Jesus Gently Encouraged the Apostle Peter’s Spiritual Growth

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Jesus used Peter to show us His HIGH standard for being patient with others

Jesus encouraged Peter many times and patiently waited for Peter to grow spiritually (2 Pe. 3:17-18[1]):

1)      Peter walked on water; he then lost faith and had to be rescued (Mt. 14:30[2]).  Peter could swim (Jn. 21:7[3]); why did he fear?

2)      On the Mount of transfiguration, Peter offered to build three tabernacles, one for Jesus, “one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said (Luk. 9:33[4], Mt. 17:4[5], Mk. 9:5[6]).”

3)      Jesus said "Get thee behind me, Satan (Mt. 16:23[7], Mk. 8:33[8])" when Peter told Him He would not die.

4)      Peter denied Jesus three times as He had predicted, then wept bitterly (Mt. 26:75[9], Luk. 22:61-62[10]).

5)      Jesus appeared twice to them, the doors being shut, gave them the Holy Spirit, and sent them out to spread His Gospel as His Father had sent Him (Jn. 20:21-22[11]).  That was when Jesus wanted the church age to start, but Peter went fishing instead.  Peter was a leader - 6 other disciples went with him instead of obeying Jesus (Jn. 21:1-3[12]).

6)      It was John, not Peter, who realized from Jesus' signature move, the net full of fish which Jesus had given when He called them to be His disciples (Luk. 5:5-6[13]) that it was Jesus (Jn. 21:7[14]).

7)      Having created Peter (Jn. 1:3[15]), Jesus knew how hard it is for men to admit their love.  Peter was an unlearned and ignorant man (Acts 4:13[16], II Peter 3:16[17]).  He hadn't read that Jesus would be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, but he had seen Jesus weeping and grieving over the cities of Israel (Mt. 11:23[18], 23:37[19], Luk. 10:13-15[20], 13:34[21]).  Peter did not want the sorrow of loving people and seeing them fall away (Jn. 11:35[22]).  Men are afraid to admit their love for their wives for fear of being hurt - they know a woman can vex a man's soul to death (Jud. 16:16[23]) and don’t really believe that man can trust a woman with his heart (Pr. 31:11-12[24]).

8)      Jesus poked Peter 3 times and the best Peter could do was to admit to filios, brotherly love.  Did this make Peter love Jesus?  No, Peter already loved Him - he wept bitterly when he betrayed Jesus (Mt. 26:75[25]) - but he didn't want to admit his love for Jesus, knowing how love can lead to sorrow.

9)      Peter gave a multilingual speech on the day of Pentecost and thousands accepted Christ, but instead of going to the "uttermost parts of the world," he hung around Jerusalem until persecution scattered the Christians (Acts 8:1b[26]).  How often does God have to give US a hard time to get us moving?

10)  Instead of going to the gentiles, Peter had to be given a vision of unclean animals and insects (Acts 10:13[27]) three times to make him willing to go with Cornelius’ servants.

11)  Having seen gentiles come to Christ, Peter sided with the Judaizers of Galatia (Gal. 2:11-12[28]).

12)  After Paul’s rebuke, Peter sided with the non-Judaizers during the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:7-10[29]) and told the Jews that they could be saved in the same way as Christians (Acts 15:11[30]).

Peter finally got it (Phi. 1:9-10[31]) – he mentions the highest form of sacrificial love which Jesus expects of all of us many times in his letters.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.  John 13:35

“Love one another” is found 12 times in the New Testament, but having seen Jesus’ pain when people whom He loved did not accept Him, Peter didn’t want to “get involved.”

Jesus was patient with Peter and let him develop.  Pastors are required to have wives and children (Titus 1:6[32]) to teach them how young children and young Christians develop – slowly!  The most important leadership verse and parenting verse I know is

For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.  II Corinthians 8:12

Part of the reason God sent us our retarded son Ben was to teach us patience, but also to show the importance of this verse.  Ben is willing to serve God, so God is satisfied as long as Ben willingly gives God the best of everything God gave him (Ro. 12:1-2[33], Eph. 2:10[34], 2 Tim. 2:24-26[35]).

I preached an Easter message about Jesus going after Peter and leading him along.  It could be used as a note on leadership; some of the ideas fit either use.

https://successful-marriage.blogspot.com/2018/12/what-drove-jesus-11-nobodies-to-turn.html  explains what drove Jesus' nobodies to turn the world upside-down.  His resurrection changed them, but didn't drive them, they went fishing instead.  What drove them to put their lives on the line to do it?  Their love for Him, their love for other Christians, and their love for the lost.

Why do people come to Christ?  Jude tells us that there are two possibilities:

And of some have compassion, making a difference: ²³And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.  Jude 1:22-23

We make a difference to some people by showing them the love of Christ, and we save others by teaching them about their sins and the fires of Hell.

 

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[1] Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. ¹⁸But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.  II Peter 3:17-18

[2] But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.  Matthew 14:30

[3] Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.  John 21:7

[4] And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.  Luke 9:33

[5] Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.  Matthew 17:4

[6] And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.  Mark 9:5

[7] But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.  Matthew 16:23

[8] But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.  Mark 8:33

[9] And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.  Matthew 26:75

[10] And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. ⁶²And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.  Luke 22:61-62

[11] Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. ²²And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:  John 20:21-22

[12] After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. ²There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. ³Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.  John 21:1-3

[13] And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. ⁶And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.  Luke 5:5-6

[14] Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.  John 21:7

[15] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  John 1:3

[16] Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.  Acts 4:13

[17] As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.  II Peter 3:16

[18] And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  Matthew 11:23

[19] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!  Matthew 23:37

[20] Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. ¹⁵And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.  Luke 10:13-15

[21] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!  Luke 13:34

[22] Jesus wept.  John 11:35

[23] And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;  Judges 16:16

[24] The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. ¹²She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.  Proverbs 31:11-12

[25] And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.  Matthew 26:75

[26] And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.  Acts 8:1b

[27] And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.  Acts 10:13

[28] But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. ¹²For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.  Galatians 2:11-12

[29] And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. ⁸And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; ⁹And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. ¹⁰Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?  Acts 15:7-10

[30] But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.  Acts 15:11

[31] And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; ¹⁰That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.  Philippians 1:9-10

[32] If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.  Titus 1:6

[33] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ²And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  Romans 12:1-2

[34] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.  Ephesians 2:10

[35] And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, ²⁵In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; ²⁶And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.  II Timothy 2:24-26