Today, June 29, we commemorate the Apostles St Peter and St Paul. Since the year 258 AD, the church has remembered these two Apostles on this very day—that is for 1,700 years. So, this is one of the oldest festivals in the church year which commemorates a saint. We will focus on Peter and Paul today, but cannot but focus on the one whom they pointed to, namely, Jesus, our Savior and the chief cornerstone of the church. It is our prayer that God may strengthen us that we may confess the truth of the Gospel and that we may be ready to lay down our lives for the sake of Christ who laid down His life for us.
First of all, how was Peter and Paul called to be an Apostle?
Peter was a fisherman by trade. One day, while Peter and his brother Andrew were fishing, Jesus said to them, “Follow me.” Immediately, they left their nets and followed Jesus as His disciple. (Matt 4:18-20). Paul, on the other hand, was born of the tribe of Benjamin in the Roman city of Tarsus. He studied under the master teacher named Gamaliel. Saul was thoroughly trained in the Mosaic law, and he followed the covenant regulations. Paul was part of a movement which sought to stop the spread of Christianity. So, during the stoning of Stephen, Paul guarded the clothes of the murders and consented to Stephen’s death. One day, as Paul came near the town of Damascus, a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and Jesus said, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” God converted Paul from unbelief to faith in Christ. From that day on, Paul followed Jesus proclaiming Him to be our one and only Savior.
What about you? What is your calling life? As a baptized believer in Christ, you are called to be a faithful husband or wife, a faithful son or daughter, a faithful employee or employer, faithful to your neighbor, faithful in hearing God’s Word and receiving the Sacrament, faithful in reflecting the light of Christ in our dark world telling other people about Christ.
Secondly, what was Peter and Paul’s education as an Apostle?
Peter learned how to be an Apostle by being with Jesus for three years as a disciple. Peter watched how Jesus acted. He listened to Jesus’ teaching. He witnessed Jesus’ miracles. He asked often times asked about the meaning of the parables. He asked Jesus on how many times are we to forgive our neighbor. Peter was seen as a leader among the disciples. He even witnessed the death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul, on the other hand, was not one of the 12 disciples. After Paul’s conversion on the road of Damascus, he was baptized by Ananias. Then, he went away to Arabia and was schooled in the teachings of Jesus.
What about you? Many of you were instructed in the faith in Catechism class, from Sunday School, from your family devotions, from listening to sermons, from Bible Study or from reading the Bible yourself. God’s Word had its way with you. God’s Word created faith in you and it strengthens your faith in Christ. You are a faithful witness to the Gospel.
Third, Peter and Paul are regarded as pillars in the church, but they were not perfect. They were sinful by nature like each and every one of us.
At one time, Jesus told his disciples that he will suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Peter would not hear of it. He was not going to let Jesus be killed. And so, he said to Jesus, “Far be it from you, Lord; this shall not happen to You.” Peter was not mindful of the things of God and the necessity of Jesus dying for our sin. The second time Peter sinned was after Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane and during Jesus’ trial. Peter happened to be in the court yard at the time. Some people recognized Peter as being with Jesus. Peter denied having anything to do with Jesus. He denied Jesus three times. He eventually recognized his sin and went out and wept bitterly.
What about Paul? In 1 Timothy 1:15 he calls himself the chief of sinners. He wrote, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” In Romans chapter 7, he confessed that he has a sinful nature. He said, “The things I am supposed to do I don’t find myself doing, but the things I’m not supposed to be doing I do.”
Thanks be to God that that both Peter and Paul lived a repentant life with faith in the forgiveness of sins.
What about you? What about me? We, too, are sinful by nature. The things we are not supposed to do we find ourselves doing and the things we are supposed to do we fail to do. We sin by thought, word, and deed. May the Holy Spirit call us to repentance.
If our Lord was gracious and merciful to Peter and Paul forgiving them their sin, then God is also gracious and merciful to us poor sinners forgiving our sin on account of Christ who died for our sin and who rose from the dead.
Fourth, both Peter and Paul made a great confession that Jesus is our one and only Savior for both Jew and Gentile.
In our Holy Gospel for today, Peter confessed saying that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God. The church is not built upon Peter, the man, but it is built upon this wonderful confession that Jesus is the Christ, namely, the promised Messiah. Jesus is like Moses and David in that Jesus has human flesh. But Jesus is different because he is God in human flesh. Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God. Jesus died for our sins upon the cross and He rose from the dead. He is our “living” God now and forevermore. Another time, during Jesus’ ministry, Jesus asked his disciples, “Will you leave me too?” and Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Furthermore, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached a wonderful sermon to the people in Jerusalem. It is recorded in Acts chapter 2. In this sermon he proclaimed salvation through faith in Christ. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter wrote the Epistles of Peter.
What about Paul? Paul’s accomplishments were great. Paul was one of the greatest missionaries of Christianity. He wrote 13 letters to various churches and to individuals. All of these letters are included in the New Testament. Paul conducted three missionary journeys. He planted churches, trained future pastors and preached the Gospel. Yet, Paul suffered much for the sake of the Gospel. He was treated poorly by his own Jewish people, and he was persecuted by civil rulers. Yet, by God’s grace, he persevered and was faithful in the proclamation of the Gospel.
Let me say a few words regarding both Peter and Paul. They both preached the Gospel to both Jew and Gentile. During the early church, the question was asked, “Do Gentiles need to follow the ceremonial and covenant laws in order to be saved?” and the answer is no. Since Jesus was the fulfillment of the ceremonial laws, then salvation is now for everyone through faith in Christ. This was debated at the first council in Jerusalem and was recorded in Acts 15, our first reading for today. And Paul also talks about the Gospel going out to everyone even to the Gentile in Galatians chapter 3, our Epistle reading for today.
Paul once wrote to the church in Corinth, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scripture, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4). And I deliver to you this very same Gospel. Christ died upon the cross as a payment for your sin and for the sin of the whole world. He was buried and He was raised on the third day. Sin is now paid for. Death is defeated and Christ won victory over Satan. Therefore, because Jesus lives, you live too. You now have a peace which the world can never give—a peace knowing that sin is forgiven and that heaven is open for all who believe.
This precious Gospel goes out to all the world even today. No matter what economic status you are, no matter what nationality you are, no matter what age or ethnic group you are, Christ died for you. He paid for your sin by His precious blood, and He rose from the dead. In Christ, there is forgiveness, life, and salvation.
Finally, did Peter and Paul remain faithful even unto death?
Yes! According to tradition, Peter died a death of crucifixion in Rome. But he wanted to be crucified upside down because he saw himself unworthy to die in the same position as our Lord. Paul also died in Rome. He was beheaded.
What about you? What about me?
We live in a world which is hostile to Christianity. The devil wants to take our faith in Christ away. He wants to destroy all that is good. The unbelieving world makes fun of us because we hold to the Word of God as our source of truth. The unbelieving world laughs at us because we are baptized into Christ and because we confess Christ as our one and only Savior.
So, what should we do? If there is anything that we can learn from St Peter and St Paul, it is to acknowledge Christ alone as our one and only Savior. We should not remain silent. We should not give in to the immorality of the culture. Rather, by God’s grace, we pray that God would help us to be a light in a dark world telling other people about Jesus and inviting them to church.
When you were confirmed you were asked, “Do you intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed to remain true to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death?” And you answered, “I do, by the grace of God.” And it’s only by the grace of God that we remain faithful to Him.
In the midst of hostility from an unbelieving world, count it all joy that Christ is your Savior. Christ is your light and your salvation. There is nothing to fear. Christ is your strength. There is nothing to be afraid of. Nothing will be able to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You are in the world, but you are not of the world. You are of Christ. By God’s grace, speak the truth in love so that others may be converted and come to faith in Christ.
Remember that Christ won the victory. Your sins are paid for in full by Christ’s righteous death upon the cross. Jesus overcame death by rising from the dead. The devil is defeated! In Christ, there is the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. And He now feeds you with His own body and blood.
May God help us to confess the truth of the Gospel and may He help us to be faithful to Christ who laid down His life for us. Amen.
