Peter’s Conversion
The most significant thing Peter did during his three years being discipled by Jesus was not walking on water, it was a statement he made.
One day, Jesus asked the Apostles about who other people thought He was. They responded that some people thought he was John the Baptist risen from the dead or one of several Old Testament prophets. Then Jesus asked them, “But whom say ye that I am?”
Peter speaks first, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus then explains that what Peter just said is the rock on which Christianity stands (Matthew 16:13-18). Peter’s statement tells us that Jesus is the Saviour and God in the flesh. Every tenet of Christianity rests on Peter’s statement. If Jesus is not God, then He is not born of a virgin. If He is not God, then his death holds no more power than any other death in human history. If He is not God, then He is a sinner, and His blood has no saving power. If He is not God, then our prayers in His name do not reach heaven’s throne; they bounce off the ceiling. Peter’s statement is the rock on which Christianity is built.
As time moves on, we finally come to the night of Jesus’ arrest and trial. In Matthew 26:31-34, Jesus tells the Apostles something that shocks them. “All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.”
Peter, once again, is the first to speak up, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.”
Take a close look at what Peter said. There is a bit of pride here. He is saying, even if every other person in the world, including these ten (Judas had already left) guys who have spent the last three years with you, leaves, I will never leave you! He believed his faith, his walk with Christ, was far greater than anyone else could claim. It is even worse than that. He is looking God Almighty in the eye and telling Him, He’s wrong. Jesus’ response to Peter’s bold proclamation was that Peter would deny Him three times before the next morning.
Luke gives some added detail to this event. Jesus says something that Matthew did not record. Luke 22:31-32, “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
As we took a close look at what Peter said, let’s take a close look at what Jesus prayed for. Notice, Jesus did not pray that Satan would not sift Peter. He prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail. Jesus is praying that while Peter goes through this Satan-induced sifting process, Peter’s faith in God remains strong. Jesus also prayed that the sifting would lead to Peter’s conversion. Conversion here is not salvation, as many use the term today. It is a changing of the heart, a preparation that is needed for Peter to strengthen his brethren.
If Peter had faith, then why did he need to go through this sifting? He had pride in his heart. Pride is sin. Pride is the number one thing on God’s hate list (Proverbs 6:16-19). Peter, like all of us Christians, could not be used of God to his fullest extent as long as sin is in the heart. It does not have to be pride. Any sin we do not repent of and hand over to God will hinder not only our relationship with God but also any service God has planned for us.
Often, Christians think a sin they may commit is not a big deal. Sin, left unrepentant and not handed over to God, will always escalate, and Peter’s three-time denial is an excellent example of that.
Matthew’s record of Peter’s denials is found in Matthew 26:69-75.
The first denial is simple enough. A young woman mentions that Peter was with Jesus in Galilee. Peter says, “I know not what thou sayest.” In modern vernacular, he’d be saying, Woman, I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Peter raises the bar a little with his second denial. Another woman mentions that Peter was with Jesus. Matthew 26:72, “And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.” Again, in modern vernacular, he is saying, “I swear to you, I don’t know this guy.”
Peter is unconvincing through the first two denials because people continue to insist that he is a follower of Christ. Then someone says, “Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.”
Bewray means to betray. I’ve heard some preachers say that because Peter probably spoke with a non-local accent, people knew that he must have been a follower of Christ. The Southeastern United States speaks with a southern twang and is known as the Bible Belt, but that does not mean everyone from that region is a Bible believer. Whatever these people were referring to has to be more than a local accent or dialect.
Peter’s response tells us exactly what they were talking about. The Bible tells us, “Then began he to curse and to swear…” A Christian should have a clean mouth; in fact, when a Christian has a foul mouth, their religion is vain, worthless (James 1:26).
Peter has gone from the highest of highs, proclaiming that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” to the lowest of the lows; cussing and swearing and telling people he doesn’t even know who Jesus is.
Satan is sifting Peter. Let us now fast forward to his conversion.
Jesus has been killed, and He has risen again on the third day. He has met at least twice with the Apostles and with just over two hundred other believers. It appears that Peter is ready to slip back into the lifestyle of a common fisherman (John 21:3). Then Peter and Jesus have a conversation on the seaside. Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him. Peter’s response is exactly the same, the first two times, “Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.”
However, with Peter’s third response, we see that he was “grieved.” The definition of the Greek word translated grieved is “to be thrown into sorrow, to show reluctance on grounds of conscience.” In other words, sorrow with humility, conversion.
Even the Apostle Peter had to go through some sifting to be what God wanted him to be. We are no different. When difficult times come, when we don’t get things right. Don’t complain to God, ask Him what’s going on. Ask Him if He is working in you, through you, or both. Examine yourself, are there sins that need to be dealt with? There is no evidence in the Scripture that Peter knew he had a pride problem. Ask God to reveal any sins that are down in your heart that you are not even aware that you have.
God may allow Satan to sift you, but don’t allow Satan to devour you by letting your faith fail.
Preacher Tim Johnson is Pastor of Countryside Baptist Church in Parke County, Indiana. His weekly column “Preacher’s Point” may be found at: www.preacherspoint.wordpress.com