Anchored: The Life and Letters of the Apostle PeterУзор

Beloved friend, what a journey we’ve taken through God’s Word as we’ve carefully studied the life and letters of the apostle Peter. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been convicted, challenged, encouraged, and, thankfully, I’ve been changed. I pray you have too!

Let’s pause to consider the legacy left by Peter. From the young fisherman who abandoned everything to follow Christ to the elder apostle martyred for his faith, I believe the anthem of Peter’s life would be “Jesus is better!” His single-gaze devotion transformed him from brash disciple to the undisputed leader of the early church. He truly became the rock that Jesus promised he would become.

In surveying Peter’s life, we can easily relate to his journey as a disciple. In his initial call from Jesus by the sea of Galilee, we can hear the Lord beckoning each of us to come follow Him. In studying Peter’s flawed humanity, we see how Jesus can take our messiest moments and transform them for His glory. In Peter’s obedience to the Great Commission, we find a role model for what it means to go all in for Jesus and serve Him with all our might. Peter proves the perfect example of discipleship.

The Gospels reveal Peter as the one who asked Jesus the most questions, was by Jesus’s side in critical moments, and who personally experienced grace in a radical way. Simply put, Peter helps us behold Jesus. His eyewitness accounts and his letters afford us a front row seat to the King of glory.

In contemplating my own love for Jesus, I’m struck by the fact that I owe this relationship to the first apostles, like Peter, who were faithful to their calling to go and tell. They didn’t shrink back, but boldly told the world the good news! Peter was a disciple who made disciples. He spread the story about Jesus to the world and left a legacy of transformed lives in his wake. Goodness gracious, I want that to be my story.

When I consider the faith struggles Peter endured to help bring the gospel to us, it brings me to tears. Friend, nothing is wasted! The Lord redeems every struggle for His glory. Jesus redeemed Peter’s betrayal, failures, and even his fears so we could find hope in our own.

Jesus is Life!

I went through a heartbreaking season in my mid-thirties when my faith was severely tested. At that time, Peter’s testimony in the Gospels proved an anchor to my soul. Satan’s fiery darts rained down, telling me that following Jesus wasn’t worth it. I had a choice to make. Would I keep following the Lord, even though my life hadn’t turned out like I expected? The temptation to turn back to the world was real. The question before me was this: Did I want a life with or without Jesus? The testimony of Peter’s faith directly from Scripture gave me an answer that defeated the accusations of the evil one.

In John 6, the massive crowds who followed Jesus began to leave when His teachings proved challenging. They wanted an earthly king who performed miracles, provided them with food, and would promptly kick the Roman oppressors off their land. But Jesus shattered their Messianic presuppositions by confronting their deeper need.

Forcing the massive crowds into a decision, Jesus declared that it was only by partaking of His broken body that anyone can be delivered from the real oppressor—sin and death. Confused, the crowds found this teaching too hard. They couldn’t fathom a Messiah who would die, much less offer His body as the source of life. As they walked away, Jesus looked to His handful of disciples and said, “Do you want to go too?”

Many followers of Jesus turned back. But not Peter. When he weighed the choice: life with Jesus or life without Him, there was really no option. He pushed all his chips in. Jesus is life! In my darkest hour, I came to the same crossroad. Did I want Jesus for what He could give me or for who He was? I resonated with Peter’s response in every fiber of my being. I knew it was a holy word for me. I had tasted life without Jesus and life with Him, and like Peter, I knew, Jesus is better!

Peter kept choosing Jesus. He testified before the Jewish religious leaders and a ruthless Roman government that Jesus is life. They tried to silence him, but couldn’t make him stop speaking of what he had seen and heard. From a prison cell in Jerusalem to one in Rome, Peter held fast to his faith, and until his last breath, Peter chose Jesus.

While most of us will never suffer the harsh reality of a martyr’s death, we will face pressure to compromise our convictions, such as denying the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. And we will all certainly be tempted to hope in something other than the Lord. If studying Peter’s life has taught us anything, we’ve discovered that becoming a person who stands firm until the end requires anchoring our lives to the supremacy of Jesus Christ.

No Other Name!

In Acts 3, Peter and John healed a lame man at the temple gate. When confronted about this miracle, Peter, filled with the Spirit, quickly gave a bold and convicting reply.

The miraculous power, the bold preaching, and the intense passion were merely byproducts of the greater reality—Peter “had been with Jesus.” Precious friend, please hear and consider carefully the power of these two simple words—with Jesus.

Life “with Jesus” is the anchor of our souls!

Anchor Your Life to This Truth:

When the curtain closes on each of our lives, may this be our legacy: she was “with Jesus.” I pray our devotion to and passion for Jesus become like Peter’s. Let us prioritize Jesus to the point that His glory spills over to a watching world, making them yearn for the redemption we have experienced. This kind of life is the legacy of the apostle Peter. Now, dear sister, let us pick up the baton of faith and tell the world, “Jesus is better.”

Read John 6:68-69. Think back to the moment in which you decided to start following Jesus. Challenge yourself to make that decision a daily occurrence.