Who is Jesus? Part 28 – Peter

The power to become

American actor and professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson was not the first to be called “The Rock”. That privilege goes to Simon, and the nickname is given by Jesus himself.

⁴² He [Andrew]brought him [Simon] to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

John 1:42 ESVUK

This is the middle verse in a chiasm. Chiasm, meaning crossing over, is a form used in nearly all Psalms and is a repetition of similar ideas in the reverse sequence. Where there is a central idea, it is normally the most important part of the song or poem.

The poem in John 1:32-51 is clearly not about Peter. It deals with Jesus throughout, and his relationship with five people:

1. John the Baptist points out Jesus as the Lamb of God.
2. Jesus meets with two of John’s followers, including Simon’s brother Andrew.
3. Andrew brings Simon to Jesus.
4. Jesus meets with Philip
5. Philip brings Nathaniel to Jesus.

The poem is clearly not about Simon Peter. So, why does he get the most important part of the poem?

Simon Peter is important because he appears frequently in the story of Jesus and the early church. He is also a different proposition from his brother Andrew.

But first, let’s explore the exciting reason why Jesus chooses this moment to meet Simon. John penned his Gospel much later than Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and it’s fascinating to think about how he might have been inspired by their accounts. This brings a wonderful twist to the story, especially since the renaming of Simon as Peter occurs towards the end of Jesus’ remarkable ministry in Galilee.

But John is not writing the story of Jesus yet; this is just the prologue. The real story starts at Chapter 2, verse 1. He is also writing poetry and is taking poetic license. This is the third poem and consists of an introduction by John the Baptist, three short tales of transformation, of Andrew, Simon and Philip, and then a longer talk with Nathaniel.

Simon’s transformation story is so different to that of his brother Andrew. Andrew meets with Jesus and is immediately transformed from someone who was sneaking up, trying to avoid being seen, into an enthusiast, someone who will bring others to Jesus no matter what the personal cost. Simon is called Cephas (Aramaic) or Peter (Greek), meaning the Rock. This transformation will take time, and Peter will not only waver, but his failures will be spectacular. But this is the introduction, we’ll get to that in the storyline.

Jesus sees Simon’s potential and gives him the right to become who he can become. The change is so dramatic that he becomes known by the nickname Peter, The Rock. But the change is gradual. It takes a great deal of work by Jesus to transform Simon into Peter, the solid rock.

Jesus continues to give people the power to become the best they can be. You might be like Andrew, where your change is immediate upon meeting Jesus, or you may be like Simon, where it will take Jesus a lot of hard work to set you right, and you will resist Him. Or Jesus may transform you in another way. Jesus calls us all as we are. You don’t have to change before you can come to Jesus. Jesus is in the business of people transformation; do not expect to become a Christian and remain the same.

Me? I’m a work in progress. I self-describe as a practising Christian, practising as one who hasn’t got it right yet. Lord Jesus, please continue your work in me. Amen.

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