However, in Peter’s defence he does commit totally to a subject, but he can be over excite, enthusiastic and doesn’t think before he acts. This was proved in the Garden of Gethsemane when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. Peter had a sword and struck the High Priest’s slave and cut off his right ear. Peter does what he says previously in the chapter that he will defend Jesus Peter also got over-excited at the Last Supper when Jesus began to wash the disciple’s feet, this sets an example for the disciples and tells them that they should be willing to serve others and take the worst job, i.e. washing someone else’s feet. When Jesus got around to Peter, he didn’t understand why Jesus, the Messiah, wanted to wash his feet he didn’t think he was worthy of Jesus washing his feet. But once Jesus explained Peter got over excited and said, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!’ This shows that Peter really wanted to be apart of Jesus’ ministry.
At the beginning of the gospel, however, Peter doesn’t choose to become a disciple of Jesus he is brought by his brother Andrew and doesn’t express faith until later in the gospel. During chapter 6, Jesus asks the twelve disciples a question, ‘Do you wish to go away?’, but Peter answers for all of the disciples, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’ This shows how Peter learns to believe in Jesus. Peter matures in faith and becomes closer to the person Jesus wants him to be.
After Jesus is crucified, and is discovered to have disappeared from his tomb by Mary Magdalene, Peter and the Beloved Disciple race to the tomb, this race symbolises the two types of Christianity, Peter being the Jewish Christians and the Beloved Disciple being the Gentile Christians. The Beloved Disciple arrives to the tomb first and this win means that the Gentile Christians overcame the Jews in Christianity. Peter enters the Tomb despite the fact that it is Passover, and a Jew who comes in contact will become contaminated, this shows Peter’s love for Jesus.
When Jesus is seen to be resurrected the disciples are on the Sea of Tiberias fishing. The disciples catch nothing but Jesus appears and tells them where to catch some fish, and they do. Peter jumps in the lake because he wants to see and be near Jesus so much and cannot wait for the boat to arrive at the shore. They ate their fish on the beach with Jesus, after eating, Jesus asks Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ Peter answers, ‘Yes, Lord you know that I love you.’ Jesus replies saying ‘Feed my lambs. Simon, Son of John do you love me?’ Again Peter replied, ‘Yes Lord you know that I love you.’ Jesus said ‘Tend my sheep.’ And for the third time he asked ‘Do you love me?’ Peter replied hurt ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’ Peter being asked three times if he loved Jesus was Jesus’ way of cancelling out the three times Peter denied him. It was also the time that Peter was being commissioned and being told what is expected of him; to feed Jesus’ lambs, to tend his sheep and again to feed his sheep.
Peter became a leader of the Christian community after Jesus had left them.
