Peter’s spiritual journey changed dramatically when he was introduced to the long-awaited Messiah of Israel. Jesus gave him a new name “Cephas” which literally means “stone” or “rock.” In thatannouncement, Jesus did more than give Simon a nickname. He changed his name in anticipation of what He would do with Peter. Journey with Peter and see how he was transformed from an unpolished, untrained, and uneducated fisherman to become the spokesman of a group that would turn the world upside down. Like Simon Peter, we can trust in the strength of Christ to enable us to be useful—in spite of our human failings and inadequancies.
Publisher:
Our Daily Bread Ministries © 2015 Our Daily Bread Ministries All rights reserved. Author:
Karen Kwek Artist:
Lim Zhi Chuan Art Directors:
Alex Soh and Joshua Tan Layout:
Mary Tham and Naw Day Day Special Thanks:
Lee Miji and Minho Hong
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Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
First-century Jerusalem was a cosmopolitan city of great splendor and beauty and also the focus of life-changing events.
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One day, at Solomon’s Colonnade within the temple of Jerusalem . . .
What’s going on here? Got to get closer . . . Hey, ouch, you’re standing on my foot!
Why don’t you move somewhere else, then?
Shhh! He’s starting to speak!
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People of Israel, what’s so surprising about this?
And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness?
Hey, isn’t that the crippled beggar?
But he’s been lame from birth! How is it he’s standing up?
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It’s a miracle!
I can walk,
and even jump!
How is this possible?
I myself helped carry him to the Beautiful Gate of this temple.
This man has been healed by God, to bring glory to his servant Jesus!
Who are these men?
He’s been begging for alms there every day as long as I can remember!
Don’t you know? They’re Peter and John. They were friends with that fellow Jesus, who was killed on the cross.
People of Israel, you killed Jesus, but God raised him from the dead. We have seen it with our own eyes . . .
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Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed . . .
and you know how crippled he was before.
before your very eyes.
Faith in Jesus’ name ...
has healed him . . .
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Now God calls you, people of Israel, to repent of your sins. Turn back to God, and he will wipe away your sins.
Can it be true? Was Jesus really sent from God?
This man, Peter, he’s awesome! What a speaker! What a message! God raised Jesus from death and will send him to us again at the right time, just as the prophets promised!
Jesus came to turn each of you from your sinful ways.
Wait till I tell Dad about this man Peter!
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It’s the priests and Sadducees, and they’re bringing the captain of the temple guard!
Run!
Or we might be arrested too! How dare you disrupt the temple peace by teaching this nonsense about the dead rising! Peter and John, you’re going to jail.
Oh no! Got to get away. Got to tell Dad . . .
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Everything Peter did . . .
Everything Peter said . . . Could it be true?
Remember when that man Jesus was killed on the cross along with the two criminals?
Dad
You ! beli won’t eve it!
What is it?
Wash your hands, sit down, and eat your dinner.
Yes . . .
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Mmf, could you pass the bread?
Today at the temple, two of his followers healed a crippled beggar!
Some of the women at the marketplace have been saying that this Jesus has come back to life!
Yeah, you should have heard Peter tell it! The colonnade was full of people, and he spoke with so much power . . .
That’s what they called him—Peter! He was awesome. Many people went away believing that God sent Jesus to wipe away our sins!
Mmf, could you pass the bread? Who—you mean Peter? Simon Peter? There, I told you so! Argh — cough . . . Well, that’s certainly not the Simon Peter I knew!
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You know this Peter?
How?
Sure, I know Simon Peter. Before coming to Jerusalem, we grew up in the same hometown in Galilee.
It was just a small village by the Sea of Galilee. In those days he was just called Simon.
He was a hotheaded boy, not really the studious type . . .
always getting into trouble.
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Like many of us, he grew up and became a fisherman.
He was always rough, good at his work . . .
but unpredictable in temper.
And the more refined skills escaped him, skills like Jewish law, writing, and debating.
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And then came the day a strange wild man started the chain of events that would change Simon’s life forever.
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