Conversion of Peter (John 1:40-44)

This sermon was preached on 23/1/2011

It is obvious from the New Testament that Simon Peter was an important person in the development of the early church. In addition to the references to him in the Gospels, he is also a central figure in the Book of Acts (where Luke details the growth of the early church) as well as the writer of two letters (1 and 2 Peter) to churches in modern-day Turkey. It is also generally believed that the Gospel of Mark, although written by the person of that name, was directly influenced by Peter (Mark was him in 1 Peter 5:13). A great deal of information is given about Peter in the Gospels and in the Acts, which suggests that the Holy Spirit, in enabling the authors of these books to write under his inspiration, desires readers of the Bible to learn from the experiences of Peter. So Peter is a crucial person in the biblical story.

Who was Simon Peter?

The Gospels tell us that he was a fisherman from Bethsaida (John 1:44), who also had property in Capernaum. They also tell us that he was married, and his mother-in-law was still alive and probably living with them (Mark 1:29-31). His father’s name was John (John 21:15), sometimes called Jonah. In many ways Peter was an ordinary person. It is likely that he had joined his brother Andrew and his friends James and John as followers of John the Baptist. At any rate, Andrew and John were with the Baptist at the Jordan when he pointed them to Jesus as he walked by. Since Peter and James were in the vicinity, it suggests that they also were followers of John. This would mean that Peter was a deeply spiritual man, who knew that mere involvement in religious rituals was not sufficient. He was longing for inner reality. He would have listened carefully to John’s teaching about repentance in view of the imminent arrival of the King, of whom John was the forerunner.

In passing, note a couple of things about John the Baptist. First, we can see from his experience that a preacher does not know what links in a chain are created by his words. John the Baptist encouraged Andrew and John to follow Jesus, without an awareness that their encounter with Jesus would lead to the conversion of Peter who would also become a prominent preacher, and a link in many other chains leading thousands to trust in Jesus.

Secondly, preachers should copy John’s example in sending people to spend time with Jesus. John could have said to his disciples, ‘Stay with me and I will tell you great things about the Messiah. I have already told you that he is the Lamb of God. Yet there is so much more.’ Instead John sent his disciples to spend time with Jesus, to learn from him personally and not through another. It is important that a preacher should instruct disciples, but his students must be advance through personal contact with the Subject of his teaching. Adolph Saphir describes this important moment well: ‘Oh, to have seen the grand countenance of John the Baptist as he followed with his eye the dear, beloved disciples, who had never been more truly his followers than at this moment when they were leaving him!’

It is also important to observe how willing Jesus was to meet with Andrew and John. He did not regard their desire to spend time with him as an interruption. Instead his response makes it very clear that he was available to those who wished to go with him. No doubt, the experience was a wonderful one for Andrew and John as they interacted with Jesus and listened to his gracious words as he revealed to them that he was the promised Messiah – he must have done so because Andrew’s testimony was that they had found the Messiah. A few hours with Jesus were sufficient to convince Andrew and John. The lesson for ourselves is obvious. If you want to know about Jesus, spend time with him.

Mission of Andrew

The first reference to Peter chronologically in the New Testament is John 1:40-42. It is a short account, a reminder that God’s oaks grow from very small acorns. ‘He is received with a short and striking remark – and his connection with the Son of God is begun, never more to end’ (Hugh Martin).

Peter was brought to Jesus by a family member – Andrew ‘first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah”’ – truly a beautiful picture of Andrew leading his brother to Christ. Peter must have sensed the glad excitement in Andrew as he spoke about his great discovery, that he had found the Messiah. In addition to excitement, there was a sense of urgency that his brother had to discover Christ for himself (it is not clear if the word ‘first’ means that Andrew found his brother before John found his brother or that it was the first thing that Andrew did). His urgency was not based on the possibility that Peter was a stranger to grace; rather it was based on the wonder of what he had found.

Second, Peter was brought to Jesus by a disciple who had only known Jesus for a short time. How long does it take to be a successful soul winner? Not very long, according to this example. Of course, both Andrew and Peter had to be trained by Jesus in order to be ready for becoming full-time fishers of men. But at this moment, neither of them is full-time. They had many things to learn, but Andrew, perhaps unconsciously, had learned the most important lesson in being an effective witness for Jesus. ‘It is when you have yourself had fellowship with Jesus that you have either the heart or the power to speak of Jesus to another,’ comments Hugh Martin. When our words don’t come out of this personal experience, they sound like an ‘empty echo in the cheerless chambers of hypocrisy’.

Third, Peter was brought to Jesus by a disciple with a smaller profile that Peter. It is very likely that Andrew had lived his life in the shadow of his brother Peter. Perhaps this was the only time in their relationship that he had taken the lead. Maybe he had to overcome natural reticence in making this approach to his brother. We too can look at people and say, ‘They will not listen to me because I am not important.’ Andrew says to us, ‘Don’t ever think like that. Just remember that my words to my larger-than-life brother were the words that brought him to Christ.’

Fourth, Peter was attracted to Jesus by a particular title of Jesus. His brother had said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah.’ Andrew had been won by the title, ‘The Lamb of God.’ Peter, as a devout Jew, would have known who the Messiah was – the promised Deliverer from the slavery of the devil, the great King who would bring peace to the world. No doubt, many prophecies and promises ran through his mind as he heard Andrew describe what Jesus was like. So he gladly went with Peter to meet Jesus.

Meeting with Jesus

The first detail that John mentions is that Jesus looked at Peter. John is not describing a glance, instead he depicts a long steady gaze. If John was present, then he took note of Christ’s response. I suspect it was Peter who told John about it. He would have often recalled that look, and spoken about it.

What would Peter have seen in the eyes of Jesus? I think Simon would have seen intense satisfaction in the eyes of the Saviour. Often we focus on the joy of the convert and forget to think about the pleasure of the Saviour when a sinner and Jesus meet. How long had Jesus looked forward to this meeting? Here before his eyes was Simon, one of those whom his Father had given to him in the eternal covenant. It was for Simon that he had come into the world as the Redeemer. I wonder if Jesus is looking at anyone here in this way.

The eyes of Jesus looked at Peter and into Peter. Peter would also have sensed that the eyes of Jesus could read his soul as well as scan his body. Perhaps he felt uncomfortable under the penetrating gaze of Jesus. His sense of unease would have increased when Jesus addressed him by name. Perhaps Andrew had told Jesus about his family background, but Peter was experiencing far more than a pleasant greeting. He was in the presence of One who knew everything about him. Peter knew that Jesus knew that he was an unstable character.

Have we ever had this experience of sensing the eyes of Jesus scanning our souls? It is embarrassing for us, we feel ashamed, but there is something about this looking of Jesus that attracts us. We can sense that he will not use his knowledge to condemn us.

This is what Peter discovered. The Christ who was aware of Peter’s unreliability, of his instability, promised to make him a rock (Cephas). Peter, on whom no-one could lean for help, would become a bulwark. Peter would yet be able to strengthen believers who were going through intense persecution (his letters show him doing this). It would not be Peter’s resolve that would bring about this change. We can see the effects of his resolve at the time he denied the Saviour. Prior to his denial, he had declared that he would be loyal to Jesus, but his steadfastness was short-lived. But later on, through the ongoing transformation produced in his life by the Holy Spirit, he eventually became a rock. Of course, this is very encouraging. Jesus does not make this promise ignorant of Peter’s flaws but in full knowledge of them – this is not optimism but realism. And he says the same to everyone that comes to him for mercy. Peter is an example of one in whom Jesus would finish the good work that he had started.

The change of name indicated more than a change of character. In the ancient world, this was the prerogative of those in authority. Giving a person a new name was a claim to ownership. By this action Jesus was claiming Lordship over Peter’s life. Up until then, Peter had been a free spirit, doing what he wanted. Now he was being called on to surrender. In effect he was learning a very simple but profound principle: no transformation without submission. I suspect that Peter did not really submit until the day that Jesus rose from the dead. Up till then, he had questioned several things that Jesus taught or said was going to happen to himself. This is the issue facing ourselves as well. Are we submissive to the Lord Jesus Christ, to his revealed will?

This was the most important date in the life of Peter. It was the beginning of a path of discipleship in which he would learn many lessons about himself, about the kingdom of God, about his Master. But he has started the journey. Have we?