Restored to Serve (John 21:1-25)
Why do you serve the Lord? Why are you not serving the Lord?
Friends we can serve out of a desire to help advance the gospel. It is a noble task but it is not what will enable us to continue serving the Lord.We may serve out of theological convictions and a desire to teach God’s word. This is an important task, but this is not what will keep us going.
We may serve because we want to help people with their problems. Sound noble but this is not what will sustain us in the ministry.
Dear ones what can and will keep us going is love. Specifically love for the Lord. What kept me going in ministry before I took a break was the love and the delight in serving the Lord. What made me want to quit was when I focus on my own strength and desires?
When instead of casting my anxieties unto the Lord, I grew anxious. Instead of thinking about what is true, honourable, pure and lovely, I allowed the unhealthy voices, the disgruntled cries of the human voices to occupy my mind.
Why do you serve? Why are you not serving?
The risen Christ restores and commissions His disciples.
The big idea for our sermon this morning is: The risen Christ restores and commissions His disciples.
John 21 is essentially an epilogue to the fourth Gospel, recording occurrences after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It narrates Jesus’ third and final resurrection appearance recorded in this Gospel.
Why did John not end with John 20. It would have been most apt to end where his narratives seems to have reach the ultimate climate. If this was a novel, John 21 would seem almost anticlimactic.
While I like to get away with it by saying I do not know because John did not really specify the reason but the fact that it is included in the gospel of John can only imply that it is intentional. So, what is the intention.
I believe one reason is because of Peter. It is to bring us to see how the Lord restored Peter who denied Him three times.
But the narrative did not begin with Peter rather it began with a fishing expedition. Why?
Restoration of the disciples (John 21:1-14)
Seven disciples were together doing something that they were very accustomed to doing. Have they gone back to their fishing business instead of embarking on their gospel mission? If they were, they certainly were not successful at all because they caught nothing all night.
As day breaks, Jesus appeared on the shore and the disciples did not recognize Him. He called out to them and ask, “Children do you have any fish?”
Children in Greek could at times be an expression of intimacy between a parent and child or a leader and his followers. But I suggest we do not need to speculate why Jesus address them as children, it should not distract from the question that was asked, “do you have any fish?”
Why did Jesus ask them this question? Does He not know they have not caught anything?
No, I believe the Lord ask the question to reveal to them their need.
In the Garden after Adam and Eve sinned, the Lord asked “Where are you?” And later, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (Gen. 3:9, 11). He asked the woman, “What is this you have done?” (John 21:13).
When Cain was not happy that his offering was not accepted, God asked, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” (Gen 4:6–7).
When David sinned , God through Nathan asked, “Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes?” (2 Sam 12:9).
God asked Isaiah, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” (Isa 6:8).
In the gospels, we have the Lord asking different questions, “Who do you say I am?” (Matt 16:15), “You do not want to leave too, do you?” (John 6:67), “Who is it you want?” (John 18:4), “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” (John 20:15).
God did not ask these questions because He did not know the answers. God asks questions to get us to face the situation.
It was only after He had confronted them with their situation, that He gave them a command to cast their net on the right side of the boat and they did as they were instructed. In so doing they caught so many fish (153 to be exact, we know because John recorded it) they were not able to haul it into the boat but they had to drag the net full of fish to shore. At this moment, John (he was that disciple whom Jesus loved) said to Peter, “It is the Lord” and Peter as impulsive ever, jumped right into the water and swam to shore while the others drag the fish to shore in the boat.
It does not matter why it was the right side, it does not matter that John was specific in saying they caught 153 fish. What matter is they realized that the one giving them the command is none other than the Lord. At that moment it probably reminded them once again of the confidence they had when they were following Jesus. It must have given them the assurance that they can continue to have the ocnfidence if they continue to obey and follow Jesus. In obeying the command, they were able to experience the blessings.
Perhaps it also reminded them of the evangelistic responsibility that the Lord has given them.
Recorded for us in Luke 5, where we see Jesus teaching the multitude while sitting in Peter’s boat, and after He had finished He told Peter to move out into deeper water and let down his nets. Peter replied that he had toiled all night and caught nothing. But he did what Jesus had said. As a result, he caught so many fish that his net broke. Peter together with James and John were astonished. But Jesus said to them , “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”
To the first audience, facing persecution in the midst of their desire and obedience to make disciples, it must serve as a great comfort for them, reminding them that it is the Lord who will give them the harvest.
What does it mean for us today. It is simply this, trust and obey. Cast out your net and the Lord will provide the fish.
By the time all of them got onto the shore there was a charcoal fire already in place and the Lord said to them, “ “Come and have breakfast.”
What does all these mean for the seven as they sat in the presence of Jesus that early morning having breakfast with their Lord. Having toiled all nigh, it must mean rest, comfort and respite
What does this mean for us?
Our Lord restores and refresh those who are His.
Friends, we must not miss out on this little portion of scripture for it speaks volumes of how the Lord cares for those who are His own. Sitting there by the fire is the victorious King of kings. What was He doing? Waiting for His exhausted disciples who have been toiling all night. Waiting to invite them to come and have breakfast with Him. Waiting to serve them breakfast. This reminds me of that wonderful hymn
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Saviour,
And life more abundant and free!
Indeed our Lord restores and refresh those who are His.
The Lord does not only restores tired and discourage souls but He restores those who have denied Him.
Restoration of Peter (John 21:15-17)
The Apostle Peter denied the Lord three times. As we unpack John 21:15-18, we will witness for ourselves how our Lord Jesus not only restores him but commissioned him.
Prior to his denial of Jesus, Peter was a man full of self-confidence.
In John 13:36-37, when Jesus spoke of going away and of the fact that the disciples would not be able to follow Him, Peter rightly sensed that He was speaking of His death and He expressed strong disagreement exclaiming “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you” and he was rebuked by Jesus,” “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.”
In Matthew 26 on the Mount of Olives when Jesus told the disciples, ““You will all fall away because of me this night. Peter responded saying, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will” (Matt 26:33).
But he ended up a broken man. After denying Jesus for the third time, Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Now let us observe how the Lord restores him.
The first thing I want us to consider is how Jesus addressed Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these.” It was Peter’s old name, the name he had possessed before he met Jesus. We read about it in John 1. When Peter had been brought to Jesus, Jesus greeted him by saying, ““You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas (which means Peter) (John 1:42)”. This was a play on words. The old name meant “pebble,” a light, unstable thing. And by naming him Peter, Jesus is turning him from a pebble to a rock. But this rock has turned into jelly when he denies the Lord three times. Now Jesus goes back to the old name, and I believe it is in order to remind Peter of his weakness.
Let us now look at the first question, “do you love me more than these?” What does these refer to? Some reference to his profession, so the these could refer to the nets and fish. Another interpretation is as to whether he love his fellow disciples more than he love Jesus and the last which is the one I land on is Jesus is asking Peter if his love for the Lord is greater in comparison to the rest of the disciples.
I imagine how Peter was probably offended when the Lord told him, he will deny his Lord three times. In his mind he probably believes he loves Jesus more than other people. When the chief priest and the soldiers first came to arrest Jesus, Peter was the one who drew his sword to and cut the servant’s ear.
Now when the question was asked by the Lord, “Do you love me more than these?” He was forced to confront the reality that he just was not good enough. How could he who denied Jesus three times claim to love Jesus more than someone else? He finally understood as reflected in his simple reply, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” The old Peter would have replied with a tinge of arrogance, “ Of course I love you more than these.”
Instead he responded with a heart of submission to His merciful Lord. Twice more Jesus asked Peter if he loved him (John 21:16,17). All three times Peter responded yes.
Before I expound further on this, I just want to lay a ghost to rest.
It has been observed that Peter uses the same verb for “love” all three times (Gk. phileō), but Jesus uses a different verb for “love” in the first two questions (Gk. agapaō) and then switches to Peter’s word phileō in the third question. Older commentators have argued for a difference, often seeing agapaō as representing a higher and purer form of love.
However, most modern commentators are not persuaded that there is any clearly intended difference of meaning here because the two words are often used interchangeably in similar contexts and because John frequently uses different words where little discernible difference in meaning can be determined, I like to put forward to us John was not intentional in using the two verbs.
Still we wonder why Peter was grieved after the Lord asked him a third time if he loves Jesus
I like to propose to us the reason why Peter was grieved is because it reminded Peter of his three denials. I believe the Lord was intentional in asking him three time. It was not to shame him but to restore him, giving him a second chance. It was good for Peter to hear himself say three times over “I love you” when once he had said three times over “I don’t know him.”
Friends what do you see in this portion of the narrative? Do you see the mercy of our Lord and Saviour?
Jesus atoned for Peter’s failure. Peter did nothing but receive mercy.
In mercy He lifted Peter up and healed Him. No longer was Peter the one doing something. Now it was Jesus. Peter did not have to do anything. He didn’t do penance. He was not baptized. He did nothing to atone for his failure. Jesus atoned for Peter’s failure. Peter did nothing but receive mercy.
Beloved know this for a fact, the mercies of the Lord are new every morning. The old Puritan preacher Richard Sibbes in his book “The Bruised Reed” wrote: “There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us”
Fear, discouragement, unanswered prayers, frustrations, depressions, sinful desires, disappointments, all these could lead a person to deny Jesus. In our midst we may know of someone, a friend or a dear one who have not only gone astray but have denied their faith. I cannot assure you that they are saved and you in all likelihood cannot be certain of their salvation either. But what I can say with confidence is the Lord will restore those who are truly His even if they have at one time denied Him and walked away from the faith.
Wang Ming-Dao was a Chinese pastor during the rise of the communism in China. He was no stranger to suffering, and the most significant hardship he faced was government-led religious persecution. As a pastor who encouraged Christians to suffer well, one might presume that Wang remained faithful in the midst of persecution.
But he did not. At one point, he abdicated. His compromise was public and even noticed by Christians outside China.
In the aftermath of his unfaithfulness, Wang found restoration in Christ, and by God’s grace his failure proved to be no barrier to later effectiveness in ministry.
Wang shows us that even when we cave in to pressure and are unfaithful, God can still faithfully use weak men for His glory.
Not only does Jesus restore Peter, but he also commissions him. He instructs Peter to feed His sheep. We know from John 10 that Jesus’s sheep are those who will believe in him.
How can feeding the sheep look like for us.
First thing to note is the sheep are Jesus’s sheep, not Peter’s. Likewise, the head of the church is Jesus, not a man. He is the one we are to follow. It is His instructions that must guide us. Those of us who are charge to be under shepherd, we must stay faithful to the Word of God.
The sheep need to be on a strict diet of Scripture. No substitute will do. Only God’s Word will nourish the sheep and bring growth. Peter got the message hence he wrote in 1 Peter 2:2-3, “Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow up into your salvation, if you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Pet 2:2-3). To be faithful to God’s word must imply that we are to know God’s word in order to feed others God’s word
Jesus did not tell Peter to build his church. Peter was commanded to feed the sheep. The ministry of the word is the number one duty and all the ministry we do must come under the Word of God.
In feeding the sheep, what must motivate us is our love for Jesus. Every other motivation will not last. When our agenda in serving does not come from our motivation in wanting to love Jesus more and more, it only implies we love something else more than Jesus. It may mean we love doctrines more than Jesus. It may mean we love the adoration and the praises of people more than Jesus. It may mean many other things that we love more than Jesus.
If we are feeding the sheep faithfully, the sheep should be growing. A baby eats and becomes an adult. An adult eats and gets stronger. We must eat and eat right. We must feed and feed rightly.
While not all of us are called to shepherd but we have a responsibility to one another and the responsibility to teach God’s word to one another, to wash one another with the word.
Perhaps we may feel inadequate but remember the effectiveness of our ministry is not produce by those who are perfect. If that is the case all of our ministries will never be effective. Someone wrote, “Effective ministry is from one imperfect, broken sinner to another imperfect, broken sinner. As recipients of God’s mercy, we remind one another of the grace found in Jesus Christ, we walk arm in arm to Jesus for healing, and we feast together on the good food of the Word of God.”
When we serve Jesus because we love Jesus it does not mean our ministry will be smooth, that the people whom we shepherd will love and support us. Loving Jesus and obeying Jesus often comes with a price.
Having restored Peter and charging him to feed His sheep, Jesus next told Peter this, “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.”
Why did he say these words to Peter? We do not have to second guess, John reveal to us in John 21:19 — “This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.”
Peter, after being restored and having accepted his commission, is immediately confronted with its cost as Jesus prepares him for his eventual martyrdom. He will serve into old age and in the end die with hands outstretched, a possible euphemism for crucifixion. Base on fairly reliable tradition Peter indeed followed his Lord in the form of his death, probably in Rome under the Emperor Nero in the early sixties of the first century.
While it does not mean that everyone who follows Jesus will have to suffer but it does mean that those who follow Jesus must be prepared and not be surprised if they were to suffer.
Restored to Follow (John 21:18-25)
What does it mean to follow Jesus?
Peter upon hearing his suffering turn his focus on John (John is acknowledge as the disciple whom Jesus loved) and asked what about him? We can at best speculate why Peter asked the question. He could be asking out of genuine concern for his fellow disciple but in all likelihood he was making a comparison with the disciple whom Jesus loved. While cognitively we know following Jesus does mean we must be prepared to suffer but often when we do suffer, we wonder why us and not others. Perhaps deep down we desire some form fairness. But friends do you really want fairness. Fairness is eternal suffering in hell.
Jesus reply to Peter speaks volumes and if I may let me rephrase it bluntly, Jesus in response told Peter, “mind your own business” The only thing Peter needed to know is he is to follow Jesus.
Friends if you are here this morning and wondering if we what we as a Church believe is true or what authoritative prove that we is recorded in the Bible is true. My answer to you is we believe it is true because the Bible says is true, our one and only authority the Bible is the word of God is from the Bible itself.
The gospel of John comes from a man who knows Jesus personally, a man who have lived with Jesus, a man who have witness His miracles and received His teachings, a man who have witness the death and resurrection of Jesus. We know this because this man himself wrote, “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.” We can choose to believe or treat as fiction the choice is yours. But if you so choose to want to believe and want to find out more, you can come and talk to me or to any of our elders.
To my beloved in Christ, beloved why do you serve?
If your answer is anything other than because you love Jesus, no matter how good the reason is, that reason of yours is what you love more than Jesus. We must be passionate to defend the purity of the gospel, we must faithful in handling and preaching the word of God responsibly, we must have a burden for lost souls, we must be tender hearted loving to one another. But what must be motivate us must be our love for Jesus.
Dear ones, why are you not serving? Busy with other commitments? Is it because you were hurt by others?
My question to you is do you love Jesus? If your answer is yes, then my question stands, “Why are you not serving?”
Perhaps you may be asking what do you mean by serving? It means doing what you do out of care and concern for God’s flock, it means speaking truth with love with one another, it means encouraging and edifying one another, it means helping spurring one another, it means carrying one another burden, it means helping one another move towards Christ.
Jesus died on the cross so that we can find forgiveness and be restored back to God. Run to Jesus and not away from Him.
If there are any in our midst who are struggling with guilt and sin, perhaps you may be overwhelmed with a sense of unworthiness, Peter denied the Lord three times and the Lord restored him. Jesus died on the cross so that we can find forgiveness and be restored back to God. Run to Jesus and not away from Him.
I have one last to say to those who have been hurt by others. Jesus knows his you feel. He has suffered more than anyone of us. Yet He died to save those who have rejected Him. Peter denied Him three times and He took the initiative to restore Peter. Dear wounded soul I do not how painful it is for you and I cannot take away your pain. But Jesus can, come to Him and He is give you peace. Surrender your pain to Hm and let His love heal your wound and tenderized your heart. With the tender forgive and seek reconciliation..
“Do you love me?”, asked our Lord. “Feed my sheep”, says our Lord. The sheep we are to feed could include those who have hurt us, those who have betrayed us, those who have rejected us” Stil the Lord is saying to us “Feed my sheep”. Remember, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Do you love me? Asked the Lord
Feed my sheep says the Lord