In John ch1 v40-42 we read of the renaming of Peter. He was of course known as Simon Peter but the Lord Jesus Christ renamed him Peter (Cephas) or "stone". The Lord must have known what an impact Peter would have throughout the world. Perhaps just as a stone creates many ripples when thrown into the water so Peter’s life and teaching would create many waves throughout the world even done to today.

    Peter, when you consider him, was rather outspoken, quick to respond and could, in today’s language, be affectionately called a "big mouth".

    In John ch6 v66-70 it is recorded that a lot of people turned back from following Jesus and the Lord turned to his close friends and asked, "will you go also?" Peters immediate response was "To whom shall we go?" showing his understanding that there was no one else like Jesus.

    In John ch13 v9 we see the Lord teaching us by example the need for servanthood by washing the disciples feet. When it was Peter’s turn, he quickly reacted not wanting to be put in a higher position by having his feet washed. The Lord’s answer was that if he did not allow this to happen, then he could not consider himself to be part with Jesus. His immediate response was "Then Lord, not only my feet but my hands and my head." He wanted to be totally involved with the Lord. What a mighty commitment!

    Peter’s response to the Lord was very much a seesaw affair. One minute he was showing tremendous insight, testifying to who Jesus really is Matthew ch16 v16 and then in verse23 he is satan’s tool when Jesus spoke to him and said "Get behind me satan."

    In John ch13 v37 he states "I will lay down my life for you." And again in Matthew ch18 v21 he questions how many times does one have to forgive one’s brother. Yes, Peter jumps in again speaking before thinking.

    Yes Peter is very much like most of us. We come and go in the intensity of our love for the Lord. We, like Peter, sometimes can be so perceptive and prophesy and pronounce the wisdom of God and then we can also be used by satan to work against God’s will.

    Compulsive Peter was so quick to defend his master when he drew his sword and sliced off the ear of the servant of the high priest in John ch18 v10.

    But Peter was very special, as we all are in God’s sight.

    In Mark ch5 v37 Peter was one of the three who went with Jesus to the synagogue ruler’s home. In Mark ch9 v2 he was

    Mark ch9 v2 Peter was one of the three who were taken to the Mount of Transfiguration.

    Luke ch22 v8 He was one of the two who were sent to prepare the Passover

    Mark ch14 v33 One of the three who He kept close to Himself at Gethsemane.

    Yes, Peter was a very special person whom the Lord held very dearly.

    But there are some things, which become very obvious if we stop and think. In Luke ch22 v31 Peter was told by the Lord "satan has asked to sift you as wheat and when you have turned back strengthen your brothers." I wonder what he thought.

    In Mark ch26 v33 Peter’s quick response (Big Mouth) "Even if all fall away I never will."

    Now in spite of all this Peter denied the Lord three times John ch18 v15 and v17 and v27. Think about it. How would Peter feel? We are told that Peter went out and wept bitterly. What would you or I do?

    Here now in Peter’s failed state we are told in Luke ch24 v12 that the Lord has appeared unto Simon. It is interesting to note that here he was not called Peter but Simon. His failure had certainly not earned the name of Peter (stone).

    But let’s look at what actually was said when Peter met the Lord on the shore in John ch21 v15 on.

    Its seems unusual that a question like this should be asked three times, and this led me to check out the actual meanings of the word. I discovered that the word love was translated from three different words all meaning different types of love and it is this which brings out a whole new conversation between the Lord and Peter. It would do us well to understand what really was said so that this principle can be applied to our own lives. We will make this simple by referring to the three questions and answers as one, two and three. Also as this computer is not set up for Greek characters, we will give the meaning of the words in brackets.

     Question one

    John ch21 v15 Jesus asks "Simon, son of John, do you truly love (unconditional, reverential, sheer total relationship love) me more than these?"

    What a question! Just a few days before, Peter had denied the Lord three times and previously in Matthew ch26 v33 had stated that even if all fall away he never would. Here and now the Lord had reminded him by asking him if he loved Him more than these.

    Peter’s answer, "You know that I love (I esteem you as a friend) You" was right. He admitted his failure by stating the limits of his love.

         Question two

    Jesus repeated his question again referring to him as "Simon, son of John, do you truly love (unconditional, reverential, sheer total relationship love) me?"

    Again Peter responds with an admission of failure by replying Lord you know that I love (I esteem you as a friend) You.

        Question three

    Here Jesus used a different word. "Simon, son of John, do you love (as a bond slave, allowing all decisions and judgement to be made by me) me?"

    Peter again cries out. "Lord you know all things you know that I love (I esteem you as a friend) you". We see that Peter in the use of a word expresses the anguish of heart, the contrite spirit, that the Lord so much needs to see.

    Jesus also at this time gave Peter instructions regarding feeding his lambs and sheep and again careful scrutiny of these words show that each time the Lord was speaking of a different age bracket

    Jesus then speaks of Peter’s future and the manner he would die. This also was in accordance with what Peter had spoken of in John ch13 v37 when he said "I will lay down my life for You."

    He then spoke those wonderful words which all of us love to hear FOLLOW ME

    What a wonder it is to see the work of God in the life of a man who was such a big mouth, a man who came to the point of admitting his faults and failures face to face with the risen Christ. To see the wonderful result in Acts ch2 v14on where Peter stood up, full of the Holy Spirit and delivered a sermon second to none in recorded church history where many thousands of people came to know the Saviour. Peter was the man that God showed the cleansing of the nations to at Joppa Acts ch10. Yes, Peter did many mighty things for God, and it all started with him admitting his failures to Christ.