John 1:42 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 ).
The Apostle Peter was not always known by that name. His given name was Simon and he was the son of a man named John. In today’s verse, Andrew, another of the Apostles brought his brother Simon to meet the man he believed wholeheartedly was the Messiah. This occurred at the beginning of Jesus’s ministry.
Jesus, upon meeting Simon, immediately knows who he was – the son of John – as well as who he would become – Peter, which is translated as rock. Peter was to be foundational in the building of the early church and Jesus knew this. His divine knowledge and insight saw Simon’s identity as Peter, as well as where he came from (which included more than just his father’s name).
An interesting side note – the meaning of Simon is “that hears” or “that obeys.” And that is what he did. He listened to his brother and followed him to meet this Man. Then when Jesus told him to follow Him, he dropped his nets and walked away from his life as a fisherman. He obediently became a follower of Christ, despite being one of the only disciples to have a wife.
If you are confused at the words you might have in your Bible for his name, let’s clear it up before going on. In Aramaic, which is what they spoke during Jesus’s ministry, is Cephas. But many of the New Testament books were written in Greek, and his name in Greek is written as Peter, which is what we are familiar with today. Both mean rock or stone.
Why is this so important? A name was more than just labels we know people by. They represented a person’s character, nature, and often their calling. Only three people in the Bible were ever renamed, and each was renamed by God or an Angel of the Lord. These people were Abram, who became Abraham, Jacob who became Israel, and Simon who became Peter. Paul did not undergo a name change, contrary to belief. Paul is the Greek version of his Hebrew name Saul.
Jesus recognized that Simon had a purpose for his life. He looked beyond the flaws and mistakes in Simon’s life. He saw who he would become. And so He renamed him and gave him a purpose to pursue (I will make you fishers of men). He called him a rock which pointed to what would come later – the strong, foundational role Peter would play in building the early church.
If you feel like you are beyond hope, out of reach, unable to be forgiven, forget that. Jesus sees us at our worst, at our weakest, drowning in the consequences of our sinful life, and He loves us despite that. Why? Because He sees us as we truly are. He sees the us that we will become.
He transforms us and gives us a new destiny, one that is with Him forevermore in His kingdom.
Prayer: Lord, Thank You for giving me purpose in my life. Thank You for seeing me for who I can be, not who I am currently. Let me be transformed into a humble servant, a child of God who loves and gives freely. Amen
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