Title: Eyes of Jesus (John 1:42)
Contents
Among the disciples of Jesus, John was the disciple who was loved more by Jesus. So he could understand more about God's love. Although there was a rivalry with Peter for some reason, he expressed the Lord's love for Peter in depth and well because he believed in the Lord's love. In today's text, the Lord said to Peter, "You are Simon the son of John, and you will be called Cephas." Geba means “rock”. Peter, as we know him well, has a bubbly and hot-blooded personality.
So, he probably had a lot of trouble with his personality. But Jesus gave Peter the hope that he would become a rock in the future. So he became the unshakable rock of the early church just as he said. In the eyes of Jesus, the future image of the completed construction was more clearly seen than the present image of Peter under construction.
There was a sign in one building that said “Interior Repair”. And underneath it was a charming phrase, “Please bear with the inconvenience while looking forward to the beautiful transformation after the repair.” Currently, a large commercial building is under construction next to our church for the first year. It is expected to be completed by the end of this year. However, those who come to the church from the current home town have experienced inconvenience in traffic and must have experienced traffic congestion due to construction vehicles such as dust invisibly. However, when this building is completed, it is expected that it will be of great help to evangelism as more people come and go.
First, the appearance of Peter before construction.
When Peter was called by the Lord to become a fisher of men, he abandoned his boat and net and left his family and became a disciple of the Lord. After that, for three years, I received special training from Jesus along with the other 11 disciples.
In Matthew 16:16, when he made a good profession of faith in Caesarea Philippi, it seemed that something had been accomplished for him. The Lord also praised Peter. However, when Jesus was arrested by the Roman soldiers and went to the high priest's house, he showed cowardice, denying that he knew Jesus three times. After that, Peter who left Jesus and returned to his original position was still only a weak and incompetent man.
Second, it is a picture of Peter under construction.
Peter then saw the resurrected Jesus. After having breakfast together on the shores of Tiberias, the Lord said to Peter with the other disciples, “Do you love me more than these people?” and asked. (John 21:15)
It was indeed a difficult question to answer. “Yes, you know that I love you. He said, “Feed my sheep.”
Peter had a personal encounter with the Lord that day and gathered with the rest of the disciples in Mark's upper room to pray.
He obeyed the Lord's command, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which I have heard of you” (Acts 1:4). The promise was fulfilled, and Peter was given the power of the Holy Spirit.
Third, the appearance of Peter after construction.
Peter, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, became bold. He spoke boldly in front of those who oppose the word of God. He proclaimed the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus to many. Although he was imprisoned because of the hatred of the high priests and Sadducees, he did not stop teaching Jesus as Lord, rejoicing that he was considered worthy of being reproached for the name of Jesus.
In Acts 2:41, Peter, who experienced the filling of the Holy Spirit, was transformed into a man of amazing power. When he preached, 3,000 people (Acts 2:41) and 5,000 people (Acts 4:4) repented and believed in Jesus as the Lord.
In Acts 8:17, when he laid his hands on him, he received the Holy Spirit and many sick and demon-possessed people were healed (Acts 5:12-16). He even revived the dead Tabitha (Acts 9:36-42). He was no longer intimidated or withdrawn in the face of any persecutors. Now he has become an apostle who boldly testifies of Jesus Christ he believes in. What's even more surprising is that his bubbly and hot-tempered personality has completely changed. changed into the character of the Lord. In Galatians 2:11, Paul, a junior apostle, harshly rebuked and attacked Peter, but he persevered and overcame the crisis. It was because I was thinking of the Lord's church and the flock.
Now let me conclude.
When the Lord first saw Peter, he called him Cephas. Therefore, the Lord did not choose me by looking at my present self. He called in anticipation of what he would make by training. That's right. We are beings. It's not perfect, it's in progress. Don't be discouraged by my lack of self. There is something the Lord will make. Like Peter, I earnestly pray that you will be used through personal encounters with the Lord and determination of obedience. (Rev. Kim Myung-seop)