Simon Peter – His Life and Its Lessons
HIS CONFESSION
At the close of John 6 we have a clear and beautiful confession of Christ from the lips of our apostle – a confession rendered all the more touching and forcible by the circumstances under which it was delivered.
Our Lord’s teachings in the synagogue at Capernaum unfolded truth that tested the human; withering the pretensions of man in a remarkable manner. The effect of our Lord's discourse is recorded: “From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.” They were not prepared for such heavenly doctrine. They were offended by it, turning their backs on Jesus Christ, Who alone was worthy of all affections of the heart, and homage and devotion of the whole moral being. “They went back, and walked no more with Him.”
We are not told what became of these deserters. We are simply told that they abandoned Christ, and ceased to be publicly identified with His name and His cause. Many have since followed their sad example. It is one thing to profess discipleship of Christ, and another to stand with firm purpose of heart on the ground of public testimony of His name. It is one thing for people to flock to Christ because of His benefits, and it is quite another to cleave to Him in the face of scorn and contempt. Application of the doctrine of the cross speedily thins the ranks. In the chapter before us we see at one moment multitudes thronging enthusiastically around the Man who so marvelously supplied their need, and the next moment abandoning Him, when His teaching offended their pride.
Thus it has been, thus it is, and thus it will be until that day when the despised Stranger of Nazareth reign from pole to pole, and from the river to the ends of the earth. Most of us are ready enough to avail ourselves of the benefits and blessings that a loving Savior can bestow, but when it becomes a question of following a rejected Lord along the rough and lonely path He walked for us, we are, like those of old, disposed to go back and walk no more with Him.
This is sad and humiliating. It proves how little we know of His heart, or what His heart desires from us. Jesus longs for fellowship, not patronage. It must break His heart to be followed, admired, or gazed at, because of what He can do or give. He delights in a heart that appreciates His Person, because this glorifies and gratifies the Father. He retired from an excited and tumultuous throng who, because they had eaten of the loaves and were filled, wanted to make Him a king. But, in contrast, He turned with touching earnestness to the little band of followers who still remained, challenging their hearts with the question, “Will ye also go away?” What a revealing question. A moment was approaching when all would forsake Him – when He would be left absolutely alone, forsaken of men, forsaken of God – utterly and deserted.
But that moment was still in the future; and it is refreshing to hear the confession of our apostle, in reply to the deeply affecting inquiry of his Lord. “Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
“To whom shall we go?” There was not another throughout the universe to whom the heart could turn. Jesus alone could meet every need, satisfy every righteous desire, and fill every chamber of the heart. Simon Peter felt this, and therefore, even with all his mistakes, failures, and infirmities, his loving and devoted heart turned with earnest affection to Jesus. Though unable to personally rise to the height of His heavenly teaching, Peter would not abandon Him. There was a link binding him to Jesus Christ that nothing could snap. “Lord, to whom shall we go?” Yes, there may be trial, roughness, difficulty, and loneliness in the path of true discipleship. The heart may be tried and tested in every possible way. There may be deep and varied sorrow – deep waters, dark shadows; but in the face of everything we can say with Peter, “To whom shall we go?”
Mark the singular fullness of Peter’s confession. “Thou hast the words of eternal life;” and then, “Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” We have the two things: what He has, and what He is. First, Christ has all we can possibly want for time and eternity. Words of eternal life flow from His lips into our hearts. He causes those who follow Him to “inherit substance.” He bestows on them “durable riches and righteousness.” We can truly say that in comparison to what Christ has to give, all the riches, honors, dignities, and pleasures of this world are nothing. They all pass away like early morning vapors, leaving only an aching void behind. Nothing this world has to offer can satisfy the cravings of a human soul. “All is vanity and vexation of spirit.” In comparison with eternity, all the wealth of Solomon endures but for a moment. When the end approaches, all the riches of the universe cannot purchase one moment – death gives no quarter, but ruthlessly snaps the link that connects us with all the earthly prizes and loves of the heart, and hurries us away into eternity.
So, the question arises, “What then?” Who can answer it? Who can picture the future of a soul that passes into eternity without God, without Christ, without hope? Who can describe the horrors of all at once realizing the tremendous fact of being hopelessly, eternally lost? It is simply too dreadful to dwell on; yet, we must. In comparison with the all-important question of salvation1, all other questions dwindle into utter insignificance. “What shall it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” To put off the soul’s salvation is a most egregious folly. On the Day of Pentecost, as revealed in Acts 2, inspired Scripture says that our apostle “lifted up his voice” and spoke to the crowd. Then, something marvelous happened. “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
Second, in his lovely confession Simon Peter also speaks of what Jesus is. “Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” Christ not only gives us eternal life, but He also becomes the object of our heart’s affections – our satisfying portion, our unfailing resource, our infallible Guide and Counselor, our constant reference in all our needs, pressures, sorrows, and difficulties. We need never go to any one else for succor, sympathy, or guidance. We have all we want in Him. He is the eternal delight of the heart of God, and He wants to be the delight of our hearts here and hereafter, now and forever.
