Peter’s allegiance to his king, Jesus, was legendary. When HIS SOVEREIGN KING was about to wash HIS feet, Peter, seeing the utter indignity of the King of Kings washing his slave’s feet said to Jesus, “YOU shall never wash MY feet.” When Jesus answered, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me,” Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but all of me.” I am ALL IN with you. When Jesus said he must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die, Peter’s loyalty to his master bubbled to the surface and he said essentially, “No. I will never let this happen to you.” Peter tried to rebuke Jesus. When a posse from the Chief Priest and Pharisees came to arrest Jesus and tried to put a hand on him, Peter drew his sword and slashed off the ear of Jesus’ attacker. Though he did fail Jesus in denying him, Peter’s loyalty to Jesus was absolutely fierce. In this episode we will see Peter as a model for our allegiance to our sovereign lord—but more importantly try to see what it was about Jesus that summoned such intense devotion to him from Peter's heart.
As we begin a new series this month, Worthy of Our Allegiance, I’m struck by a belief I have shared before on this blog—I think men are hardwired to want a leader to follow. I know, we like our independence. But the masculine heart has a great capacity for allegiance. However, we want to follow a leader who is worthy of our full devotion:
- A leader we respect
- One whose consistency of character we admire
- One who never asks us to do something he hasn’t done
- One who leads us on a mission that matters
- One who wins our allegiance because of his unselfish loyalty to us
- One who calls us to sacrifice because the cause is greater than our life.
Peter found such a leader in Jesus. And the more Peter walked with Jesus the more that fierce allegiance seems to have grown. Peter might not have even realized it, but he was living out the greatest of all commandments. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind (Luke 10:27). For Peter, this command to “love Jesus with all his heart” was not about singing sweet praise songs to Jesus Sunday morning or even about enjoying the pleasure of his friendship with Jesus. There was another Greek word for friendship love—PHILEO. No, Peter knew that the word for love, in the greatest commandment had little to do with sweetness. It was about loyalty, focus, intensity, single-minded devotion to his king. It was about uncompromising allegiance to his sovereign—and that kind of love is as masculine as it gets. The supreme command of Scripture is to give to God AGAPE love, which is supreme allegiance, uncompromising loyalty, devotion that costs what is dearest to you. If anyone would come after me he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it (Matt 16:24). Peter would eventually die, literally, for Jesus. What was it about Jesus that evoked such respect, such supreme allegiance? Let’s look at some of the events of Peter’s life and find some lessons for ourselves.
A. PETER’S KING BELIEVED IN HIS POTENTIAL. Peter first met Jesus down in Judea, by the Jordan river, where John the Baptist was baptizing. Andrew found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought Peter to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas,” (which means Peter) (Jn 1:41-42). Names matter in Scripture, especially when God gives them. Mary’s baby was to be called Jesus (in Greek) Joshua (in Hebrew)—which means salvation is from Yahweh. Abram was changed to Abraham meaning father of many nations and God changed Sarai to Sarah when she was about to become the mother of Isaac. On the day Jesus met Simon Son of John, Jesus changed his name from Simon—a very common name in Israel at the time to —CEPHAS in Aramaic and PETROS in Greek. Both words mean rock. Three years later, when Peter was the first to profess that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus said to Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah!...And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt 16:17-18). Jesus knew that Peter’s spiritual perception of his identity (made known only by God’s grace) combined with Peter’s leadership would be the rock upon which his church would be built after the resurrection, and on the very day he met Peter, Jesus assigned him a name that pointed to his potential. Think about what it must have been like to have your name changed. Your name is personal; it is….you. And the name Jesus chose meant something. Peter didn’t fully know what that was, but it communicated one thing: Jesus believed in him. This was personal. Jesus’ purpose for him was so intertwined with Peter’s personal identity, that Jesus changed that identity, that name. Simon became Peter. I wonder how many times in Peter’s life, he found motivation to live up to his name, because Jesus was making him a rock for others to lean on and push against, finding security. Changing Peter’s name was personal.
Although Simon Peter had a unique role to play in Christ’s kingdom work—so do you. Whether or not you see God’s hand in giving your name to you, your King calls you by name: But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I HAVE CALLED YOU BY NAME, YOU ARE MINE” (Is 43:1). Astonishingly, the Bible teaches that Christ-followers are God’s invaluable inheritance (Eph 1:18). In fact, Revelation 2:17 suggests that we are so precious to Christ that he has given every believer a special name that no one else knows. To the one who conquers I will give…a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. Loyalty to King Jesus is personal.
B. PETER’S KING GAVE HIM A SENSE OF PURPOSE. After fishing all night with a trio of other professionals, Peter lent his boat to Jesus as a platform for preaching. Afterwards, Jesus, the fishing rookie, told Peter to put out into the deep and let down their nets for a catch. Despite their doubts they obeyed him. We read,
They enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken…And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him (Lk 5:5-11).
Jesus gave Peter a new purpose, to follow him as his disciple. There are three aspects to discipleship that form the basis of this podcast. 1) A disciple loves his master and hangs out with him—We are called TO CHRIST (to enjoy a love relationship with him.) That is why this month our topic is Worthy of Our Allegiance. 2) A disciple follows the Master as his model—We are called TO BE LIKE CHRIST (to holy, Christ-like attitudes.) That is why in March our topic was, Our Mission to Be Like Christ—Eight Kingdom Attitudes. 3) A disciple embraces the cause of his Master—We are called TO SPREAD CHRIST’S KINGDOM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS OVER EVERY SPHERE OF LIFE. That is why in February, our topic was Understanding & Meeting the Needs of a Wife’s Heart. Jesus’ call to discipleship meets the deep heart yearning to matter. Rick Warren points out.
You were planned for God’s pleasure. The moment you were born into the world, God was there as an unseen witness, smiling at your birth. He wanted you alive and your arrival gave him great pleasure. God did not need to create you, but he chose to create you for his own enjoyment. You exist for his benefit, his glory, his purpose, and his delight. Bringing enjoyment to God, living for his pleasure, is the first purpose of your life. When you fully understand this truth, you will never again have a problem with feeling insignificant. It proves your worth. If you are that important to God, and he considers you valuable enough to keep with him for eternity, what greater significance could you have? (Purpose-Driven Life).
Not only does Jesus’ call, “Follow me” give us purpose, Peter learned a second, vital lesson about that purpose. The moment Peter saw the supernatural catch of fish, he knew he is in the presence of the divine. In terror, he fell down on his knees—he is up to his chest in fish—and cried out to Jesus, “Get away from me, for I am a sinful man.” I bet Peter never forgot that scene, nor Jesus’ unfathomable response, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” Have you ever despaired over YOUR sin and been convinced God could never use you because you are too dirty to lead your home, for your prayers to be answered, or to ever be used to point others towards Christ? “Peter,” says Jesus, “you are a worse sinner than you can ever realize; now go and catch men!” Our sinfulness does not revoke his plan to use us. How those words must have drawn Peter to Jesus.
C. PETER EXPERIENCED FIRSTHAND HIS KING’S LOVE FOR HIS FAMILY. We read that on sabbath, after preaching at the synagogue in Capernaum, Jesus arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them (Lk 4:38-39). We tend to read right past this episode about Peter’s mother-in-law having a fever. But scholars tell us that Dr. Luke uses a precise word here for a life-threatening, extremely high fever—a fever from which few recovered. Peter’s beloved wife must have been worried sick over the very real possibility of losing her mom any moment. Peter was there, when her condition came to the attention of Jesus. He saw Jesus stand over her and rebuke the fever. He saw his mother-in-law’s eyes open. Perhaps Peter watched his wife reach down to check her mom’s forehead, a smile spreading across her face, and then shout for joy, “She’s healed. She’s healed.” What must it have meant to Peter that the Master had listened to the frantic appeals of his wife and saved her mother from dying? Has your Lord worked graciously in the lives of some of those you love most? May our gratefulness fire renewed allegiance to him! Are there wandering loved ones still needing God’s grace to draw them to himself? Never stop praying for them. God loves them more than you do. He IS love. Never stop praying. Never. Never.
D. PETER’S KING GRABBED HIS HAND WHEN HIS FAITH FAILED. After feeding the 5000, Jesus sent his disciples across the lake. But wind from the west was so strong that by 3 AM they still had not reached the opposite shore. We pick up the story: Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So, Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him (Mt 14:25-31).
The disciples lived in a world where demon possession was a visible reality and we don’t know what other forms demons might take. We know little about the disciples’ fear of ghosts. And we don’t know what Peter was thinking. But Peter did know one thing about human beings: they don’t walk on water. When this ghost claimed to be Jesus, it had to be a ghost—unless Jesus’ miracle-working power could make humans walk on the water. It that were Peter’s thinking, his request is logical. If this is Jesus—he’s a human—that means humans can walk on water through his miracle-working power—so this voice that sounds like Jesus might really be him—but his miracle-working power only comes when he commands it. I’m going to test this hypothesis, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” In classic leadership style, Peter decides to take the risk for the other eleven and find out the truth. And…it was Jesus, his supernatural command enabling Peter to walk on the water. Boldly, Peter has stepped out of the boat on behalf of all twelve. But it appears that he took his eyes off Jesus and set his focus on the intense winds. He became afraid and began to sink. He cried out in desperation, “Lord, save me.” We read, Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him.
Twenty years ago, I set out to begin what has been called a “faith-based” ministry, meaning it depends upon God’s provision for our financial needs. Many times, I have said to the Lord, “You don’t lead someone out on a limb and saw off the branch. I know you. You don’t do that. So please meet this need soon!” And he has provided faithfully for us year after year. I don’t know how God might be leading you to step out of the boat and walk by faith—a new health challenge, losing a loved one, a failed relationship, wayward kids, a boring job, starting a business, a new job, or a different career. Peter was mildly rebuked for his unbelief when he took his eyes off Jesus—but the truth is there were still eleven disciples safely sitting back in the boat. And the second truth is this: When you step out in faith to follow Jesus when your faith fails, Jesus will immediately reach out his hand and take hold of you. Don’t remain safe back in the boat. Trust Jesus to catch you when you fall.
E. KING JESUS WASHED PETER’S FEET. This unimaginable event—the King of Kings and Lord of Lords taking off his outer clothes, stooping down to the floor, and washing his followers’ feet was described by The Apostle John,
When Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him (Jn 13:1-5).
I wonder how many times, the rest of Peter’s life, his mind went back to that night--the feel of Jesus’ hands on his calloused feet, the dripping of the water, the drying of his toes with the towel. No wonder Jesus and the other disciples changed the world. He loved them to the end. Or as one translation reads, He showed them the full measure of his love. Perhaps that is a little loose as a translation, because he would not show the full measure of his love until the next day…on the cross, leading Peter to write, You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ (1 Pet 1:18). Peter’s allegiance to King Jesus was fueled by the knowledge that Jesus was worthy of the best Peter could give him. Last week I saw a Facebook post of a quote by Christian professor, Esau McCaulley. It read, Just to be clear. The cost of my unrelenting devotion was unimaginably high, the shed blood of the second person of the Trinity. I’m a Christian because God has loved me better, longer, and more consistently than any human has or could. It’s the love that won me. The costly love of King Jesus for his subjects—inspiring fierce allegiance to him!
F. KING JESUS WENT OUT OF THE WAY TO ENCOURAGE PETER WHEN HE FAILED. The night before Jesus died, Peter was boasting that he loved Jesus more than the other disciples. Mark 14:27 reads, And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered’…. Peter said to him, “Even though THEY all fall away, I WILL NOT.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” With that background, and knowing what happened let’s look at John 21, which takes place after Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus has just conducted a miracle just like the miracle he did when he first called Peter to be a fisher of men—supernaturally filling their nets with fish. They cooked some for breakfast. We then read:
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Now, Peter has learned his lesson. He does NOT say, “YES, I love you more than these other six disciples.” He just says “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” (Jesus) said to him, “Feed my lambs.” Three times Peter had denied Jesus, so Jesus now gives Peter three opportunities to affirm his sincere devotion to him. He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” Peter was serving a King who allowed—even predicted that he would fail. But that king made sure that Peter knew his failure was forgiven and that he was restored to his calling from Jesus. Serving a king who provides the encouragement that is oxygen for the soul ignites allegiance.!
The final story of Peter’s allegiance to the King who ignites our deepest passion to be loyal to him wasn’t recorded in Scripture. But it was in history. Jesus’ prophecy that when he was old, Peter would stretch out his hands and be led to a place he did not want to go (Jn 21:18) was fulfilled in 64 AD. During the Roman emperor, Nero’s persecution, Peter was taken captive and sentenced to be crucified. Peter’s last request was honored. It was that he be crucified upside-down because he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as his King, the Lord Jesus Christ.
For Further Prayerful Thought:
- What do you think of the argument that the kind of love we are to give God in the greatest commandment is more about loyalty than feelings? Does this argument matter? Why or why not?
- What do you think were the strongest characteristics of Jesus’ kingship that summoned allegiance from the heart of Peter?
- Which incidents from Peter’s life stood out most to you?
- What ideas do you have about how to regularly stoke the fires of your own allegiance to King Jesus?
