John 1:29-42
¶ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel."
And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.
I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'
And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God."
The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!"
¶ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.
One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed).
He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter)
On the eighth day of a Jewish boy’s life, he is circumcised in a ceremony called a bris. The ceremony ties that child, and his family to the covenant God made with Abraham millennia ago. At that time, the child is given a name, so that that his very identity--whom he is--is connected to the covenant between God and Abraham. Whom he is is related to whom he is in relationship to God.
Over the course of the history of the church, the church adopted this practice, only relating it to baptism. A child was baptized, and at that moment, given a Christian name--a phrase we still use--surnames to delineate families, Christian names to delineate individuals. That’s where the term Christening comes from--to christen a child is to provide a Christian name.
But the term didn’t originate with infant baptism. It was a common practice--at least in the fourth century--if not before, to change one’s so-called pagan name to a Christian name at conversion.
Common names in the Greco-Roman world were taken from the pagan gods--Mercurius, Bacchus, Apollos; from numbers--Primus, Secundus, Octavia; from servile condition-- Servus, Servilianus, Vernacla; names of historical celebrity--Caesarius, Cornelia, Pompeius, and so forth.
But, on conversion, those names were not suitable for Christians, so a new name was given at baptism. At first, the names reflected virtues--Karis, Agape, Fides, Irene (Grace, Love, Faith, Peace) and things like that, and then they began to reflect connection to the Apostles, such as Peter, Paul, and, of course, Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Your name was expected to say something about who you were. Your name identified you as a follower of Jesus Christ. And a name change always reflects a change in status.
To this day, that reflects the practice of some parts of the church. In India, parts of the church there do not baptize until immediately before death, because to take on a Christian name (and forgoing one’s Hindu name) can mean persecution. In India, to be a Christian is to be completely separated from one’s community and family. It isn’t so much that you take on a Christian name, but you lose your Indian identity.
When we started to rehearse the anthem for today, I began to think about the name changes of the African slaves who were brought to this country in chains. It was absolutely monstrous what some of our ancestors did to them. They were taken from their home and homeland, brought under horrible conditions to a place with sicknesses for which they had no antibodies, ordered to work by people they did not know, and given names which had no meaning to them.
Often, the names given to slaves were that of their owners. Sometimes, they reflected the work that they were forced to do--Fields, House. The names that they were given had no relationship to whom they had been, but reflected their new identity and status--as slaves.
The spirituals were the hope of the slave community--but maybe not for the reason you think. The spirituals were not only brilliant theological works, but they also had secret purposes. By the time of the underground railroad, “Wade in the Water” (which we sang last Sunday) was about baptism, but it also meant, “While you’re going north, don’t stay on dry land, but get in the water. It will throw the bloodhounds off your scent. God’s gonna’ trouble the water, like throwing sand over the footprints—the water will have a saving effect.” “Deep Water,” the song we sang today, wasn’t only about the river Jordan, but about the Ohio River.
“Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home,” was just as much about getting to the North as it was getting to heaven. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose name and memory we honor today, continued that tradition by using not only the language of the spirituals, but also the words of our patriotic hymns and songs to point to the yearnings for basic rights for all.
And then, on getting to freedom, the slaves would change their names again to reflect their new status as free people--a practice which also happened among slaves who were freed after the war.
Alex Haley set out to find out who he was beyond the descendant of slaves, and his book, Roots, inspired a whole generation of Americans--white and black--look back to the names they had left behind. One of reasons that Black parents in America are giving their children African names, or names that sound African, is that it is a way to reclaim that identity which was taken from them.
Which brings us to Peter. Simon, as he was known then, was minding his own business--literally minding his business, which was fishing--when his brother Andrew came running and said, “Come on, we’ve found him!”
When Jesus meets Simon, he says, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter). Cephas in Aramaic, Peter in Greek.
Pretty audacious of Jesus, changing a man’s name on introduction. “Jesus, this is my brother, Simon.”
“Not anymore, from now on, Peter.”
How would you like that? Have a stranger change your name just like that?
Now, the name Peter means rock. And in the other Gospels, Jesus names Peter in a different setting, and says that upon that rock--that foundation--he will build the church.
Only problem is, Peter is anything but a rock throughout Jesus’ life on earth. He falters constantly, makes it clear that he doesn’t understand anything that Jesus says, denies Jesus three different times on the morning of the crucifixion. And refuses to accept the news of the resurrection. I ask you, does that sound like a rock solid foundation?
Of course it isn’t.
Peter is, of course, not a rock. He’s more like sand--and not very stable sand. But Jesus called him to ministry and in following Jesus, Peter began to change. He began to see more and more of what the kingdom was about, and to accept more and more Jesus’ good news for the Jewish people and indeed for the whole world. And Simon--which means “one who listens”--listened, and he became the rock.
One of my favorite stories in the bible involves Jesus and Peter. In the 21st chapter of John, Jesus walks along the seashore, and sees Peter and the other disciples fishing after the resurrection. He calls out to them, “catch anything?”
“Nah.”
“Fish on the other side, then.”
And they caught so many fish that they started to sink the boat. Then John recognizes that it is Jesus, and he tells Peter, whom we are told is naked (Naked fishing. I don’t get that. Naked swimming, I could understand.).
But, Peter stand in the boat, puts on his clothes , and jumps into the sea.
After they ate, Jesus asks Peter, “do you love me?”
Peter responds, “of course, I love you.”
Jesus says, “feed my sheep.”
Again, “do you love me?”
“Lord, you know I do!”
“Feed my sheep.”
And a third time, “Peter, do you love me.”
“You know everything, you know that I do!”
“Feed my sheep.”
Jesus gives Peter three chances to affirm his love. And with each one, the three denials are wiped away.
Three times Peter denies, and then Jesus gives him three opportunities to negate those denials. And Peter is a little closer to really being the rock.
And then Pentecost comes. And the Holy Spirit descends upon Jerusalem and fills the disciples with power. And Peter, the poor, illiterate fisherman from Galilee steps into the streets of Jerusalem and declares that the Spirit of God has been poured out on all flesh, and God’s covenant with the chosen ones is now open to all through Jesus of Nazareth.
And Peter’s transformation from one who listens to the Rock is complete.
And so, what name has Christ chosen for you? What name do you suppose it might be? How are you growing into it?
What difference does it make in your life that you are baptized?
What difference does it make in your life that you are a Disciple of Christ?
How is the world a different place because Jesus Christ has claimed you and named you?
Since we haven’t changed our names, how does the world even know that we are baptized? How does the world even know we follow Christ?
This is the season of Epiphanytide--when we contemplate the meaning of Christ being revealed to the whole world. But, Christ is not being revealed through a big TV extravaganza, or (as in a PBS show I saw last week) a booth at the NASCAR race, or by obnoxious street preacher. Christ is being revealed to the world in each and every one of us.
Like Peter was, we are still growing into the role and the name which Christ has given to each of us--the role and the name is disciple.
Christ is working in each of us to be revealed to the world. Let us open our hearts and our minds so that we might be Good News, Good News, indeed, to the whole world.
FCC Sermons by Chris Whitehead
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