Forgiveness and Redemption

Intro: Have you ever had to apologize sincerely to someone?

I’m not talking about your parents forcing you to apologize to your siblings for being a jerk or just accidentally messing something up; I’m talking about when you did something that you regret immensely because you didn’t value someone, and so you need to apologize

I had to do this to one of my youth pastors. He let me stay at his house for a bit. In that time, I took advantage of his hospitality and disrespected him. It ended with him kicking me out.

I apologized at the time, but I was still mad, so I didn’t fully mean it. I knew what I did was wrong, but I still wanted my way. Until a few weeks later.

I eventually apologized to him and his wife for real. I was so upset for all that I had done, and I didn’t know how he was going to take it. This is a guy that I love and I really didn’t know if he would ever forgive me.

If you’ve ever had to do that, you know the feeling of shame and regret that makes you feel small. It makes you want to retreat and run away so that you never have to face those feelings again.

And, if you’ve ever had to do that, you might know a bit about what Peter had felt.

We’re at the end of our series in John, and now we’re at the end of this section where there’s three different interactions with Jesus. We talked about Mary, Thomas, and now were at Peter.

John 21:1-25.

Through Peter’s interaction with Jesus, I think we can see what forgiveness can do for us.

Forgiveness Leads to Redemption

Right after Jesus talks to Thomas, Peter and a few friends decide that they’re going to go fishing. These guys were fisherman previously, so this was them potentially feeling like God was done with them, and so they go back to their old jobs. Which they suck at, because they haven’t caught anything all night.

Jesus shows up, and tells them to try one more time and they catch an enormous amount.

That must have struck a chord with Peter and John, because Jesus did that when He first met Peter, because John mentions that it’s Jesus and Peter jumps into the water to swim after Him. He left the other disciples to figure out the other fish!

They then have breakfast, and Jesus asks Peter three questions: “Do you love me?”

Imagine for a second the shame that Peter must have felt in seeing Jesus! Jesus knew that Peter had denied Him! Peter didn’t get a chance to talk to Him when He showed up in the room, there were too many disciples with Peter and he probably felt like he couldn’t. He never got to apologize, to beg forgiveness from his friend and God about how he had betrayed Jesus!

And yet, Peter knew that he had to go and meet Jesus.

Jesus’ three questions redeems Peter.

Jesus asks him three times if Peter loves Him.

What’s the significance of that?

Because Peter denied Jesus three times!

Each time Jesus asks, Peter responds, until the last time when he’s exasperated!

He’s got to be so full of embarrassment and shame and can’t seem to face the pain of knowing how much he messed up.

But Jesus tells Him to follow Him, just like He did when they first met.

It’s Jesus’ way of saying that He’s forgiven him.

Our forgiveness redeems us.

If you believe in Jesus, then you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins.

All of the junk in your life has been forgiven by Jesus on the cross.

But it doesn’t stop there! If that was it, then we would just be bad people who are forgiven, just to make more mistakes!

Instead, Jesus’ forgiveness opens us up for redemption

What does redemption mean?

Redemption is actually an old slave term, it means to buy back, so it means that you are freed.

What are we freed from?

SIN! You and I and Peter and everyone else that believes in Jesus is not longer bound by our sin so that we can come to new life in Jesus!

Because of Jesus, your freedom is bought and paid for by the blood of Christ on the cross for you so that you can live a life of freedom that is found in the Lord.

Forgiveness Leads to Shepherding

Look at Jesus’ responses to Peter!

He asks Peter the same question, Peter answers pretty closely to Jesus, but then Jesus responds way off of the wall by talking about sheep!

But Jesus is saying something here.

Being forgiven means we are called to lead others to forgiveness.

Peter is being forgiven in front of us, and then Jesus tells him, “alright, if you’re forgiven by Me, theres a world of hurt that you’re going to go into. In fact, you’re going to die a horrific death, but it will point others to forgiveness.”

It means that if you are forgiven, you should be able to point to Jesus because He has forgiven you!

Christ has forgiven you of your sin, just go to Him and ask!

But don’t let it stop there! You are forgiven, so you are called to point others to forgiveness.

Let your experience be a guide to others.

Don’t get sidetracked by judgement.

Peter got sidetracked by John. He wanted to know if he was going to have a hard time like Peter.

But all Jesus had to say was, “that doesn’t matter for you, it’s just about your walk with Me.”

Don’t waste your life judging other Christians, that’s not why Jesus died!

Instead, love people, even the ones who are hard to love.

All you need to do is get out of the boat.

After I apologized to my youth pastor, fearing all of the blowback and pain, you know what he did? He hugged me and told me that he had forgiven me a long time ago

I know that there’s those of us who have a hard time asking for forgiveness or feeling forgiven. But, Jesus offers you that forgiveness, you just have to get out of the boat like Peter!

Stop hiding behind your mask, behind who you pretend to be, and stop faking being ok! Come to Jesus and let forgiveness wash over you.

Question about Vs. 15

Questions:

What is your favorite summer food?

Read vs. 15. Why does Jesus ask if Peter loves Jesus, “More than these?”

Have you ever had to ask for forgiveness sincerely? How did it feel?

Why do we need the forgiveness of Jesus?