It Is Finished: The Last One

Introduction

Whats up friends! Welcome back to the very last Best Night. of the year. We’re really really sad that the year has come to a close, and are filled with a mixture of emotions because of it. On the one had its getting warm outside, the waters are warming, the grass is greener, the trees are blooming, and each of you have completed another year of school and Summer break or college or whatever is next for you is looming.

While on the other hand some of you are going to be leaving us, stepping into the next chapter in your life, and we won’t be together (formally) until Colorado at the end of July.

So while we are so excited for the warmth and the completion of another year, we are also so sad because of what it means for us… But we still aren’t done yet. We’ve got one more message, I think one more song even, and one last time with our small groups. So in the midst of this intimate space lets agree together that we’re not going to waste this evening. We’re not going to leave without one last encounter with Jesus inside of this building.

Let’s pray before we dive in.

Image

So I am in this fairly annoying and potentially unhealthy habit with my wife where at any sign of anger or frustration I ask her this question… are you mad?

Now this comes from a place of genuine concern for my wife and her emotions and whatever may be causing her to be mad but by now I’ve learned that more likely than not she isn’t mad but she’s probably tired or not feeling super great or many other things other than mad. And yet I still ask this question… are you mad?

You might be thinking - “Matt, whats bad about having genuine concern for your wife!” and you’d be right if I stopped at asking once.

Here’s how it always goes.

“My dear lovely wonderful beautiful intelligent delightful sweet wife. Hath something upset thou?”

to which she always responds with a well thought out response - “nope”

But here’s where the mistake is made. I hear her no, and rather than accept it for the straight-forward and succinct answer that it is I think to myself (not literally but pretty much) “Hmmm.... I don’t think she’s right. I’m going to ask again!”

And so I do… “are you mad?”

“nope!”

“Okay… but are you sure?”

“yep!”

“You’re mad aren’t you...”

I’m assuming you can see the progression and where it goes from here.

And yes, its funny. But its also a flaw of mine. Rather than trust my wife’s first response I for some reason believe that I am aware of an anger within her than not even she is aware of. And friends, thats not how it works. Its as if I think I am God and can sense something that not even she can, or can see something that not even she can.

Is it actually that big of a deal? I don’t know. Maybe? But the point I want to make is simple: Only Jesus can see within the heart of another person and really get down to the truth of what not even they know.

We see this especially in the final chapter of the book of John when Jesus reveals Himself to His friends for the third time since being risen from the dead after his crucifixion, a crucifixion which brought into this world forgiveness of sins for all who would believe that Jesus Christ is God.

If you have your Bible’s would you open up to John 21, starting in verse 1 going to verse 17.

Big Idea

As we are reading I want you to pay attention to a word that we’ll see repeated a few times… love. Because we’re going to come back to that and dig a little deeper into its meaning.

Text Address

John 21:1–17 ESV

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 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. 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. 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. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 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.” He said to him 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, “Tend my sheep.” 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 everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

Content

Set Up

Tonights message is going to be simple. Whether you’re one year into high school, two, three, or finishing up your fourth and final year. I want to ask you a simple question, do you love Jesus?

You see the reason for this potentially strange and maybe even seemingly unnecessary and confusing encounter between Jesus and Peter is found in the hours before Jesus’ crucifixion.

It says this in John chapter 13,

John 13:36–38 ESV

Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

Jesus in His divine ability to know the future and everything that will come to pass was already aware of Peter’s betrayal that would come before He died on the cross. In fact, Jesus knew before He even met Peter for the first time that Peter would betray Him. And so we see on three different occasions Peter denies that He has been a follower of Jesus, in John chapter 18 it says starting in verse 15,

John 18:15–17 ESV

Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.”

John 18:25–27 ESV

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

See Jesus in His divine knowledge rightly saw what was inside of Peter’s heart and knew before it even happened that when push came to shove Peter would deny Jesus in order to protect his safety.

In today’s world such a betrayal would be matched with a great punishment but not so with our Jesus. You see the story we read that took place on the beach after a breakfast made by the Risen Savior is not just a meaningless line of questioning. It is salvation in play. It is forgiveness in front of our eyes. And it is like the whole of scripture a magnifying glass over the great love and grace and mercy of our God named Jesus.

Lets read it again,

John 21:15–17 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.” He said to him 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, “Tend my sheep.” 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 everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

For three rejections there were three opportunities to proclaim His love for Christ and receive Christ’s love in return.

In much of scripture there is what I like to call the obvious truth of the text. Sitting there right in front of your eyes is the obvious implication, the obvious application, and the obvious observation, but when you dig beneath the text there is yet more to be discovered. Thats the case with what we just read.

The ancient languages are much more complicated than our modern english. When we communicate that we love something we use the word love. And, if we want to change the type of love we simply add an adverb to it and boom! its a different type of love. For instance, the difference between love and passionate love. Or love and unconditional love, or love and conditional love. And so on and so forth.

In the ancient greek they didn’t do it that way. They had 4 different types of love.

Storge - the love most often used to describe the affection between you and another thing or person. C.S. Lewis says this type of love is how we feel about an old t-shirt or pair of slippers or the sound of your dogs tail thumping on the kitchen floor. This is in our culture probably the most overused form of love, but in ancient greek culture it was the rarest.

Eros - the love to describe “intimate passion” which is mostly sexual. Plato however defined eros love this way, “Although eros is initially felt for a person, with contemplation it becomes an appreciation of the beauty within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself.” It is the form of love used most often to communicate “intimate love” and is still used today.

Philia - the love to describe affectionate regard, and friendship. Its describe as being dispassionate and virtuous. We might call this brotherly love or loyalty to a friends, family and community. Its mostly considered to be conditional.

Agape - the love we are probably all most familiar with within the Church. This is perfect love. Unconditional love. Unblemished and unwavering love. Thomas Aquinas, an ancient theologian described it this way, “to will the good of another” and C.S. Lewis calls agape love the “Divine Energy” from God which sustains all things.

Now knowing this, lets go back and place a magnifying glass over the interaction between Jesus and Peter. It goes like this,

John 21:15–17 (ESV)

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you agape me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I phileo you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you agape me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I phileo you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you phileo me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I phileo you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

This interaction is spectacular. Yes, it serves as a sort of reinstatement of Peter after his denial of Jesus, almost as if with each ask Jesus forgives him of each denial. But it also shows us about two significant details that I want you to walk away with tonight,

What Jesus deserves

What we can give

I think when we read this initially, or at least how I initially read this I read through a lens and with a voice of optimism and triumph. As if Jesus is asking Peter if He loves Him and Peter is proudly pronouncing “yes!”

But the more I’ve studied this passage the more I think its the opposite. I think its discouraging for Peter initially. Jesus asks him “Do you perfectly and unconditionally love me?” to which Peter with his three denials still ripe in his mind can only answer “I can imperfectly and conditionally love you, Lord” likely with his head hanging and the taste of tears on his tongue. To which Jesus asks once more, “Simon, son of John, do you perfectly love me? Can you provide to me the love which I deserve and the love which I give you?” “Lord… you know I phileo you! I conditionally love you, Lord.”

I picture this interaction almost as a standoff between the two. Not one of aggression or anger or violence. But one of longing, of deep intimacy between two friends, between God and His creation, where Jesus is proclaiming to all of us “I deserve agape” and which we proclaim to Him “we can only give phileo.”

What do I mean? Friends if you haven’t experienced this already there will be a day when you choose something else over Jesus. You choose the satisfaction of something else over the satisfaction of Christ. Just like Peter chose the safety of denial over the safety of Christ.

Jesus deserves Agape. But Jesus also knows what its like to be human. Though he knows that He the embodiment of agape deserves such love, He still receives all that we can give.

All of scripture is beautiful and should propel us into deeper love with Jesus and great worship of Him, but what we are going to read next should send us to our knees because of the reality of Christ that it reveals to us.

Jesus having asked Peter if he can agape Him twice, and having heard from Peter with two subsequent answers “no… but I can phileo” says to Peter for the third and final time…

“Peter… can you phileo me?”

“Lord, you know my heart. You know everything. You know that I phileo you”

Jesus met Peter right where he was. Jesus knows that He deserves agape. Right, don’t take this as me saying Jesus isn’t deserving of our agape because this scripture makes it evident that He is. But when we can’t agape Him, he receives our phileo.

The beauty of this text isn’t just that Jesus forgives Peter for denying Him. The beauty of this text is that Jesus receives from Peter what Peter is able to give.

I said there were two main takeaways from this passage when we dig beneath the surface.

The first, Jesus deserves agape.

The second, we can’t love God the way God demands to be loved. And yet He allows us to love Him imperfectly anyways.

Friends if you’re in this room tonight and you’re thinking that you can’t be a part of God’s people because you can’t seem to love Him the way they, or those Christians do. Like, you think to yourself there’s no way you can love God THAT passionately because you’re mad at Him because of your mom’s cancer, or your parent’s divorce, or your mental illness or the way you look or sound.

Let me tell you something. None of us can love God the way He deserves to be loved. But God. In His perfect mercy and grace will take all that we can give even though He knows just how much He deserves. Even though He knows just how much we can’t give.

You see in order for God to be the divine embodiment of agape then God Himself must be the divine embodiment of unconditional love. And so He gives us a choice. Will you receive His unconditional love? Because the condition that has been required to receive that love has been met by Christ when He died on the cross for you and for me. So God says to all of humankind, “Believe in me and you shall inherit eternal life.”

Do you want unconditional love? Then believe in the one who can give it. Believe knowing that God will receive all that you can give, just like He did with Peter.

Conclusion

Lastly, I’ll say this. Maybe you’re a Christian in this room and you’re going through a rough patch in the faith. Maybe you feel like Peter felt having just denied Jesus. Further away from Him then you’ve ever been and less sure of yourself than you’ve ever been.

I said earlier that Peter chose to deny Jesus in order to stay safe from the punishments of being a disciple while Christ was being crucified. But whats ironic is Peter’s denial of Christ didn’t stop Christ from calling Him. This section ends in verses 18 and 19 with this,

John 21:18–19 ESV

Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (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.”

Peter denied Jesus to secure His safety, but that didn’t change what God was going to call Peter to do and who Peter would be.

Peter is considered to be the first pastor-figure after Christ ascended. He’d be the one to deliver the sermon which led many to Christ on the day of pentecost. But not only that, Church history tells us that Peter was crucified just like Christ, the only difference was a strange request that Peter made - to be crucified upside down because he didn’t believe he was worthy of dying the identical way that Christ did.

Despite Peter’s attempts at safety and denial of Christ, God still called Peter to do great things in His name and for His Church. So friend, whatever “season” you are in - know that God can and will still use you powerfully for His Church. And, often times, He’ll use you in the very ways you are most afraid to be used. So trust in Him. Know that He is the embodiment of agape and no condition can remove the love that God has for you. The Bible says that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Even though we were or are rebels against God, His Son still died for us. Unconditional love.

Lets pray.