The Role of Peter in the Ministry of Jesus

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The Role of Peter in the Ministry of Jesus

Peter is mentioned 39 times in the fourth gospel, which is much more

than in either of the other synoptics. The fourth gospel does not have

an inner circle so to speak as existed in Mark’s gospel and is not the

key figure, again just like in Mark’s gospel, in the fourth gospel the

Beloved Disciple is the key figure, but whenever he is mentioned so is

Peter.

Peter’s first mention in the gospel is when his brother Andrew says

that the Messiah has been found and he wants to retrieve his brother,

who was then called Simon. Jesus renamed him Peter, ‘He [Andrew]

bought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son

of John. You are to be called Cephas/Peter (which means rock).’ (John

1.42). This is due to Jesus needing someone to rely on in his hour of

need; he thought he could rely on Peter, but Peter’s character is

weak, as he collapses under pressure. Jesus predicted at the Last

Supper that Peter would deny him three times before the cock crowed

when Jesus was arrested, Peter did deny Jesus three times, once to the

woman who guarded the gate to the High Priests House, once to a group

of soldiers and once to the relative of the man whose ear Peter cut

off, once he had denied Jesus a third time, the cock crowed.

However, in Peter’s defence he does commit totally to a subject, but

he can be over excite, enthusiastic and doesn’t think before he acts.

This was proved in the Garden of Gethsemane when the soldiers came to

arrest Jesus. Peter had a sword and struck the High Priest’s slave and

cut off his right ear. Peter does what he says previously in the

chapter that he will de...

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with Jesus, after eating, Jesus asks Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you

love me more than these?’ Peter answers, ‘Yes, Lord you know that I

love you.’ Jesus replies saying ‘Feed my lambs. Simon, Son of John do

you love me?’ Again Peter replied, ‘Yes Lord you know that I love

you.’ Jesus said ‘Tend my sheep.’ And for the third time he asked ‘Do

you love me?’ Peter replied hurt ‘Lord, you know everything; you know

that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’ Peter being

asked three times if he loved Jesus was Jesus’ way of cancelling out

the three times Peter denied him. It was also the time that Peter was

being commissioned and being told what is expected of him; to feed

Jesus’ lambs, to tend his sheep and again to feed his sheep.

Peter became a leader of the Christian community after Jesus had left

them.

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