PETER – JUST THE FACTS!

 

            The phrase “Just the facts, ma’am” was popularized by Sergeant Joe Friday, as played by Jack Webb on the television series Dragnet.  In addition to this phrase most of you probably remember how Jack Webb introduced himself on this show.  In a matter-of-fact tone he simply said “My name’s Friday, I’m a cop.”  True to his mode of operation he introduced his character by simply giving us the facts .

            Of course, there was much more to Sergeant Joe Friday, and to anyone of us, than just the facts.  However, when it comes to knowing someone the facts are somewhat like the framework of a house.  They give us an idea of what the person is like on the outside.  They also give us a hint, or some clues, as to their inner world.  And ultimately, it is this inner world that determines the real facts of our life.

            With this in mind I wish to introduce you to three people this morning.  The first two are in our midst today.  They are members of the class.  I’ve asked each of them to give me seven facts about themselves.  I will share those facts with you and then give you a chance to ask each of them a few penetrating questions; questions that get beyond the facts and reveal their inner world.

            The first person is Cheri Billingsley.  Here are the facts as given to me under the soft lights of the interview room.  She claimed, under oath, that the following were just the facts:

            –  I lived in Puerto Rico for five years.

            – I am the second of four children.

            – I met my husband at Bethany Community Church.

            – I enjoy dirt-biking with my husband.

            – My hobbies include gardening, cooking, and reading.

            – I have a bunch of pets.

            – My father signed autopsy papers shortly after I was born.

            What do the facts suggest to you?  What fact, or which facts, would you like to explore?  What questions do you have of Cheri that would give you a peek into her inner world?

            The second person is Les Hirst.  Here are the facts as given to me under the harsh lights of the interrogation room.  He claimed, under oath, that the following were just the facts:

            – I have 4 children, 16 grandchildren, and 11.75 great grandchildren.

            – I have worked at a wheelbarrow factory, as a shipping clerk, as a keeper of a

               perpetual inventory system, as a claim’s adjuster, and as a pastor.

            – I sang with a Youth for Christ male quartette and the Moody Bible Choral.

            – I have a son involved in missions, another who is a hospital chaplain in

               Canada, another who owns a used car business, and a daughter who is

                a widow living in Minnesota.

            – I have been married for 58 years to the best wife and . . .

            –  I was almost run over by an oil tanker and eaten by a shark.

            – I helped bring in the great depression since I was born January 1, 1930.

            What do the facts suggest to you?  What fact, or which facts, would you like to explore?  What questions do you have of Les that would give you a peek into his inner world?

            The third person is Peter.  Here are the facts as given to us under the bright light of Scripture.  The Holy Spirit, having no one greater to swear by, swore by himself, claiming that the following are the facts:

            – His given name was Simon bar-Jonah.  His father’s name was Jonah.  We do

               not know his mother’s name.

            – He is  referred to almost two hundred times in the New Testament.

            – Jesus gave him the name Peter, but never called him by that name.

            – He has a brother, Andrew, who introduced him to Jesus (John 1:40 - 42).

            – He was originally from Bethsaida, on the northeastern edge of the Sea

                of Galilee (John 1:44), but moved to Capernaum for unknown reasons.

            – He was married (Matthew 8:14; Mark 1:30; Luke 4:38).

            – He lived in a two-story home (Mark 2:4).  The house sheltered Peter, his wife,

               his mother-in-law, his brother Andrew, and at times Jesus (Matthew 8:14, Mark

               1:29, 36; 2:2).

            – He was a fisherman by trade.  Along with Andrew, he partnered with

               James and John in what can properly be called a small business (Luke 5:10).

            – He was not formally educated.  However, most Jewish boys would have

               studied the Scriptures from the age of five (Acts 4:13).

            – Jesus severely rebuked him on several occasions (Matthew 16:21; John 18:11).

            – His wife accompanied him on at least some mission trips (I Corinthians 9:5).

            – He had a distinct Galilean accent (Matthew 26:73).

            – He was a member of the core group among the twelve disciples (Mark 5:37;

               9:2; 14:33).

            – He was the leader among the Twelve (Mark 1:36; Luke 9:32).

            – At least a half-dozen miracles were performed on behalf of Peter.

                        – The two miraculous catches of fish.

                        – The healing of his mother-in-law.

                        – His walking on water.

                        – The restoration of Malchus’ ear.

                        – The restoration of Peter’s spirit after he denied knowing Jesus.

                        – The coin in the fish’s mouth.

             – At the transfiguration he suggested that booths be set up for Jesus, Elijah,

               and Moses (Mark 9:5).

            – He proposed finding someone to fill Judas’ sandals (Acts 1:20 - 22).

            – He preached the first Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:14 - 36).

            – He defended the gospel before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:8 - 12).

            – He was the judge and jury in the case of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1 - 11).

           –

            –

            What do the facts suggest to you?  What fact, or which facts, would you like to explore?  What questions do you have of Peter that would give you a peek into his inner world?

            Obviously, we can’t ask penetrating questions of Peter.  But we can give the facts a closer look and at least get a peek at what is happening behind the facts.  For example, in John 1:35 - 42 we have Simon being given the name Peter.  We read:

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.  36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.  38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.  41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).  42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas”(which, when translated, is Peter ).

            This appears to be the very first time Simon and Jesus have laid eyes on each other.  And though we have not yet met Peter, that is, we have not met him in this particular book, Andrew is identified as Simon Peter’s brother.  But for our purposes, what really ought to grab our attention is that John uses the same Greek word as Luke used to describe Jesus’ piercing look from across the courtyard when Peter, for the third time, denied knowing Jesus.

            This penetrating look suggest that Jesus was scanning Simon’s heart and was able, even before Peter was introduced to him, to size him up as the man to be the first of many stones in what would become known as the church.  He looked into Simon’s heart and quickly gave him something to chew on - a new identity.

            This past week, in my second hour class, I casually referred to one of my students as Dr. Weldon.  I told him that Dr. Weldon had a nice ring to it.  It was just a quick comment.  But later on in the period he told me that he was very interested in becoming a podiatrist.

            So my comment which was just out of the blue may serve to reinforce what this young man is thinking about doing with his life.  But in Simon’s case, Jesus, who knows the end from the beginning, tells him what he will become in the future.

            In taking a closer look at this new identity we see it come up again in Luke 6:12 - 14 where we read:

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.  13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:  14 Simon (whom he named (called) Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,  15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,  16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

            In this and every other listing of the Apostles Peter heads up the list.   What is to be equally noted is that after this all-night prayer session the future tense of John (“You will be Cephas”) has become past tense (“whom he named (called) Peter”).

            Then in Matthew 16:15 - 20 we read:

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.  18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

            Clearly, Simon new name isn’t simply a nickname.  It is his calling.  It’s a calling that could only be affirmed after Peter’s statement of faith in the identity of Jesus.  Now, Jesus is ready to build and Peter was the first stone to be laid.