John 21:18-25

Housekeeping/ Announcements

Last week was was a bit disjointed in regards to sharing our thoughts with each other. If we are wanting to make the best use of our time together we need to make sure we respect the person sharing and allow them to finish with their train of thought.

Matthew 7:12 ESV

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

I want to see feedback as we go through scripture together but we shouldn’t disrespect our brothers or sisters if they have something to share.

John 13:31–35 ESV

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Let me give you a run down of what I’d like to do in the weeks to come. We will be hitting the book of Revelation soon, there are a few things I need to prepare for, before we just jump right on in. So what we will do is a small study through Philemon, a study through prayer, and an overview of the Bible as it pertains to evangelism.

Philemon

Prayer resources:

“Power through prayer”- E.M. Bounds

The Kneeling Christian

“The life of Trust: The Autobiography of George Muller”

The Greatest Story Ever Told:

“The Drama of Redemption”- David Shirley and Joel Wingo

Introduction:

Recap:

Last week we concluded with the public restoration of Peter. Also seeing that Jesus despite being resurrected was still leading by example and showing to be great in His kingdom you must humbly serve.

To quote Kurt, “You cannot complain if you are dead to yourself.”

In the restoration of Peter: we saw that Jesus uses agape for the first two times questioning Peter. All the while Peter is responds with philo. We talked about that not being a bad thing, Peter realizes he is incapable of loving God with that agape love. Christ knew this and would meet Peter where he was at and ask the third time do you love (philo)?

vv 18-19) The call

[18]What is the purpose of repeating, “truly, truly?”

Jesus wants to make sure that those listening and Peter specifically are paying extra attention to what He is about to say.

When Peter was younger he had less responsibility and could do more as he pleased. Most of us know what these younger years were like.

Jesus is speaking of Peter’s future, when another would bind him and carry Peter to a place he would not want to go- a place with stretched out hands, crucified on a cross.

[19] It would be by that death he would glorify God. He will be restrained, no longer the master of his own movements. We should trust that Peter understood what Jesus meant.

Peter, you will die on a cross. John son of Zebedee understood, but wrote this many years after Peter’s death.

How is this news to be taken?

This was to give Peter assurance. In the crucial moment a few weeks before, Peter denied Jesus three times to save himself from the cross. Jesus assured Peter- truly, truly- he would face the challenge of the cross once again and he would embrace it. Jesus promised Peter that he would die in utter faithfulness to his Messiah and Lord.

According to ancient writers, about 34 years after this, Peter was crucified; and that he deemed it so glorious a thing to die for Christ that he begged to be crucified with his head downwards, not considering himself worthy to die in the same posture in which his Lord did.

What is the application for us?

Martyrdom isn’t more or less holy. It is how the Lord decided to take you home.

Romans 6:11 ESV

11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 16:24–26 ESV

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

In this epic moment and encouragement. Jesus gives Peter one last benediction. Follow me…

What does that remind you of?

Matthew 4:18–19 ESV

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Now Peter knew that continuing to follow Jesus would mean a certain cross. Peter was once again challenged to follow his Messiah, Teacher, and Lord.

“Follow Me” is a present imperative, which literally means “Keep on following Me.”

Does the tense add a possible significance?

vv 20-23) What about John?

Peter’s first response was not to tell Jesus yes, but to look at the other disciple, John. Peter first response to the personal challenge from Jesus was to deflect it by wondering what Jesus wanted to do regarding someone else.

This is something that reflects the heart of man being confront by God. We all have a tendencies to do the same thing. I have a personally conviction about movies, I can so easily question God, “well what about them?”

What about John? He would settle in Ephesus and share his faith. We know that he would be boiled in oil and not die, but then be exiled to the island of Patmos where he be given the prophetic vision of Revelation.

Jesus answered Peter with another challenge. Though Peter was destined to die on a cross, Jesus wanted Peter to consider the possibility that He might have an entirely different destiny for John.

“You follow Me” This is such a powerful and pointed challenge to Peter. Peter must decide for himself whether or not he would follow Jesus. This is the challenge that each and every believer is given.

“I have come to the conclusion that, instead of trying to set all my Master’s servants right at once, my first and most important work is to follow my Lord; and I think, my brother, that it will be wise for you to come to the same conclusion.” -Spurgeon

Then we have the start of the rumor that John wouldn’t die until the return of Jesus. The fact that John was the last surviving disciple, having survived attempts to kill him, gave strength to this rumor.

This illustrates just how often and easily people misunderstand things, and how often the brethren misunderstand.

vv 24-25) The conclusion

Here John explains that he was the unnamed disciple referred to in several previous places. Giving a truthful and solemn testimony of what Jesus the Messiah did and that in fact He was the Son of God.

[25] John wrote the truth about Jesus, but it was impossible for him or anyone else to write the whole truth about Jesus. There were many other things that Jesus did, and it would be impossible to write them all down.

Part of the “many other things” includes His ongoing work among His disciples and in the world today. With this delightful hyperbole he let us see that there is so much more about Jesus than we know.

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.