“Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”).”
John 1:42 NLT
Jesus gave Simon a new name. It was to be Cephas, translated as Peter, which is the name we are more familiar with. But in the Bible, the changing of someone’s name had a significance which we don’t always relate to today. Imagine the chaos that would happen if many people regularly, almost at a whim, or even at God’s command, formally changed their names! The benefits and taxation system would probably collapse. The NHS would become hopelessly confused with challenging outcomes. And so on. But in these gender-confused days, names are being changed to reflect the preferred gender of an individual, but without any consideration of the biological and God-created facts. Our enemy the devil has taken something God considers sacred and has peddled a lie, deceiving those who lack any form of moral or spiritual compass.
God changed people’s names for a reason – to reflect a change in their identity. As an example, God changed “Abram” (meaning “high father”) to “Abraham” (meaning “father of a multitude”). The reasons for his new identity can be found in Genesis 17. Today, a person’s name is chosen by their parents because it is nice sounding or fashionable. It may be inspired by a celebrity or religion. By an ancestor or relative. But in Biblical times, a name assigned to a new baby sometimes captured a national or local event, or was God-inspired to record a prophetic message.
Simon, now called Peter, had a new identity in his standing before God. The “Simon”, with all his faults and foibles, was to become the rock, “Peter”, on which the Church was established. A new identity, a new assignment, a new man. We read in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!“. Today, even though we retain our birth name, we have a new identity. The old person, with all its sins, has been replaced, as we read in Ephesians 4:24, “Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy”.
There will be a time when Jesus will give us a new name. Revelation 2:17b,” … And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it”. I’m intrigued! I wonder what my new name will be. Hmmm…
Dear Father God. We worship Your holy Name today and pray together, ‘Hallowed be Your Name’. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 