“When In Doubt, Go Fishing”
Sunday, April 26; John 21:1-17
Introduction: We are a couple of weeks post Easter, and so I want to focus on a story that happens just after Easter. The Scripture tells us that this is the third time that Jesus had appeared to His disciples after He had rose from the dead. Why is this? Why did Jesus stay around and visit them 3 times? I think it is because they were still having doubts: doubts about who they were as disciples (remember, even though Jesus has visited them, He is no longer physically present with them); doubts about what they were to do; and doubts about their ability. They had never really had any ministry success.
And so Jesus appears “again” to the disciples, verse 1 tells us. And when does He appear? He appears in the morning, after they have been fishing all night. Now the nighttime was the best time to fish, because the water was calm, and they have their torches lit, and they can see the fish in the reflection of the water. Once they spot the fish the fisherman fling their net. This fishing, this flinging their nets, is what they had been doing all night; but they had not caught any fish.
I. At the Foundation- (Jn. 13:13-15, 6:68; Matt. 7:29, 9:6; Luke 8:24-25)But let’s take a step back for a moment, because this passage is not about
fishing; it is about something much deeper.
a. The empty grave- Have you ever had a situation where something
happened, but in the end you realized that what you learned was different than the event itself? Let me give you an example…About a year ago I got an invitation to join “Facebook.” Facebook is an online website that allows you to post pictures, and stay connected with other people who are your “friends.” I decided to join, and was going to invite a few of my friends to join with me. However, I accidentally sent an invitation to “ALL” of my e-mail mailing list; a couple hundred people which included ministry contacts. The funny thing is, throughout the year, many of these people have since joined! Now, Facebook can be a lot of fun. I can go on and see pictures that others have posted, and they can see my pictures. There are games on there to play. You can even “fling food” at each other. But something else has come from this. I have recently re-connected with many of my ministry friends from when I was doing ministry at the Crystal Cathedral some 25 years ago. These contacts have been a great source of encouragement and affirmation for me these last couple of months! I believe that my joining Facebook, while at first was for fun, has been one thing God has used to bless me in my ministry.
The grave is like this as well. When it was discovered that Jesus wasn’t in the grave, at first it was very disconcerting for them; the disciples didn’t know if they could believe it, and what to make of it. But when they realized that Jesus was not in the grave, but alive, they rejoiced. Yet, they still didn’t understand the full implication of this.
b. Jesus is Lord- What it was to really mean for them was that Jesus shows
that He is Lord. Not only God in the flesh, as He claimed while here on the earth, but God the Son, as He was before He took on flesh.
But what does this mean?
Jesus many times referred to Himself as Lord. You might remember in John 13, right after Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He had this to say; verses 13-15: “You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
As Lord, Jesus sets an example to follow; an example that comes from God, Himself.
And even the disciples grasped this to an extent, as we hear Peter answer Jesus in John 6:68, “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’” This was in response to Jesus asking them if they were going to desert Him.
This word “Lord” comes from the Greek word kurios. It refers to having authority or power. For Jesus to be Lord means that Jesus has authority: authority in the world and authority in our lives. Jesus even displayed this authority many times: In Matthew 7:29 we are told: “because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” In Matthew 9:6 we read: “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home.” And when there was a great storm, we see in Luke 8:24-25, “Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
So we see His authority in the world. But what it really meant for Jesus to be gone from the grave and to appear to His disciples was that He was alive as Lord. The foundation of all things, of the earth and of our lives is that Jesus is Lord. For this to make a difference, we have to let Jesus have the authority in our lives. We will see this come into play later on in this Scripture with Peter.
II. Peter and his friends- (John 21:2-3)
a. Fishing together- Jesus had appeared to the disciples, and yet they
were still doubting. We like to bash Peter, because he was one of the disciples that couldn’t stay awake in the garden to pray for Jesus, and he was the one who denied Jesus 3 times. But Peter does something good here, and that is he takes some friends with him to go fishing. Or actually, they decide to go with him. But he takes the time to let them know what he was doing.
We read again from Jn. 21:2-3, “Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3’I'm going out to fish,’ Simon Peter told them, and they said, ‘We'll go with you.’..”
Peter decides he is going to go fishing. He probably decides this for a couple of reasons: first, it allows him to get out. Instead of just dwelling on what they are supposed to do next, WITHOUT JESUS, he decides it is better to be active. Second, he decides to do what he knows. Peter was a fisherman before he started following Jesus. He knows about fishing. It is his comfort zone. He figures that doing something he knows how to do, and does well will be beneficial for his mind, body, and spirit.
Now, the passage tells us that after Peter tells the disciples that he is going to go fishing, they say to him: “We’ll go with you.” Whether this is because they want to get out as well, or because they don’t want Peter to be alone, they decide to go. We will talk about this in a moment when we get to point three.
The funny thing is that even though Peter knows fishing, he doesn’t catch any fish until Jesus comes around. This is significant, and I think purposeful. I’ll get to talking about this in a moment as well. But let me ask you a question:
b. Sticking together- Where are you doubting in your life right now?
This is an important question, because we are always doubting in life in some way. It could be in regards to going to school, or changing jobs, or your living situation, or health issues, or family or friendships. We have many areas of life that cause us concern. Or there are times when we might question decisions and choices we have made. Where are you doubting in your life right now?
Chances are, in the midst of your doubting, you are going it alone. This is the tendency for most people. Maybe you don’t want anyone you know to know that you have questions and concerns in your life because you might not look like you have it together. Maybe you think that you have to be strong and do everything yourself. Maybe you don’t have anyone that you feel you can really trust. Whatever it is, you are probably going it alone.
Illus. “Peace That Transcends All Earthly Turmoil,” Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner. The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace? A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.
Berit Kjos, A Wardrobe from the King, pp. 45-46.
Often times, all it takes is your mentioning to someone something out loud, like “I’m going out to fish,” or “I think I need a change in where my priorities lie,” and you will probably have several people say, “I’ll walk with you in that.” And having these friends there with you helps you to be at peace. I know that when I am with my good friends, and I can talk to them about all that is going on, and they are there to encourage me, and support me, and walk with me through my doubts, I feel like these birds nestled in the elbow of the branch. There is protection within this special kind of friendship. There can be peace in our doubts. And God gives us these people. Who in your life sticks with you in your time of doubting? Who do you stick with when they doubt?
III. Peter goes fishing- (John 21:3-14)
So Peter goes fishing. As I said before, probably to get away. Maybe even to
test whether or not he is going to go back to fishing, instead of continuing in this crazy journey of starting a movement for Christ. He was doubting his place in what Jesus was wanting him to do. How could he do it without Jesus? Peter was doubting himself in the midst of his own failures.
As we get to the end of John 21:3, we read: “So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.” This seems like such a simple phrase, “they caught nothing.” That happens to fishermen all the time, amateur and professional alike. I went fishing with my dad all the time as a kid, whenever we went camping, but never caught a fish. Then there is my daughter Tiffany, who only went fishing one time, in a very small pond, only 5 years old, and caught a fish right away! So for Peter to go fishing and not catch anything shouldn’t be a big deal, right? Why even mention it?
God doesn’t waste words in the Bible. God had John write these words, because they all fit together. From the doubting of Peter, to his decision to go fishing, to his not catching anything, was all part of God’s plan. The plan was to move Peter to the place of understanding. So we continue in our passage…
“4Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. 6He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some."
Let’s stop here for a moment. It says that they didn’t recognize Jesus, but when he tells them to throw their net on the other side, even though they had been fishing all night with no luck, they did. Back to the passage…
“When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. 7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water…”
When Peter realizes that Jesus is there, he just jumps in the water. He is so excited that he doesn’t want to take the time to row the boat in. And then Jesus has a fish barbecue with them! Continuing on, the Scripture says: “None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.”
Jesus seeks Peter out. We see Jesus in essence re-calling Peter as he was fishing, similar to Peter’s first call. We see Jesus feeding them with bread and fish, like He did the 5,000. We see Jesus eating a meal with them, just like He did at the Last Supper; the last time they had been together. Jesus does all of this to set up what He is going to do for Peter next; help Peter deal with his doubts.
IV. Struggling with internal doubts- (John 21:15-17)
The wonderful thing about Jesus is that He knows what people are thinking.
Jesus knows that Peter has been doubting himself. Jesus knows that Peter is struggling with his call. Jesus knows that Peter is ready to give it all up and go back to fishing. That is why Jesus takes this time to visit the disciples, and Peter a third time. Jesus wants to make sure that Peter is ready to do the most significant work of his life; to fulfill his call and spread forth the Christian faith.
Illustration: Walk through the pictures of Jesus…….
1. Jesus as an innocent baby; 2. Jesus being dedicated as a baby in the temple;
3. Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist as He was being prepared to start His ministry; 4. Jesus holding a child and showing how all were important, and all were to be welcomed; 5. Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration showing His glory; 6. Jesus at the temple reading the scripture and teaching the people with authority; 7. Jesus eating with the disciples at the Last Supper, His last time with His disciples; 8. Jesus in deep prayer as He prepared Himself to follow the will of the Father and go to the cross to be crucified for the sins of the world; 9. Jesus being crucified so that we could all have forgiveness for our sins and be restored to God; 10. Jesus being resurrected from the grave; 11. Jesus calling the disciples from the boat to come and eat with him; 12. Jesus, the Good Shepherd……
We see the many faces of Jesus. And we come to this last one, The Good Shepherd, as Jesus passes the torch to Peter to be the Good Shepherd. Listen to how the conversation goes: “15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’ 16Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me?’ He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’ 17 The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.”
As Peter is struggling with his internal doubting, Jesus comes to him, seeks him out, and shows Peter that He still loves him, and still believes in him, and has still called him to be the rock of the church. This is a good thing, because who knows what would have happened had Peter let his doubting lead him back to fishing. This is the future that Jesus has for Peter: Feed my lambs, take care of my sheep, feed my sheep.
Conclusion: Where are you doubting? We often try to deny our doubts, or run away from them. Know that Jesus will seek you out; Jesus will try to fellowship with you; Jesus will be there to restore you and lift you back up to your calling. When Peter realized the Lord was there, he ran to Jesus. That is what we all need to do, especially in our times of doubting….run to Jesus. Be willing to see Jesus lift us up and affirm where He wants us to be and what He wants us to do.
Open your eyes to the people around you who can walk with you. Be willing to be there for your friends who might be doubting themselves. But most of all, let Jesus walk with you and help you find the answers! AMEN.
Sunday, April 26; John 21:1-17
Introduction: We are a couple of weeks post Easter, and so I want to focus on a story that happens just after Easter. The Scripture tells us that this is the third time that Jesus had appeared to His disciples after He had rose from the dead. Why is this? Why did Jesus stay around and visit them 3 times? I think it is because they were still having doubts: doubts about who they were as disciples (remember, even though Jesus has visited them, He is no longer physically present with them); doubts about what they were to do; and doubts about their ability. They had never really had any ministry success.
And so Jesus appears “again” to the disciples, verse 1 tells us. And when does He appear? He appears in the morning, after they have been fishing all night. Now the nighttime was the best time to fish, because the water was calm, and they have their torches lit, and they can see the fish in the reflection of the water. Once they spot the fish the fisherman fling their net. This fishing, this flinging their nets, is what they had been doing all night; but they had not caught any fish.
I. At the Foundation- (Jn. 13:13-15, 6:68; Matt. 7:29, 9:6; Luke 8:24-25)But let’s take a step back for a moment, because this passage is not about
fishing; it is about something much deeper.
a. The empty grave- Have you ever had a situation where something
happened, but in the end you realized that what you learned was different than the event itself? Let me give you an example…About a year ago I got an invitation to join “Facebook.” Facebook is an online website that allows you to post pictures, and stay connected with other people who are your “friends.” I decided to join, and was going to invite a few of my friends to join with me. However, I accidentally sent an invitation to “ALL” of my e-mail mailing list; a couple hundred people which included ministry contacts. The funny thing is, throughout the year, many of these people have since joined! Now, Facebook can be a lot of fun. I can go on and see pictures that others have posted, and they can see my pictures. There are games on there to play. You can even “fling food” at each other. But something else has come from this. I have recently re-connected with many of my ministry friends from when I was doing ministry at the Crystal Cathedral some 25 years ago. These contacts have been a great source of encouragement and affirmation for me these last couple of months! I believe that my joining Facebook, while at first was for fun, has been one thing God has used to bless me in my ministry.
The grave is like this as well. When it was discovered that Jesus wasn’t in the grave, at first it was very disconcerting for them; the disciples didn’t know if they could believe it, and what to make of it. But when they realized that Jesus was not in the grave, but alive, they rejoiced. Yet, they still didn’t understand the full implication of this.
b. Jesus is Lord- What it was to really mean for them was that Jesus shows
that He is Lord. Not only God in the flesh, as He claimed while here on the earth, but God the Son, as He was before He took on flesh.
But what does this mean?
Jesus many times referred to Himself as Lord. You might remember in John 13, right after Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He had this to say; verses 13-15: “You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
As Lord, Jesus sets an example to follow; an example that comes from God, Himself.
And even the disciples grasped this to an extent, as we hear Peter answer Jesus in John 6:68, “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’” This was in response to Jesus asking them if they were going to desert Him.
This word “Lord” comes from the Greek word kurios. It refers to having authority or power. For Jesus to be Lord means that Jesus has authority: authority in the world and authority in our lives. Jesus even displayed this authority many times: In Matthew 7:29 we are told: “because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” In Matthew 9:6 we read: “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home.” And when there was a great storm, we see in Luke 8:24-25, “Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
So we see His authority in the world. But what it really meant for Jesus to be gone from the grave and to appear to His disciples was that He was alive as Lord. The foundation of all things, of the earth and of our lives is that Jesus is Lord. For this to make a difference, we have to let Jesus have the authority in our lives. We will see this come into play later on in this Scripture with Peter.
II. Peter and his friends- (John 21:2-3)
a. Fishing together- Jesus had appeared to the disciples, and yet they
were still doubting. We like to bash Peter, because he was one of the disciples that couldn’t stay awake in the garden to pray for Jesus, and he was the one who denied Jesus 3 times. But Peter does something good here, and that is he takes some friends with him to go fishing. Or actually, they decide to go with him. But he takes the time to let them know what he was doing.
We read again from Jn. 21:2-3, “Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3’I'm going out to fish,’ Simon Peter told them, and they said, ‘We'll go with you.’..”
Peter decides he is going to go fishing. He probably decides this for a couple of reasons: first, it allows him to get out. Instead of just dwelling on what they are supposed to do next, WITHOUT JESUS, he decides it is better to be active. Second, he decides to do what he knows. Peter was a fisherman before he started following Jesus. He knows about fishing. It is his comfort zone. He figures that doing something he knows how to do, and does well will be beneficial for his mind, body, and spirit.
Now, the passage tells us that after Peter tells the disciples that he is going to go fishing, they say to him: “We’ll go with you.” Whether this is because they want to get out as well, or because they don’t want Peter to be alone, they decide to go. We will talk about this in a moment when we get to point three.
The funny thing is that even though Peter knows fishing, he doesn’t catch any fish until Jesus comes around. This is significant, and I think purposeful. I’ll get to talking about this in a moment as well. But let me ask you a question:
b. Sticking together- Where are you doubting in your life right now?
This is an important question, because we are always doubting in life in some way. It could be in regards to going to school, or changing jobs, or your living situation, or health issues, or family or friendships. We have many areas of life that cause us concern. Or there are times when we might question decisions and choices we have made. Where are you doubting in your life right now?
Chances are, in the midst of your doubting, you are going it alone. This is the tendency for most people. Maybe you don’t want anyone you know to know that you have questions and concerns in your life because you might not look like you have it together. Maybe you think that you have to be strong and do everything yourself. Maybe you don’t have anyone that you feel you can really trust. Whatever it is, you are probably going it alone.
Illus. “Peace That Transcends All Earthly Turmoil,” Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner. The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace? A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.
Berit Kjos, A Wardrobe from the King, pp. 45-46.
Often times, all it takes is your mentioning to someone something out loud, like “I’m going out to fish,” or “I think I need a change in where my priorities lie,” and you will probably have several people say, “I’ll walk with you in that.” And having these friends there with you helps you to be at peace. I know that when I am with my good friends, and I can talk to them about all that is going on, and they are there to encourage me, and support me, and walk with me through my doubts, I feel like these birds nestled in the elbow of the branch. There is protection within this special kind of friendship. There can be peace in our doubts. And God gives us these people. Who in your life sticks with you in your time of doubting? Who do you stick with when they doubt?
III. Peter goes fishing- (John 21:3-14)
So Peter goes fishing. As I said before, probably to get away. Maybe even to
test whether or not he is going to go back to fishing, instead of continuing in this crazy journey of starting a movement for Christ. He was doubting his place in what Jesus was wanting him to do. How could he do it without Jesus? Peter was doubting himself in the midst of his own failures.
As we get to the end of John 21:3, we read: “So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.” This seems like such a simple phrase, “they caught nothing.” That happens to fishermen all the time, amateur and professional alike. I went fishing with my dad all the time as a kid, whenever we went camping, but never caught a fish. Then there is my daughter Tiffany, who only went fishing one time, in a very small pond, only 5 years old, and caught a fish right away! So for Peter to go fishing and not catch anything shouldn’t be a big deal, right? Why even mention it?
God doesn’t waste words in the Bible. God had John write these words, because they all fit together. From the doubting of Peter, to his decision to go fishing, to his not catching anything, was all part of God’s plan. The plan was to move Peter to the place of understanding. So we continue in our passage…
“4Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. 6He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some."
Let’s stop here for a moment. It says that they didn’t recognize Jesus, but when he tells them to throw their net on the other side, even though they had been fishing all night with no luck, they did. Back to the passage…
“When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. 7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water…”
When Peter realizes that Jesus is there, he just jumps in the water. He is so excited that he doesn’t want to take the time to row the boat in. And then Jesus has a fish barbecue with them! Continuing on, the Scripture says: “None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.”
Jesus seeks Peter out. We see Jesus in essence re-calling Peter as he was fishing, similar to Peter’s first call. We see Jesus feeding them with bread and fish, like He did the 5,000. We see Jesus eating a meal with them, just like He did at the Last Supper; the last time they had been together. Jesus does all of this to set up what He is going to do for Peter next; help Peter deal with his doubts.
IV. Struggling with internal doubts- (John 21:15-17)
The wonderful thing about Jesus is that He knows what people are thinking.
Jesus knows that Peter has been doubting himself. Jesus knows that Peter is struggling with his call. Jesus knows that Peter is ready to give it all up and go back to fishing. That is why Jesus takes this time to visit the disciples, and Peter a third time. Jesus wants to make sure that Peter is ready to do the most significant work of his life; to fulfill his call and spread forth the Christian faith.
Illustration: Walk through the pictures of Jesus…….
1. Jesus as an innocent baby; 2. Jesus being dedicated as a baby in the temple;
3. Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist as He was being prepared to start His ministry; 4. Jesus holding a child and showing how all were important, and all were to be welcomed; 5. Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration showing His glory; 6. Jesus at the temple reading the scripture and teaching the people with authority; 7. Jesus eating with the disciples at the Last Supper, His last time with His disciples; 8. Jesus in deep prayer as He prepared Himself to follow the will of the Father and go to the cross to be crucified for the sins of the world; 9. Jesus being crucified so that we could all have forgiveness for our sins and be restored to God; 10. Jesus being resurrected from the grave; 11. Jesus calling the disciples from the boat to come and eat with him; 12. Jesus, the Good Shepherd……
We see the many faces of Jesus. And we come to this last one, The Good Shepherd, as Jesus passes the torch to Peter to be the Good Shepherd. Listen to how the conversation goes: “15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’ 16Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me?’ He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’ 17 The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.”
As Peter is struggling with his internal doubting, Jesus comes to him, seeks him out, and shows Peter that He still loves him, and still believes in him, and has still called him to be the rock of the church. This is a good thing, because who knows what would have happened had Peter let his doubting lead him back to fishing. This is the future that Jesus has for Peter: Feed my lambs, take care of my sheep, feed my sheep.
Conclusion: Where are you doubting? We often try to deny our doubts, or run away from them. Know that Jesus will seek you out; Jesus will try to fellowship with you; Jesus will be there to restore you and lift you back up to your calling. When Peter realized the Lord was there, he ran to Jesus. That is what we all need to do, especially in our times of doubting….run to Jesus. Be willing to see Jesus lift us up and affirm where He wants us to be and what He wants us to do.
Open your eyes to the people around you who can walk with you. Be willing to be there for your friends who might be doubting themselves. But most of all, let Jesus walk with you and help you find the answers! AMEN.
posted by Logan's Blog at 3:24 PM
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