Peter: On This Rock I Will Build My Church

Part Two: His Conversion

Some Are Like Peter, Some Are Like Andrew, Jn. 1.35-42.

Have you ever known someone from afar? Perhaps you’ve read a book, or watched a movie, or heard by ear, or corresponded my mail and in doing any one of these things, you’ve formed an impression of that person. Sometimes the person may live up to the hype that you’ve surrounded them in your mind. Sometimes the person disappoints. Can you imagine the anticipation with which Jesus anticipated meeting the men who would be His disciples and believers?

He had foreknown them before the foundation of time. The Father had chosen them and given them to the Son to be His. He had placed their ancestors in towns and nations, molded the hearts of men and women to love one another, all in preparation for these men’s lives. Perhaps Jesus had already become incarnated before His disciples were born. Or perhaps He, Himself, knit them in their mother’s wombs before going into the womb Himself. Nevertheless, can you imagine the excitement of Jesus upon laying His eyes on Peter?

“Jesus looked at him and said, ‘So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas’ (which means Peter). Notice the way in which Peter was introduced to Jesus. It was through his brother Andrew. There is something we should not miss here. The Lord will always have his men like Peter. He was a mighty man of God. He is a pillar of the Church. And many a would-be theologian has longed for the day that the Lord might use him as a Peter in this generation.

Just think of what is coming in Peter’s ministry: walking on water, confession of Jesus as Christ, transfiguration, preaching that God uses to save thousands of people. So we long to be used as Simon was used. As it were, we ought to long to be more like Andrew. Sure, the Lord used Peter to bring in thousands. But He used Andrew to bring in Peter. Although an apostle, Andrew doesn’t stand out in church history. We don’t know what he did. We don’t know where he went. We don’t know how he died. But, in heaven, we shall be there because God used Andrew to bring his brother Peter to the Lord. I pray that the Lord would cause me to be more enthralled with His plan for my life rather than my plan.