Tuesday after the First Sunday after the Festival of the Epiphany of our Lord
Posted on January 14, 2020 by under
Scripture: St. John 1:35-42 (NKJV)
1:35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”
They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”
39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 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).
Devotion
Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus, having told him, “‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated the Christ).” Jesus immediately gave him a new name. “‘You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas’ (which is translated, A Stone).” Cephas is the Aramaic equivalent of the Greek name “Peter.” This is not the first time the Lord has given someone a new name. He changed Abram’s name to Abraham. He changed Jacob’s name to Israel. In those instances, a new name shows a new status with God as believing confessors of the true God. The same is true of Simon. Christ calls Him Cephas because of the foundational confession of Christ he will make throughout his life.
Christ bestows a new name on all who believe in Him. He says in Revelation 2:17 to the one who overcomes, “I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” He says in Revelation 3:12, “I will write on him My new name.” What is the new name He gives to those who believe in Him? He calls them sons of God. As sons of God by faith, Christ calls us to make the rock solid confession of Cephas, that Jesus is the Christ who takes away the sin of the world.
We pray: O Lord, we beseech Thee mercifully to receive the prayers of Thy people who call upon Thee, and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
