The Petrified Soul

Andrew took Simon to meet this man called Jesus. And the first thing that Jesus does is kind of odd. Jesus recognize Simon and calls him by his name. It makes you wonder how he knew who Simon was. Did Andrew tell Jesus about his brother? Had Jesus seen him and asked others about him? Did Jesus learn about Simon through a dream? Did the Spirit reveal Simon to Jesus? Or maybe Jesus used His divine powers to discern Simon's identity.

Then Jesus did something that most would consider quite presumptous, he changed Simon's name to Cephas (Peter), which means a rock or stone. Although Simon probably did not recognize the significance of what the nickname meant at the time, it stands as an indicator of the rock like character that Jesus intended to instill in Peter. From the first encounter, Jesus looked right through the shabby pretense of a loud-mouth fisherman and saw the finished work of Peter, an apostle and leader of the early Church. We should follow Jesus' example by seeing the potential in those we are called to disciple. We should help them discover how God can turn their weaknesses into their strengths.

Name changes in the Bible have always stood as markers of major changes taking place in the lives of individuals. This newfound relationship would become one of the most profound in the entire Bible.

Giving Simon a new name seems like a pretty bold move for someone to take having just met the other person. As Andrew had indicated, Jesus does speak with authority and passion. His very words stir up the soul and go down deep to the innermost parts of a man. There was something magnetic yet slightly alarming about Jesus.

By giving Simon a new name, Jesus showed personal interest in Simon and demonstrated the power of encouragement. Your words can either bring life or death to others. When discipling others, you will come across many people with very low self esteem. They may not believe in themselves. One of the greatest wonders of Jesus is how much faith He put in His followers. He saw their potential and encouraged them to seize it.

While we are called to believe in God, God believes in us too. Jesus could have done everything without involving man. But God decided to make man the vessel through which His message is conveyed to a hopeless world.

Before Andrew brought the news to Simon, he had a personal encounter with Jesus. He was one of two men who heard John the Baptist say that Jesus is the "Lamb of God." Andrew then followed Jesus to see what He was all about. When Jesus saw Andrew and another of John's disciples following Him, He asked what they were looking for. They wanted to know where Jesus dwelt - what was His ministry base.

Classic Jesus - He responded,"Come and see." As a teacher, Jesus preferred to ask questions instead of give answers. He wanted His followers to discover the answers for themselves. He refused to give the Cliff's Notes version to them. Jesus knew that information turns to life changing beliefs as people wrestle with questions not if they are simply given answers by a wise teacher.

By inviting the two men to come and see, Jesus called them to take ownership of His teachings and lifestyle. This is one of the first great discipleship lessons that we see from The Master. Jesus offers no easy answers. If you want to know, you are going to have to work for it. In this day and age, many Christian want to be spoon fed Biblical truth. But this leads to lukewarm Christians with lots of dirty diapers to change.

**Roughly based on John 1: 34-37, 40-41***

Just imagine that you are Simon (later called Peter the apostle), you are simple fisherman going about the day's work. You are right in the middle of fixing a broken fishing net. The catch was a bit light today, and you would like to go out for a second try if possible. Unfortunately, the broken nets on the ground are keeping you on the shore. Your brother, who is also your business partner, is nowhere to be found. You don’t have time for anything unexpected to interfere with your work. Suddenly your brother approaches you. You're a little put out with him and let him know it by the expression on your face. He rushes to you and says, “We have found the Messiah, the Christ.”

Angrily, you look at him and tell him that you don’t have time for jokes and insist that he help you. But your brother insists that he is deadly serious. You drop the net and ask, “How do you know for sure that this man is the Messiah?” Andrew explains what John the Baptist, the well-known prophet, said about the man. John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God. Andrew recounts just a few of the man’s teachings and says that He speaks as one with authority.

Someone coming up and telling you that they just met the Messiah may not mean much to you today. But it meant everything to the Jews during the time of Roman occupation. The Messiah is the one foretold in the Holy Scriptures. They thought he would restore Israel back to its glory and help destroy all of its enemies. Simon could likely think of little else after his brother’s words.

What if Andrew was right? This could change everything. Simon had to go see for himself.

The Great Commission
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”