Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-12
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Golden Text: "oLrd thou knowest
all things; thou knOwest that i love
thee. "-Jno. 2l:1.
For July IS, 1925. Peter.
BY DR.. MARION McH. HULL

= thee. "-Jno. 21:7.
Peter is one OF the most lovable
characters in the Bible because he
was so Intensely human.
He was a fisherman, resident OF
Bethlehem, a little town on the
northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.
He and his brother. Andrew, were
partners of two other brothers,
: James and John, the sons of Zeb-
edee. Peters father was named
John. Given his full name today, 1t
would be Simon Peter Johnson, al
though it was only Simon Johnson
until the day he met Jesus. It was
this way: John Baptizer had drawn
large crowds from Galilee, and
among those who had become his
disciples were the four fishing part
, ners. One day John baptized a man
from Nazareth and Immediately
something like dove rested on him
and John heard voice from heaven
saying: This is my beloved son;
hear Him. John must have told
his disciples about it, and no doubt
some of them thought he was losing
his mind under the great physical
strain he had been under. The next
day, however, John was walking
with Andrew and John when the
Eazarene passed, and John said to
them: Behold, the Lamb of God that
taketh away the. sin of the world.
They left their master and caught
UP with Jesus. They spent the day
with Him and then each went and
found his own brother. Andrew told
his brother; Simon, 1--WE have found
the Christ" and brought hi INTO Jesus
AS soon as Jesus looked at him He
said, 'Your name is Simon John
son: thou shalt be called Stone, or
Peter" We've forgotten his other
name almost now: everybody thinks
of him and speaks Of him by the
name Jesus gave him that day.
He was very much attracted tc
Jesus, and was often in His COM
pany. He went back to Cana with
Hin and was present when He per-
formed His first miracle. He was
His host when they went to Caper-
naum; for Bethsaida had grown too
small for Simon the fisherman, or
the fisherman had grown too large
for the little village, one or the other,
and he had moved to the city by the
sea where he found a larger market
for his fish. His mother-in-law was
very i'll when they got home from
church that day and Peter told his
friend about it and He healed her
with a touch and a word. Another
day his friend couldn't find place
to stand and speak to the greet
crowds that had gathered on the
borrowed
Peters boat for a pulpit. After He
had finished He wanted to pay rent
for it, so told Peter and his partners
to push out into the deep and cast
their nets over the right side Of the
boat, and when they did they pulled
in such big catch that even these
lifetime fishermen were astonished.
Impulsive Peter realized he was in
the presence of some unusual man
and fell on his knees and Cried de
part from me, for am a sinful man.
Q Lord" But Jesus said, Fear
not from henceforth thou shalt take
men alive"
1t was still later that Jesus called
Peter and his partners to leave their
nets entirely and come follow Him,
so that He could make them fish
ers of men. From that time Pier
, was with Him constantly.
1t was a wonderful opportunity
for Peter. Besides being with Him
constantly, he and James and John
were especially privileged to have
been with Him alone when He raised
the daughter of Jairus from the
dead, and when He was transflg-
ured on the mount.
inn
night after the 5000 were fed, he
was on the water when the storm
came: he heard Jesus speak as He
. walked on the water near them, and
said: 1T is I, be not afraid" Peter
was not quite sure, but he trusted
Jesus and stepped out of the boat
on tc the water and walked along
with his eyes on Jesus. When he
took them off of Him and looked
at the wind and the waves he began
to sink and cried out to Him and
was borne along by Him until they
reached the boat. Second thoughts
: are not always the best thoughts.
3. His love was also shown by a Query
. ne put to Jesus the next day: TO
whom shall we go? he said. Thou
has the words of eternal life.
1t was just six months before the
crucifixion that Jesus asked His
disciples who he was, and it was
Peter who voiced the great confess
sion, Thou are the Christ, the Son
=. OF the living God" Strange that
when Jesus told them of Hig church
that He would build on that rock,
and of the price He would have to"
pay, it was the same Peter who
yrebuked Him and TO whom Jesus
10
satan; for thou savourest not the
things that be of God, but the things
that be of men," He it was, too,
who promised the half shekel for the
temple tax, and made it necessary
Tor A fish to be caught with the
shekel in it's mouth for Me and
thee"
During the Last Week
Peter was one of the disciples
chosen to go and make ready the
passover feast for Jesus and His
friends. 1t was Peter who so mis-
understood his Lord when He was
washing the disciples feet that he
refused to let Him do it and then,
with equal Misunderstanding, want
ed him to wash both feet and head.
1t was Peter who boosted three times
that night Of his loyalty to Jesus.
1t was Peter who went into the
garden of Gethsemane with Him to
watch, but who was too sleepy to be
AOf any service to his Master.
1t was the same Peter who cot
off the ear of the high priests serv-
ant the had intended to cut his head
off when he tried to lay hands on
Jesus. And it was this same Peter
: who forsook Him and fled; then
gathering little courage followed
Him afar and warned himself about
the enemies fire. 1t was this same
Peter who, in spite of his three
boasts, denied that he had ever
known Jesus, the last time cursin:s
and swearing about it. But it was
the beginning of a new Peter, who