Given a New Name and a New Identity

John 1:41-42 – He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).

Can you imagine? You walk up to Jesus and his first words to you are “You are Simon the Son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas.”

My reaction would have been simply “huh?” with a confused look on my face. You know the kind of look you get where one side of your lip turns up slightly and you cock your head to one side. It’s that look you get when you’re completely dumb founded.

I guess we can’t say for sure how Simon reacted to Jesus’ statement, but surely he was perplexed to say the least. Maybe he had that same look on his face I would have, wondering what exactly this new name meant for him. What ever his reaction, we know that this was an unusual statement to hear from someone he had never met before.

So what do Simon and his brother Andrew do after this encounter with Jesus? We can’t be sure of the timing or what they did immediately after, but they did eventually end up back home. The next time we see Jesus approach these two young men they are back home fishing.

Matthew 4:18-19- And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Simon Peter’s response was to drop his net and follow Jesus. Later on as he is walking with Jesus he is asked a question “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus responds to Simon Peter’s answer with another declaration of who Simon Peter will be.

Matthew 16:15-18 – He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 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. 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.”

In the period of time that Simon Peter walked on this earth, a name meant more than it does today. Back then you were given a name to describe who you were. Jesus called Simon the “rock”, meaning the foundation of the early church. He would be the solid one that built the church.

When Jesus called Simon Peter by a new name He wasn’t just wishing or predicting what would come. He was instead giving him a new life, a new purpose and a new destiny. Jesus was not a prophet telling a future prophecy. He was and still is the son of God, fully God himself. He needed nothing or no one else to help make this change happen in Peter. It was spoken. It was done. Destiny changed.

Our destiny also changes when we become a disciple of Christ. We are no longer the old person we were before.

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Ephesians 4: 22-24 - That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Colossians 3:3 - For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:9-10 - Do not lie to one another, since you have put of the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.

When we are in Christ we are born again, changed into a new creation. Old things have passed away, meaning they are to be gone from our everyday life. All things are made new. We are given a new name; He calls us His child, His beloved. All that we were, is forgiven and washed away, a new day has begun and the slate has been wiped clean. Because of this change we are not to hang onto the old self that we were before. That old person is corrupt and is driven by the lusts of this world. Instead we are to be renewed in the Spirit and put on the new destiny that has been placed before us. We are a new man/woman.

The Greek term for “new man” used in Colossians 3:9-10 depicts an individual, male or female, who possesses a “new nature” or a “new humanity”. It characterizes a metamorphosis in our conduct. That means a complete transformation takes place from a life of sin to one of righteousness. That metamorphosis is the same as being reborn or born again. I liken it to the complete metamorphosis of a caterpillar as it changes into a butterfly.

Jesus places His Spirit within us so we can walk the new life of the righteous man. Not that we will always do everything right or we won’t still struggle with sin. We will always struggle as long as we are here on this earth. It’s our character that God is concerned with. Our life should no longer be shaped or look like it used to look. We should be seeking to be more like Jesus everyday.

The process of changing is just that, a process. We will not wake up tomorrow and think every thought perfectly righteous. It takes a daily renewing. We are to hide the word of God in our heart, to fill ourselves with it so it can do the renewing process of changing who we are.

What we can be sure of that comes instantaneously is an assurance that our final destiny is secured. If we are truly one with Jesus Christ our final destiny is with Him in heaven.

We can also look forward to a different life. Since our life is no longer lived for ourselves, it is pretty safe to say that we won't end up where we thought we would before we met Jesus Christ. If you are seeking God on where to go in our life and what to do with your time and talent, chances are He will guide you where you never thought you would go. This seems to scare some people. I’ve heard some say; I’m not giving everything over to Jesus because if I do He might send me over to the rain forest where there is no running water.

Maybe that’s true. He may send you out to be a missionary. But I promise you, if He does call you to the mission field, you will want to go. Before He calls you to go He will place such a burden in your heart that you will go gladly. He will make you fall in love with the place He is sending you. In the end it will be you saying, send me Lord. Send me, I’ll go. Just like Simon Peter, we will be given a destiny for our life. Some of us will stay here. Others will go. What ever your calling is, you can be sure that Jesus will equip you with what you need to succeed.

A Grateful Heart

The disciple Andrew was used by God to change his brother, Simon Peter’s life. What a tremendous thing that was done for Simon Peter. To have someone give you the gift that brings eternal life is a value beyond measure. This is the gift that was given to Simon Peter.

I am sure being given a gift like this left Simon Peter full of gratitude towards his brother. I don’t know about you but my heart would be forever grateful. Grateful to my brother but more than that grateful to my Savior Jesus Christ for using Andrew to find me.

Like Simon Peter I find myself more grateful with each passing year. Take this past year. It has been a year of learning for me. It’s been one of trials and struggles but mostly learning to be grateful. It took some breaking of my pride to bring me humbly to the place I am right now. But for what it’s worth, I wouldn’t change a day of it. I won’t go into all the details because this study would then become a book. I’ll just share that in the last year it has felt like everything around me was being shaken. Like it must feel when the earth is shifting and moving during an earthquake.

It felt like the earth was moving all around me this year. It has left me with the feeling that nothing is permanent and everything can be gone in an instant. Truth be told, that is reality, everything can disappear in an instant.

We seem to rely on the things here on earth as things we can count on. The truth is, when we look at life through clear glasses not rose colored ones, there is only one thing we can truly count on. That one thing is God.

So as my world turned and quaked this past year, I was reminded who I chose to serve. I was reminded of who He is and what that means for my life. Not just here on this earth but for eternity. In the end, it has left me grateful.

It has left me grateful for the one who chose me before I ever considered choosing Him. Grateful that I am loved by the one who spoke the universe into being. Grateful that I can count on Him for all things big and small. Grateful to know that when my heart is weary and I’m tired of the circumstance life throws at me He is only a whisper away. Grateful that I can speak and before the words are out He hears.

More than anything lately I think I have learned that nothing is really under my control. In a way that’s a frightening thought. But when I lay what I fear in His hands I can trust in what I know. What I know is that He is good, just, loving, merciful and full of grace. He is all powerful and all things are in His hands. It has taken my stubborn pride to break to show me that I too am in His hands and what I have is much.

How is your heart? Is it grateful or is it full of other things?

When our heart is consumed with other things besides the ways of the Lord we tend to become ungrateful. Ungrateful is the state of the heart when we are lusting after the ways of the flesh and not the ways of God.

Galatians 5:16-17 - I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

You and I, we are called to walk in the Spirit and not by the flesh. The flesh and the Spirit war against each other. They are not compatible. If we want to have a grateful heart it will only come by walking in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:19-21 tells us further the types of works evident when we live by the flesh and not by the Spirit. It's quit the list given: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like.

How can anyone with a heart filled with lust, greed, profanity, anger, selfishness and envy have a grateful heart for God? It’s impossible. If we are going to have a grateful, humble heart we must yield to the Spirit. We must learn to walk by the Spirit. We must abide in the Spirit.

John 15:4 - "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

Nothing good comes from us without abiding in the Him. Good fruit requires a good source to come from. The only good that comes from us is provided through the Spirit and not the flesh.

Having a grateful heart takes knowing what it is that has been given to you. If you and I do not really understand the value of the gift we have been given how can we be really be thankful?

To grasp the gravity of the gift of Jesus Christ, it takes a full understanding of our state of sinfulness. We deserved nothing and instead were given the capacity to live eternally with God. If we choose to accept the gift Jesus died and rose again to provide for us, to begin to follow and to be a disciple like Simon Peter did, we are given life eternal.

If we truly believe this to be true, we should drop to our knees, humble ourselves before His throne and spend the day praising Him. That would be just a fraction of what He deserves from us.

Speaking of dropping to our knees, how about we do that right now? Seems to me like a fitting place to end for the day and do just that.

Heavenly Father,

I come to with a heart that knows the gravity of what you did for all mankind. I know my own worth and that in my sinful state I deserved nothing. But you came as a man to die upon a cross so you could take the sin of the world. That wasn't enough, by raising again on the third day you defeated death. By your wounds I can be healed and spend eternity in your presence. I don't deserve a gift like that but I am grateful. I am so very grateful. Thank you Lord.

Amen

Diary of a Gentile Woman Living in Bethlehem-Dec 22nd

Dear Diary,

Today was a perplexing day. It was filled with both happiness and confusion for me. As I spoke of yesterday, we traveled to Jerusalem. Of course, we woke really early to make the trip. It is a 6 mile journey on foot. So we set out before the sun rose to get there in plenty of time for temple worship and the other items planned for the day.

Once we arrived, the first thing I noticed was the busy market area. There were men and women selling all types of items along the market area. I love walking through that area. You can find just about anything you are looking for at the Jerusalem market. Myself, I always look for new beads to use in my stringing. Today I found some beautiful colors, which I just couldn't resist. I used some of the money I had been saving to buy some beautiful sky blue beads.

The market place is the hub of activity. It is not only the area to be if you are looking to buy or sell, but it is the place to gather. Many people come to the market area and spend all day immersed in conversation. I don't think I've ever heard so many conversations going on in one place in my life. There were people talking about just about everything you can imagine. Except one thing. It stuck me odd that in my little town of Bethlehem, the buzz is all about the Messiah prophecies lately but here I didn't hear anything spoke about them.

Seems so strange that in the main city of Jerusalem they are either unaware of the prophecies or simply just don't care. Hearing them spoke about so frequently lately in Bethlehem, I was sure that it would be all anyone was talking about here. I wonder, have they forgotten the scriptures about the Messiah?

After the trip through the market, I took a little time away from the family. They were going to visit relatives so I excused myself and headed over to the temple.

What a beauty to behold. Each time I approach the temple, I loose my breath. It is truly a work of art. Can you imagine what the real temple in heaven looks like? If God could create such a place here on earth, just imagine where he lives.

I spent the majority of the day at the temple. I just feel closer to Him there. His glory seems to be there. I am awed by it.

After the long trip back, I am exhausted. Tonight, I will dream good dreams. Probably ones about the heaven that awaits. At least I hope it awaits me. I know I am not one of the chosen ones, but I love God with all my heart. Doesn't that count for something? Sure wish someone could tell me...

To tired to think about it all right now. Sleep, I need sleep.

Good night. See you tomorrow.

Diary of a Gentile Woman Living in Bethlehem - Dec 21st

Dear Diary,

As I went to town today, I encountered the strangest thing. There on the lawn in the main court of the square sitting under the big oak tree was a Rabbi. We usually don't see much of the priesthood here. But there he was with his pupils sitting with him. He seemed to be teaching them scripture.

This census has brought all kinds of people here lately. Well, you know me, always curious. I had to hear what they were talking about. Of course, being a woman is bad enough, but being a gentile makes it impossible for me to just walk right up to them. So I circled around behind them and sat behind a tree not far from where they were. I pretended to be engrossed in some beading but I had my ears perked up to full alert.

What do you think they were talking about? The Messiah! Sure seems the topic of conversation around here lately. The Rabbi was discussing who the Messiah would descend from.

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

The Rabbi was telling his students that the Messiah would be a descendant of Judah. How amazing, he will not only be born in Bethlehem as Micah prophesied but the scriptures also tell us he will be from Judah. Of course, Bethlehem is part of Judah so that would make sense.

"Behold, the days are coming" says the Lord. That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The Rabbi quoted this text and explained that the Messiah was promised to come from the line of David. A King will reign from the descendant of David. The prophet Jeremiah spoke about this.

I am fascinated by the scriptures. If they would allow a woman like myself to study under the Rabbi, I would be so happy. I know you have to leave your home and spend your time following in the Rabbi's footsteps but it would be worth it to hear the scriptures all day long. I would never be allowed to do that though. A girl can dream though.

The best I can get is the women’s court at the temple. It’s all I can have so I cherish every second I am allowed to spend there. As a matter of fact, tomorrow we are taking the trip to Jerusalem. I will spend time at the temple while I am there. I can't wait. It's a long trip so I better go for now so I can get my rest. Like I will get much sleep! Oh well, I am going to try.

Good night, I’ll see you tomorrow.

Diary of a Gentile Woman Living in Bethlehem- Dec 20th

Dear Diary,

Sorry I didn't get to write yesterday. I know I said I would but yesterday was the Sabbath. If you know anything about the Sabbath, you know that there is no work allowed. It's a day of rest, so even writing was out of the question. I wasn't thinking about it being the Sabbath when I promised to write.

Anyway, as I said, yesterday was the Sabbath, so I spent a very restful day with the family. Today however, was anything but restful. With the amount of people pouring into the city for the census, it makes getting anything done much more difficult.

As usual, I woke early this morning before the sun rose. Just as my mother before me, I work in the house of a prominent Jewish family here in Bethlehem. There is much to do for this large family, so I like to get an early start.

I have loved working for the family. Even though others think of me as an outsider, they have always treated me with love and respect. The woman of the house is the one I see most often because her husband is off in Jerusalem for long stints. He is a man of great prominence among all the other Pharisees. He seems to take great pride in his work, which can keep him away from home for many days at a time. I am sure his work is of great importance.

Today, while shaking out the rugs in the front of the house I saw a man approach the stables. He seemed to be looking for the master of the house. He looked rather official to me. The thought crossed my mind that he might have been sent by King Herod himself.

Now that is a man that sends shivers down my spine. King Herod, I mean. He is the most horrifically wicked man. Cruel beyond measure. I sure hope that wasn't who sent the man who visited today. We don't need any trouble around here.

I know I am not a descendant of Abraham but what affects this family, effects me. Thinking about the cruelty of King Herod makes me think about the words of the prophet Isaiah. I think it was called 59:16.

He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him.

I think about this prophecy and wonder when it will be that God sends His Messiah, the King of the Jews to intercede for them. From all that I have heard living here with the Jews, they believe God is going to send them a King that will overcome the Roman rule. He will be the one that comes and intercedes for them and saves them.

As far as I am concerned, now would be as good a time as any. With Herod on the throne and all, I join them in saying Come Messiah, Come!

More tomorrow....