Word Surprises

In John 21 we read that after the Resurrection Jesus gently, but without avoidance, opened up the wound of Peter's betrayal when Jesus was being tried by the High Priest and the Roman authorities. Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him reminding Peter that he had denied knowing Jesus three times. Jesus ensured these denials were brought out into the open and dealt with so that Peter could be confident that he was forgiven and restored. After this, Jesus then told Peter what his future would hold and that he would die in old age and in his death he would glorify God. He then challenged Peter by saying  " Follow Me ".  Peter by now is feeling so much better than he had felt for days and is grateful that he is restored in his relationship with Jesus but he also seems to be excited by what Jesus has said and questions the Lord about John's future. Jesus responds with: John 21:22   “If I   will that John remain   till I come (again), what is   that t...

Matthew 16:15-19 15 He (Jesus) said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” When Jesus spoke these words to Peter, He was not just only saying that Peter was: Blessed  because his confession came from the Father Himself (verse 17), but also that he was: Identified. When Jesus used Peter's full Hebrew name (Simon Bar-Jonah), He was identifying Simon Peter as a person with a unique Hebrew identity before God and a son of the prom...