Focus Restored

Last week we looked at John’s account of Peter being restored. If you remember we had looked at the flaws of Peter…well intended flaws…but more about his thought about the best way of life rather than Jesus’ plan for saving the world.

Jesus is giving Peter glimpses of a world without evil…without the affects of sin and death. And there’s a point.

He’s asked Peter to follow him early on…Peter followed…but like us, had some chinks in his armor, some struggles…somethings that he carries with him…maybe baggage…personality traits that will serve him well but only if directed in the right direction.

Peter’s not perfect. Jesus knows this. And through the Gospel accounts, we see how Peter is just like us. He wants to do the right thing. He asks that question that we often ask…Maybe even there’s got to be more to this life. What’s my purpose....Sometimes we feel it…then we realize that we’re not perfect…that we make mistakes…we sin…and then maybe we’re not good enough.

I think we all feel that.

What if this search that Peter had…that we all have…can be satisfied in one thing…one person.

John 3:16 NIV

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 10:10 NIV

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Matthew 26:28 NIV

28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus forgives…brings us back to a place where the power of sin and death can’t hold on to us… And then ....new life…if we choose to follow and to stick with Him. Now…this means a lot of change from what the world thinks is best for life…the thief comes to distract us from the one who can truly give it.

let’s look back at our passage from last week....quick review…then we’ll read the focus passage for today.

Peters back at the north shores of the sea of Galilee. He previously denied Jesus 3 times…Jesus has died, rose…and appeared twice to his disciples already…and here he appears a third time when they are all fishing.

There’s the miraculous catch of fish…Peter figures out that its Jesus on the shore who’s making this happen…jumps off the boat swims in.

Jesus already has breakfast waiting for the fishing crew.

John 21:15 NIV

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

We glossed over this last week…to focus on a different aspect…simply Peter moving forward in life…but now lets look a bit deeper at Jesus’ question.

Peter has been making some mistakes, misteps, looked at reality through his eyes and heart rather the the true reality that is only seen through Jesus’ eyes.

Peter’s that guy who will be the first to step forward to take care of things…but when challenged…it might take him a minute to not be defensive, to not burst out with his own ideas…rather than taking a moment to think or to listen to the other person.

But Peter also has a weak spot when it comes to fear…and I think we all do in one way or another.

In a previous account, we have Peter, in the courtyard near where Jesus is being interrogated before his crucifixion.

For fear of his own life, he denies knowing Jesus 3 times.

He then “weeps bitterly” after he realizes what he’s done. I’m sure we can all imagine the fallout for Peter now. We’re not sure if Peter was there at the crucifixion. But we don’t hear much about Peter till the passage in John.

Peter … all-in for Jesus… most of the time…and now I’m sure he’s feeling that separation…emotionally that His denial has created.

It’s probably hard for him to be near Jesus…talk deeply with him…through those days that Jesus is in the city…after the resurrection.

But then Jesus comes to him…when he’s chosen to go out fishing.

Here’s what it looks like.

Looks like Peter might be toying with the idea of going back to fishing. Did life really change or ....what do we do?

He asks who wants to go with him…the others say they will...

And then Jesus shows up…miraculous catch of this that mimics the first miracle these guys saw when Jesus asked them to follow him three years ago. Peter realizes this is really Jesus....jumps out of the boat and swims to Him and then we see this exchange between Jesus and Peter.

Last week we glossed over a question that Jesus asks Peter that we’ll focus on today a bit more.

Jesus after everyone ate, took Peter aside and said, do you love me more than these?

Now we have to make an assumption here as to what or who Jesus is talking about.

Is it the fish, is it the other disciples?

Maybe…Jesus is referring to the fish caught…maybe it is a reference simply to the old way of life…fishing, the boat…his co-fishermen.

I think this is probably a safe assumption....simply because of where the discussion goes now.

Have you even been in a spot where sin has crept in and then it’s hard to see a way forward. It’s hard to pray. It’s hard to think about God. It’s like there’s a barrier…and it’s not like you give up…but you might revert back to former ways, habits....just because it’s easier…?

This might have been where Peter is.

Here’s another couple of thoughts.

And the context here…for us to think about is this…when we fail…how do we move forward?

Last week we looked at the idea of failing forward. Admit your sin, you mistake, your wrong attitude, your wrong motives…and then take a step forward…and certainly, it looks like this is what Jesus is doing with Peter.

But lets look at ways Peter could have moved forward in his own way rather than …in peace and freedom and joy.

He could have stayed on the boat…stayed fishing for fish rather than fishing for men. It looks like he’s moved beyond this thought when he jumps in and swims to Jesus. I’m guessing Jesus is laughing at Peter and the other disciples’ laughter and happiness when the net is full...

Jesus asks him three times, do you love me Peter. And we know these three times kind of mimic the three times he denied Jesus.

But something else is happening here. Something more than just a cool story.

Story of Egeria (Ejeeria) .... this was a lady…many think she was a nun from Europe, who wanted to visit the Holy Land very early one in history…this was in the late 300’s AD… and we find that the documention of her journey is one of the earliest, if not the earliest…travel diaries of people who traveled to the that area.

She wanted to be where the stories happened. She wanted to see what the disciples and Jesus saw…wanted to be near where things happened.

She stood on this area of the shoreline…there’s lots of evidence, historically speaking, to see where Peter would have been fishing…and then the length of shoreline....and then she writes that as she stood there, she read the story of John 21 again. And she writes that it affected her even more than just reading it. She and others after her write that there’s a keen sense that something huge happened here in Peter’s life…around this charcoal fire that Jesus had made. And it’s here that we can look at our own lives…and make connection.

Peter made a terrible mistake. His triple denial at Jesus’ interrogation is one of the few stories shared by the four Gospels. Knowledge of it was widespread among the evangelists, and it was deemed to be such an important episode that none chose to omit it. Luke notes not only that Peter denied Jesus, but at the crowing of the cock, Jesus (who must have been in the

True ministry now was impossible for him…maybe in his mind…for Peter. On the one hand, he could have spent the balance of his life working for the kingdom and promoting faith in Jesus. He could have become one of the most zealous apostles, intolerant of those who might compromise, inflexible with any who didn’t take discipleship with utmost seriousness. All of this energy would look excellent on the surface, but it would have been mere compensation— perhaps even overcompensation— for the failings of his earlier life. This sort of Christianity is destructive. It is works focused…good works focused.

“Because I failed God, because I have failed myself, I have a lot to make up for.” This type of ministry knows nothing of the “rejoicing heart” Jesus promised to his followers just a couple of chapters ago in John 19.

On the other hand, Peter could have become a man filled with despair. Seeing his own weakness so directly, knowing that Jesus had seen it and now even his fellow apostles knew about it, how could he still enjoy anyone’s respect?

Yes, Peter could have continued in ministry, carrying the baggage of his sin in his heart. But it would have eroded his soul. Self-criticism, depression, and a spiritual pessimism, disquised as “Oh look at how horrible I am…but I’ll carry on type of Christianity) would have characterized his work. This would create a spiritual burden that would have exhausted him; but because of his fear of disappointing himself and God once more, he could not quit.

Without realizing it, the Christianity he promoted would become destructive to himself and to others. Any ministry like this also knows nothing of the “rejoicing heart” Jesus promised in the Upper Room in John 16.

Jesus wanted none of this.

Jesus started this whole account with a catch of fish that would probably have resulted in laughter and joy…a reminder of who is He is and who they’ve been called to be.

And now Peter is…making decisions about his life. Knowing he has sinned…fallen short of what would honor Jesus.

What is it that changes Peter? Transforms Him. Does he do something, make a big plan?

No…he simply says…I love you more than all of these things.

He gives his whole life to Jesus. And Jesus restores him. Forgives him. Redeems him. That is probably the true miracle of this whole account.

That Peter humbly stands beside Jesus and give his whole life…everything to him. And Jesus forgives.

I’m pretty sure we don’t know a lot about this type of forgiveness.

This type of forgiveness doesn’t hold back anything. Jesus didn’t give Peter the type of forgiveness and grace that says…I’ll forgive you…but I’m going to watch my back now…remember what you did.

Peter’s probably at a low spot…what do I do from here? He’s probably had big questions…What’s Jesus say? Peter…follow me.

Healing. Forgiveness. Grace. Jesus wants Peter to move forward…to share the Gospel with people…but with healing, forgiveness, grace.

Jesus wants people, ultimately to experience joy …to let go of the world…and to run to him. This can only happen when you give your whole life to Him.

Do you love me more than these? That was the question. Look at your life…what do you love about your life more than Him? What do you search for in your life more than Him? What are you holding on to in your life more than Him?

The thief comes to steal life…keep you hostage in this world..to this world’s ways…Jesus comes to free you from this world…call you out.

He calls you out of this world to complete grace, forgiveness, healing…but you need to let your way, your plans, your past, your baggage, give it to Him, give it all to him…so he can fully heal you.