JESUS. STOOD. THERE.

I’ve been wanting to put pen to paper on this for a while now, but just never could find enough time to properly devote to this topic.  But, today, I have a sick kid at home napping and work is a little slow, so this seemed like the perfect time.  God keeps tugging at my heart to post this.  At church, we’ve been in a two-year long series on the book of John in the New Testament of the Bible.  On March 26, 2017, the small group pastor, Daniel Earnest knocked it out of the park.  It was one of those sermons where you want to stand up at the end and just give a standing ovation.  It moves you—you can feel the Holy Spirit working in you.  I’m not sure I had ever really studied Simon Peter in the bible and so I wanted to write it down.  If you were to google Simon Peter and the bible, you’d find many headlines about how Peter is one of the great stories about how people change.

It’s powerful, and, Parker and Andrew, I hope you can come back to this one day.  I have it written in my journal, too. 

So, just to start off, I’ll be writing on the last chapter of John so, Chapter 21, versus 1-24.  Basically, the book of John should have ended at chapter 20.  But, chapter 21 is the end to Peter’s story.  Before I put the verses in the text here, let’s give a recap.  Peter was one of the twelve called to be Jesus’ disciples.  His trade was a fishing.  Fishermen at that time were gruff, unkempt, vile, shabbily dressed, and often used vulgar language.  Peter was bold but often times in the wrong.  He rebuked the Lord and said that he was willing to die for Jesus even though at the arrest and trial of Jesus he denied Him three times (Matt. 16:21-22).  Daniel described Peter as being all heart and half mind. 

Jesus has been arrested, tried and crucified.  John chapter 20 illustrates Christ rising from the dead.  Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and then to His disciples.  The disciples are in Galilee to wait on Jesus (Mark 16). 

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

21 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 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 will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Imagine you’re Peter—you have just come 100 miles from Jerusalem on a boat—you can’t fish and that’s your trade!  Peter is retreating to something comfortable; he’s consumed with shame and guilt.  Two images are also probably playing through Simon Peter’s head:

1.       His denials of Jesus

2.       Seeing Jesus on the shoreline two years ago when Peter first knew Jesus was extraordinary.  (Thinking, there’s no way Jesus would ever do that again!  I messed that up!)

⁴ Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 

Let’s go back to this.  JESUS. STOOD. ON. THE. SHORE.  Repeat.  Jesus stood on the shore.  <<-- I’ll never leave you Peter!  Jesus pursues Peter—“my love for you is so much bigger than your failure.”

⁵ Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶ 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.⁷ 

Jesus: “Hey guys, you haven’t caught anything have you?”  “Nope,” the disciples say.  They don’t know its Jesus, yet.  Peter is frustrated and throws it on the other side of the boat [maybe thinking, I’ll show this guy how it works—you can’t just will the fish to come] Simon Pepter tries to pull it up and he thinking to himself “I’ve only felt this one other time in my life”---> Jesus is going WAY OUT OF HIS WAY to call himself to Peter. 

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.  Peter jumps into the water in excitement, anticipation.

⁸ 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^[a] off.  Disciples just row right by Simon Peter [remember all heart, half brain]

My love for you is even bigger than your failure.  How does Jesus respond to your failure?  Does he sit on the shore and scream at you?  Does he ignore you?  Does he wait and point out everything you’ve ever done wrong?  NO!  He says, I’ll pursue you.  Nothing can get in my way.  He’s re-performing the first miracle with the fish.

⁹ When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. The words “charcoal fire” are only used twice in the bible and once is here and the other is where Peter was when he denied Jesus.

¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹ 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. ¹² 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. ¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

So, what is Jesus doing?  How does he deal with our sin, our failure?  He doesn’t rope Peter over the coals with his sin.  He invites Peter in.  Repeat.  He invites Peter in.  Jesus is in the business of making failed, broken things new.  Forgiveness means your debt is paid for.  We can’t pretend the fire doesn’t exist, but I can restore you.  This fire represents the time I came after you.  The time I restored you.  Makes this place of pain for Peter a place of Life.

Jesus:  “Do you see that I love you?  That I’m not going anywhere?”  We still have to go back to this place—make this place of pain and place of Life.

Jesus and Peter

¹⁵ 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.” ¹⁶ 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.” 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 everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ 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.” ¹⁹ (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.”

One might think that this is a chance for Peter to balance the scales.  To prove he loves Jesus.  But redemption was already made on the cross, i.e., there is nothing else to prove.  Jesus makes Peter say he loves Jesus three times--- Peter, we have to deal with this.  Yes, Jesus loves you.  Yes, Jesus accepts you.  But, Jesus wants you to deal with your sin.  I want you to be free so that you can chase other people.  He’s going to take you to your [sin—porn, self-image, pain, failure] so that you can move past it.

If you don’t accept this forgiveness, your will alone will never be able to deal with this.  Deal with your sin- He will keep taking you there so you can deal with it so you can help others.   I’m going to get free so you can feed the Lord’s sheep.  There are people out there that need saving.

Jesus and the Beloved Apostle

²⁰ Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²² Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” ²³ So the saying spread abroad among the brothers^[b] that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

Peter becomes the man Jesus intended him to be and from this moment on preaches about God boldly. The book of Acts tell us how astonished people are of Simon Peter boldly proclaiming the gospel of God.

I keep re-reading this post and I’m not doing it justice.  A wise woman once told me that it doesn’t matter what comes out of your throat (or fingers in this case), it’s what’s in your heart that matters.  I’ll just have to go with that I’ve tried my best to convey the purpose of this last chapter in the book of John.  But, I urge you to listen to the sermon—it’s up on our website.  It will be best 30 minutes of your week.  Seriously—click here to listen.

These words are my new favorite phrase.  JESUS. STOOD. THERE.  Peter has just denied Jesus three times!  But yet, JESUS. STOOD. THERE.  That’s the key takeaway.  Jesus is always there.  It doesn’t matter what we’ve done in the past.  Let him into your heart and He will always be there.  Life in His Name is not a “get out of jail free” card.  We experience our Lord in this dark world today so that God’s identity would shape our practice in this dark world.  So that we may have Life in His name.

Jesus wants to forgive you so that you can be a light in the dark world.  So you can feed his lambs.  Come and have breakfast.  Now go and feed my lambs.

Andrew and Parker—remember this long after I’m gone.  Deal with your sin.  Jesus is inviting you in so that you can be the Light in this dark world.  Jesus is always there.  Be the light.  I love you.

One last side note, recently my dad, to my boys, T-Pa, gave his condensed testimony to his church up in NWA.  I don’t exactly have his permission to post the link, but I think it’s worth posting.  You can watch it here.  Because, he would tell you that JESUS. STOOD. THERE.  Jesus might have had to give him a hard push (i.e., strike him down like dad likes to say), but JESUS. STOOD. THERE.  Despite his sin.  Jesus invited him in and now he boldly lives his life for Christ.  Dad had to deal with his sin—Jesus took him back to his place of pain.  And, now, dad’s feeding the sheep.  He’s being the light so that others, too, can deal with their sin and be the light.

So, before I sign-off--- let’s say this one more time.  JESUS. STOOD. THERE.  Come and have breakfast (he’s pursuing you).  Go, and feed the sheep (and create the Light).