The Stone, the Water, and the Sequence

The narrative of Simon Bar-Jona, whom our beloved Yah’shua called Peter, is one of the New Testament’s most vivid demonstrations of the finished work of Christ. It is a story that brilliantly captures the essence of God’s lavish grace—a grace that triumphs beyond human comprehension over human nature, that elevates the weak, and is the sole foundation for walking in the miraculous. The Holy Spirit daily reminds us of this goodness, love, and truth, transforming our understanding from performance based theology to an awakening for receiving the fullness of the New Testament provision. The whole of the Bible is about Yah’shua, and all of Yah’shua is about His beloved.

The Name of the Stone

Simon’s original name was changed

by Yah’shua to Cephas (Aramaic), translated into the Greek as Petros (Πέτρος). The word Petros means a stone, a movable rock, or a fragment of rock. This is distinctly different from the Greek word Petras (Πέτρας), which signifies a massive, foundational bedrock—an immovable, eternal substance.

When Yah’shua declared, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my ekklēsia” (Matthew 16:18, KJV), He was not saying He would build “those called from amongst” (ekklēsia—the called-out ones) upon a mere Petros (Peter the man). He was amplifying the mighty revelation Peter had just declared: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16, KJV). This revelation of Christ Himself is the solid, immovable Petras—Yah’shua alone. Peter, the Petros (a fragment), is merely a living stone built into that eternal foundation, as confirmed in 1 Peter 2:5 (KJV): “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house…”

Peter, the Petros, represents the Old Covenant Law-consciousness—a movable, unattainable element based on human effort that is prone to collapse. The foundation of our faith is not righteousness through human effort (Law) but righteousness as a gift from the immovable Christ (Grace).

The Water

The linguistic context surrounding verses where Peter’s name is used, brings a powerful, paradoxical beauty to the story of Peter walking on the water, recorded in Matthew 14:28-31 (KJV).

A natural rock—a petros—sinks. Peter, the man named ‘Stone,’ walking on the water was defying his own nature. His ability to walk was wholly derived from the spoken Word of Yah’shua. The walk was a living parable: the natural man, the Law-conscious man, is incapable of walking the path of righteousness, but the Grace of God makes the impossible achievable.

The moment Peter took his focus off the Master’s face (His gentle grace), the law-consciousness of his own failing nature and circumstances took over: “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink…” (Matthew 14:30, KJV). The Petros sank the moment doubt—the spiritual double-mindedness that clashes with Christ’s finished work—crept in. This sinking demonstrates that by own deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified (Romans 3:20 KJV).

He cried out, “Lord, save me.” Observe Yah’shua's immediate response, which is the immediate, non-judgmental embrace of Grace: “And immediately Yah'shua stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matthew 14:31, KJV). 

Yah’shua’s rescue was immediate and complete. The Hand of Grace is always outstretched, a tangible assurance of the New Testament promise: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5, KJV). His grace is sufficient because His work is finished.

The Sequence

Further insight into Peter's place in the Grace message is found in the constant sequence in which Yah’shua’s three closest Apostles are mentioned in scripture—a sequence that is always the same and forms an insightful sentence for those familiar with the ancient languages: Peter, and James, and John. 

The order of the mention of their names is a Grace map that replaces the Rock (Law) with Love (Grace).

Whenever the Master chose to take a select group for an intimate revelation, the sequence is unwavering: Peter, and James, and John.

1. Raising of Jairus's Daughter: Mark 5:37 (KJV): “And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.”

2. The Transfiguration: Matthew 17:1 (KJV): “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart…”

3. The Agony in Gethsemane: Matthew 26:37 (KJV): “And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.” (Referring to James and John).

This consistent grouping and ordering is not arbitrary; it intentionally unveils the divine progression into the New Testament reality.

Let us examine the names to better understand the entrenched meaning:

1. Peter (Petros): The Stone/Fragment. Petros represents the Old Covenant law engraved in stone and the law-consciousness that brings about, exactly what the wandering Jews asked for when they refused to ascend Mount Sinai to meet Yahveh saying to Moses Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die Exodus 20:18–19 (KJV). The burden of self-effort that is destined to sink.

2. James (Iakōbos): The Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Ya'akov (יַעֲקֹב), meaning “Supplanter” or “Replacer.” James represents the action, the physical and spiritual act of replacement: just as Jacob supplanted (or replaced) his older brother during birth.

3. John (Iōannēs): The Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Yohanan (יוֹחָנָן), meaning “Yah is a Gracious Giver” or “Grace” This is the pinnacle, the final truth: unmerited favor and love.

The order of names, when mentioned by Yah’shua, delivers the profound message of the Gospel to the Hebrew and Greek speaking people (and to us today):

The Stone (or Law) is Replaced by Grace.

(Peter → James → John)

Hebrews 8:13 says In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. - Herein He says that He made a New Covenant. The old, as a result, is made palaioō — to be obsolete (Oxford: no longer useful because something better has been presented; outdated). How? By Christ having fulfilled completely the old and presenting us with the new — imputed righteousness, Grace! Now that which is made outdated (palaioō) is also made gēraskō or obsolescent) and is ready (in position; in place) to aphanismos meaning to be in abrogation, to disappear, taken out of sight, render unapparent, perish, fall in disuse).

The sequence demonstrates that the Old Covenant Law (Peter) is utterly Replaced (James) by the ultimate reality of Yah’shua, Grace Himself and His finished work: Yah is Gracious (John). Yah’shua was consistently leading His beloved disciples—and through them, us—out of the insatiable and unattainable working of the Law and into the perfect security rest of Grace, where we simply receive because we are already His beloved. The focus is permanently shifted from the sinking Petros to the finished work of the Petras, which is Yah’shua.