Introductions and Identities

            The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”  When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
                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. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).

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 ). (John 1:35-42)

 

            I love to imagine scenes in which Jesus talks with people. In fact, they are one of the reasons I believe Scripture to be inspired by God. I can't imagine any people making up stories that include the storytellers so honestly. There are more recorded interactions between Jesus and Peter than any other disciple. Sometimes, Peter comes across as a champion, sometimes as a court jester, and a few times as a villain. It reads real, even when miracles take place. 

          This passage is the meeting of Jesus and Peter. Yes, believe it or not, they did not meet on the beach. Andrew had heard John the Baptist identify Jesus as the Messiah. Andrew ran and found his brother, Simon. When Simon showed up, Jesus announced that he's going to be called Cephas - or Peter. "The one how hears" becomes "the rock." 

            Years ago, Tim LaHaye wrote Spirit Controlled Temperament dealing with the four classic personality types using Biblical examples. Peter was described as being Sanguine. He was impulsive, talkative, excitable, dramatic, and tended to open his mouth in order to change feet. If he were a character from Winnie the Pooh, he'd be Tigger. You just never knew which direction he'd bounce. That may not be what Peter was truly like, but I still see him that way.

            In the Jewish culture, parents dreamed of their sons being scholars. They were taught to recite the Torah as children. The best were selected to go enter mentorship programs. Peter hadn't made that cut. Maybe they hadn't thought his understanding of the Torah was good enough. Maybe he couldn't sit still and listen to a rabbi talk, and talk, and talk.

           So imagine his meeting someone who may or may not be the Messiah, and the first thing this VIP says is "You're going to be called, 'The Rock.'"  In that culture, names were believed to reflect the character of the person named. Giving someone a name was an act of lordship. Jesus wasn't just giving Simon a nickname, He was telling him, "You're in. You're mine."

        I also have to wonder about Andrew (whose name means "manly".)  Andrew, who heard first, met first. Andrew , who probably always stood in Peter's shadow. Andrew, who found his brother and brought him back. Andrew, who didn't get a new name, but did get invited to "come and see." I wonder if Andrew was quieter, more inquisitive. He wasn't looking for a slap on the back, but just to be able to sit, look, and listen. 

           Jesus meets us as we are. I met Him by a combination of being allowed to hang around the edge of the crowd and by direct challenge to my way of seeing things. How did you meet Him? Today, our identities aren't as tied up in our names as they were then. How has Jesus changed your identity?
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Birthday of Wilbur Wright