Breakfast on the Beach: The Development of Simon Peter

My perspective of the Apostle Peter will never be the same after reading this inspirational and deep reflection of the life of Peter and the teachings of Jesus. It is a masterly woven account of the gospel through Peter’s eyes bringing his life experiences to a most helpful application in today’s world.

Archbishop Foley Beach

Anglican Diocese of the South, USA

Humans are homo narratus – storytellers. Following the footsteps of Jesus, who was the storyteller par excellence, the Rev. Dr. Johannes van der Bijl has gifted us with a remarkable story of Jesus according to Simon Peter. The author captures the events so well – this is cinematic storytelling from the fine details of movements and actions, to the broad, panoramic views of places, human emotions and the characters of the disciples, who were like us. What the author has produced is not mere speculation, but Scripture-shaped imaginings dipped from its canonical entirety, historical background and theological vision. The book also expresses the deep mystery of the divine through the struggles and encounters of the disciples – all leading to the sense of wonder, loving adoration and worship of the true God.

As I read this book, I felt the storyteller’s sense of humor, inquisitive soul-searching questions, prayer-soaked reflections, and flamboyant descriptions of dramatic events – all these are interwoven with the story of Jesus, Peter and the disciples. Johannes, a poet-theologian and iconographer, put his artistic imaginations in the service of telling the biblical story as a single whole. This book has both folkloric and visual iconographic sensibilities appealing to cultures and societies around the world, particularly in Africa.

Tekletsadik Belachew

Researcher at Tibeb Research and Retreat Center,

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

We often learn more about what it means to follow Jesus from the lives of others than we do from theological textbooks and Bible commentaries. In this delightful book, Johannes offers us a fresh look at what it means to follow Jesus through the life of the Apostle Peter. In doing so, he offers us hope in our struggles and reminds us how we can follow Jesus today.

Rev. Winfield Bevins, PhD

Director of Church Planting,

Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky, USA

Dr. van der Bijl has given us an excellent insight into the teaching and life of Jesus that can only help us marvel afresh at Jesus’s gracious purposes and ways of making disciples. Written through the experience of Peter and his brother Andrew, we catch a glimpse of the way Jesus fulfills and explains the Old Testament in a down to earth and personal way. There are many helpful background insights into the culture of Israel under Roman bondage which elucidate our Lord’s teachings and calls for wholehearted allegiance. This book is a good, interesting and arresting read, drawing us into the drama of Jesus’s mission and the disciples’ struggles to comprehend its trajectory, challenges and joyful outcome. Drawing from the four Gospels, and focused on Peter’s struggle to understand Jesus’s call, this book makes an excellent introduction for anyone wanting to grapple with who Jesus is, what he demands, and how he graciously and patiently trains his followers. Worth reading and sharing.

The Rt. Rev. Peter Brain, DMin

Former Bishop of Armidale, New South Wales, Australia

In this amazing book we have numerous faith-building insights into the life of the Apostle Peter. Using his imagination, Johannes van der Bijl has cleverly woven together biblical information, and the outcome is inspiration. Personally I have been inspired to follow more wholeheartedly the Lord Jesus whom Peter loved and served. He is the One who transformed Peter’s life. A hardworking fisherman became one of the greatest leaders in the history of the Church.

Johannes’s book tells Peter’s story in a new and refreshing way. He traces Peter’s faith and failures, his progress and problems, his doubts and disappointments. He explores Peter’s actions and reactions. He unpacks valuable lessons about growing as a Christian and a Christian leader. This book will help all who desire to grow in grace and truth and be more fruitful and faithful disciples of Jesus. I warmly commend it!

Bishop Ken Clarke

Former Mission Director,

South American Mission Society (SAMS) Ireland

Former Bishop, Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, Church of Ireland

Author, Going for Growth

I tried to speed-read Breakfast on the Beach, but couldn’t put it down! Johannes van der Bijl manages a masterpiece of synergy between academic exactitude, historical chronology, biblical narrative, gospel synthesis, pastoral counselling, leadership training, and mission strategy all in one book! The author takes us up so close to Jesus and his intimate circle of buddy disciples that we feel incorporated into the group. This he achieves through the eyes of Peter, the disciple who most represents us – his failures, doubts, fears, passions – these become ours as with him we live through the call, conversations, teachings, life lessons, miracles and wonders that he gradually took in while in relationship with Jesus. We see how, in situ (the author’s visit to Israel shows through as we visualize each physical site and scene), Peter asks the sort of questions we would ask, and fills in many of the blanks that the Gospels leave open.

The book is also a pastoral journey. We learn of camaraderie between unlikely people, storms, resuscitations, healings, exorcisms, hateful opposition, family rejection, and even a rebuke, addressing Satan, that nearly demolished Peter. The culmination comes with that dreadful denial. How could he recover? You need to read about that special breakfast on the beach.

The Rt. Rev. Alfred Cooper

Bishop, Evangelist and Church Planter

Diocese of Chile, South America

Crafted with care and told with passion, this story of Peter – however familiar – is a page-turner. It draws the reader into the world of lake water and hills, fishing boats and marketplaces, with an ease that belies the research that undergirds it. Watching Peter with Jesus, we cannot help but identify his story with ours. In that identification lies this book’s capacity to move its readers to leave all behind and single-mindedly follow the hero, Jesus.

Havilah Dharamraj, PhD

Head of the Department of Biblical Studies,

South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies, Bangalore, India

Johannes has introduced us into a wonderful exercise that we should do often when reading the sacred text, and that is to allow our imagination to fly and try to see what were the dialogues, the feelings, the fears and doubts of the biblical characters. This book has helped me to understand more the human side of the biblical story by paying attention to details that indicate to us that there is a story behind each verse, which helps us understand the text in a more enriching way. Students, preachers and teachers should learn from this book about how to take full advantage of the biblical stories in order to extract those truths sometimes hidden from the quick and easy reader.

Josué Hugo Fernandez

Regional Director LAC, Overseas Council

If the words of Scripture have become routine or too comfortable, then Breakfast on the Beach is a book for you. As I immersed myself in this imaginative retelling of the Jesus story, I encountered the words and actions of Jesus in a new way. The book places the familiar words of Scripture within a rich and detailed narrative, as told from the perspective of Simon Peter. Johannes employs both research and imagination to put himself into the shoes of the disciples; their wonderings, fears, hopes, and questions. As someone passionate about global mission, I am always looking for ways to share the gospel across cultures and in different ways. As Johannes notes in the introduction, storytelling is an effective way of communicating across cultures, and this book could thus serve as an approachable introduction to the person of Jesus.

Rosie Fyfe

National Director, New Zealand Church Missionary Society

A beautiful blend of storytelling mixed with a profound understanding of biblical, historical and cultural themes. The effect is like sitting down in a pub with a wise friend and listening as he unfolds his epic story. Peter and Christ come to life on the page.

Really a must-read by every disciple of Christ. Highly recommended.

Roger Griffin

Missionary in Mexico

The Lord wants disciples, rather than mere converts, to make up the redeemed community that he calls his church. But how does the Lord Jesus himself make disciples? Van der Bijl offers a very compelling answer. In Breakfast on the Beach, he shows how the Lord graciously chooses people who don’t seem to be disciple material – plagued by doubts, trained in ways of thinking that are antithetical to the Lord’s, and distracted by self-ambition – and then heals their waywardness through meditation on Scripture, communal accountability, and through learning to call upon God as Father in prayer. Written in a clear and engaging style as a kind of story commentary, and imaginatively following Simon Peter through his first three years of discipleship, this book offers numerous helpful suggestions about how to understand the Gospels. But above all, a prayerful reading of the book is itself an entry into discipleship: an invitation to healing and reorientation to the Lord.

Jonathan Douglas Hicks

Missionary,

Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders (SAMS-USA)

and New Zealand Church Missionary Society

What a delightful read! Johannes has made the story of Simon Peter’s encounter with Jesus come to life in new and marvelous ways. Written in a narrative style of contemporary dramatic storytelling, you will be captivated from the first page as you explore the good news of Jesus afresh in Breakfast on the Beach: The Development of Simon Peter.

Rev. Charlie Holt

Founder and President, Bible Study Media

The hakawati (Arabic for storyteller) in the Middle East captivates his hearers so they have no choice except to be back to listen to him day after another. Johannes is a skilful hakawati, who instead of telling a fictional story with imaginative characters and heroes, presents an amazing retelling of a real story. It is an authentic and genuine story focusing on a loving Hero through the eyes of another hero, Peter. If your passion is to enjoy Christ’s company in Palestine in the first century then this book is indispensable. Bon Appetit as you dine with Jesus!

Rev. Riad Kassis, PhD

International Director, Scholars Programme, Langham Partnership

Van der Bijl wants to get under the skin of Simon Peter and into his sandals (p. xxvi). He offers us a wormhole that leads us into the first century and empowers us to see reality through the eyes of Simon Peter who discovered Jesus Christ and the path of conquering failure. As we go back in time, we smell the air, touch the fish, feel the weather, and understand the details of the biblical story as participants, not as observers. The book offers us a Theo-drama and invites us to be actors who continue the story of Simon Peter. It structures its progress through the metaphor of a seed that grows into a tree and paves the way for reproducing the blessings of the kingdom. The book is written as an exciting and inspirational story. It is pleasant and creative reading.

Rev. Yohanna Katanacho

Academic Dean, Nazareth Evangelical College, Israel

My friend and colleague Johannes van der Bijl has taken a simple concept from our training – How Jesus Discipled Simon Peter – and turned it into a work of art. He has expertly combined a harmony of the Gospels, a study in biblical backgrounds and a christological survey with a practical guide to how Jesus made disciples in everyday life – and all this in the beautiful historical narrative genre.

Johannes has also managed to immerse us in the socio-political, historical, economic, and religious background to the Gospels, without making it feel like we are reading a Bible commentary or watching a history documentary. Johannes’s writing style is simple, descriptive, humorous, and engaging. Ultimately, I love how all the characters in this story point to Jesus as a model and hero! This book will inspire you to enter our broken world as a broken vessel and make disciples who will transform the world with the good news that Jesus is restoring everything!

Jeremy Koeries

Country Leader, J-Life South Africa

This is a remarkable book: part novel, part biblical exegesis, part discipleship manual. Using his extensive knowledge of the geography, customs and traditions of the time, the author has tried to get inside the heart and mind of Simon Peter as he tells his story from the time Jesus called him until the Ascension. Breakfast on the Beach will provoke the reader to further thought, discovery and discussion. It is a vivid and compelling read and is recommended for theologians and non-theologians alike.

The Most Rev. Dr. B. A. Kwashi

Bishop of Jos, Nigeria

General Secretary, Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON)

Johannes van der Bijl has written a biblically sensitive story that vividly portrays in a cinematographic style the life and struggles of the Apostle Peter. In so doing, he touches the heart of the reader in such a way that we can identify with Peter’s humanity and ever-strengthening and growing knowledge of Jesus as the Messiah.

Rev. Canon Dr. John A. Macdonald

Chair, Kenya Christian Education Partnership, an affiliate of ARDF

Vice-Chair, The Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders (SAMS-USA)

Priest Associate, St. Martin’s Anglican Church, Monroeville, Pennsylvania, USA

This is an insightful, biblically based and helpful compendium for mission, evangelism and discipling, especially in diverse contexts. Johannes van der Bijl captures big missiological concepts in an accessible way on the need to prepare the ground, to turn the soil, to ripen and sort out, to reap and to bear fruit. Read this book and be nurtured!

Thabo Makgoba, PhD

Archbishop and Primate,

Anglican Church in Southern Africa

I met Johannes van der Bijl and his wife, Louise, when they were missionaries in Ethiopia, and it has been my pleasure, early every morning for the past two months, to read carefully each page of Breakfast on the Beach. In this book, Dr. van der Bijl has carefully looked at the context of the words spoken by Jesus and has simplified the meaning of Jesus’s message to Simon Peter – and us. Our respect for Simon Peter as the head of the church has prevented many of us from seeing his human side and how his faith progressively advanced until he became the person we know. Johannes shows us how Jesus’s love and grace gradually changed Peter until he became Christ’s strong witness. We, like Simon Peter, need the experience of the breakfast on the beach because we are human and we are all called to experience God’s transforming power in us.

I have heard the gospel afresh as I read this book. It is a must-read for all. May God touch many lives through it!

The Rt. Rev. Francis M. Matui

Diocesan Bishop, Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK)

Diocese of Makueni

In this book, Johannes van der Bijl has brought Peter to life – the impetuous apostle also known for the mishap of denying his Lord. Breakfast on the Beach surfaces key biblical concepts and truth in a digestible and narrative form. The author is well aware the stories are irresistible to the human mind and are a powerful teaching tool. As a result, he fires your imagination and helps you find yourself in some sort of a mental movie. Most importantly, this book helps you not only follow Peter and his idiosyncrasies, but also reveals a Savior who is ever ready to leave the ninety-nine and go after the one lost sheep. You are sure to enjoy it.

Afrika Mhlophe

Pastor, Author, and Public Speaker

In this book, the Rev. Dr. Johannes van der Bijl is a wise mentor sharing his profound experience in his quest of the life of Simon Peter. In an attempt to get to know who Peter was, van der Bijl offers the reader a multidimensional view of the Scriptures. He helps us explore theological principles and cultural practices as well as archaeological probabilities. The book offers a message to all church leaders on how we can bring back those who might have failed to fulfil their call. As ministers, it is our responsibility to meet our fellow ministers at the point of their failure and provide necessary support to restore them back. If you are a church leader, consider reading this book once a year for the rest of your life.

Vicente Msosa

Bishop, Diocese of Niassa, Mozambique

Breakfast on the Beach by Johannes van der Bijl will be an invaluable resource for ministers (pastors, missionaries and lay leaders). It is an incredible treasure – a must-have for theologians, Bible schools and homeschoolers. This is more than just a book: it is wisdom distilled on Bible-rooted expositions. It reveals truths gleaned from many years of understanding the Bible. Van der Bijl has produced a much-needed resource for the Christian church today.

Ven. Lasarus Ngube

Archdeacon of Walvis Bay, Namibia

Breakfast on the Beach is a delightful read! The Rev. Dr. Johannes van der Bijl brings the story of the Apostle Simon Peter to life through his creative and winsome writing style. The reader easily begins to picture the scene and the characters, to hear the dialogue and envision the interaction of those present in these first-century encounters with Jesus, the Messiah. This book helps those who can’t relate to biblical characters as the real flesh and blood humans that they were. Breakfast on the Beach helps the reader to enter the story so that the story of repentance, redemption and revival can enter the reader!

Jenny Noyes

Executive Director, New Wineskins Missionary Network

Global Mission Initiative Leader, Anglican Church in North America

Everyone loves Peter, often getting it wrong, but always trying his best for Jesus. Who better to provide the narrative focus for Breakfast on the Beach, an imaginative retelling of his-story. In 1986 Gerd Theissen introduced many of us to narrative theology as an accessible route into complex faith issues in The Shadow of the Galilean, and here van der Bijl picks up that tradition – always engaging, full of surprises, at times speculative, but deeply rooted in theological and historical research. Read it as a story, read it as theology, read it as a call to faith – it is all of these.

Rev. Mark Oxbrow

Director, Guided Study Programme,

Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, UK

Peter is one of the most identifiable characters in the Bible. In Breakfast on the Beach, Johannes van der Bijl uses his sanctified imagination to open up to us the person of Peter. While remaining true to the biblical text, we are introduced to the disciple in a new light. In one book, van der Bijl is able to craft a personally accessible commentary on the person and work of Jesus through the eyes of Peter. It is a compelling work because it does what all Christian books should do – point us to Jesus.

The Very Rev. Andrew C. Pearson, Jr.

Cathedral Church of the Advent, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

I have always enjoyed listening to Johannes as he expounds Scripture. He manages to bring it alive and enthrall me with his knowledge. Reading Breakfast on the Beach has been no exception. Simon Peter and the disciples have become as real to me as my colleagues are today. I feel as if I have lived and learned with them, albeit we are separated by two-thousand years of history. Such is the power of Johannes’s storytelling and his carefully researched account of the life and growth in faith of Simon Peter. I commend this book to you. Read it and become as enthralled in it as I was.

The Rt. Rev. Luke Pretorius

Bishop, Diocese of St. Mark the Evangelist,

Anglican Church of Southern Africa

This is the wonderful story of the Gospels told by Dr. van der Bijl as he follows Jesus’s life and ministry through Peter’s eyes. This book is a picture full of colours and shades bringing together the Old Testament prophecies and miracles, parables, and teachings of Jesus. There are encounters with the disciples every day from the call of Peter until Jesus’s ascension. As we read the story of the gospel, one cannot fail to notice the spiritual depth, and the scholarly and academic ability. I recommend this wonderful book for preachers and those who want to meditate and live Jesus’s story. Thank you Rev. Johannes for your insights which are a result of many years of meditation and preaching the good news of our Lord. I pray that this book will be a blessing to many.

The Rt. Rev. Samy Fawzy Shehata, DTh

Bishop of Egypt and Area Bishop of North Africa

Dean, Alexandria School of Theology, Egypt

Johannes van der Bijl has written a good story of the most significant and exciting succession of events that ever took place in this world. Breakfast on the Beach is a retelling of the story of the Man who turned out to be the God-Man, seen through the eyes of one who witnessed the whole thing – whose life was transformed by what he witnessed, and who went on to become the first leader of the Christian community. Readable, exciting, believable, refreshing – the author has given us something precious: a read which raises and answers questions, and leaves some for us to think about ourselves. Clearly, this is the work of one who has pondered deeply every part of Jesus’s story.

David Seccombe, PhD

Former Principal,

George Whitefield College, Cape Town, South Africa

This book describes the life of Jesus through the eyes of Peter. With the author’s serious research and storytelling ability, the life, words, and works of Jesus come alive through Peter. Van der Bijl’s interaction with the Old Testament background in many areas of the story is particularly helpful. He also understands the social life of the first century. The interaction of Peter with his brother Andrew and other disciples comes alive in this retelling, and the description of stories, for example, with Peter and his wife, helps us understand the context of some incidents.

In the postmodern era, readers like to read stories. Breakfast on the Beach can help not only young believers to know Jesus, but also mature Christians. With the narratives, it is definitely appealing to Asian readers as we value storytelling.

Joseph Shao, PhD

President Emeritus, Biblical Seminary of the Philippines

4th General Secretary, Asia Theological Association

The story of Peter reflects our own journey of faith. Breakfast on the Beach richly engages us as first-hand observers of this very human disciple and encourages us to open our eyes and see the work of Jesus around us. Dr. van der Bijl’s vivid retelling of the gospel story shows deep understanding of the social, cultural, and political realities of the times, while guiding us to profound pastoral meditation on the text. A delightful and highly recommended read for all concerned to grow in their walk with Christ.

Perry Shaw, EdD

Researcher in Residence, Morling College

Author, Transforming Theological Education

The passion of my life has been to fully understand the real Jesus who walked on this earth. We are told over forty times to walk as he walked, do what he did, and follow his pattern. In this book, Johannes van der Bijl has done an amazing job of looking at Jesus through the eyes of Peter and capturing the chronology of Jesus’s life. I’d encourage you to read it with an open Bible, or better yet, an open harmony of the gospels, to fully capture the flow of Christ’s life and the development of Peter’s growing relationship with Jesus. You will enjoy the fresh look at Jesus’s life through Peter’s eyes. Fresh, inspiring, and full of unique insights – I highly commend this book to you.

Dann Spader, DMin

Founder, Sonlife Ministries and Concentric

Author, 4 Chair Discipling and Walk Like Jesus

In this very engaging book, Johannes van der Bijl draws on years of experience of helping people live as disciples of Jesus in the face of daily challenges. He brings the gospel accounts of Simon Peter to life in a vivid way that provides numerous insights into what it meant for him to follow Jesus. Anyone who wants to follow Jesus today, and help others on that path as well, will find plenty of inspiration in Breakfast on the Beach. Do read it and recommend it to others.

Justyn Terry, PhD

Vice Principal and Academic Dean,

Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, UK

Breakfast on the Beach by Johannes van der Bijl is nonpareil for several reasons. It is on the one hand a fresh and accessible telling of Peter’s story, but it engages the reader with a multidimensional exploration of what Peter may have felt and thought as he engaged Jesus day by day. Using his skills as both a fabulous artist and a good contextual exegete, van der Bijl dares to dive deeply into the character of Peter and paints an account that is both imaginative and tightly tethered to the biblical text. When recounting Jesus’s encounter with the Pharisees regarding God’s heart for mercy and not sacrifice, he expounds on the moment: Had the birds stopped singing? There was an awe-filled silence. Simon produced enough saliva to swallow the dry kernels. Clearly, the Pharisees were dumbstruck (p. 44). Van der Bijl, in a similar fashion, draws out the intense emotions when Peter prayed at the cross: It felt like there were fingers around his throat . . . pressing harder and harder. His hands were cold and clammy. He tried in vain to regulate his breathing. He clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms, trying to deal with the rising sense of panic (p. 240).

This book draws the reader into the journey of the fisherman who questions his vocational competence as a fisherman at the outset and then evolves into a man focused and passionate in his pursuit of the mission bestowed upon him by his Master. This book is a gem.

The Very Rev. Henry Laurie Thompson III, DMin

Dean, President, and Associate Professor of Liturgical Studies,

Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge, Pennsylvania, USA

I like to read the Bible and walk in the story and feel as much as possible what those characters felt and thus better understand the reality and message of each passage. Whenever I preach, I try to get people to do the same. Breakfast on the Beach has increased my perception of the attentive and impulsive gaze of Simon Peter, apostle of Jesus. I can visualize the events much easier now due to the deeply creative mind of the Rev. Dr. van der Bijl, to whom I am grateful.

The Most Rev. Miguel Uchoa

Bishop of the Diocese of Recife

Archbishop and Primate of The Anglican Church in Brazil

Jesus always made clear the importance of the church to be forming disciples . . . but life often imposes challenges which may lead many disciples to fail! The Rev. Dr. Johannes van der Bijl, with great sensibility, presents us this powerful tool in order to assist all of us in a restoration of injured disciples. Enjoy your breakfast on the beach – enjoy this banquet!

Rev. Geison Vasconcellos

Secretary General, Anglican Church in Brazil

Join in the journey of Simon Peter – with all his doubts and failings – in encountering Jesus. As Jesus draws Peter with restorative love, you too will be attracted through the power of this fresh, biblically grounded narrative. Through meticulous and sound biblical research, the Rev. Dr. Johannes van der Bijl fleshes out the story of Simon Peter so that as his walk comes alive on these pages, the reader is introduced to Jesus anew in a profound, heart-changing manner.

Breakfast on the Beach tells Simon Peter’s story with passion and affability. As Peter’s life is slowly changed through his time with Jesus, may others also partake in this transformative promise of loving encounter and extreme forgiveness. Drawing from the entirety of the biblical narrative, readers are introduced to Jesus through the eyes of the simple fisherman Simon Peter. In this journey of questioning and discovery as well as failure and restoration all may witness the deep, deep love of Jesus.

This book brought me to tears and laughter – occasionally concurrently! Jesus comes alive through Simon Peter’s eyes!

Stewart Wicker

President and Mission Director,

Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders (SAMS) USA

Simon Peter. There is hardly a more compelling and beloved character. Compelling and beloved particularly because he is one with whom it is easy to identify. You hold in your hands a story. This is a story of Jesus transforming and restoring the life of Peter, but overarching is Jesus. His love. His grace. His redeeming and restorative work. This is a story that shows how Jesus discipled his followers. A story that gives us a pattern to follow as we seek to make followers of Jesus.

I gladly commend this book to you because I gladly commend the author. Johannes has given his life to his Lord and following his Lord’s leading, he has made disciples in countries and cultures around the world. May this book encourage you in your faith and equip you to go and make disciples.

The Rt. Rev. Steve Wood

Diocese of the Carolinas, USA

Breakfast on the Beach: The Development of Simon Peter weaves a wonderfully relatable story around the life of Simon Peter and his journey with Christ. But perhaps the book’s greatest accomplishment is how it aptly explores Peter’s character and mind, his inner and external conflicts, weaknesses and strengths – a true projection of humanness. This is an easy-to-read book for everyone who desires a visually captivating story with a unique glimpse into one of the Bible’s most well-known personalities. You won’t be surprised to find yourself endeared to Peter and drawn closer to Jesus Christ.

Bellah Zulu

Lusaka-Based Zambian Journalist and Communications Expert

Breakfast on the Beach

The Development of Simon Peter

Johannes W. H. van der Bijl

© 2021 Johannes W. H. van der Bijl

Published 2021 by Langham Preaching Resources

An imprint of Langham Publishing

www.langhampublishing.org

Langham Publishing and its imprints are a ministry of Langham Partnership

Langham Partnership

PO Box 296, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 9WZ, UK

www.langham.org

ISBNs:

978-1-83973-207-2 Print

978-1-83973-529-5 ePub

978-1-83973-530-1 Mobi

978-1-83973-531-8 PDF

Johannes W. H. van der Bijl has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the Author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher or the Copyright Licensing Agency.

Requests to reuse content from Langham Publishing are processed through PLSclear. Please visit www.plsclear.com to complete your request.

All Scripture translations in this work are the author’s own and are based on the Nestle-Aland Greek text and William Robertson Nicoll, The Expositor’s Greek Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990..

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-83973-207-2

Cover & Book Design: projectluz.com

Langham Partnership actively supports theological dialogue and an author’s right to publish but does not necessarily endorse the views and opinions set forth here or in works referenced within this publication, nor can we guarantee technical and grammatical correctness. Langham Partnership does not accept any responsibility or liability to persons or property as a consequence of the reading, use or interpretation of its published content.

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To Louise,

my dearly beloved wife and my life partner on so many levels.

Like Jesus, you looked past the rough exterior of this sinful man and saw the fisher of people God would make him.

Contents

Cover

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

Preamble

Part I Preparation and Planting

1 Tilling and Sowing

2 First Impressions

3 Misgivings

4 Changes

5 The Turn of the Tide

Part II Nurturing and Nourishment

6 Learning to Follow

7 Mercy, Not Sacrifice

8 Narrowing the Focus

9 A Sense of Confusion

10 Beyond the Borders

11 Of Lambs and Wolves

12 Challenging Prejudice

13 Progressive Sight

Part III Ripening and Reaping

14 Paradigm Shift

15 The Measure of Greatness

16 Light in the Darkness

17 The Shepherd and His Sheep

18 Counting the Cost

19 Losing to Find

20 Kingdom Life

21 The Right-Side Up

22 In the Shadow of the Cross

23 The Gathering Storm

24 Into That Dark Night

25 No Greater Love

26 All Things New

27 Breakfast on the Beach

Part IV Reproduction and Replacement

28 Bearing Much Fruit

Appendix Timeline

Bibliography

Bibles Consulted

About Langham Partnership

Endnotes

Foreword

It is a great joy to introduce this remarkable book of the restoration of the Apostle Peter. Through this book my friend, the Rev. Dr. Johannes van der Bijl, who is also a gifted artist, paints for us a beautiful picture that embodies the love and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ as he restores Peter on the beach.

This is a very inspirational book that teaches all church leaders how we can restore others who have failed to fulfill their call. Indeed, we need to meet our fellow ministers at the point of their failure and provide what they failed to understand. Indeed, this is a must-read book.

Johannes van der Bijl helps us to see how we can rekindle the agape love in a person by agape loving the person.

I thank God for Johannes and his wife Louise who love the Lord so much and have served him in a great way in many countries.

The Most Rev. Dr. Mouneer Hanna Anis

Archbishop of the Episcopal/Anglican Province of Alexandria

Diocesan Bishop of Egypt

Preface

Ever since I first met Jesus, it has been my heart’s desire to make him known to others in ways that would make him more accessible and approachable. My experience at the time of my conversion was that all too often the church appeared to be a vehicle of morality as if Jesus was little more than another philosopher or lawgiver.

As I searched the Scriptures, I struggled with many personal questions and often wondered what the people portrayed in the pages must have been thinking at the time. There is such a gulf between my own cultural background and that of the biblical characters, that often their actions or reactions baffled or confused me. And Jesus was no exception. I could not understand why he seemed to go out of his way to antagonize these people called Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and Herodians as they appeared in the New Testament without explanation as to their origins or beliefs. It took me years to understand that there was a difference between their oral law, or the tradition of the elders, and the Torah. With the advent of study Bibles, much has been unravelled in my mind, but the explanations were in notes at the bottom of the pages, or in boxes under various subject headings, and not in the text itself. As such, in the text, the person of Jesus continued to be largely veiled for me behind enigmatic idioms and riddles and allusions to cultural and religious practices of which I knew little. I still wanted a more three-dimensional Jesus than the one I read about on the pages.

Having worked with people from cultures and backgrounds very different from my own, ever since my personal conversion to Christianity, I began to explore methods of contextualization, reading books and articles and listening to various lectures on the subject. It was while on this adventure that I began to understand the true value of storytelling. Drawing people in, to experience as best they could, the realities of the life of the person of Jesus, whom I was seeking to introduce to them, often helped to produce a more positive response.

After I was asked to start a Theological College in Gambela, Ethiopia, I decided to put together a chronological PowerPoint presentation of the whole of the Bible in pictures and stories, including the Intertestamental Period. My aim was to make events and places come alive to those who had a radically different worldview and framework in which to make sense of the very foreign concepts of ancient Israel. Unfortunately, I only got to teach the Intertestamental Period, but that was enough to encourage me to find ways to