Margery Warder

Ten Questions and We’re Off... (Background on Peter for 1st Peter Study)

Marge Warder, Christian Writers Guild Member

I’d like to offer you the opportunity to sit in your comfortable chair near a good light with your thermostat the way you want it (with or without the extra layers and lap robe) and we’ll do a Bible study together. You’ll need your Bible, paper, and a pen/pencil. We can meet even if it’s snowy or icy or sweltering hot and our locations or schedules vary so much we couldn’t otherwise do Bible study together. I’ve been working on this one and thought I’d share some of it with you. We’ll study 1st Peter, found in the back of the New Testament. You can use any Bible you want to complete questions. I’m praying you’ll gain understanding because whenever we study God’s Word, the primary teacher is His Holy Spirit.

First, let’s get background on the human author of this book. If we were inviting someone to address a group, we’d want to know something about that person. Fisherman Peter was at work when Jesus came into his area. Using Matthew chapter 4, verses 18-20 and Mark 1:16-18 in the New Testament, please answer the following questions.

1. What was Jesus’ invitation?

2. What was Peter’s response to Jesus’ invitation?

3. Who likely lived with/near Peter, where was that home, and what did Peter witness as it became the hub of activity in these verses? (Mark 1:21-34) (Note, several other places in the Gospels we’re told that when Jesus and His disciples were in this region, they went to ‘the house’ or ‘the home’ where Jesus led discussions with the disciples. ‘The home’ may be referring to Peter’s place.)

4. Peter was one of the inner circle disciples, selected to witness Jesus’ transfiguration and miracles that not all disciples saw. Who does Peter, the author of 1st Peter, say Jesus is? (Mark 8:27-30; also recorded in Matthew 16:15-19)

5. Jesus did not hide the fact that He came to earth to die, but Jesus gave out the information in small digestible doses to His disciples. One of the first times Peter hears Jesus teach about His upcoming death, (Mark 8:31-32 and/or Matthew 16:21-27) what is Peter’s reaction? What might motivate Peter’s response?

6. Peter demonstrates some humility as the disciples prepare for what is commonly referred to as ‘The Last Supper.’ Washing feet was usually the job for the lowest servant. It was for a person’s comfort and also to show honor to the guests. Using John 13:1-11, what are Peter’s first and second responses to the idea that Jesus would wash Peter’s feet?

7. Jesus continues teaching, offering His disciples a ‘cram for exam’ night because Jesus is about to leave them. When Jesus is arrested and put on trial, Peter stays as close to his Master as he can. Perhaps he wants to be on hand in case Peter can help rectify the unjust way Jesus is being handled. Perhaps he’s also fearful of consequences for those closely associated with the ‘criminal’ man being questioned. Earlier in Luke 22:33 and John 13: 37 Peter had claimed he’d not desert Jesus, that he’d go to prison with Jesus, and that he’d lay down (die) his life for Jesus. Then in the courtyard questions are asked of Peter and Peter stammers around, ending up denying he even knows who Jesus is. (Matthew 26:69-75, Mark 14:66-72,Luke 22:54-62, and John 18:15-27). When Peter hears the cock crow, what is Peter’s response?

8. After Jesus’ illegal trial with its false and contradicting witnesses, Jesus is beaten, killed by crucifixion, pierced by a spear to be certain He’s dead, taken from the cross, carried to a tomb, and His body’s wound with grave cloths. A huge stone is rolled across the mouth of the entrance to the tomb and a seal is placed upon the stone. Roman guards are assigned because officials want to be certain no one disturbs the tomb, at least not until after Jesus’ body’s begun decaying. The religious leaders think they’ve put to death an imposter and they want to prove that Jesus lied, that Jesus will not rise again as He’d claimed He’d do. The disciples hide away, likely uncertain whether to hope or not.

Then comes the first day of the new week, a week that will expose new life, new hope. The women carry burial spices toward the garden, hoping the guards will permit them to give Jesus’ body a more respectable burial. But who will move the tomb’s stone, they surely wonder.

There’s been an earthquake! The stone’s rolled away and the tomb’s empty!

The angel tells the women to go and tell the disciples, particularly Peter, that Jesus has risen from the dead!

Peter and John are the first two men to the empty tomb. They discover the grave clothes are there but Jesus is again alive! Jesus had made good His promises!

Jesus spends over a month with His disciples and others before they witness His ascension into Heaven.

Just before leaving, Peter and Jesus have another touching encounter. The disciples are back at the lake and Peter, who’s probably thinking he’s no longer qualified to be a disciple because he denied knowing Jesus, and/or being His disciple when he was in the courtyard, decides he’ll go back to doing what he knows best: fishing. Other disciples join him.

But after a night of fishing, the disciples have nothing. It’s interesting that they’d been called to be fishers of men and they’re likely thinking that morning that they’ve failed at both their old fishing and their ‘new’ fishing. I imagine they really felt useless. But they’d not ‘factored in Jesus’. Read John 21:4-14 and note Peter’s actions.

9. This ‘breakfast passage’ became more meaningful to me after my father died. As friends brought food to my mother’s house so we grievers could go about all that needs to be done before a burial and so we could spend time reminiscing and begin healing from our sorrow at the loss of someone we dearly loved, I thought of this scene in John 21. Here are the grieving disciples, uncertain of what they should pursue. Fishing sure isn’t what it used to be. Can’t even do that right. Don’t know enough to carry on the ministry yet because the Holy Spirit has not empowered them yet. Feeling both useless and full of sadness because their best friend won’t be with them if/when they do move on to other things, their spirits are low. Then from the shore Someone with a familiar voice calls to them, asking about fishing. How special that He came to where they were, knowing their hearts. And knowing where fish that could be caught are, too! Both kinds, swimmers and land walking ‘fish’. And when the disciples realize it’s their much-loved Jesus, they head for shore, Peter fastest of all. And there on the shore, Jesus as their Comforter, has coals going and, amazingly in a sense, breakfast all ready and waiting, at least enough to get them started. They’re invited to add from what He’s had them catch, but He’s made breakfast for them. To me that’s touching. And when people brought food so we could deal with all things except the ‘food’ questions, it really demonstrated love. I’d taken food to grieving homes before they came to ours. But after that, I carried it with more tenderness and purpose. I also occasionally thought a breakfast casserole was just the right thing to bring. (Sometimes I’ve also brought an assortment of cookies and breads so people can have the ‘sit around and reminisce’ food conducive to that.)

But this passage speaks of what became a special tenderness for Peter, I’m sure. After breakfast, Jesus visits with Peter. Remember, Peter knows Jesus knows Peter better than Peter knows Peter. Peter wants to think he knows how to answer questions about himself, but he probably remembers that a few weeks earlier when he’d told Jesus nothing could make him desert Jesus, Jesus knew Peter wouldn’t last the night without saying he didn’t even know Jesus. Oh how Peter grieved when he realized how weak he really was. Maybe he’d had good motives (trying to gain information or trying to stay in case he could rescue Jesus) at first, but when it got down to it, Peter knows his words denied Jesus. No doubt, even though he’s seen Jesus a few times since the resurrection, memories of how weak Peter really is when the pressure’s on haunts him. It’s that ‘reoccurring bad thing I did’ that keeps blocking hopes of serving Jesus. Think about that as you read about this encounter, but also think about how dearly Jesus loved Peter. In John 21:15 and following, breakfast has been eaten and it’s getting to be time to break up this beach breakfast gathering. The other disciples are probably familiar with Peter’s opinion of himself. I’d imagine they’ve said something like, ‘Well, at least you weren’t like Judas..’ or another might say, ‘Well, Peter, at least you and John went to the courtyard, look at how fast we fled there in the garden when they came for Jesus.’ But Peter knows he was the one who had acted most confident about staying the course regardless of the cost. Can’t you feel the loving, searching eyes of Jesus as He asks Simon Peter three some questions? What are the questions, Peter’s responses, and Jesus’ instruction? (John 21:15-19)

10. Peter’s ministry after Jesus’ ascension is recorded primarily in Acts 1-12. As you do a quick survey of Peter’s ministry, note what strikes you most about how Peter ministers and what he emphasizes as his central message.

Thank you for participating. I hope you have a greater understanding of who it is that will teach us when we start studying 1 Peter in the next lesson. I’d welcome feedback via the Bio & Contact Page.