take up a cross in following Jesus?  Where is humility, sacrifice and service needed in your life and faith?  

What does it look like for the church to be a fortress of living stones?  (1 Peter 2:4-5)

What forces of hell are we fighting today?  

Prayer: God, gives us the boldness to proclaim you as the Messiah, Son of the living God, and the courage to humble ourselves and follow you all the way to the cros

Walking on Water

 Last week, Pastor David began our series looking at the life and faith of Simon Peter.  If Jesus is the star of the gospels, Peter is the costar.  His name appears over 200 times while the rest of the disciples combined are only mentioned about 50 times.  It’s clear that God wants us to focus on Peter’s life and faith and the reason is that Peter was a faithful and yet flawed follower of Jesus.  He was passionate about his relationship with Jesus and yet he failed and faltered often.  His story is our story.  We want to be faithful and passionate in following Jesus and yet we are also deeply flawed and we often fail to be who we want to be as followers of Jesus.  There is a lot we can learn from Peter’s story.

Last week, David shared that Peter was a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee and that he worked with his brother Andrew and maybe in partnership with James and John.  From the beginning, it seems like Peter had already emerged as a leader among these 4 men.  Maybe he was the oldest or most experienced.  Maybe he was the most vocal and outgoing or maybe he was the most assertive and hard working.  What we do know is that as a fisherman, he knew a lot about fishing and the conditions around the Sea of Galilee.

The Sea of Galilee is also known as Lake Gennesaret, and it is the largest freshwater lake in Israel and it is the lowest freshwater lake in the world. Its headwaters are in the northern mountains of Israel and at the southern end of the sea the water flows into the Jordan River which makes its way south to the Dead Sea. It is about 13 miles long, 8 miles across, and its greatest depth is 141 feet.  

Because of the high mountains that surround the lake, storms are common, and they can come up quickly.  Storms would most often come in from the west and push boats away from the fishing villages on the eastern shores into the deepest part of the lake.  It is in these waters that people believed there was a portal to the underworld.  This is where ghosts and sea monsters would emerge to terrorize those who happened to be caught in these regions.    

It took a lot of courage to fish in these waters because the boats were not that big.  Peter’s fishing boat was most likely 26 ft long and 7 ½ feet wide.  We can provide such clear measurements because a fishing boat was found along the lake shore where Peter would have fished, that dates from 50 BC to 50 AD, the time of Jesus. It is housed in a museum along the sea of Galilee, and it gives us great insight into what the boats of the fishermen would have been like.  Who knows, maybe this was one of Peter’s boats.  They aren’t that big and being in a boat like this during a storm would not be fun.  This is why fishermen had to be so  courageous.  

One of the most famous stories of Peter takes place on the Sea of Galilee in one of those sudden storms.  To set the stage for the story, Jesus had just heard the news that John the Baptist had been beheaded by Herod and He tried to go off with His disciples for some time away.  They got into a boat and were making their way to a solitary place, but the people could watch the boat from shore and they followed along on foot.  When Jesus and the disciples went ashore, there was a great crowd already gathered and Jesus, filled with compassion, spent some time healing the sick.

As evening approached, the disciples wanted Jesus to send the crowds away so they could get dinner, but Jesus said, no, you feed them.  Between them, they only had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, but Jesus prayed over that food and fed 5,000 people.  It actually says He fed 5,000 men as well as women and children so the number of people who ate may have been closer to 10,000.  

While we don’t know why Jesus immediately made His disciples get in their boat and head back across the sea, it could have been because He could see, or knew, that a storm was coming and He wanted the disciples to get home safely and then He would follow later or the next day.  This is where we pick up the story.  

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.  After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,  and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

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?”

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”  Matthew 14:22-33

Jesus sent the disciples back to Gennesaret as He went to dismiss the crowds. Map It was about a 7 ¼  mile journey along the water that would have taken an hour if they had the wind and 2 hours if they had to row.  Jesus can see that a storm has come up and blown the disciples and their boat off course. Map  The boat was drifting in this area, where the lake was the deepest.  This was also the area where people believed there was a portal to the underworld.  

While it was still dark, Jesus would have been able to see what was happening from the hills so He walked out on the water to help the disciples who were fighting the wind and waves.  

When the disciples see Jesus, they can only assume the figure approaching them is one of the ghosts that come up from the underworld, but Jesus called out to them and said, take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.

Jesus walked out on the water to join His disciples in the storm.  The first, and maybe most important takeaway from this story is: Jesus still walks on water to join us in the storm.  

There are all kinds of storms we face in life.  There is the storm of depression, sickness, job loss, financial loss, accidents, divorce, and even death.  There are storms of division and social unrest.  There are storms of confusion and fear as we look at our world and storms of uncertainty and hopelessness as we look to the future.  In all the storms of life, and in every storm we face, Jesus still walks on the water to join us IN the storm.  

It’s important to note that Jesus walked to the disciples in the storm, He didn’t still the storm first.  And the storm didn’t immediately stop when Jesus arrived.  Jesus joined them and stood by them IN the storm. Jesus doesn’t always calm the wind and waves or still the storm in our lives, but He does join us and stand with us in them.  While we long for Jesus to remove the effects of the storm, we long for the wind to be silenced and the waves to be stilled, there are times when all we can do is endure the storm knowing that Jesus is by our side.  Sometimes just knowing we aren’t alone in the storm is enough to give us strength and courage.   

While His presence with the disciples didn’t immediately calm the storm, it did give them strength and courage.  In fact, it gave Peter enough courage to ask Jesus to allow him to walk on the water with Him.  This took tremendous courage for Peter.  It was still dark, they were in the middle of a storm and they were over the abyss where all kinds of evil lurked and yet Peter had enough courage to ask Jesus to help him get out of the boat.  Jesus said, come, and Peter got out of the boat  

Here is the second takeaway from this story of Peter.  If we want to fully walk with Jesus, we have to get out of the boat.  

The boat is a place of safety and comfort.  It’s a place of minimal risk and maximum security.  It’s a place we stay when fear takes over - but if we can allow faith to take over, we will get out of the boat and experience the thrill of walking on the water with Jesus. 

11 men stayed in the boat that night because of their fear.  Even when they saw Peter get out of the boat and start walking on the water, they didn’t try to join him.  11 men allowed fear to take hold of their heart and lives and they never walked with Jesus in new ways.  Now this kind of fear is not always a bad thing.  In many ways we are wired for fear in order to make smart decisions and stay safe.  Just this week I heard a story about a woman in Yellowstone who was gored by a buffalo because she got too close.  Buffalo look big and slow, but they are not, they are fast and territorial and don’t like to feel threatened.  Fear is not always bad, but we also have to learn how to move beyond our fear in order to be faithful and walk with Jesus.  

God knows that fear is real and that it has the power to hold us back which is why God says over and over again, Fear Not.  There are over 365 statements in the Bible that tell us to fear not.  That is one for every day of the year.  God knows that every day we need to hear a message of courage and strength.  Are you personally wired for safety or risk?  Which do you gravitate toward?  As Christians we can’t give in to fear, we need to learn how to take risks with Jesus.  

During the covid shut downs, when there were many things we couldn’t do, the Red Cross asked if we would consider holding more blood drives.  We jumped at the chance to serve our community and said yes and we have been holding quarterly blood drives ever since. During the past few years I have watched several people overcome their fear and donate blood.  Michelle was one of them.  

Michelle made a commitment one year to not allow fear to hold her back but to be more fearless so she signed up to donate blood.  It was so encouraging to watch someone overcome their fear and do something difficult in order to serve and help others.  I’ve watched several others do the same thing and some have overcome their fear and given more than once.  They are an inspiration.  

There are several people here at Faith who have decided to overcome fear and step out of the boat to walk with Jesus in a storm, they are those who are leading and helping with Fresh Expressions. They have heard a call from God to step into the uncertainty of our society and people’s lives to find new ways to share the love and grace of God with them.  It takes courage to try something new and be willing to engage in faithful conversations with people, but they have gotten out of the boat and are walking with Jesus.  We celebrate their faith and courage and they are an inspiration.  We need to follow their example, overcome our own fear, and step out of the boat and walk on water with Jesus.  

Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water.  All went well for a few minutes but then he noticed the wind and the waves.  Peter lost his focus and stopped looking at Jesus and started looking at the storm.  And that’s when he started to sink.  In panic, he cried out, Lord, save me, and Jesus did.  It says Jesus immediately reached out his hand and saved him.  Jesus not only walks on the water to be with us in the storm, He also reaches out His hand to rescue us when we start sinking.  

Takeaway #3, Jesus still reaches out His hand to save us.  

The strength and power of Jesus reaches out to us when we are empty, weak, tired and sinking to pull us up and help us stand.  Jesus isn’t just with us in the storm, He helps us through the storm.  

Thomas Dorsey was an author and composer of blues and gospel music in the 1920’s and 30’s (not to be confused with the Big Band Leader Tommy Dorsey).  Thomas and his wife lived in Chicago and were expecting their first child when Thomas left to attend a conference in St. Louis.  On the second day of the conference, Thomas got a telegram saying, your wife has just died. Come home.  When he got home, he buried his wife and their child in the same casket. 

Thomas was overcome with grief when one day he sat down at the piano and he said, “words like drops of water from a crevice in the rock from above seemed to drop in line with his music.  Precious Lord, take my hand.  Lead me on, let me stand.  I’m tired. I’m weak.  I’m worn.  Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light.  Take my hand, Precious Lord, lead me home.”

God walked with Thomas through that storm and led him to a place of peace and light.  He remarried, had a family, and shared a song with the world that has encouraged countless numbers of people.  God does take us by the hand and save us.  He takes us by the hand and leads us out of the storm and into the light.  Today He is here to take your hand and rescue you.  He is here to lead you home.  

This brings us to the end of the story.  When Jesus and Peter got into the boat, the storm stopped.  The wind ceased and it says that the disciples worshiped Jesus.  They said, truly you are the son of God.  When they worshiped Jesus as the Son of God, they didn’t understand fully that Jesus was God in the flesh.  The idea that Jesus was fully-God and fully-human took the church 300 years to work out.  What the disciples did know was that they had just seen Jesus do something that only God could do.  Only God had power over the wind and the waves.  Only God could calm a storm and walk on water so they were worshiping God.  

The disciples also heard Jesus say that He was God when He told them, Take courage.  It is I. Don’t be afraid.  The phrase it is I is actually the words, I Am, which is the name God gave himself when He appeared to Moses.  Jesus had just used that name to refer to Himself, and then He did something that only God could do.  

While the disciples didn’t fully understand who Jesus was, they knew He was the son of God so they worshiped Him.  They knew Jesus cared about them enough to walk on the water to join them in a storm and that He was willing to reach out His hand and rescue them.  They worshiped Jesus because He was willing to be with them and to save them.  That’s who Jesus was then and that is who Jesus is today.

Jesus is the Son of God who comes to us in our storm, who reaches out His hand to save us no matter what we are going through.  Jesus is the one who invites us to leave the security of our boats so we can join Him in the adventure of walking on the water.  He is the One who has the power to calm the wind and the waves in our lives and lead us into the lives of meaning, purpose and joy.  Like Peter, we might sink at times, we might lose sight of Jesus and fear the storm, but Jesus will still be there with His arm stretched out to lift us up and to lead us home.

 

Next Steps

Walking with Jesus in the Storm

Read Matthew 14:22-33

What storms are you experiencing in life?  

Jesus walks on water to join us in the storm.

● How and where do you experience Jesus with you in the storm?  

● How does God provide you with comfort and encouragement?

● Read a “fear not” passage each day this week.

○ Psalm 27:1-5 Joshua 1:9

○ Isaiah 41:10 Isaiah 43:1-3

○ Matthew 6:25-34 John 14:1-4, 25-27

○ 2 Timothy 1:6-7

We have to get out of the boat.

● What fear holds you back in life?

● What step of faith do you need to take to faithfully walk with Jesus today? 

● How is Jesus calling you to get out of the boat and walk with Him on the water?

● Pray for and support those who are exploring or starting a Fresh Expression (See Pastor David for more information).

Jesus reaches out His hand to save us

● What causes you to take your eyes off Jesus?

● What are the wind and waves that you are struggling with today?

● Ask Jesus to rescue you, lift you up and save you.

● Read Psalm 17:1-19.

Take time this week to worship Jesus.  Thank Him that He still comes to us in the storm, calls us to deeper faith, and forgives and saves us when we fail.