Sermon Notes (11.21.21)
John 21:1-25
After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way:
2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin” ), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples were together.
3 “I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them.
“We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus. 5 “Friends,” Jesus called to them,“you don’t have any fish, do you? ”
“No,” they answered.
6 “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he told them,“and you’ll find some.” So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish. 7 The disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord! ”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer clothing around him (for he had taken it off) and plunged into the sea. 8 Since they were not far from land (about a hundred yards away), the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish.
9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. 10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus told them. 11 So Simon Peter climbed up and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish — 153 of them. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
12 “Come and have breakfast,” Jesus told them. None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you? ” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
JESUS’S THREEFOLD RESTORATION OF PETER
15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter,“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? ”
“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”
“Feed my lambs,” he told him. 16 A second time he asked him,“Simon, son of John, do you love me? ”
“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”
“Shepherd my sheep,” he told him.
17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me? ”
Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time,“Do you love me? ” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
“Feed my sheep,” Jesus said. 18 “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him,“Follow me.”
CORRECTING A FALSE REPORT
20 So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them, the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray you? ” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him? ”
22 “If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered,“what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”
23 So this rumor spread to the brothers and sisters that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not tell him that he would not die, but,“If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? ”
EPILOGUE
24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.
25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them were written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.
How should we think about THE CHURCH?
The Care
John 21:1-14
Stand in your mind’s eye with the disciples in the boat. What projects have you been labouring over, and getting nowhere? Watch for the dawn. Watch for the figure on the shore. Listen for his voice. And then do whatever he tells you. – N.T. Wright, John for Everyone
Finances. Freedom. Fellowship.
Finishing with Fishing?
Mark 1:16-17 – As he passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea — for they were fishermen. “Follow me,” Jesus told them,“and I will make you fish for people.”
John 20:21 – Jesus said to them again,“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
The Call
John 21:15-17
What kind of people does God use?
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Matthew 26:33 – Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.”
Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?
Jesus uses people who can smell the charcoal. (John 18:17-18)
The three questions correspond to Peter’s three denials. Three for completeness, yes, but three also for reminder. The smell of the charcoal fire lingers. Peter’s night of agony—and Jesus’ own night of agony—returns. But because of the latter, the former can be dealt with. Jesus is the Passover lamb who takes away the sin of the world, Peter’s sin included, your sin, my sin. – N.T. Wright, John for Everyone
The Cost
John 21:18-23
He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him,“Follow me.”
This expression “to take up one’s cross” is not an idiom by which to refer to some trivial annoyance—an ingrown toenail, perhaps, or a toothache, or an awkward in-law: “We all have our crosses to bear.” No, in the first century, that sort of interpretation would have been impossible. In the first century it was as culturally unthinkable to make jokes about crucifixion as it would be today to make jokes about Auschwitz. To take up your cross does not mean to move forward with courage despite the fact you lost your job or your spouse. It means you are under sentence of death; you are taking up the horizontal cross-member on your way to the place of crucifixion. You have abandoned all hope of life in this world. And then, Jesus says, and only then, are we ready to follow him. – D.A. Carson, Scandalous
Will you follow the way of Jesus?
Philippians 2:5-9 – Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death — even to death on a cross.
Be the Church
John 21:24-25
1 Peter 2:9–10 – But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
HOW WILL YOU RESPOND?
Repent.
Receive.
Resolve.
A Prayer for Salvation
“Heavenly Father, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but through your Son Jesus I can be more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank you that he lived the life I should have lived and paid the debt and punishment I owed. Receive me now for his sake. I turn from my sins and receive him as Savior. Amen.”