John 21:15-25
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Life Changing Book
Life Changing Book
Two part sermon
Keep in mind what Jesus has just done for the disciples.
Last week, we dealt with the first 14 verses of this final chapter.
To remind you of the contents of that chapter, we saw last week, that Jesus has performed a miracle.
He has once again shown his authority the created realm.
He has filled their boats again.
Last week, we hit on two important elements of the chapter.
Jesus fills their boat for a couple of reasons: (The purpose was not to gie them a successful fishing trip although it was).
To remind them of their previous calling ()
The resurrection hasn’t changed their calling. It has empowered it.
Their fear hasn’t changed their calling.
Just because Jesus is ascending to the Father doesn’t mean that his is done with them.
Things have changed in the way they interact with Jesus after the resurrection.
Following him doesn’t end at the ascension of Jesus. Its just beginning. (We follow him today.
To show that Jesus is still Lord over what they will do.
Here is where you should see from verses 1-14 that they are only successful whenever they do what Jesus has told them to do.
They finish all night and catch nothing. None of their efforts are successful apart from Christ. (We are powerless.)
Then Jesus shows up, and whenever they do what he says, they are successful.
We come to verse 15 where the disciples have been prepared breakfast by God Himself, and he has prepared it over a charcoal fire.
Jesus has some business to take care of with the leader of the disciples.
Remember what Peter had done.
Peter, before the arrest and crucifixion, had professed his loyalty to Jesus.
Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.
And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. “The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself.”
But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.” Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.
Matthew 26:
We’ve heard this story before.
Matthew 26:23
Couple of keys to take away from Peter’s fall before we get to the restoration of Peter.
We are weaker than we think we are, spiritually.
This is why we are warned in .
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.
Be careful of arrogantly or pridefully saying, I would never do that. This is what Peter said.
We must recognize the reality that we have the tendency toward sin. We have a tendency to let our tongue slip. To let our eyes wander. To let our devotion to God and to His church wain.
This is why Peter gives the warning in
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Peter knows all to well.
You need the ordinary means of grace.
We need to attend church and hear the preached word of God.
We need to be involved in a smaller group of people like Sunday school that holds us accountable.
We need to pray as a church
We need to regularly read and study our Bible.
We need brothers and sisters who aren’t afraid to call us out for our sin, because we are weaker than we think we are spiritually.
We often fear the wrong thing.
We often fear the wrong thing.
Peter, for at least the moment feared those who questioned him more so than the one who had created the questioners.
Peter feared the opponents of Jesus more so than Jesus.
Peter feared death more so than the one who had promised him abundant life.
We often fear the wrong thing. We should fear the Lord alone.
We learn from this next passage. Our temporary failure, falls, and setback are not excuses to disengage from the mission of Christ.
Look what happens here with Peter.
So 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, “Tend My lambs.”
The first thing we notice here in this verse is that when Jesus addresses Peter, he calls him Simon.
This had to be heartbreaking for Peter. Jesus had been the one to give him the name Peter. “or Rock”
But here, Jesus refers to him as Simon.
Why? Because Peter in his shame and guilt had returned to his previous life and work. He had left ministry and returned to fishing.
Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?
What is Jesus asking here?
I believe, in light of the context, Jesus is asking Peter if he loves him more than the fishing. More than the boat. more than the fish caught. More than the nets.
Do you love me more than these things?
I think here Jesus is questioning Peter’s devotion and calling in life.
Do you love me more than what you previously did?
Am I more to you than these?
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Something else you should know here is that Jesus uses
You should also know that there are two different Greek words used here for love.
agapaw- which is some scholars say is the “highest love of the will. It implies total commitment.”
Essentially what he is saying here is “Peter, do you love more than anything?”
I think we should ask ourselves the same question.
Do we love Jesus more than anything? Perhaps a little more pointed…Do our lives reflect that we love Jesus more than anything?
Jesus has not saved us to just be a welcome addition to our lives. He has saved us to now be the purpose of our lives. The supreme object of love in our lives.
More so than family, career, recreation, more so than ourselves. Jesus is to be loved above all.
You should also know that there are two different Greek words used here for love.
Is he the supreme object of love in our lives?
If so, wonderful, keep serving him well.
If not, for believers, our affections for Christ must grow to that point.
What’s interesting here for Peter is that he responds with a different type of love than Jesus asked for.
Jesus
Jesus asked for love without limitation. Love that implies supreme and total commitment, commitment that if necessary would cost him his life.
ABI
But Peter is hesitant. For once in his life, he hesitates to be so bold.
Remember before, Peter’s bold claims- he always said the right thing before
Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.
Bold Peter, as a result of his failure is careful to overstate his love and commitment to Jesus.
He has learned his own limitations.
So instead of answering back with Lord you know that I love you with total commitment, Peter is honest and says, Yes Lord, you know that I phileo you.
A different term for love. It still means love.
But it is interesting that Peter words here are different than what Jesus asked for.
Now, both of these terms mean love, and oftentimes they are used interchangeably for love in the New Testament so I don’t want to make too much of this, but you should at least know that Peter doesn’t use the same word for love that Jesus did. I happen to think its because he is careful to make such a bold claim having recently failed.
After he says this to Jesus, Jesus does accept Peter’s love and commissions him with with “Tend my lambs.”
Peter has been given a supreme calling from the Lord.
Tend My Lambs-
Peter is given the charge to take care of God’s flock.
To tend- care for- the flock of Christ.
The church, Christ’s bride. Jesus tells Peter, take care of her.
The highest earthly calling Jesus could have given, he gave to Peter when he said, “Tend my lambs.”
These lambs aren’t just any lambs. These are people. People Jesus has bought with his own blood. These are the people Jesus spoke of when he said:
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
This exchange happens again in verse 16
He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.”
This is awkward at this point. Why would he ask him twice. The very same question. He receives the very same answer, and he gives him the same commission.
Shepherd my sheep.
but the passage turns very pointed in verse 17.
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, 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, “Tend My sheep.
It was awkward the second time. It was heartbreaking the third time.
The third question revealed what Jesus was doing.
Three times he had denied Jesus. Three times, he will be asked to affirm him.
Jesus was reminding him and restoring him completely.
Peter responds how he ought to respond.
He says to Jesus. You know all things. You know that I love you.
Previously, he had sought to prove his love by pointing to his own ability.
Now, he looks to Jesus and his character as the proof of His love.
And again, for the third time, Jesus answers “Tend my sheep.”
Jesus has thoroughly dealt with the of Peter.
Peter denied, Jesus has restored, and has called him to service.
Tend My lambs- Shepherd my sheep- Tend my sheep -
Three commands that all carry with it a weight of responsibility only one that truly loved Christ could truly do.
The motivation for service Jesus was looking for in Peter was a love for Jesus.
In reality, this is the only motivation that is acceptable to God.
Peter understood this now. We see it in the book of Acts and we see it in his own letter.
Peter exhorted the elders(those who would teach the word)
nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.
Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Peter would faithfully shepherd, and even now, Peter, through his letter, gives instructions to me of how to shepherd this flock here.
And my service here as your pastor, elder, shepherd, whatever you want to call it, must not be self motivated by out of love for Christ.
Because the Chief Shepherd is returning one day, and I must give an account for how I lead this church.
We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
One day I will give an account for every word I’ve spoken from this pulpit and how I have lead you. Church I need your prayers. Pastor Dennis needs your prayers whenever he stands to teach.
We’ve been given the task of shepherding the flock of God.
Pray that my only motivation and goal is to love Christ in how I serve you. Pray that I am faithful in this pulpit, and that every sermon is an exercise of love for Christ.
I would ask you to pray for yourself in the same regard. Pray that your motivation for service in the church is not for self but out of love for Christ.
Whether it be in VBS, Sunday School, Children’s Church, Deacon Service, Song leading, Piano Playing, nursery working. Its for Christ and its a testament of our love to him. Treat it that way.
This year when we pass out those sheets where you will sign up for service. Ask yourself: Where will I love Christ by serving this year?
Peter’s love for Christ would lead him to be a faithful shepherd, but it will also lead the man who once denied Jesus, to die a martyrs death because of his love for Christ.
Look what he says in verse 18-19
“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”
“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.”
Jesus just told Peter how he would die.
Essentially, you are gonna serve me and then you are gonna die for me. He even tells him how. They will stretch out your hands. Peter would be crucified.
Suddenly, “follow me” at the end of verse 19 becomes strangely literal.
Follow me now means more than dropping his nets. Now it will mean take up your cross. Are we prepared for this?
Peter would spend the rest of his days serving Christ faithfully and waiting for his time to take up the cross and have the privilege to follow His Savior in death.
John ends this book with just more rebuke of Peter.
Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”
Peter notices a bystander. John is behind them following them.
He hears whats going to happen to him, and he starts asking questions, who will betray you? he start inquiring as to what will happen to John?
But, frankly, thats none of his business. None of it.
His business is to follow Christ faithfully, and when the time comes to bear the cross, to do it knowing that there is an everlasting joy beyond this life.
If God chose to let John stay alive until the second coming, that is not to be Peter’s concern. Shepherd the flock. Follow Me. Die well.
Peter’s focus on anyone else but Christ would lead to disobedience.
And so will yours.
Don’t be distracted by the successes and failures of others, keep your eyes firmly fixed on the author and perfecter of our faith. Thats our job.
John ends the book
This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.
I want to remind you one more time of the purpose of this book. Believe and have life in his name.
Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
Application-
Christ has saved you in order that he be the supreme object of love in your life. I think it goes without saying that we will serve that which we love and we will serve supremely that which we love and fear supremely because that is our God.
Peter had failed in his love and as a result had failed in his service.
How’s your love this morning?