ONE SOLITARY LIFE: THE LIFE OF JESUS 8-05-01

UNIT 7: JESUS IS ALIVE: “FOLLOWING THE RISEN LORD.

JOHN 21: 1-3, 4-7, 8-14, 15-17, 18-23.

PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO JOHN 21.

The opening verses of John’s Gospel in John 1:1-18 are called the Prologue, so the closing chapter 21 is more or less the Epilogue. While John 20:30-31 constitutes the conclusion of John’s Gospel, the information here at the end of his work provides a balance to the Prologue.

The Epilogue essentially ties up five loose ends that were unanswered in Ch. 20. The first question left unanswered in John 20:17 was (l.) “Will Jesus no longer directly provide for His own? (2.) What happened to Peter? Peter had denied Christ three times and fled. The last time Peter was seen was in John 20:6-8 where both he and John saw the empty tomb but only John believed. (3.) What about the future of the disciples, now that they are without their master? (4.) Was John going to die? (5.) Why weren’t other things that Jesus did recorded by John? Watch for the answers to these questions as we move through today’s lesson.

In our study we have followed the disciples to Jerusalem where they experienced a tumultuous series of events: The Triumphal Entry, the expectation of a new kingdom, a betrayal by a trusted friend, near arrest, denial of Jesus by their leader Peter, the agonizing crucifixion of Jesus, the Resurrection, and the manifestations of the risen Lord. Understandably they were confused and unsure of the future.

We left the apostles and other disciples last Sunday in the upper room in Jerusalem where Jesus had come for the second time to establish the hearts of the apostles by His word of “Peace,” endowing them with the H.S., and then commissioning them to proclaim remission of sins.

In Matt. 28:7 an angel had promised that Jesus would meet with His disciples in Galilee. So

today we find seven of the disciples gathered at the Sea of Galilee fishing.

1. PLEASE READ JOHN 21: 1-3

The Sea of Tiberias is an alternate Roman name for the Sea of Galilee found only in John here and again in John 6:10 and not used in the other Gospels. “After these things” always marks off a distinct section in John’s writings. “Jesus showed Himself”, is not that the disciples saw Him, but that He revealed Himself to them. His body after the resurrection was only visible by a distinct act of His will. The disciples did not, as before, see Jesus, but He appeared unto them.

In Matt. 28:10 we learn that the risen Savior had said to the women at the sepulchre on Easter Sunday morning, “Go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee , and there shall they see Me.” This, then, explains the presence of the seven disciples here in Galilee.

Peter and the others occupied themselves with fishing, which was their former livelihood, while they awaited Jesus appearance. They certainly could us the money that might be derived from a fishing expedition. So instead of wasting his time in waiting, Peter proposed to occupy it profitably. We can’t know for sure why they went fishing at this time; but someone once said a true fisherman doesn’t need a reason to go fishing, and he needs a better reason not to go. Deacon Harold Hall convinced me that God does not count the days spent fishing against one’s allotted days.

The author of today’s scripture knew that the best time for fishing on the Sea of Tiberias was at night time. But the disciples efforts this night had been futile. I have experienced the disciples frustration at not catching any fish. You come in tired, hungry and discouraged. You are really not a very jolly fellow to be around at that time. This must have been the mood of these disciples as the early dawn light crept over the eastern horizon.

2. PLEASE READ JOHN 21: 4-7

This could have been another instance in which the Lord kept His disciples from recognizing Him. Their little boat was about a hundred yards from the shore when the figure on the shore cried out, “Children, do you have any food?” They answered Him, “NO!”

I wondered, if, in this instance, John may have remembered a time in Luke 5:, after fishing all night. and catching nothing, Jesus had commanded Peter to “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Peter protested but replied in Vs. 5, “At your command I will let down the net.” The catch was such that it almost sank both boats.

In John 21:6 when they obeyed Jesus they were unable to draw in the net because of the multitude of fish. It was this that caused John to immediately recognize that the stranger was the risen Lord. When John told Peter “It is the Lord”, Peter acted on impulse and love. He wrapped his outer garment around himself, dove overboard, and swam the 300 feet to the shore.

3. PLEASE READ JOHN 21: 8-14

In Vs. 9 the first thing that confronted the apostle Peter when he joined the Lord was “a fire of coals,” an expression found only in John’s Gospel here and John 18:18. There we read of “a fire of coals” in the Priest’s Palace courtyard. Peter stood close by its side with Christ’s enemies “warming himself.” It was there that he denied his Master. Now this “fire of coals” by the Sea of Tiberias would prick Peter’s conscience. And it was there, by the “fire of coals,” that the Lord addressed Simon.

Jesus had breakfast ready, fish and bread, when the disciples gathered around the fire. Apparently, the Lord created this breakfast as He had created the food for the multitudes. This is the first miracle recorded after Jesus resurrection. The Lord’s action here in providing the fish also indicated that He would still provide for His disciples. This reminds us of the promise in Phil. 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” We should learn to trust Him. He is able and faithful. To the disciples He was saying, in effect, “If you are going fishing, and you have a bad night, I can give you a good morning.”

In Vs. 10 when Jesus asked that they share some of their fish, it was Simon Peter who dragged the net to land and John counted 153 large fish and noted that the net was not broken. This was the third time Jesus had showed himself to these disciples after He was risen from the dead.

In these next verses we see that after breakfast with the disciples, Jesus focused His attention on Simon Peter. The central figures in these next verses are the Lord and Simon Peter.

4. PLEASE READ JOHN 21: 15-17

Jesus had appeared to Peter after His resurrection on that first Sunday afternoon in Luke 24:34, but only here do we have a detailed conversation between the two reported. Only John recorded the meeting in today’s lesson. This interview is just mentioned in Matt. 28:16. And omitted by Mark and Luke. So John reports particularly what occurred there. Galilee was a place where they could be free from danger and was a convenient place for Jesus to meet the disciples. He will be giving His final instructions to these disciples in next Sunday’s lesson.

When Christ entered into His discourse with Peter---it was after they had dined. Christ foresaw that what He had to say to Peter would give him some uneasiness, and therefore Jesus would not say it until they had dined, because He would not spoil Peter’s breakfast. Their meal together stamped an indelible impression on their minds. Years later in His preaching in Acts. 10: 41, Peter spoke of himself as a reliable witness who ate and drank with Jesus after His resurrection.

Peter was aware that he had incurred his Master’s displeasure, and could expect no other than to be upbraided for his treachery and ingratitude. He might even expect to be struck off the roll of the disciples. Notice that the Lord did not address Him as Cephas, nor Peter, the name He had given him (for he had lost the credit of his strength and stability, which those names signified), but Jesus used his original name, Simon. Now Peter must have remembered how in Luke 22:31-32 the Lord had addressed him by this same name when He said “Simon! Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith shall not fail, and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” And then in Vs. 34 He foretells Peter’s denial.

When Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him in vs. 15, He used a word for love that signified total commitment. Peter responded with a word for love that signified his love for Jesus, but not necessarily His total commitment. This was not because he was reluctant to express that greater love, but because he had been disobedient and denied the Lord in the past. He was, perhaps, now reluctant to make a claim of supreme devotion when, in the past, his life did not support such a claim.

Jesus pressed home to Peter the need for unswerving devotion by repeatedly asking Peter if he loved Him supremely. The essential message here is that Jesus demands total commitment from His followers. Their love for Him must place Him above their love for all else. Jesus confronted Peter with love because according to Matt.16: 18 He wanted Peter to lead the apostles. Jesus wanted Peter to love Him so supremely as to forsake all that he was familiar with and be exclusively devoted to being a “fisher of men.”

In his reply Peter affirmed his love, but he said nothing about loving Jesus more than anyone or anything. He made no claim to a superior love. Rather, he relied on what Jesus knew. Jesus then challenged Peter to show his love for Him by acting in love toward His flock.

The second time Jesus did not say, “more than these.” He asked “Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me?” Peter answered in the same way he had the first time. Jesus included all that a shepherd does for the sheep, including guiding and guarding.

In Vs. 17 Jesus asked the same question again but instead of using the words “truly love” as in the first two questions he uses just “love’ in the third question. And Peter responded with the same word in his third response. Evidently Jesus’ intention was to allow Peter to affirm his love three times to signify repentance for the three denials.

In his third reply Peter appeals to Christ Himself for the proof of his love. First, Peter was sure that Christ knew all things, and particularly that He knew the heart. Secondly, Peter was satisfied that Christ, who knew all things, knew the sincerity of his love to Him.

It is a terror to the hypocrite to think that Christ knows all things, for the divine omniscience will be a witness against him. But it is a comfort to a sincere Christian that he has that to appeal to. My witness is in heaven, my record is on high. Christ knows us better than we know ourselves. Though we know not our own uprightness, He knows it

I received this week a copy of the speech that 17 year old Brian Moore gave before the Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting just prior to his death on May 27, 1997. He titled this essay “The Room.” He said in a place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. The room was filled with files of every thing he had done in his short life: On cards like library cards were written all the details written in his handwriting and signed by himself: The good things and the bad. He was particularly upset by the few cards in the box with the title “People I Have Shared the Gospel With.” He was so ashamed. He began to weep and then through his tears he saw Jesus. Jesus took the cards and with His blood wrote his name over Brian’s name on each card. He smiled and said, “It is finished.” I hope Peter was aware of Jesus forgiveness as he entrusted to him the care of His flock.

Three times Christ committed the care of His flock to Peter. Feed my lambs; feed my sheep; feed my sheep. The church of Christ is His flock, which he has purchased with His own blood. (Acts 20:28) The charge to Peter was to restore him to his apostleship. Secondly, to quicken him to a diligent discharge of his office as an apostle, and thirdly, what he said to all His disciples; He charged them all, not only to be fishers of men, but herders of the flock.

5. PLEASE READ JOHN 21: 18-23

Jesus’ call to devotion to Him would also mean that Peter’s devotion would entail his own death. (Matt. 10:37-39) Jesus followed up on this prediction by saying to Peter, “Follow Me.” In Matt. 16: 24-26 Jesus pointed out that whenever any Christian follows Christ, he must be prepared to suffer and die. Today, right now, in some country, there are those who will accept Christ as Savior and as a result will be killed, either by their own family or someone of another faith. The risk of being a believer is increasingly greater in more and more parts of the world.

Peter lived some 30 years after this, serving the Lord and anticipating the death that was before him. He wrote in 1 Peter 4:14-16 that such suffering and death for the Lord brings praise to God. Church tradition records that Peter suffered Martyrdom under Nero in A.D. 68, being crucified upside down because he refused to be crucified like his Lord.

When Jesus said “Follow Me” to Peter in Vs. 19 He was speaking to a believer, fully restored to communion, yet here we find him already taking his eyes off Christ, and turning round to look at John. Though fully restored, the old Simon still remains. Christ had told him to follow, not look around. Christ had just announced what would happen to Peter; now the apostle is anxious how his good friend and fellow believer should fare.

D.A. Carson summed up Jesus response to Peter’s interest in the future of John: “Jesus reply is tart: in brief, Peter is told it is none of his business what shall happen to John.” And then, once again, Jesus challenged Peter to follow Him.

John closed his Gospel with Vs. 25. “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”

NEXT SUNDAY WE SEEK TO ANSWER THE QUESTION “HOW CAN I DO MY PART IN OBEYING THE GREAT COMMISSION.” A.V. DAUGHERTY 8-5-2001

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