You guess rightly. Peter the defense witness. One look at his resume before the resurrection you would not normally elect him to be the spokesman for the accused, Jesus. And yet Jesus deliberately chose him to be His spokesman. Did Jesus choose wrongly?
Peter’s credential and defense (narrated as Peter himself)
I am Peter. I was the first to call Jesus the Son of the Living God – the Messiah (Mark 8:29, Luke 9:20, Matt. 16:16-17). When Jesus called me to follow Him, I knew that He was of God and felt unworthy to be in His presence (Luke 5:6-8).
As required to stand as His witness, I shall be honest about my credential good and bad. Here is what others (especially the prosecution) would have said of me.
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Peter is a well known fisherman boss and displays all the qualities of a leader: bold, brave, upfront, strong, self-confident, knows his trade very well, wants to be player in the winning game, but does not take failure easily. He is not a follower. Jesus manages to convince him to join Jesus’ team, by a massive unprecedented display of power and the depth of knowledge of the natural elements and creatures beyond what Peter can ever fathom, giving him and his team of fishermen the catch of the year! From Peter’s perspective, being a team mate to such a master is a far better investment than his fishery industry.
Peter believes that whatever Jesus can do so can he. Jesus walks on water. So can Peter. Jesus heals the sick, casts out demons, makes the lame walk, and raises the dead, so can Peter. Peter trusts Jesus’ strength. He sees Jesus’ display of strength and not weakness. And Peter respects strength.
Jesus knows what Peter is made of and his potential as a post-resurrection witness. The Bible has recorded that Peter has more interaction with Jesus than the other disciples. He walks on water. He testifies that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and he is among the three (with James and John) whom Jesus has selected to walk with Him and experienced more of Jesus’ revelation of His true status, power and authority.
When Jesus chose the twelve, did He give the indication that they would be ruling the new Israel with Him? It was the understanding of the apostles, of which Peter was one. With Jesus’ calibre, Peter had all the confidence that he would do well to follow Jesus. They were all prone to mistakes, misstatements, wrong attitudes, failures of faith, and bitter resentment toward others when it came to competing for positions and favors. Peter even reminded Jesus that they had all given up all they had to follow Him.
It was easy to follow Jesus as long He continued to show His power and strength and His fitness to be the king for His kingdom. Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Jesus when Jesus told them His upcoming death and events that would lead up to that. It was tough to continue to believe and follow when Jesus allowed Himself to be weak, subdued, arrested, submitted to unjust trial and be sentenced to death like a common criminal. Peter lost heart to the point that he denied Jesus three times when he could not bear to face the failure-associated humiliation and mockery.
Peter was just like the rest. Jesus rebuked them of foolish, slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken about Him, the Messiah. “Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:25-26) Their repeated unbelief was recorded by Mark who transcribed the teachings of Peter. Even after Jesus had resurrected and shown Himself to various disciples, the women (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome), two disciples who walked and went into the country (Cleopas and a companion who lived in Emmaus), Peter and others could not believe their testimonies that Jesus is alive. Jesus appeared to the eleven later and rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen from the dead. John recorded that Peter even led a few others back to their old trade, fishing at the Sea of Tiberias, and Jesus had to appear to them to speak specifically to Peter, reminded him three times about his calling, and appointed him as a shepherd for the believers.
All in all, the above illustrates an unacceptable and unreliable credential for Peter as a defense witness for Christ.
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Here is what his peers and all the converts spoke of Peter in the early churches:
Peter emerged as the earliest leader for the 120 disciples who waited with him at the upper room in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them, on the day of Pentecost, and receive the power from above, as Jesus had instructed. After the Holy Spirit came upon him, Peter became a changed man, back to his leading role. He preached powerful gospel messages to the public and led many to Christ. He braved the arrest, intimidation, and punishments of the religious leaders and officials. He ministered to the multitudes with the power of the Holy Spirit, and performed healing, and many signs and wonders, including raising the dead. People laid the sick on the streets so that the shadow of Peter’s passing by might fall on them. He was walking and doing what Jesus said they could do, just as He did them, and even greater.
Peter was one of the boldest apostles of all. He willingly suffered persecution, imprisonment, beatings, and even rejoiced at the fact that he was worthy to suffer disgrace for the Lord‘s sake (Acts 5:41).
There is reliable evidence through church tradition and early church historians that the Gospel of Mark is actually the gospel of Peter. Peter is said to have dictated his discipleship with Jesus to John Mark, who was a companion of his for many of the later years of his life. Peter also authored two epistles in the New Testaments, First and Second Peter, wherein we see that the formerly independent, self-willed, strong-willed, presumptuous, brash and bragging fisherman boss became a role model of a humble servant-leader, having a shepherd’s heart —self-described as a bond servant, an apostle of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1) He declared that the power he displayed did not come from his own power or godliness he had. Peter became a role model apostle evangelist and pastor.
Here is his witness for Jesus after his spectacular healing of a lame man (lame at birth) at the gate of the temple.
“God glorified Jesus, the Prince of life, the Holy One and the Just, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Jesus, has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”
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Peter continues : Well, I have lived my case before all the world to see. I am a changed man. I have given my testament before the authority and the public. If I had to live my life all over again, i would have no hesitation. As all who read my story would have known by now the reality of my Lord and Savior, the risen Son of God to me and many of my flocks. I have not lived my life in vain after all. And I shall now move on to Rome and meet my destiny without regrets. For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.
Last words from the second epistle of Peter to all those who have received the same faith with him, who are partakers of the divine nature given by God: what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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Watchman’s Notes: Peter is a changed man. The most significant change is in his being Spirit-led and spiritual minded after the out pouring of the Holy Spirit on him and the 119 others who waited with him in Jerusalem as instructed by the risen Christ Jesus. The seed of God’s word sown by Jesus in his heart finally burst forth in harvesting, hundred folds many times over, just as Jesus has said. Jesus’ words did not fall on hard ground. Peter has a heart of good soil after all.
Peter was born about 1 B.C. and died sometime around A.D. 67. Peter knew he was going to be martyred. ((John 21:18-19) A street-wise, shrewd, brash, self-confident bossy business-man became a humble, willing, obedient servant of the Lord even to death. He rejoiced in that day of his death, knowing that he would be reunited with his beloved Savior. Peter had been sure of the reality of Jesus being who He said He is, the Son of God, because he was an eye witness.
This is what he testified as a most credible witness:
2 Peter 1:16-19 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
References: The four Gospels, The Acts of the Apostles, first and Second Epistles of Peter.
