But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
—Luke 5:8
Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
—John 13:37
Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)
—John 18:10
And [the disciples] all left [Jesus] and fled.
—Mark 14:50
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
—Acts 4:13
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
—Acts 5:29
Human nature doesn't change on its own. But the One who created humans can also restore them to be in His image.
The Bible doesn't describe angels as chubby babies. The typical response to knowingly encountering an angel was fear, maybe even terror. That is the same reaction that Isaiah had to his vision of the Lord on His throne. Then a seraph, holding in his hand a burning coal, touched Isaiah's mouth and declared atonement. Then Isaiah was ready to go and do the Lord's work.
Peter initially reacted in fear to (partially) realizing the identity of Jesus. But he and James and John followed Jesus anyway. The three of them were terrified (again) on the mountain where Jesus was transfigured. But they kept following. The night of the Last Supper, Peter proclaimed that he was ready to follow Jesus, but Jesus knew better, and told Peter so. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus corrected Peter again for trying to fight fire with fire.
Peter was one of those who ran away.
But, by the sea, the risen Jesus met Peter and again called him to follow. Later, those who had opposed Jesus also opposed Peter and the others, but recognized that they had been with Jesus. Peter and the others declared their loyalty to Jesus in the face of corrupt human opposition.
Peter and the others were changed. Not by their own power. But by following, and re-following, Jesus.
Change (part 2)
Blessed is the man who makes
the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after a lie!
—Psalm 40:4
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
—Luke 5:8
Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
—John 13:37
Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)
—John 18:10
And [the disciples] all left [Jesus] and fled.
—Mark 14:50
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
—Acts 4:13
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
—Acts 5:29
Human nature doesn't change on its own. But the One who created humans can also restore them to be in His image.
The Bible doesn't describe angels as chubby babies. The typical response to knowingly encountering an angel was fear, maybe even terror. That is the same reaction that Isaiah had to his vision of the Lord on His throne. Then a seraph, holding in his hand a burning coal, touched Isaiah's mouth and declared atonement. Then Isaiah was ready to go and do the Lord's work.
Peter initially reacted in fear to (partially) realizing the identity of Jesus. But he and James and John followed Jesus anyway. The three of them were terrified (again) on the mountain where Jesus was transfigured. But they kept following. The night of the Last Supper, Peter proclaimed that he was ready to follow Jesus, but Jesus knew better, and told Peter so. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus corrected Peter again for trying to fight fire with fire.
Peter was one of those who ran away.
But, by the sea, the risen Jesus met Peter and again called him to follow. Later, those who had opposed Jesus also opposed Peter and the others, but recognized that they had been with Jesus. Peter and the others declared their loyalty to Jesus in the face of corrupt human opposition.
Peter and the others were changed. Not by their own power. But by following, and re-following, Jesus.