He hasn't given up on you!

Pray

Introduction

If you were here on Monday evening you will have heard the first-person account of the crucifixion from Peter.

What I’d like to do this evening is to continue from where I left off and look at Peter’s interaction with Jesus after he rose from the dead, by way of encouragement to all of us that nobody is beyond redemption - and that despite our weaknesses and failings…

Jesus hasn’t given up on us!

So let’s look at peter...

When I left off on Monday, Peter was in a bad way - everything he had promised Jesus he had failed. He said he’d stick by him to the end and when the crunch came he dropped him like a wet sponge.

‘Everyone else may desert you, but not I’ - and then he point blank lied and said that he didn’t know Jesus in order to save his own bacon.

And then there was the look - when Jesus turned and looked at Peter, just after he denied Jesus, as if to say, ‘what did I tell you?’

Now we need to be careful not to read too much into that look… We don’t know what kind of look it was. Was Jesus disappointed? Was it an ‘I told you so’ look, or did Jesus look at him with compassion?

We really don’t know, but we DO know Jesus, and we know that Jesus had compassion on so many people throughout the gospel, so I reckon there was at least a hint of compassion in that look - as if to say, ‘it’s OK, Peter…I know what you’ve done, but I forgive you. And I’m not finished with you yet.’

And then Jesus is led away, beaten, whipped, spat on and crucified....

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And then he rises from the dead.

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Now, imagine you’re Peter. If you’ve let someone down and then they are immediately killed, while you may be down about it and remorseful, at least you don’t have to meet them again and face them.

But now that Jesus is alive, and he knows that you denied him not once, not twice, but three times, how would you feel? Cos you’re going to have to face him.

Peter is going to have to face the man he denied. Peter is going to have to face the man for whom he swore that he would fight to the end, but in the end he chickened out.

How do you think Peter would have felt?

Pause

Now, Jesus has revealed himself twice already to the disciples, and we must assume Peter was there when Jesus appeared - but Jesus said nothing to Peter, that we know of, in those encounters. He spoke collectively to the disciples saying, ‘peace be with you,’ and he spoke specifically to Thomas in the second encounter, but, as far as the gospel accounts tell us, there hasn’t been a one-to-one between Jesus and peter at this point.

But in this third encounter, we see that one-to-one face-off between Jesus and Peter…and it’s awesome.

Let’s look at the text...

So, Peter and a few others go fishing. You might think, ‘that’s strange - to go fishing’. But actually the fact that Peter went fishing is really significant.

John 21:3 ESV

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

So they went fishing but caught nothing. This is significant. Let’s read on...

John 21:4–6 ESV

Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.

So Jesus shouts over to them and tells them to cast their net over the other side of the boat. Now, I’m not sure what they thought about that - how wide is a boat anyway. If there aren’t fish on one side why would there be fish a couple of meters away… That’s not the point - the point is that strangely enough the disciples do what this stranger says.

And they catch so many fish that they can hardly haul in the net.

So...

Fishing on their own they caught nothing…but when Jesus became involved they could hardly haul in the net.

Now, hold that thought…Let’s read on...

John 21:7 ESV

That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.

Peter, when realising it was Jesus he dived into the sea and swam to Jesus. Peter loved this man - sure he let him down, but how often do we let down our own loved-ones. Peter wanted to see his friend again, so he dived into the sea and let the others struggle with the net of fish.

And then we see a significant event on the shore - which we can’t miss.

John 21:9 ESV

When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread.

Jesus had made a fire and was cooking fish and baking bread on the fire. Jesus had provided his OWN bread and fish. But Jesus notice what Jesus does...

John 21:10 ESV

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”

John 21:13 ESV

Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.

So Jesus doesn’t use his OWN fish, he asks for the fish they HE HELPED THEM CATCH. Don’t forget they caught nothing all night until Jesus told them to cast their net on the other side of the boat. But it’s THESE fish with which Jesus feeds his disciples.

Now, hold THAT thought too.

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And then we come to the famous exchange between Peter and Jesus. This is the one-to-one that we’ve all been waiting for - Peter is coming face-to-face with Jesus, the one he denied, the one he SAID he loved, but dropped like a stone.

And Jesus asks him...

John 21:15 ESV

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, 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.”

Do you love me?

You KNOW I love you.

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Three times Jesus asks Peter this, once for each time Peter denied Jesus.

Are you one of his followers? … NO, I’m not… Peter, do you love me?

You are - you’re one of his followers … NO, I’m not… Peter, do you love me?

Yes you are - I’ve seen you with him … I swear to you that I’m not… Peter, do you love me?

And Peter never says, ‘YES, I love you…Of COURSE I love you - I love you more than life itself.’

Perhaps Peter knows that his words are meaningless.

Instead...

Peter simply invites Jesus to look into his heart...

‘Jesus, look into my heart and see for yourself…and you’ll know that I love you.’

Jesus already knows that Peter loves him…but now Peter really and truly KNOWS that HE LOVES JESUS.

Cos to be able to say to Jesus, who knows everything, ‘look into my heart and see for yourself that I love you.’ To be able to say that you must be fully aware that you really and truly DO love Jesus.

You see Peter slipped up, cos he’s human and he makes mistakes…It’s not that he didn’t love Jesus, it’s just that he’s not perfect - and by Jesus asking Peter this question, Peter is now fully aware that he really does love Jesus.

What an assurance to us that even though we may love Jesus, we can still let him down…but when we DO slip up, it doesn’t mean we have stopped loving him. It might simply mean we’ve slipped up.

What an amazing encounter.

But each time Jesus asked if Peter loves him, and each time Peter replies, ‘you KNOW I love you’, Jesus asks Peter to feed his sheep.

Why?

Cos...

Jesus hand’t given up on Peter.

And Jesus has a job for Peter to do - but Peter must realise how much he loves Jesus in order to do this job - cos this isn’t something you’re going to do UNLESS you LOVE Jesus, because it has consequences.

Peter is now well aware that Jesus has forgiven him. He is well aware that HE loves Jesus, and Jesus is inviting Peter, that if he really truly loves Jesus then he needs to feed his sheep.

But what does that mean?

Well, remember those two thoughts I asked you to hold. For those of you with butter-fingers, here they are again...

Fishing on their own, the disciples caught nothing - when Jesus got involved they caught loads

Jesus does use his OWN fish, he uses THE DISCIPLE’S fish

Now, cast your mind back to another time in the book of John when Jesus feeds people with bread and fish...

In John 6 Jesus feeds 5000+ people with bread and fish…not his own bread and fish, but a boy’s packed lunch.

So a boy offers up whatever HE has, and Jesus uses THAT to multiply and feed and sustain a multitude of people.

And AFTER that feeding of the 5000, Jesus says that HE is the bread of life and he says a strange thing...

John 6:53–54 ESV

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

Now, link that to the catch of fish that was hauled in…153 fish that Jesus provided for them. Without Jesus they caught NOTHING.

And ALSO link that to the first words that Jesus says to Peter...

Matthew 4:19 ESV

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

And link that to the very last words that Jesus says to Peter...

John 21:19 ESV

(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

so...

You’ve got Jesus asking Peter to follow him and he will fish for men.

You’ve got the feeding of the 5000 using someone else’s fish.

You’ve got the feeding of the disciples with the fish that Jesus miraculously allowed the disciples to catch.

And you’ve got Jesus asking Peter to feed his sheep, but don’t forget Jesus is the bread of life.

Now, put that all together and what is the message from the text?

Jesus is saying to Peter - follow me and I will make you fishers of men…And if YOU trust in me I will enable you to haul in a multitude of ‘fish’ - or men. You will catch so many men (and women) you’ll be amazed…but that blessing comes from ME. Don’t you forget it. Without me you’ll catch no one. This isn’t YOUR work, it’s MY work.

And I’m going to use YOUR fish - the men and women that YOU catch…I don’t NEED to - I can do this work on my own, but I want to use YOU and the people YOU bring into the kingdom. And I will use YOU in a big way - in ways you couldn’t imagine.

So I haven’t given up on you, Peter. Just you wait and see - because your name is Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

So Peter, I can see into your heart and I DO know that you love me, so feed my sheep. Feed them with the bread of life....I am the bread of life.

So take yourself, and the rest of the fish that you catch for me, and give other people the sustenance that I bring. Feed them for me…disciple them, grow them, let them feed of the Word and let them feed of my ME so that they have eternal life.

Don’t let them feed of other things, cos that isn’t real food - I am the bread of life…I AM.

Peter, I haven’t given up on you. I love you and I want to use you. And I KNOW you love me, and now you KNOW that you love me too - so Peter, go and fish, go and feed, follow me and I will bless your ministry and your work in ways that you would never believe.

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And that’s what Peter did. And eventually he suffered for it, like Jesus predicted, but he glorified God in his death.

See, Jesus hadn’t given up on Peter. And, like we talked about in the midweek, it was Peter’s brokenness that brought him to his knees, and Jesus was able to take him and use him for the kingdom in a mighty way. It was Peter’s failings, when he denied Jesus, that allowed Jesus to use him for the kingdom, because he was brought down in order for Jesus to pick up back up.

But listen up - this isn’t just for Peter. Cos...

Jesus hasn’t given up on you either.

You are never beyond redemption. You are NEVER beyond the forgiveness and love and the grace of Jesus Christ. You are NEVER too far gone to come back.

Peter slipped up big time, but he did love Jesus and the questions Jesus asked him made him realise that he really DID love Jesus and Jesus really HAD forgiven him.

So remember that you’re never beyond forgiveness - you’re never beyond redemption. When you slip up, run to Jesus like Peter did…run to him. Peter dived off the boat and swam to Jesus - do whatever it takes to get to him.

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Jesus is asking you, ‘do you love me?’ He sees into your heart, he KNOWS if you love him or not…but do YOU know if you love him? Do YOU know how much you love him?

Do you know how much you love Jesus?

If you love Jesus, then trust that Jesus hasn’t given up on you and he loves you more than you will ever know, and if you’ve slipped up you’re NEVER beyond his forgiveness. And if you let him, he will multiply your efforts on earth for the Kingdom of God. . But you have to follow him.

Jesus said, ‘follow me’ – walk where I walked, do as I did, love as I loved. And because I haven’t given up on you, don’t YOU give up on yourself, don’t give up on your friends, don’t give up on your family, don’t give up on your marriage, and don’t give up on your church.

Follow me - go fishing and I will bless your efforts.

Let’s pray.