After these things...

Tetelestai...

Christ’s seventh and final utterance from the cross was, “Tetelestai,” “It is Finished.” In secular Greek business dealings, tetelestai meant “paid in full.” Jesus paid the price for you and for me. He was the perfect lamb, the final sacrifice, the perfect and unblemished atonement for you and for me. It was finished! Jesus was not finished though.

His love is so great that through the power of the Holy Spirit of God, he overcame the grave, as we celebrated this past Sunday. What is so powerful and amazing about our Jesus, is that he did not stop there. He did not just poof away to the throne of Glory, he stayed for another forty days to teach, to help, encourage, and empower his people.

I want us to look at two events that occured after His resurrection. The first was on Easter Sunday. Let’s return to the tomb on Resurrection Sunday.

In John 20, Mary Magdalene shows up at the tomb before the sun comes up. The stone has been rolled away and Jesus is not in the tomb. Thinking someone stole or moved the body of Christ, Mary Magdalene runs and tells Peter and John. Now, when John saw the empty tomb, he believed that Christ had risen. Peter and Mary, they did not believe that Jesus had risen from the grave. We have a picture of three people, all who followed Christ and walked with Christ, yet each of them struggled with their faith in different ways.

It is easy for us to point fingers at others when we think we have reached a place of superiority. When we elevate ourselves and think we are “more Christian” than someone else. We can never lose sight that we all have victories in some areas and in others, the LORD is still working on us. Right now Jesus is working in an area of my life where I struggle. Something that you may have overcome through Christ. It does not make me any less of a believer. It is easy to say, but sometimes the hardest thing is staying focused on Jesus Christ. Look what happens when Mary Magdalene returns to the tomb.

John 20:11–13 NLT

11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

Mary can’t stop looking in that empty tomb. She is insistent that someone took Jesus’ body! She is so distraught, so hurt, in so much pain she probably can’t even see straight! Jesus was probably the first person in Mary’s life that showed her real love and kindness. Have you ever been is a place of such intense grief that you can’t even look up, crying so hard you can’t make out the things around you? I mean, an absolute wreck. I think that is where Mary was.

John 20:14–16 NLT

14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” 16 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

It is easy to imagine Mary with her head down, eyes full of tears. Now, we know she was not looking at Jesus because of this last verse (she turned to him). She did not recognize him because she was not looking for the risen Christ, she was looking in the grave. Mary was seeking a dead Savior. A Savior no different than other people; frail and weak. Powerless over life and death. Mary was facing the wrong direction. Which direction are you facing this morning? We are either looking to Christ or away from Christ.

Brothers and sisters, Christ is bigger than any trial or tribulation we may face, even death itself. How often in our grief or hurt do we take our eyes off of our Lord, our Savior. Yes, we grieve, we weep, we hurt, and sometimes we become angry. We must allow Jesus to go before us, in and through us, He is the greatest of hope and love that we have in this world. Here is the beautiful thing I want you to see.

“Mary!” Jesus said… Mary did not recognize Jesus by sight, but by His voice and the His word. We know the LORD by His Word and His Spirit. Jesus called Mary by name; Jesus calls to every believers heart this morning:

John 10:14 NLT

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,

The same one who was before all things and will be after all things knows your name this morning. He has called us out of the grave! Do we continue to look back into the grave of our mistakes, of other peoples mistakes, and past hurts? Or do we lift our heads, look at Him, and follow Him? He did not overcome the grave so that we would stay in the grave. The creator of every star you see knows your name this morning, and he is calling. His grace and mercy are renewed everyday! He is telling us to STOP! Stop looking in the grave, look at me, follow me, love me, know my grace!

Speaking of the grace of Christ, lets fast forward to John 21:1-3

John 21:1–3 NKJV

1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.

After these things… how many places in your life can you look back at and say “Jesus was there, and Jesus was there, and Jesus was there.” I lost count. And after those things, He will keep showing up because that is what our LORD and Savior does.

The disciples are out in the boat and have caught nothing. Some guy on the shore yells out to them to cast their net to the other side of the boat. Perhaps this guy saw a school of fish from the shore and he was trying to help them. They ended up catching 153 fish. That is a lot of fish.

John knew at this point that it could only be the Lord Jesus Christ. When he told Peter, Peter jumped overboard and swam for shore.

Shame, Guilt, and The New Life in Christ.

Imagine the guilt and the shame that Peter was carrying. Just as Jesus told him he would, Peter had denied Christ three times, and Christ looked right across the room at him when this happened. Yet Christ, having overcome death, in His resurrected body, appears a third time to the disciples to love them and to instruct them.

Jesus took the time to exhibit the grace that only our Lord and Savior could. He was on the shore cooking breakfast for these disciples! He showed Peter that he was forgiven. Whatever it is you are holding onto this morning, shame, guilt, unforgiveness; LET GO, lay it at the cross and do not take it back!

Three times Peter denied Him, and three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him.

I believe we can apply what happens next to our individual walks with Christ.

John 21:15 NLT

15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.

Notice that Jesus called Peter by his full name. He calls each of us by name. He wanted Peter’s full attention, and it caught the attention of the others around them. Jesus asks Peter and us today, “do you love me more than the things in your life. Am I, the great I AM, your first love?”

There are two different words in the Greek for love that Jesus used.

Agape - The Greek term for divine love as opposed to worldly love, it can be directed towards God, Christ or fellow Christians. Self-sacrificial love.

phileō - brotherly or sisterly love, i.e. have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling.

John 21:16 NLT

16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.

When Jesus asked this question, He used the word agape, the highest form of love, “Do you agape me Peter,” the love of God Himself. Peter did not say “I agape you.” to the Lord. Peter said “I phileo you, I love you like a brother.” The third time Jesus asks, he asks something different.

John 21:17 NLT

17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

Jesus is probing the genuineness and loyalty of Peter’s love. Jesus uses the phileo form of love when asking Peter in this verse. Jesus had to descend to the human level of understanding of love. He is asking “Peter, do you even love me like a brother?” Questioning his loyalty hurt Peter’s feelings. He was preparing Peter. He was preparing the disciples. He is preparing us.

We may be insulted, injured, and humiliated at times. Don’t be surprised, so was Jesus Christ. Do we choose to act as the world or do we choose to allow the agape love of Christ to work through us? Simply stated: You can make it about you or you can make it about Him.

After the fall, phileo love is all the world knew. Agape love was not known until Jesus. Agape love is Christ dying for people who have no strength, for the ungodly, for sinners, for the enemies of God. Agape love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Agape love is what holds believers together. Agape love is the love we are to have for all people.

Worship Team

I do not mean we are to die for people, there is only one perfect lamb of God and it is not you or me. Are you committed to Jesus Christ this morning? Do we put others before ourselves? Do we serve others as our Lord and Savior taught and instructed? Do we give up the right to “get even” with others and forgive? Do we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our hearts and minds or do we suppress the Spirit of God in our lives? I pray this morning that we experience His agape love and that we give that love away as freely as he has given it to us. God Bless.

Alter Call