Sermon Tone Analysis

Peter Transformed: from patriotic zealot to humble servant

For Peter, the idea of kingdom and rule was huge:

Jesus’ first words recorded in the NT: Repent, for the Kingdom of God has come near

Simon, First Disciple of Jesus:

Peter becomes passionate about Jesus becoming the next king over Israel, one who will his nation from an oppressive and authoritarian empire :

in the shadow of a huge temple dedicated to the worship of Caesar; In inscriptions one reads things like “Emperor Augustus Caesar, god and lord” and “Nero, the lord of the whole world.”

John the Baptist: a dead prophet, counter-religion spiritual leader, killed for speaking out against Herod and the ruling class.

somehow resurrected and walking about as Jesus, to the great fear and surprise of his murderers.

Elijah: ancient OT prophet who never died, but was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind.

Malachi the Prophet had foretold that Elijah would return to prepare the Day of the Lord, the coming of Messiah who would redeem and restore God’s reign and rule.

One of the prophets:Jeremiah, for instance, was a suffering servant who often spoke of the future of Israel as a nation.

There was a Jewish teaching going around that Jeremiah and Isaiah would return at some point to return Jerusalem to glory (2 Esdras 2:18).

When Peter says to Jesus, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God, Lord, he is committing treason against the empire of Rome.

It is a seditious act to declare Jesus to be king and not Caesar, to declare your allegiance over and against the ruling empire of man.

Peter declares he would die for Jesus, that he would put his life on the line so that Jesus might become king:

And yet, Jesus shows him, time and time again, that through suffering and humility, through service, through kindness and love of others, you bring about a kingdom that is not of this world.

Peter denies knowing Jesus, betrays his friendship, curses the relationship between them.

He abandons Jesus completely.

Yet Jesus approaches Peter and restores the relationship.

He reconciles with him.

And he ultimately tells Peter:

Peter then leads the church in Jerusalem.

He preaches the gospel of Jesus and leads thousands to repentance and welcomes them into the church.

Peter sees God move powerfully, by freeing him from prison, by raising people from the dead and healing disease and demon-possession.

He leads God to gentile believers and widens the doors of God’s kingdom to include the Gentiles:

The last words of Peter in the book of Acts are about God’s plan that his kingdom spread to the ends of the earth, not through political dominance or political maneuvering or violent acts, but through the gospel of the kingdom, the good news of Jesus emptying himself out and taking the form of a servant, and dying humbly.

Peter become a witness in word and deed to everything Jesus ever was and did (witness=martus=martyr).

Peter’s letters to the church are telling:

After leaving Jerusalem, Peter was active as a missionary, traveling with his wife (1 Cor 9:5); he was active in Antioch probably in A.D. 48 (Gal 2:11–14), and he participated in the apostles’ council in Jerusalem in A.D. 48 (Acts 15:7), where he reminded the believers that God had used him in the early days of the church to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles without requiring them to become Jews (Acts 15:7).

Early p 40 traditions place Peter in Rome, at least by the time of Nero, during whose reign he is said to have died as martyr, being crucified upside down (Acts Pet.

38).

If this information is reliable, Peter’s death is best dated during the Neronian persecution in A.D. 64.

The point here: Peter is not a model of faithfulness.

He gets angry, he waffles, he’s proud, he struggles with putting his kingdom over God’s.

But love transforms him.

Jesus forgives him, welcomes him in, offers him a new and better inheritance.

Jesus writes his own story on Peter’s heart, and gives him confidence in an inheritance that does not perish or fade.