Mark 14:27-31 “I Will Go Before You To Galilee”

Good Morning Calvary Chapel Lake City!

I wanted to reiterate that we are on our summer break and therefore there is no need to tear down anything.

Some of you have gotten into such a great rhythm with helping that last week… several areas of the church were still packed up.

But, good news… truly… this is summer break… don’t tear down the coffee station… leave the tables in the hallways… don’t pack up the children’s ministry supplies!

I know it feels weird, but it’s ok. And, if you need to channel your energy to serve… which we so much appreciate… take a look at our volunteer board… or find out how you can serve.

Well let’s get into the word… please open your Bibles to Mark 14… Mark 14:27-31 today.

We are in Jesus’ final week prior to the cross… in Israel it was the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread… and Friday of that Feast was the Passover Dinner.

Over the past few weeks, we took a look at Judas turning his heart away from Jesus to betray Him… and falling fully under the influence of Satan.

We also saw Jesus and the remaining disciples prepare the Passover in the upper room and eat the traditional Passover Seder dinner…

… which today is called “The Last Supper” or “The Lord’s Supper.”

… a meal celebrated for 1400 years by the Jews… which Jesus would now prophetically fulfill as He would become the our Passover Lamb of God who takes away… NOT covers as the sacrifice of bulls and goats… but takes away the sin of the world… once and for all.

For all who look to Him in faith.

And, during this meal, Jesus instituted the New Covenant in His blood and instructed the disciples as often as they eat the bread and drink from the cup that they remember Him.

And, in doing so, Jesus instituted the ordinance of Communion… which we will celebrate today…

Some 2000 years later we are still looking back in celebration of Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross for us.

As they finished the meal, they sung a hymn… and then departed Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives…

Where on the way… Jesus foretold His resurrection… Peter’s denial… and He said, “I Will Go Before You To Galilee.”

A seemingly insignificant statement, but it’s packed with meaning.

Let’s Pray!

In reverence for God’s word, Please stand as I read our passage…

Mark 14:27-31 “Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.” 30 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” 31 But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise.”

Praise God for His word! Please be seated.

If you’re reading out of New King James, this segment begins in V26 where ‘they sung a hymn, and went out to the Mount of Olives’ which I just briefly touched on last week…

This was not a hymn like “Old Rugged Cross” which they predated… but a Psalm…

A Hallel Psalm… a psalm of praise… which are specifically Psalms 113-118… Psalm 118 being the traditional Psalm sung at the end of the Passover Meal.

Ps 118:1 reads… “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

A familiar Psalm… even to us…

vv 22-23 of Psalm 118 speak about the “stone which the builders rejected” becoming the chief cornerstone…

vv 25-26 of Psalm 118 proclaim “Save now, I pray [Hosanna], O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Fulfilled at Jesus’ Triumphal Entry…

It’s a Psalm that speaks about salvation coming through Messiah… which was most appropriate for what was ahead…

I wonder if the disciples were making these connections in their minds as they sang with Jesus…

We have the advantage of hindsight… and so if we were transported into this scene… many of you and I probably wouldn’t be able to sing… we’d be so overwhelmed with emotion… that we’d be blubbering like children.

After they sang this Psalm… Jesus and the eleven went out to the Mount of Olives…

From Jerusalem… they would head east across the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives… no more than a 30 min walk.

The parallel account in Luke 22 adds “He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed”… the Mount of Olives was a spot Jesus frequented when visiting Jerusalem…

Which made it easy for Judas to betray Him by leading soldiers to the Garden of Gethsemane… which is on the Mount of Olives… to arrest Jesus.

It’s not surprising that Jesus visited the Garden often… I have a slide from an artist who creates archaeological reconstructions…

And, you can see from this slide… that when you stand at the Mount of Olives… you are East of the Temple Mount…

And, you get a beautiful view of the City of Jerusalem… and especially the Temple Mount area.

It was a special time to be in Jerusalem… not just visually with Jerusalem being the city on the hill…

But, because Messiah was present… and sadly so many missed it…

Thus Jesus previously lamented, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!” (Matt 23)

Which once again they were about to fulfill.

Which is foreshadowed in V27 of our passage today, “Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered.’”

What was a joyous evening… of Jesus modeling humble servant leadership in washing the disciple’s feet…

And then enjoying the Passover meal…

Took a turn when Jesus predicted one would betray them…

And now… here in V27… this gloomy prediction…

… that “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night…”

“Made to stumble” is translated in other Bible versions as “fall away” or “desert Me”

It’s the Gk. word skandalizō... it’s root word skandalŏn is where our English word “scandal” comes from.

It means “to put a snare in the way” hence to ‘cause to stumble.’

Which is a great description of the disciples abandonment of the Lord.

In V50 of this chapter... we read, “Then they all forsook Him and fled.”

Which fulfilled Zech 13:7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.”

Which is a highly prophetic passage… looking out to Jesus’ crucifixion… the disciples forsaking and fleeing…

And Jewish Christians… perhaps the little ones in this verse… throughout the Book of Acts saw persecution…

And it was persecution from Saul in Acts 8 that caused them to fulfill Acts 1:8… God’s command to go from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and the ends of the earth.

They seemed quite comfortable in Jerusalem… and were not going out to the other regions… until persecution.

Acts 8 is a great passage to see how He deals with His people when they are disobedient… He turned His hand against the early church… using persecution… for His will to be accomplished.

We forget sometimes that He is God… and we are not.

He is the LORD… the Master… we are the Servants.

When He says “go” or “do” we are to obey…

One of His last commands… was the Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations”… it’s still an active command today…

And, it applies to all of us… in someway we should be ‘making disciples’… not just of ourselves, but of those around us…

At church we have our Men’s Bible Study… and older men are pouring into younger men every week…

Our ladies are doing the same and have even begun a one-on-one discipleship group…

A great opportunity to disciple… is to serve in children’s ministry…

You get to be part of fulfilling the Great Commission for the next generation… and as you are teaching you will “taste and see that the LORD is good”… and you will expand your circle of people who will know and love you in this body of believers.

It checks a lot of boxes.

Now… when Jesus let His disciples know that they would scatter… I don’t read this as Him condemning them… moreso… I see this as Him preparing them… and demonstrating His omniscience…

“Here’s what’s coming guys… the Jews are coming to strike the Shepherd… and you will all flee… which will fulfill scripture…”

The Lord knows there are moments we will fail… often in Scripture you see how a failure leads to brokenness and then a changed heart.

In Men’s Bible study… we have been reading about Joseph and his brothers… and specifically in the failures of Reuben and Judah… AFTER they failed… they present as a different man.

We read a Psalm of David last week “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” (Ps 34:18)

Contrite is being crushed into powder… and how many failings did David have in his life that would crush him?

And… yet he never departed the Lord… he confessed his sin… and he was called “a man after God’s own heart.”

The Bible is so honest about the failings of God’s people…

And so… in your life, and mine… in the moments we fail… know that God is not surprised… and He will not forsake you.

And, I think V27 testifies of this… He knew ahead of time that His Apostles… would scandalously fall away… and Peter would deny Him… and He did not forsake them.

Instead… He leads and guides them… in order to restore and re-center them…

AND… He even goes before them.

We see this captured in V28…

In V28, Jesus again demonstrates His omniscience… “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

Jesus predicts He… the Good Shepherd… will be struck… His sheep (the disciples) will scatter…

And, then, after he is raised… foretelling His resurrection (which implies a prediction to His death)… and afterwards… “I will go before you to Galilee.”

All literally fulfilled in His death… resurrection… and post resurrection appearances to His disciples…

These predictions in this Garden scene… might be likened to the “calm before the storm.”

On this Passover evening… there was a lingering storm ahead…

Jesus knew His arrest and torture… the cross… was just ahead…

He was weighed down by the ominous clouds of the storm… we will see Him praying in the garden… pleading with the Father…sweating drops of blood…

And, He uses these final moments to prepare His disciples… and to prepare His own heart.

And… it’s so easy to overlook… but one of the greatest ways Jesus prepared and settled the hearts of the disciples… and restored them… AFTER they forsook HIM… was sending them back to Galilee…

It seems going back to Galilee was an important instruction… because not only here in V28, but also after His resurrection…

The disciples will again be instructed to return to Galilee.

At the empty tomb, two angels instruct the female disciples… Matt 28:7 “… go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.”

And if two angels were not enough… Jesus Himself reinforces the message to the women, Matt 28:10 “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

And, it struck me… what was so important about returning to Galilee?

Certainly it was not convenient… they were in Jerusalem… and to travel to Galilee was about a 38 hour walk North…

And, just a few weeks later… Acts 1… Jesus would have the disciples assembled right back in Jerusalem for His ascension and Pentecost.

He would ascend just near Jerusalem (at Bethany on the Mount of Olives Lk 24:50)… and the Holy Spirit would descend in Jerusalem (Acts 1-2).

So… why go to Galilee at all?

Did the disciples need to get their steps in after the Passover feast?

It doesn’t seem logical to walk 38 hours North… spend a couple weeks there… and walk another 38 hours south returning back to your point of origin.

But how God operates… and what God calls you to do… may not… in the moment… seem logical to you.

It may cause your life inconvenience… if may be a bit scary… and it most certainly will stretch your faith, which is typically a painful process.

Regardless… WHEN God calls you to do something that may defy your sense of logic… will you obey… can you walk by faith and not by sight?

The disciples knew not why they were called to Galilee, and yet they obeyed… Matt 28:16 records “… the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.”

And in John 21… they are there… which is the only Gospel chapter that gives the full picture of the disciples with Jesus in Galilee.

And, this is the final scene in John’s gospel.

John doesn’t ever portray Jesus’ ascension…

As John looked back to record the life of Christ… the Holy Spirit impressed upon him Galilee… to conclude his Gospel.

Because… returning to Galilee was significant… there was purpose in Galilee.

I believe Galilee provided the perfect backdrop to settle the hearts of His disciples… to re-commission them… and to prepare them for what was next… the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the birth of the Church.

They needed this time in Galilee to heal…

In Jerusalem… they were traumatized… in the Garden of Gethsemane… they witnessed their Lord was violently arrested…

And, they knew torture and death on a cross awaited Him…

In their hearts, the disciples wanted to defend Jesus… they asked “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”

Peter even cut off the ear of Malchus.

But, Jesus prevented them saying, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

Jesus affirmed that He could pray and the Father would send over twelve legions of angels, but then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled?

So, the disciples were powerless…

And as Jesus was arrested Scripture records, “… they all forsook Him and fled.”

And, no doubt they were guilt ridden as they fled…

They scattered… hid… and feared what might become of them…

Then post-resurrection Jesus appeared to them… walking through walls… pierced hands and side… it was a lot to take in.

So, He came full circle with them…the Good Shepherd knows His sheep… and called them back to Galilee…

It was in Galilee… where the were called into ministry…

Matt 4:19… Peter and Andrew were fishing, and Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

And, then He called James and John…

In Capernaum, Galilee… He would set up His base camp…

He and the disciples spent most of their first two years of ministry in and around Capernaum…

Where Jesus taught… performed miracles… fulfilled prophecy…

And, Jesus tells them… after my death and resurrection… go back to Galilee…

Back to where it all began…

When Jesus finds them there… Peter, James, John, and four other disciples went back to fishing, but they caught nothing…

Going back to fishing is akin to returning to former ways…

And, yet… Jesus once again meets them where they are, and instructs “Cast the net...” and again “… a multitude of fish.”

How that must have reminded them of their first encounters with Him.

How this must have spoken to their hearts that… without Jesus… their efforts were fruitless, but at His command… bountiful blessing.

And, Jesus ate with them… further confirming He was truly risen… which Peter later spoke about in Acts 10:41…

How this impacted him.

And, He restored Peter… “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”… “Feed My lambs.”

Once again giving Peter direction in life… affirming his leadership and re-commissioning him.

I believe they needed this experience to be re-centered… re-commissioned… and to commune with the Lord… to experience His kindness, and goodness and love once again… before the big things ahead…

There are times in our life when we experience tremendous difficulty, and we need to get re-centered on Jesus… we need to look back to the stones of remembrance of His faithfulness and re-encounter Him… and commune with Him.

After the disciples saw Jesus arrested, heard of his torture and crucifixion, and had been wrestling with the reality of His resurrection.

Though greatly inconvenient… getting away from Jerusalem, and going home to Galilee was what they needed.

So He called them there… And, we read in V28… that He even went before them…

When He calls you… know He will go before you…

John 10:4 states, “And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”

If you’re following Him and know His voice… when He brings you out… He goes before you.

Even if you’ve been traumatized and are scared… or confused… and you’re not sure if you can trust the Lord is real (like doubting Thomas)…

Or, if you’ve run from Him (like all the disciples)…

Or, if you’ve drifted in life… gone back to fishing… back to that old thing in your life you formerly let go of for the Lord…

Know… He will never leave you nor forsake you.

We only need to look back to and read our passage today and the scene in John 21 in Galilee to see this is true.

Because this is exactly how He handled the disciples then… and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Galilee was part of His plan for the disciples…

I don’t think V28 is insignificant.

Going to Galilee is repeated in at least three verses.

There were lessons and purposes for Galilee for the disciples.

And, there are rich applications for our lives today.

So, the question is…if the Good Shepherd is leading you, just as He went before the disciples to Galilee… even if the walk is 38 hours, and doesn’t seem logical... will you obey and follow?

His sheep will follow Him… they know His voice.

Do you know His voice? Will you follow?

If the answer in your heart is, “No.” I must ask, have you drifted… or what’s causing the break in your relationship… where you won’t obey the voice of the Lord?

The disciples in their trauma… scattered. Peter denied Him. They went back to fishing… they drifted… they hid.

There is benefit in going back to Galilee… back to that place where you first met the Lord… and were called… to get re-centered for the big things ahead.

As we take communion today… ask the Lord to take you back to that place…

And to give you a fresh calling.

V28 seemed to be overlooked by the disciples at the time… and is overlooked by many commentators today. But, there is depth in this verse… don’t overlook it.

Back in Mark 14… Peter and the other 10 disciples respond to Jesus’ prediction that they would be made to stumble…

Let’s re-read vv 29-31 “Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.” 30 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” 31 But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise.”

So here… we have the account of the prediction of Peter’s denial recorded. Which is a three-part story…

First the prediction of Peter’s denial… which the Holy Spirit inspired all four Gospel writers to record… thus this is significant.

Second… Peter’s actual denial of Jesus during Jesus’ first religious trial… also recorded in all four Gospels.

Third… The restoration of Peter by Jesus only recorded in John 21.

Now… I don’t think the Holy Spirit inspired all four Gospel writers to record Peter’s failings to shame him for all eternity… rather these accounts are packed with rich with lessons for us… and we get a glimpse of how our Lord handles His people during moments of failure.

And, this is a failure… there’s no other way to say it… let’s unpack this…

First, Jesus predicts all the disciples will stumble… all of you will fall away… and Peter disagrees with the Lord’s prediction…

“Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”

So Jesus… the creator of heaven and earth (according to Jn 1:3)… the Savior of mankind… tells Peter all the disciples will stumble… and Peter says “not I”…

Jesus then hones in on Peter… ‘actually friend you will deny me three times...’

And, Peter “… spoke more vehemently [more emphatically], “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

Jesus foretells the future… what actually will happen…

And, line by line, Peter disagrees with Jesus.

Might I suggest… that if the Lord gives you a specific prediction or instruction… or if there is a specific command or promise in God’s word… don’t argue with God… don’t live contrary to His word.

And, the thing about Peter… is I believe he honestly believed he wouldn’t deny Jesus.

I think this was his honest intent… at the Garden… Peter is the one who draws the sword... stares down a far greater number of soldiers… and cuts off the ear of Malchus…

I mean… that action in and of itself kind of proves Peter was sincere… he was ready to die for Jesus.

And, yet… a scene or so later… Peter fulfilled Jesus’ words and denied Jesus three times. So what went wrong?

I would suggest Peter’s first failure was disagreeing with the Lord… scripture doesn’t specifically label Peter’s words saying he would not deny the Lord as prideful, but it seems so.

And, I think it began at the Last Supper…

Jesus predicted one would betray Him… ten of the disciples asked “Lord, is it I?”… which was healthy submissive self examination…

Judas asked “Rabbi, is it I?” … he did not submit to Jesus as Lord… and was the betrayer…

Peter asked “Lord, who is it?” … and this smells of pride…

If you trust your flesh immune to failing the Lord… this is a red flag.

And, then Peter emphatically disagrees that he will not stumble… that he will not deny the Lord…

Essentially that his flesh will prevail over a prediction from God… and this is dangerous ground.

Friends… when scripture says “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked...”

Take note of that… deceitful means “insidious… fraudulent… crooked...”

Meaning it will betray you the moment it has an opportunity.

And, this is one of the reasons you need people in your life that can raise your arms in battle… like Aaron and Hur did for Moses in Exo 17…

Like Ruth and Naomi…

Just like Jesus requested of Peter, James and John at the Garden of Gethsemane… when He asked them to “Watch and Pray.

And, this leads to Peter’s next mistake… he did not watch and pray… none of them did… instead they slept.

Mark 14:37-38 records, “Then He [Jesus] came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

It’s no accident that Jesus singled Peter out here. Because Jesus knew Peter would fall.

He didn’t watch… he wasn’t alert, but slept.

And, he didn’t pray… and he fell into temptation.

Peter’s spirit was willing… he cut off Malchus’ ear… but his flesh was weak.

Peter denied Jesus three times… after Jesus was arrested… and the disciples indeed stumbled… and scattered…

And, Peter found himself isolated from the other disciples…

And, Satan loves to attack believers when they are isolated… when they are weakened… when they are easy prey.

In Luke’s rendition of Christ predicting Peter’s denial… Luke 22:31 Jesus warned SImon Peter, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you [you plural- all the disciples], that he may sift you as wheat.”

Satan’s eyes were on all disciples… to sift them… to put them through difficult times… and we know how treacherously he sifted Job…

In the following verse Luke 22:32, Jesus addressed Peter specifically, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

Peter indeed was sifted… he fled… found himself alone… and denied the Lord… and he would learn a lesson…

After he returned to Jesus… and was baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2)… Peter would strengthen the brethren…

He would be transformed into the man who had a deeper experience than most to write this exhortation, 1 Pet 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

Peter wrote from experience… he knew first hand what it meant to be devoured to be sifted by Satan.

Friends, don’t fall into the isolation trap… please allow other people in your lives. For many people, they do not because they are afraid to let people in.

But, far more dangerous is isolation.

And, as Peter was isolated from the other disciples… where did he find himself?

We see him next warming himself at the enemies fire in the courtyard of the ungodly.

John 18:18 records, “Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.”

This is a very Jewish scene… in the courtyard of Annas, the High Priest… during Jesus’ first trial (of six)…

And, these would be servants and officers loyal to Annas… who had Jesus arrested…

Over the course of about an hour according to Luke… Peter denied Jesus three times… even cursing and swearing by oaths “I do not know the Man!”

And after the third denial, the rooster crowed and Luke 22:61 records, “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.”

Peter then remembered Jesus’ prediction and Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus is in the midst of a religious trial… and being beaten and spat upon… at the crux of redeeming mankind as foretold in prophetic scripture of old…

And yet… He did not forget about Peter… Jesus turned and looked at Peter… which I imagine to be a look of love mixed with grief and conviction…

Peter had no problem staring down a detachment of Roman soldiers and Temple Guard at the garden.

But the look of the Lord pierced his heart.

While it may sting to be rebuked by God… there is purpose in it…

And He does rebuke us… Heb 12:5-6 reads, “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens…”

Rev 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.”

You see… God loves us too much not to correct us… when we go astray.

And, Peter would need to be broken of his pride to become the leader Jesus knew he could be.

The leader we read about in the first half of the book of Acts… overflowing with the Holy Spirit… and used to preach messages that would pierce the hearts of thousands… and the early church would be born.

And so, Peter’s mistakes were he argued with the Lord… he did not watch and pray… then as he scattered, he isolated himself… and he Peter warmed himself at the enemies fire… in the courtyard of the ungodly… where he denied the Lord

And, I see a loose parallel in Peter’s errors with Ps 1:1, “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful…”

Peter entered the high priest’s courtyard… the counsel of the ungodly.

Peter sat at the enemies fire… standing in the path of sinners.

And Peter conversed with the servant girl and the men who accused him of being a disciple… which he denied… he sat in the seat of the scornful… mockers.. scoffers.

And, while scripture highlights these obvious failures of Peter… this is just a moment in his life… and a wise person learns from the failures of others instead of walking that road themselves…

Peter had some obvious moments where he really got it wrong… usually speaking before thinking…

I’m sure no one here can relate?

But, I hope you and I have as much success as Peter… in our walks of faith…

Peter had boldness to speak up and take action… he’s the only one who got out of the boat and walked on water (though brief)…

He’s the one who responded to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

And, Jesus called him blessed.

But, what I love the most about Peter… is the radical transformation that happened to him before and after Acts 2… before and after the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

It’s a great side study… take the time to observe how different Peter is before and after Acts 2… when the Holy Spirit came upon him.

He was not perfect in Acts… but we see far less of Peter acting in the flesh… and far more of the Holy Spirit overflowing him and using him for ministry.

If you have never prayed to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit… you should today.

If you don’t understand this gift… perhaps read, “The Baptism with the Holy Spirit” by R.A. Torrey.

Or see me and we can talk.

Well, let’s conclude our time today briefly looking at the restoration of Peter.

We saw Jesus’ prediction that Peter would deny him…

We looked at the actual denial by the enemies fire…

And, the third part of this story is the restoration of Peter… turn over to John 21.

I love that our Lord did not just leave Peter high and dry…

After Peter was sifted by Satan… Jesus sent him back to Galilee… back to that place Peter was first called…

And Jesus recreated the scenes early in Peter’s calling… where he toiled all night fishing with no catch… until Jesus said, ‘let down your nets.’

And they caught a great multitude of fish, and John said, “It is the Lord!”

So, Peter… the man of action that he was… impulsively plunged into the sea… apparently to swim to Jesus… and then dragged the net to land…

I love how it’s recorded in V8 that the boat was not far from land… only about 200 cubits (about 300 feet)… and the other disciples came in by boat… not Peter… I love that guy.

After they evaluate the massive catch… Jesus invites them to breakfast… and they are just soaking it in… they know it’s the Lord, but His appearance had changed now glorified…

You get the sense of this in V12 where it says, “Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord.”

And, let’s read vv 15-17, which highlights Jesus’ restoration of Peter…

John 21:15-17 “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.”

Three times Peter denied Jesus, and three times Jesus commission Peter… “Feed My lambs”… “Tend My sheep.”… “Feed My sheep.”

Twice Jesus asks, “… do you love Me?”

Using the Gk. word agapaō… the root word for agapē… that unconditional and self-sacrificial love that is often called “God’s love.”

But, Peter can only acknowledge “You know that I love You.”

Using the Gk. word philĕō- which is brotherly love.

Jesus doesn’t condemn him for his honesty, but meets Peter where he is and the third time asks, “Do you love Me?”

And, Jesus uses philĕō this time… seemingly a downgrade which grieved Peter.

This is a fun passage to examine in the play of words for “love” in Gk., and Peter’s use of the word “know”… and the intent of Jesus’ questions and His commands… lot’s to uncover here… but the main point is this…

Jesus is letting Peter know that He is still loved, and had not been cast out by the Lord.

Jesus re-commissioned Peter… and twice would tell Peter in V19 “Follow Me” and in V22 “You follow Me.”

Which was not only for Peter, but also for the remaining disciples to reassure them that Peter still was one of them.

And, for you and I this is significant… because there have been or there will be times when we fail like Peter…

And, it’s important for us to know the NOTHING “… shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:39)

Peter’s story is a testimony to this truth. No one can snatch you out of the Father’s hand.

Amen? Let’s Pray!

In the past few weeks… we’ve looked at the Passover… the meaning behind the Lord’s Supper… Communion… and today Peter’s failing and restoration…

And, all of this points to what we’re about to do right now which is to take communion.

Let’s read from our Communion passage in…

1 Cor 11:23-29 “...the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

Please distribute the elements...

Communion is a time for us to look three directions…

We look back remembering Jesus’ sacrifice… His broken body and shed blood for the remission of our sins.

His new covenant. Salvation by faith and in grace.

Look forward in hope of His imminent return… we proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. He is coming.

And, looking inward to examine ourselves… to take communion in a worthy manner.

Time to do business with God.

Once you have prayed… take the communion elements individually.

Our worship team will play one worship song, and then close us in prayer.

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If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord...

...either let the cup pass and do not partake in communion -or- the better option...

…first accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today.

Our Elders will be up front to guide you in a prayer of faith… to confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

… then take communion.

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