Peter

Who am I? This is a question we all wrestle with. Some of us spend a lifetime trying to figure this out. For most of us, who we are has been told to us by others, and we are trying to live up to it. But for some, they are trying to make themselves into who they think they’re supposed to be. Maybe according to family expectations, or those of a friend group, or society as a whole. But, in reality, there is only One, our Maker, who can tell us who we really are, our true identity. And, it’s only our creator who can tell us what our individual purposes are in this world. 

His name is Simon, and we’re told he’s the brother of Andrew. Together, they are some of Jesus’ earliest followers. Along with James and John, Peter and his brother were simple fisherman. But that all changes one day as they answer the call to follow Jesus and become a disciple. As we read the gospels, we see Simon become one of Jesus’ closest friends, one of His inner three. Simon is with Jesus when He raises a young girl back to life. He’s with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, and he’s with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. But there’s this moment, after Jesus asks the disciples who they think He is, Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” and Jesus changes his name to Peter, the rock. There were other significant moments for Peter. He walked on water, but then sank. Not long after He calls Jesus the Messiah, he then tells Him not to go to the Cross, to which Jesus responds, “Get behind me satan.” And how can we forget Peter, in one moment fighting for Jesus, cutting off someones ear, and a short time later, denying he even knows Jesus. It seems Peter didn’t even know who he was. Was he Simon, or was he Peter. 

Well, let's read these familiar passages and take a closer look.