Peter—Kept in a First Love for Jesus

Peter—Kept in a First Love for Jesus

Peter is probably one of the twelve disciples of Jesus who we know best. We read that as a young man he immediately left his nets to follow Jesus. As a disciple, he could seem to be a bit impulsive and he was often the first to speak up. When they saw Jesus walking on the sea, it was Peter who went out to meet Jesus on the water, but when he saw the waves, he began to sink and cried out to Jesus for help. It was Peter who had the revelation that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, but when Jesus said shortly afterwards that He would suffer in Jerusalem, it was Peter who began to rebuke Jesus, saying that this should never happen. He would never, ever, want Jesus to wash his feet, but when Jesus explained it to him, he wanted not only to have his feet washed by Jesus, but also his hands and his head. When Jesus mentioned during the Passover meal that Peter would deny him three times, Peter replied that even if he had to die with Jesus, he would not deny Him. And this really was his intention. In Gethsemane, he drew his sword out of love for his master and cut off Malchus’ ear, but a little later, he denied Jesus three times.

After the resurrection, Jesus asked him three times if he loved Him, and then he was grieved. “Lord, You know all things,” he said to Jesus, “You know that I love you.” John 21:17. That was absolutely true. In the midst of his weakness, he had kept his first love for Jesus through everything. Later, we read in the Acts of the Apostles that Peter received the Holy Spirit. Then we see a completely different Peter—empowered by the Spirit and speaking with great boldness in Jerusalem—while many signs and wonders were performed by him and the other apostles. He was there at the beginning of the church. We don’t know much about how Peter fared during the many decades later in his life, but his letters give us a very clear impression of the tremendous development that took place in his life. He writes very little about all the things he experienced as a young disciple, or about the great miracles that took place in the early days after Pentecost. On the other hand, it is stirring to read in his letters about the life and understanding he came to.

In the beginning of his second letter, he writes that we have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness, and that we have been given exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these we might be partakers of the divine nature. 2 Pet. 1:3-4. He writes about a holy life in all our conduct, a life where we flee the corruption that comes through lust, a life where the virtues of Christ grow in abundance. This had become the greatest and most crucial thing for him. This same Peter who once was not mindful of the things of God, truly received revelation about the hidden work that took place in Jesus while He was here on earth. He teaches in detail how it is precisely through suffering and trials that transformation can also take place in us. He writes about Jesus in 1 Pet. 3:18, “. . . being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.” Then he continues with this revelation: “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” 1 Pet. 4:1.

He received revelation about the salvation in Christ by following in Jesus’ footsteps, by sharing in Christ’s sufferings, and by suffering in the flesh. It is not surprising that Peter is the one who explains that in this process, we must be on guard against what arises from our soul. Peter understood that our soul needs to be purified. And not least of all when we are in sufferings, we shouldn’t think it strange, or think that we can discern everything and everyone fairly.

Throughout his long life, Peter kept himself in a burning first love for Jesus. Peter’s life truly speaks a clear and extremely hopeful message to us. He was able to write based on his own experiences in life: “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” 1 Pet. 5:10.