These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon(who is called Peter)….” (Matt. 10:2, NIV)
In the last five years, we’ve witnessed many golfers whose physical conditions have undergone radical transformations. Bryson DeChambeau gained twenty pounds of muscle. Scott Stallings lost fifty pounds and 16% percent body fat. Matthew Fitzpatrick’s addition of significant weight to his 5’9” frame paved the way for his 2022 US Open win. These golfers all understood that a physical transformation was essential to improving their on-course performance.
As we close this series that examined the lives of the twelve apostles, we turn to the apostle who exemplifies one of the greatest transformations in Scripture—Simon Peter.
Simon, nicknamed “Peter” (also “Cephas” in Aramaic), is at the top of all four lists of apostles in the New Testament. Matthew goes a step further to add the qualifier “first”(proto) to signify that Peter was the group’s chief or leader. His name is mentioned in the gospels more than any name other than Jesus.
Peter was a “work in progress.” When we see him early in his walk with Jesus, he is impulsive, impetuous, courageous, self-confident, aggressive, brash, and outspoken. In his book, Twelve Ordinary Men, John MacArthur calls him the “apostle with the foot-shaped mouth.”
Peter was part of Christ’s “inner circle,” and Jesus saw him as a leader. During his ministry, Jesus sought to shape Peter into a leader who could lead the apostles and the early church. During that shaping process, we see countless contradictions in Peter’s life.
We see his exemplary behavior, and shortly after, we see his failings. Most notable among those occasions is when Peter expresses his unequivocal dedication to Jesus in response to Jesus’ prediction that Peter would deny him three times. (Matt. 26:35). Within hours, Peter emphatically denies him three times (Matt. 26:69).
After Jesus’ ascension, we see the emergence of Peter as a great leader. In Acts 2:14-41, we read about a great evangelistic event when, after Peter’s preaching, 3,000 people repent and are saved. He is the dominant figure in the first twelve chapters of Acts and authored two epistles.
To view Peter through the “before and after” lens is to see a man with human frailties, just like you and me, who was shaped into a rock-like leader who became a great evangelist and preacher in the early church.
When facing martyrdom on a cross for evangelizing, the once bold and brash man exhibited great humility by insisting that he be hanged upside down because he was not worthy to die like Jesus. Wow! What a turnaround from the Peter we first see in the Gospels.
During the past year, we have taken a journey that has explored the lives of Jesus’ apostles. I hope you have been as encouraged and motivated as I have been by these transformations to begin a transformative process in our spiritual life.
Whether in our prayer life, servanthood, worship, evangelizing or spending more time in the Word, we ought to pray that the Holy Spirit would guide, encourage and assist us to begin that transformation.
Despite our human frailties and sinful nature, we, too, can be transformed by God’s love and grace to become more like Jesus. Praise be to God for that opportunity!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us such wonderful examples of how our lives can be transformed to serve.