April 16 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

John 21:15–17

Devotional

Christ asks Peter three times if he loves Him. It is remarkable that Christ does not address him here by the name “Peter.” Three times he is called by his old name, “Simon.” “Simon, son of Jonas.” When Jesus met him for the first time, He said to Peter: “Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas” (John 1:42). The name Cephas means the same as Peter. It means “stone” or “rock.” From then on the Lord no longer called him Simon, but Peter. That was his new name.

But now Peter falls back to his old name. By his denial of Christ, he again becomes Simon, son of Jonas. In his natural condition, he is born in sin. Peter was saved by sovereign grace, but he retreated into his natural condition when in the hall of Caiaphas he swore that Christ was a stranger to him. Peter cast off his new name and at the same time he denied God’s work in his heart.

However, the Lord came back and completed His own work in Peter’s life. That is the great difference between Peter and Judas. Peter was not better than Judas. The only real difference between them was the seeking and sustaining love of God manifested in Peter’s life. Christ could have dealt altogether differently with Peter. He could have justly pushed Simon away from Him. He could have renounced him, as Peter himself had done to Him. We might even expect that. That is how man would have acted. People strike back hard. That is why hard people also have hard thoughts of God.

But it is not Christ’s purpose to be hard on Peter. The Lord has only one question for him. It is a question which causes His fallen child to be more deeply ashamed than if a thousand harsh words would have been spoken to him. It is a question that humbles Peter by the power of Christ’s love. “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” By the word “these,” the other disciples are meant. Thus Christ asks if Peter loves Him more than the other disciples do. This question has its reason, for at times Peter indeed thought that he stood above the others. In pride he announced, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended!”

Pride is a dangerous power. It is an enemy that is always present, even after conversion. Pride causes disunity between brethren and it leads to a loss of communion with God. Pride takes over when one forgets that he is Simon, a son of Jonas, that is to say, a son of Adam. When a pardoned sinner forgets his origin, he becomes proud before God and others. Oh, church of God, do not forget your origin! That will keep you from many sins and schisms.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.