Simon Becomes Peter (Part 1)

When Jesus first met Simon, He looked at him and called him "Peter," which means a rock.  (John 1:40-42)  In the Bible names were often changed by God to indicate a change of character or nature.  Jesus was seeing that Peter would indeed one day be a rock, one of solid character and one of the foundational apostles in the beginning of the church.

Just after the Last Supper, Jesus and Simon Peter had the following exchange:  "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: ³² But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. ³³ And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. ³⁴ And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me"  (Luke 22:31-34)

Jesus called him by his old name Simon, but also by his new name Peter. I believe it was because Jesus was letting him know that on the other side of his failure he would be restored and would indeed be Peter, the rock.  Although Simon Peter, would fail the coming test, he would not be disqualified. 

Jesus knew Peter was about to act out of his old nature, instead of the new man he was called to be.  Sometimes there are things in our lives that we do acting out of our old nature and it surprises us.  But it is not a surprise to God.  He knew it was in there all along and arranged a circumstance for it to come out so it could be dealt with.  Satan is often used as God's tool to sift us.  That sifting brings a purity.

The dictionary definition of sifting is ”examine (something) thoroughly so as to isolate that which is most important or useful." 

Peter was indeed sifted by this experience.  Jesus could see beyond the sifting that was about the take place in Peter's life. It was like Jesus was saying "you are going to fail in the coming test, but I still see the rock in you."

Jesus loves us as we are but He also loves us enough to not leave us in our current condition.  And He makes available to us all we need to become all He had in mind even before we were conceived. 

Just as Jesus had told him he would, Simon denied him. When he realized what he had done he went out and wept bitterly. 

(The only other place I have found it recorded in Scripture that Jesus called Simon by the name "Peter" is  Matthew 16:17-19 "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹ And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.")