Thou Shalt Be Called Cephas

“..thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” (John 1:42)

Out of all the apostles in the Bible, I think I can relate most to Peter. Peter was greatly used by God, but he always battled his flesh.

His given name was Simon, which means listening. Which is ironic because that was something Peter did very little of. He was prone to speak first and think later.

Like us, Peter was sometimes all over the place, spiritually. One day he would soar to the highest highs and the next day he would sink to lowest of lows. One moment he could say the most spiritual things and the next minute say some of the ugliest things.

He confessed Christ one moment and denied Him the next. One moment he was ready to fight, the next moment he was ready to flee!

Someone described Peter as “consistently inconsistent.” How true of him. How true of us!

But notice something unusual. One day Jesus looks at Peter, this man whose character seemed as shifty and unstable as the very sand they were walking on, and said to him, “Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, a stone.” 

In this amazing turn of events, Jesus gave him a name which was completely opposite to his nature. Jesus did not call him what he was, but what he was to become! He didn’t say, “thou ART” but “thou shalt be.”

Peter probably never forgot that moment as long as he lived. He never forgot the moment when Jesus said he was to be transformed from shifting sand into solid stone!

I don’t know what name your parents gave you. I don’t know what name others call you by. Maybe it’s a nickname that describes a character flaw in your life.

The point is, it matters not what others (or even Satan himself) might say that you are. What matters is what Jesus has said that you can be!

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