Simon, Son of John

Simon, Son of John May 30, 2016

After sharing a breakfast of fish at the shore of Tiberius with his disciples, Jesus speaks directly to Peter (John 21). Peter had denied Jesus three times; now Jesus confirms his love three times. Peter denied Jesus at a charcoal fire in the high priest’s court; now he’s restored to fellowship at another charcoal fire, at the altar-table where Jesus prepares breakfast.

Each time Jesus speaks to Peter, he calls him “Simon, son of Joannes.” Through most of John’s gospel, Peter is “Simon Peter.” Jesus calls him “Simon” straight-out in 1:42, but never again until the seaside breakfast. Peter is “son of Joannes” in 1:42, and again in chapter 21, but never between. At the very least “Simon, son of Joannes” provides a frame around John’s gospel.

It’s an unusual designation. We know that Peter and Andrew are apostolic brothers, but, unlike the sons of Zebedee James and John, we are not elsewhere told their father’s name. We know the parentage of several other apostles, but, apart from John 1 and 21, never hear of Peter’s father. And it’s not clear that the “Joannes” of John 1 is the name of Simon Peter’s father anyway.

After the prologue, John 1 is preoccupied with the ministry of John the Baptist. John identifies Jesus as Lamb of God and the one born of the Spirit (1:29-34) and the next day repeats his announcement that Jesus is Lamb of God to two disciples (1:35-37). The two disciples begin following Jesus (1:37-39); one of them is Andrew, who tells his brother Simon Peter and brings him to Jesus (1:40-42). Then Jesus calls him “Simon the son of John” and gives him the name Cephas/Peter, which means rock (v. 42). It would be something of an intrusion for Jesus to mention Peter’s father, especially when there’s a very prominent Joannes in the context. Peter is “son of John” as the disciple of John the Baptist, birthed by the testimony of John mediated through his brother Andrew.

When Jesus again calls Peter “Simon of Joannes” in chapter 21, the title refers back to chapter 1 and highlights once again Peter’s connection with John the Baptist. John prepares the way for the Lamb of God; Peter preaches the Lamb slain and risen. John was a witness to the Lamb; Peter will be “son of John” through his own witness. John witnessed by being arrested and killed; Peter too will be taken where he does not wish to go, which signifies the martyr death he will die (21:18-19). With his denial, Peter betrayed not only Jesus but his “father” John. He failed to witness to the Lamb. At the seaside, he is restored to Jesus’s fellowship, and restored to his patrimony as a son of John the witness, John the martyr.


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