How We See Things
John 21:21 "Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?" [1]
I. Peter
A. Discipled
B Distracted
II. John
A. Loved
B. Led
III. Jesus
A. Popular
B. Personal
Introduction: If two people see the same thing, logically you might believe that they would give you the same account of the thing they witnessed. Truth is, seldom do people report things the same way because we each have unique experiences which move our conclusions to different places. If this were not true there would have only been one gospel necessary in the New Testament. We have four because each emphasizes events from different perspectives.
It is easy to be a Monday morning quarterback and see how someone else might have certainly done something wrong in our eyes. The many characters in the Bible can be judged by us because we have the accounts of what they did as we read the Bible. If a preacher opens a new and different idea about a person or event in the Bible after you have made up your mind about it, often the different perspective is rejected because your mind is made up. Aren’t you glad that Jesus is not like that?
Today we are again going to look at an event in Simon Peter’s life. It seems so easy to find fault in Peter. He was so quick to jump to a conclusion. When I look at some of his mistakes and missteps, I find myself thinking there’s no way I would mess up like that guy. Truth is I mess up a lot more than that guy.
Peter was one of four of the original disciples that we believe to be some type of commercial fishermen. His brother, and fishing partner Andrew, actually led Simon Peter to Jesus. The other two fishermen were known as the sons of thunder. They were Zebedee’s boys. They were Salome’s sons. Salome was very possibly Mary’s sister by process of careful study of the harmony of the gospels. If these were actually Jesus’ first cousins, that might explain why James and John were in the inner circle of three who most closely associated with Christ.
I sometimes wonder why Andrew was in the fringe of the disciples. After all, Andrew led Peter to Christ. He was a pretty good evangelist wasn’t he? Why not Andrew? And then for sure the question comes, why Peter? He wasn’t close kin or at least I can’t find evidence to support that. His brother wasn’t there close with him like James and John. Peter was for all his right things, quick spoken and fast tempered. Why in this world did Jesus love Peter even more maybe than His mother’s other son James? There is that book in the New Testament which bears the name of James who is thought to be the half-brother of Jesus but that James is not mentioned to have been alongside Jesus like Peter so often was. Why Peter?
So, has anyone else had these same wonderings about Peter and his relationship with Jesus? Do you suppose that maybe Peter had these same concerns sometimes? It seems that there was a mutual respect but maybe even a little jealousy between Peter and John as we read the gospels.
We are today at the third Sunday of Easter if you’re counting that way. We had Easter Sunday with our drive-in Sunrise service so that was the first Sunday. Last week was the second Sunday so according to the period following the resurrection, Jesus would have been out of the tomb in His resurrected body now for fourteen days and this would be His third Sunday.
Peter had denied Jesus three times and everybody knows that. Peter knew that too. This account in John might be the first time that Jesus finally relieved Peter of the burden he was carrying. Do you suppose Peter was wondering when Jesus would finally address his weak moment of denial? What did Peter do after Jesus finally let him off the hook?
Scripture: The scripture is John 21:21. When you have found it please stand for the reading of God’s written word and we will hear His truth.
Prayer:
Message: We live in a time when it is so easy to look at how blessed we are to be able to assemble as Christians. Other churches have a unique problem. There are too many souls on board. Somebody came up with an arbitrary number and said that no more than ten can publically assemble until the so-called restrictions are lifted.
We here at Merry Oaks have not locked the doors on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings or Wednesday evenings during this time. Other pastors will answer for their decisions one day and I will answer for mine. There are legitimate reasons for pastors of the other local churches to let their pastors not be at church during this time because most do not live in the community.
My brother Ed and I had this conversation and there is no guilt one way or the other. You can rest assured though; people in the area are talking about why Merry Oaks has cars in the parking lot when others are empty. Why them? What are they doing? I’m sure if you could be a fly on the wall as it were, you would hear all sorts of stuff about Merry Oaks right now.
What will be the response later on? My answer to that is this, “Give us this day our daily bread.” God chose to have you call me here to be pastor. My opinion is this; the shepherd has no right to tell those he leads to not be in the flock. It is up to each individual. The shepherd is called and not excused until he is replaced. Are others talking? Sure they are.
Peter was talking too. Peter was heartsick. Jesus was alive in His glorified body and Peter was waiting for the ax to fall so to speak. At the end of the 20th chapter of John’s gospel, Thomas received what seems to be a reprimand from Jesus about Thomas’ lack of faith; with Thomas seeing was believing.
So now to John chapter 21. Peter must have been waiting and wondering and stressing. Verse three is probably what I would have done. But let’s read starting there at verse one…
That’s a lot of reading I know but we need the perspective to understand. Pater waited and worried and wondered when Jesus would forgive him. Now there by the water they are at Jesus’ third and final meeting before His ascension. Peter was worried whether Jesus would ever address his denial. Jesus did and Peter got to take back those three denials with three affirmations of his love for Christ, but Peter even got much more than that.
Jesus again singled Peter out and followed him to his favorite pastime where Jesus knew Peter would be. He brought Peter back to that place of finding no fish until Jesus fixed the nets. Peter left the boat and stepped out again to go to Jesus. Jesus gave Peter three opportunities to fix the three denials as Peter told Jesus how much he loved Him. Peter got the assignment that would carry him throughout the rest of his earthly life and us into eternity. Peter’s faith in Jesus was undeniable now and so was his love and so would be Jesus’ church.
But that was not all! Jesus told Peter something that most of us do not get the privilege to learn early on. Peter was going to live to be an old man. Peter was able to carry that truth even through all the trials when he might face martyrdom. When my uncle Jim died before he was 40, it might have been nice to know that I would live this long. Same when my brother Jack died before 40 years old. As the old saying goes, I might have taken better care of this body had I known I would have to keep it this long. Peter knew! Peter would follow Jesus!
Wow! Isn’t that something? Praise you Lord! Yes Jesus I do love you. Thank you so much! Surely these are the things that came from Peter’s mouth! Look again at the focal verse. What about him? Even after all that Peter had heard and seen and was told, Peter was still not as ready to follow or to be a disciple as he was to be distracted by what might happen to that other guy. Are we there today? I drive here and pass by other churches and my thought turns to, Wonder when they’re going to start having service again? They are my brothers and sisters! That’s not up to me, that’s between them and God!
John referred to himself in his gospel account as the disciple whom Jesus loved. There seems no doubt that John knew he was loved by Jesus. When the two ran to the tomb, John outran Peter but Peter went in first. When he got there, John was not so anxious to be first in, he was satisfied with being led. Are you? Am I?
What was in Peter’s mind when he asked Jesus about John? Do you suppose that there really was jealousy? As we read through the gospels, maybe John even sometimes fed Peter’s insecurity calling himself the one whom Jesus loved. I don’t know what possessed Peter.
One thing I do know; Jesus does not consider popularity in his relationship with me. Why did Jesus love Peter so much that He chose to use Peter the way He did? That is a question that I cannot answer because it is way too personal. Jesus has a personal relationship with each and every one of us who have chosen to follow Him. We are His disciples. We follow Him!
Sometime is takes a shock to realize that it really does not matter what it is or why it is that Jesus chooses even me. Maybe He has not revealed it quite yet. He will! I promise you Jesus will. He might not inform you that you will live past next week like He did Peter. He might not reveal where this church will go after this recent mess is over but He will. He might not let you know whether someone will come and say your preacher has broken the law and lead me off to jail for not locking that door. We’ll know later on. Right now I am praising God that He has us here together today. His Holy Spirit is here with us today and He is taking us with Him to eternity. God the Father is saying from heaven that Jesus is His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased and we are to listen to and heed Jesus. With every other decision, I will follow Him. Amen?
Prayer:
Invitation: What is the most important concern that effects the decisions in your life? Is it to worry what others are saying about you or is it following Jesus. If the Holy Spirit is guiding you in one direction and someone else in another direction, it is not for you to concern yourself with that other one.
Are you following Him? Your relationship with Jesus is not for anyone else to decide. Not even your spouse, your parents, your children, your fellow believers in your church family, others in your community, nobody but Jesus. It is that personal. Is it that personal with you?
I encourage us to get together whenever we can to have times of praise and worship and dedication. By all means in your devotional times at home if you have a spouse, have those times together. Yet the thing that Jesus really wants is that one-on-one time with just you.
Why? Why is this crazy thing happening just now in society all over the world you might ask? I certainly do ask. During this time of so-called social distancing, perhaps we might be reminded to have a closer one-on-one relationship with Jesus. That is what He wants and demands. That is what He told Peter. Our relationship is not about John. Our relationship is way more personal than any other relationship that anyone can ever have. Maybe that’s what this time is about. What do you think? Because that’s what matters in your relationship with Christ. It doesn’t matter what I think or what anybody else thinks. What does He think? What do you think? Think about that while we sing…
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 21:21). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
