Text – John 1:35-42

What’s in a name? Well, it depends on the name – and, it turns out, on who gives it.

Take, for example, “Hockeytown, USA.” With all the hype recently in these parts as the Pittsburgh Penguins have battled their way into the Stanley Cup finals, you might think it’s Pittsburgh. But if you know anything about the National Hockey League, you probably know that Hockeytown USA is actually Detroit. The Motor City is home to the Redwings, the team determined to deny the Cup to our Penguins – and threatening to do so, with a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, after beating the Pens in Pittsburgh last night.

Detroit has proudly called itself “Hockeytown, USA” for twelve years now. And it certainly seems that they have more right to that name than does our beloved ‘Burgh. The Redwings have won the Stanley Cup ten times over the years – to the Penguins’ humble two! But Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s motto might well be: I Can Dream, Can’t I?

You know how these big city mayors seem to feel compelled to engage in highly publicized wagers with one another when their teams are competing for professional sports championships? When the NHL playoffs ended and only the Redwings and the Penguins were left standing, Mayor Ravenstahl was quick to jump on that betting bandwagon. He challenged Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to a wager, proposing that they agree to put something very special on the line. Ravenstahl suggested that if the Penguins beat Detroit for the Stanley Cup, Kilpatrick agree that Pittsburgh could then claim the title “Hockeytown, USA” – at least for the year.

If I got the story right, people in the Detroit mayor’s office – no doubt not wanting to back down from a challenge – at first showed some interest in the wager. But they almost immediately had to nix the bet, when they realized that the “Hockeytown™” label is a registered trademark of Ilitch Holdings, Inc., parent company of the Redwings.

Ah, what has become of the noble ideal of pure sport? Tragically, it’s become lost in the shameless pursuit of the almighty buck. It’s always about the money, isn’t it?

So the mayors ended up settling for a far lower stakes wager. If the Pens win, Kilpatrick will send to Ravenstahl some Little Caesar’s™ Pizza kits, a few cases of Faygo™ pop and the like. If the Redwings win, Ravenstahl will ship some Heinz Ketchup™ and Iron City Beer™ to Motown.

It turns out that who gets the right to bestow a name can be pretty important!

I’m thinking in particular today about Peter’s name. We plan to look at the story of the great apostle this summer, as the Gospels record it. Today, as we meet the Galilean fisherman, we find that his name is a key part of the story. In fact, you may have noticed that there is a lot of naming going on in the brief passage we read from John 1. John calls Jesus “the Lamb of God” (1:36). Andrew calls Him “the Messiah” (1:42). For His part, Jesus calls Peter, in effect, ‘Rocky’ (1:42). As always when it comes to the Bible, there is eternal truth in all this:

Jesus gave Simon a new name –

even as He does for all who trust our lives to Him.

Let’s think together about what these new names Jesus gives meant for Peter – and what they mean for us.

Something very significant is going on here in what Jesus does as He meets Peter. You may know that names had much more significant for the ancient Hebrews than they do for us. We tend to take names relatively lightly. Not so they! They saw name as something of a window into the soul – real indicators of the character, the qualities of the one bearing the name.

Furthermore, for them, to bestow a name was to demonstrate some measure of power and authority over the one named. So for example in the book of Genesis (2:19-20), God gives Adam the right to name all other creatures. For the Hebrews, this was a powerful sign of mankind’s dominion over the rest of creation.

We see all that in today’s Old Testament lesson (Genesis 32:22-32). Jacob wrestles with a mysterious Man – one scholars tell us was the Angel of the Lord, or perhaps even a visible manifestation of God Himself. The Man declines to give Jacob His name (32:29). But He shows His authority over Jacob by giving him a whole new name – Israel (32:28). God did the very same thing in the life of Jacob’s grandfather. He renamed Abram (‘exalted father’) as Abraham (‘father of a multitude’) (Genesis 17:5). In dealing with both grandfather and grandson, God gives a new name, and a nation is born.

Jesus’ giving of this new name to Simon comes against all that rich, momentous background. So given all that, what can say about the new name Jesus gives to Simon, son of John? In the Aramaic language both men spoke, Jesus calls Simon ‘Cephas,’ which is equivalent to the Greek ‘Petros’ or ‘Peter.’ In either Greek or Aramaic, the name means ‘Rock.’

But Jesus is doing something far more profound here than merely coining the nickname ‘Rocky.’ Given the way the ancient Hebrews viewed names, we can assume that Jesus attached great significance to the new name He was giving to one who would become His close friend.

What do you think of when you picture rock? Rock is strong…reliable…solid… certain. Why do you that think well-known insurance/financial company many years ago chose the Rock of Gibraltar as their symbol? In trying to answer that question, it would be prudent for us to remember all the things rock symbolizes.

Lord willing, in the weeks ahead, as we study the life of Simon Peter, we’ll see that there are surely times when Peter lives up to his new name. But there will also be those times when he is far from it. As Simon stood before Jesus, the Master saw one who was not yet anybody’s rock. But He also saw a man who, by His own transforming grace, would become one.

This couple comes home late one night and surprises a burglar in their living room. The intruder quickly pulls a gun on them. He says, “Sorry, but now that you’ve seen my face, I’ll have to eliminate you as witnesses.” He turns to the wife and demands to know her name. “Elizabeth,” she replies.

The burglar softens noticeably. “I, I can’t go through with this. My mother’s name was Elizabeth.” So he turns to the husband and asks his name.

“Herb,” the terrified man says. “But all my friends call me Elizabeth.”

(“Laughter, the Best Medicine”® Reader’s Digest, October, 2001, page 96.)

Our own efforts to remake, even to rename ourselves, may or may not succeed.

But Jesus has both the authority and the power to do just that. When He renames us, the names always stick!

In fact, the new names Jesus gives to us mean just as much as his new name meant to Simon Peter. We can readily enough identify a number of names by which He calls us. Each is of great significance. Think with me of just three.

First, because of what He has done for us, Jesus calls us beloved. John writes: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1 ESV).

Think how people behave when they know they are loved. They live boldly . . . confidently . . . with prevailing hope . . . in overflowing joy. Not only that, they live with visible love toward others. John also says, “We love Him because He first loved us” (4:19 NKJV). He goes on (4:20-21) to point out that the best way to demonstrate our love for God is to simply love our brothers and sisters. Do you live up to the name Jesus has given you, ‘Beloved’? – living in strength, hope and joy, showing your love for God through visible love for others?

Jesus also calls us redeemed.

Now that is not a word we tend to use much outside the church. But it’s really an economic term. To redeem is to pay the price to purchase something – usually to buy freedom. Paul writes: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV)

It gives you a whole new perspective, doesn’t it, on freedom and independence, on the use you make of your own money – to think of yourself as having been redeemed? The next time you’re feeling bound by any sort of chains; the next time you’re behaving in any way that would imprison a sister or brother in Christ, remember: Jesus calls you redeemed. Live that way!

And He calls us His ambassadors.

The risen Christ says to His disciples: “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21 NKJV). He says, “You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NIV).

Just imagine how you would feel if you received a call tomorrow from the President of the United States, appointing you to serve as ambassador to Ecuador or Egypt or England. The fact is that you have received an appointment of eternally far greater weight, glory! Approach all the contacts you have tomorrow, the next day and the day after that remembering: Jesus Christ has called you His ambassador to the world!

William Barclay tells the story that one day someone came on the great Michelangelo as the sculptor was chiseling away at a huge, shapeless piece of rock. The man asked the master what he was doing. Michelangelo answered: “I am releasing the angel imprisoned in this marble” (The Gospel of John, Vol. 1, page 91).

Jesus called Simon ‘Peter’ not because of what the fisherman was, but rather because of what the Master knew he could and would become. In the very same way, if you trust in Him, He has called you His ambassador. He has called you his redeemed one. He has called you His beloved. Live like it!

The story is told that on one of his campaigns, Alexander the Great received a message that one of his soldiers had been continually – and seriously – misbehaving, thereby shedding a bad light on the character of all the Greek troops. And what made it even worse was that this soldier’s name was also Alexander.

On learning this, the commander sent word that he wanted to talk to the errant soldier in person. When the young man arrived at the tent of Alexander the Great, the general asked him, “What is your name?”

The reply came back, “Alexander, sir.”

The commander looked him straight in the eye and said forcefully, “Soldier, either change your behavior or change your name.”

(James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited [Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1988] pp. 299-300.)

Friend, if you trust in Christ, He has given you new names. He has called you beloved. He has called you redeemed. He has called you His ambassador.

But most of all, he has called you by His own eternal title as the Christ, the Messiah. He has called you ‘Christian.’ Because that call has been determined not by your choice, but by His, you cannot change that name – nor would you want to! But you can, by God’s grace, change your behavior.

Jesus gave Simon a new name, because He knew that Simon would one day be the very rock on which He would build His church. If you trust in Him, He has given new names to you as well. He invites you to His table now, that here you might seek His forgiveness for all the ways you have resisted His call on your life. He invites you to His table, to here feed and strengthen you, that you might grow into all the glorious potential He sees deep within you.

Let us pray. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the inspiring example of Your servant Peter. We know that, like him, we are not yet what You would have us be, not yet what You are able to make us. Please remind us, especially when we are disappointed with ourselves, or discouraged or defeated, of Simon whom You called Peter, and of the great things You accomplished in and through him. Remind us of Peter, and give us the grace to follow more and more after his example, as we grow closer and closer to You. Please move in our lives now as we know Your presence in this sacrament, all to the praise of Your glory. We pray in Your blessed name. Amen.