John Chapter 21
In John 20 - We just studied the glorious chapter of the RESURRECTION of the Lord Jesus Christ. In that study, we saw that He did raise on the 3rd day as He said He would and Scripture had prophesied.
Appearances After Resurrection:
We saw that He appeared to Mary Magdalene and the other women as well as to His own disciples, and from one Scripture, we saw that at one time He appeared to more than 500 brethren. He was flesh and bones, not like a ghost; yet, He suddenly would appear in a room or disappear from a place. He also ate bread and fish with His disciples after His resurrection.
We read ahead to Acts, Chapter 1, and saw that He walked in His resurrected form for a period of OVER 40 days, and then He gathered His disciples, commissioned them to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit Whom the Father would send in His Name, and also commissioned them to take the Gospel of His death, burial, and resurrection to all the world. Then, they watched with their eyes as He ascended into the clouds, and the angel said that this same Jesus would come back in the same way that He left.
We know from Scripture that He will appear in the clouds when we are "caught up" to be with Him, and then He will come in the clouds at His Second Coming to reign on earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
This Post-Resurrection Account in John:
John, Chapter 21 gives us an account of a post resurrection appearance that the other three Gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, and John) do not tell us about. It is INTIMATE and it is PERSONAL penned from the JOHN, the disciples whom Jesus LOVED (as John actually describes himself - how precious):
John 21:1 - "After these things JESUS manifested Himself AGAIN to the disciples at the SEA of TIBERIAS (check your maps again).
Which disciples were involved in this appearance? John 21:2 -
What did Peter say to them? (vs.3)
How did his peers respond back? (vs.3)
Let's review some of the Lord's statements to Peter in regard to fishing as his life-long occupation. Write the summaries out from these verses:
Matthew 4:18,19 -
Matthew 16: 15-18-
Read Luke's account CAREFULLY and watch every Word spoken between Jesus and Peter. Luke 5:1-11. Write out the conversation in summary form, including the event that was taking place: this is where Jesus is calling out the first disciples.
If you will let this summary remain in your mind, then you will see almost a reinactment in the post-resurrection appearance in John 21. They are on the sea "fishing" again and catching "nothing" again. When this first happened and Jesus blessed them with such a great catch of fish after their own works produced "nothing", ......
Peter had a call on his life from his Lord - a commission directly for him!
Jesus has spent much time PREPARING these disciples for ministry after His death, burial, and resurrection from the dead. He TAUGHT them and worked miracles before their eyes for three years! Yet, He knows that when the PERSECUTION starts, they will be willing in their spirits to follow Him, but WEAK in their flesh.
Read Luke 22:31,32 and let's dissect it!
Who has gotten PERMISSION from God to sift Peter as wheat?
A sidenote, but in the Old Testament, who had to get PERMISSION from God to sift the prophet Job this way as well? (Job 1:12; Job 2:1-6)
Oh, child of God, when Satan is allowed to sift you, who must he get permission from?
Don't forget that even though the attacks on your faith come from the enemy of your soul, God is watching over you and will cause the final outcome to make you as silver and gold REFINED in the FIRE! He will not allow you to be destroyed by the enemy; the enemy is in the palm of GOD'S HAND (never forget it!).
Back to Luke 22:32 -
That is what Jesus is doing for you today! He is praying for You! He is praying that your FAITH will NOT fail. (Hebrews 7:25) And the precious thing is even when Jesus knew the weakness of Peter's flesh, and the failures that lied ahead, He prepared him EVEN beforehand for the MINISTRY he would be given - not only fishing for men (evangelism), but an exhorter to his brothers in Christ ! We know that we have letters to Christians written by Peter in the New Tesament ( The books of 1st and 2nd Peter!)...........
Look at Luke 22:32 again.
Jesus is going to PRAY for Peter that his faith will NOT fail.
Peter didn't believe the Lord's warnings.
We know Peter meant it from his heart of hearts!
In John, Chapter 20 - We saw the three denials and when the third denial happened, it was early morning before Jesus was crucified, and the cock crowed. Our Lord was being beaten, slapped, and mocked in the court of Caiphas, the High Priest....... He turned and His eyes looked at Peter as Peter was WARMING HIS HANDS by the FIRE in the court and he made that third denial to those who asked him if he was one of the Lord's disciples. When Peter heard the cock crow and saw the painful eyes of His Lord, he took off running - and he WEPT bitterly. We saw all of that in our last lesson.
Application:
If you have fallen away from the Lord, it is important to go back to where you FELL, which in this case for Peter it was at a charcoal fire, and Jesus will recreate the scene for him when he comes back to Him - where were you when you fell away?
Take a moment to read and comment on this verse:
If you have left your FIRST LOVE for Jesus, remember when you fell and REPENT (have a change of mind, a change of heart, and turn around) - Go back to the things you did when you FIRST fell in Love with God through His Son Jesus. (The basics, beloved - hunger for His Word, fellowship with other believers, spending time in prayer - Go back and do the things you did when you first knew Him - hoping this group helps you to do that.)
It was Peter and John (the writer of this Gospel) that ran to the tomb to see it empty after Mary told them the Lord has raised from the dead. Jesus had appeared to all the disciples and had already had a meal with them since His resurrection from the dead. There is a reason for this private time with these 5 disciples this morning. Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James and John will have another encounter with the Lord Jesus before He ascends to the Father.
THIS IS PRECIOUS. ENJOY.
Peter leads the pack...he is going fishing...the rest follow!
John 21:3 - ".......they went out, and got into the boat; and that night THEY CAUGHT NOTHING."
How does this compare to Luke 5?
When day was breaking, where was Jesus? John 21:4 -
What had Jesus prepared for them for their breakfast? John 21:9,12,13 -
WE HAVE A CHARCOAL FIRE.......
This will be a bit different from the last charcoal fire that Peter warmed his hands out when he DENIED knowing the Lord Jesus, but surely - it will take him back to where he had fallen away. (Revelation 2:4,5)Jesus called out to them in the boat and knew that had caught NOTHING.
This compares to Luke 5 with the amount of fish about to break the net!
It is so interesting, and God only knows why we are told by John the 'exact' number of LARGE fish and yet the net did not break, but here it is: There were 153 of them! As soon as the great catch happened, John (who describes himself as the disciple Jesus loved - vs. 7 of John 21)..........told Peter
"IT IS THE LORD".
John 21:14 tells us -
"THIS IS NOW THE THIRD TIME THAT JESUS WAS MANIFESTED TO HIS DISCIPLES, AFTER HE WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD."
We have spent some time looking at the call and the weakness in Peter .....because John writes this conversation he was able to witness between Peter and the Lord that morning as Peter stood by that charcoal fire, surely remembering the bitter tears he had cried when his flesh had failed His Lord, .....surely remembering when he had fished all night and caught nothing the first time Jesus called him to "fish for men" ........after he had worshiped at his feet and recognized that he was a sinner undeserving of the Lord's love and calling.............(Revelation 2:4,5)
MORE NOW THAN EVER - He would feel like a failure. He had DENIED His Lord -
Surely the call was gone, the memory of being so close to His Master and being told that he would "fish for men" from now on, ...and also that upon his own confession of Who Christ was, the Son of God, Jesus had said He would build His church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it..... ....but that was "THEN"...this is "NOW".... AFTER THE FALL ..... but......
JUST AS PETER DENIED HIM 3 times.....
Jesus is going to give Him 3 commissions - 3 callings - after his fall and restoration to faith, He would STRENGTHEN His brethren. Jesus had PRAYED for Him that his FAITH would not FAIL, but Peter 'thought' it had failed.....listen to this beautiful conversation....and apply it to your own heart today.
John 21:15
So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter: "Simon, son of John, do you LOVE Me MORE than these?" (He could be referring to the fish - do you love me more than your occupation as a fisherman?.....Or he could be referring to the other disciples - do you love me more than these others because your commission will be a hard one to walk in!)
If you were reading the original Greek, you would see that Jesus uses the word for love "agape", but Peter uses the word for love "phileo". Agape is God's love (unconditional, unchanging, perfect love)......this is the commitment Jesus is asking for....Peter in his humble state can give THIS commitment to His Lord, I "phileo" you. This is also a very strong expressive love, but that of a brother (Philadelphia means "brotherly love).
Jesus said to Peter a SECOND TIME, "Simon,son of John, do you LOVE (agape) Me?"
Peter once again says "phileo".....
Jesus said to Peter a THIRD TIME ...
"Simon, son of John, do you LOVE Me?"
How did Peter feel about this third time he was questioned? (vs.17)
How did he answer His Lord this time? (vs.17)
What commission does Jesus give to Peter this time? (vs.17)
Jesus had a reason to encourage Peter in both His love for him and to remind Peter of his love for HIM.
The glory of being "commissioned" by the Lord comes with a high "cost". Verse 19 tells us that Jesus is describing in the previous verse HOW Peter will die (the kind of death he will die to glorify God).........
He will stretch out his hands....in his death....some of the early Church fathers have written in historical documents for us how Peter was martyred for Jesus. He too was CRUCIFIED, with outstretched arms......he truly identified with the Lord in the end and His faith did NOT fail! These documents say that he asked to be crucified "upside down" because he was not "worthy" to die in the same fashion as "HIS LORD".
Peter, as average as you and I, turned and saw whom we know to be John, describing himself again as the disciple whom Jesus loved (it says that he was the one that leaned on the Lord's breast at the supper asking the Lord who it was that would betray Him.....).....Peter asked Jesus:
"Lord, what about this man?"
This started a rumor that John would not die, but that is NOT what Jesus was saying (explained in vs.23). In fact, John wrote the last book of the Word of God - THE REVELATION. It was given to him on the "isle of Patmos" where John had been exiled as part of his persecution. The documents of the church fathers tell us that John was dipped in a hot cauldron of boiling OIL and then sent to that island, suffering those painful burns. Yet, in that suffering, he SAW the Lord Jesus Christ! He was given the Revelation and the messages for the seven churches in Asia and we have all the end time prophetic words spoken by Jesus, and John ends the book of Revelation with the resounding words, "Amen, Come Lord Jesus" (Rev.22:20)
Application:
Maybe you are comparing your call or your suffering to another believer in the Lord. God has a reason for who you are, what your calling is, and how you will suffer for His name's sake. Yes, to one degree or another, if you desire to live godly in this lifetime, you will have suffering.
Read and comment on these verses:
2 Timothy 3:12 -
Philippians 1:29 -
And some words from our beloved "Pastor Peter":
1 Peter 1:6-9 -
1 Peter 1:21-25 -
Yes, Satan is wanting to devour your faith, my Christian friend, and he is using your suffering to make you doubt the love of God. Yet, my brother Peter wrote some powerful words, and he knew because he had been in the shoes of suffering and yet he was kept and confirmed by His Lord and yours! What he was saying was true......in ending, let me remind myself and you:
1 Peter 5:6-11- "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, CASTING all your ANXIETY upon Him, because HE CARES FOR YOU.
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to DEVOUR. BUT RESIST HIM, FIRM IN YOUR FAITH, knowing that the SAME experiences of SUFFERING are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.
AND AFTER YOU HAVE SUFFERED FOR A LITTLE WHILE, the GOD OF ALL GRACE, who CALLED you to His eternal glory in Christ, will HIMSELF perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.TO HIM BE DOMINION FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN."
Isn't it all so PRECIOUS to see after studying the fall of Peter and the love of Jesus to restore him, reprove him, and use him greatly to continue encouraging US, even today! God wants to use your failures, your weaknesses, as a PLATFORM of MINISTRY to others. I pray that as we see others SUFFERING even in the prayer requests on this community, that we are strengthened in our faith and know that in all things, .....we overwhelmingly conquer through the LOVE of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and that GOD is going to use these trials to do what He said he would: perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish us!
Surely, as this study comes to a close - you will write out your final comments below or on the assignment page or in your journals.
Now, let's read the FINAL words of the Gospel of John from the author himself, John the apostle!
"This is the disciple who bears witness of these things and wrote these things; and we know that his witness is true. And there are MANY other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in DETAIL, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the BOOKS which were written."
We have enough written in the Word of God to study our entire lifetimes.
Let us continue to: READ THE BIBLE! If this study is being handed out to others, this is the website you can come on and JOIN with us! http://www.read-the-bible.webs.com We would love to have you!
Your Summary and Prayer as we end the book of John's Gospel:
Created For RTB msn group by B. LeMoine, used by permission only. Please join us at www.read-the-bible.webs.com
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