Sunday, June 12, 2005
Name Change
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.
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.
