[0:00] Good morning. The reading today is from John chapter 21, verses 1 to 14.! If you're using a church Bible, that's page 1090.! It's John chapter 21, verses 1 to 14.
[0:15] Afterwards, Jesus appeared again to his disciples by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way. Simon Peter, Thomas, also known as Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.
[0:28] I'm going out to fish, Simon Peter told them, and they said, we'll go with you. So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
[0:43] He called out to them, friends, haven't you any fish? No, they answered. He said, throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
[0:57] Then 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.
[1:10] The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred meters. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it and some bread.
[1:21] Jesus said to them, bring some of the fish you have just caught. So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many, the net was not torn.
[1:35] Jesus said to them, come and have breakfast. None of the disciples dared ask him, who are you? They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish.
[1:46] This is now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. Thank you, Christopher.
[1:59] Let's pray and ask for God's help as we study this passage together. Our Lord Jesus, we thank you for yet another opportunity to gaze at your glory.
[2:27] Holy Spirit, we pray you'd open our eyes to see Jesus now. Amen. I wonder what's the first thing that comes to your mind whenever I read this sentence.
[2:42] I can't come to Jesus today because... Fill in the blank. Even as people who are united to Christ in faith, I was just wondering, why do we so often hang back from Jesus in our day-to-day experience?
[3:05] We keep our distance. We withdraw from him. Why is that? I think it's primarily because of the shame and guilt that we feel from our sin.
[3:23] We wrongly assume Jesus needs a bit of space whenever we've wronged him yet again. We wrongly assume that we should keep our distance until his disappointment in us has worn off.
[3:41] What's your reason for often hanging back from Jesus? Because what we're going to find in this text is that no such reasons exist.
[3:55] To Jesus, there is no single reason why he would turn away any person who truly comes to him for mercy and for refuge.
[4:08] We're the ones who make up false reasons why Jesus wouldn't want us or accept us. And our problem is we're not really seeing his glory.
[4:22] That is the beauty and radiance of his character. We're just seeing a watered-down version of Jesus. Jesus, John says in the first verse of this text, he says afterwards, Jesus again appeared to his disciples by the Sea of Galilee.
[4:41] And John started off his gospel account back in chapter 1 and verse 14. He said this, In this last chapter, John gives us one more window into the glory of the Son.
[5:13] God the Son. That we also would see and believe and have life in his name. And John shows us not only Jesus' glory, but what's interesting in this text, he shows us Peter's response.
[5:29] An ordinary person, Peter's response to seeing Jesus' glory. So that's where we're going today. So first of all, we're going to look at three examples of Jesus' glory in this text.
[5:42] The first one, see the glory of Jesus' power. John tells us that seven of the disciples are together on this occasion. And verse 2 says this, I'm going out to fish, Simon Peter told them.
[5:57] And they said, we'll go with you. So they went out and got into the boat. But that night, they caught nothing. Now, you don't need to be a fisherman to know that is frustrating.
[6:12] In fact, we've all had some experience of going to work. Nothing went to plan that day. It felt like we came home empty-handed. But as for these guys, it was a loss of income for them as well.
[6:26] Verse 4. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore. But the disciples did not realize it was Jesus. He called out to them, Friends, haven't you any fish?
[6:40] No, they answered. He said, throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. And when they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
[6:54] See the glory of Jesus' power. The one who created and sustains the universe commands the fish in the Sea of Galilee to swim right into the disciples' net.
[7:11] Nothing is beyond his power. Now, you might say, that's well and good for the disciples. They saw this amazing miracle right in front of their eyes.
[7:21] We have just as much evidence of Jesus' power. Who set the earth spinning at a precise tilt of 23.4 degrees in its orbit around the sun, at a precise distance from the sun, not too close, not too far, perfectly calibrated, so we could live out our days here.
[7:46] Think about last night. Who kept your heart pumping blood at a rate of 5 litres per minute? That's 2,500 litres pumped while you slept, sustaining over 30 trillion cells in your body.
[8:02] Who started it? Who sustains it? We just went to sleep. Do you see the glory of Jesus' power around you?
[8:17] Do you pause to wonder and praise? How blind we often are to the glory of his power. Notice also how he uses his power to provide for his people.
[8:33] Read verse 11. Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. This guy's a Hulk, by the way. Did you know how strong Simon Peter was? There you go. The net was full of large fish.
[8:47] 153. But even with so many, the net was not torn. Now, this was not just an average catch of average-sized fish. It was 153 whoppers.
[8:59] It's like Jesus is saying to all of us, I'm able to do immeasurably more than all you could ask or imagine, and I love to use my power to provide for my people.
[9:14] Read the Gospels. That is his heart. Take comfort in that. He wants to provide for us. If Jesus cares about his disciples having a good return from their shift at work and a hot breakfast, ready for them when they're tired and hungry, he also cares about the little things in our lives as well.
[9:38] And he calls us to ask of him, to ask of his father, knowing that if he doesn't give us what we have asked for, it's not that our father isn't able to provide.
[9:52] It's because he has something better for us. So do you and I really believe that he desires to use his power to provide for us personally?
[10:08] That he cares about the specific things in our little lives that no one else even knows about? Do you ask him to provide or just keep him separate?
[10:23] Ask of him and see the glory of his power. Secondly, I think we can see the glory of Jesus' humility in this. John, he also saw a vision of Jesus in the brilliant glory of his future judgment and all evil.
[10:42] It's not in our text today, but I just want to show you it just for a moment because I think it's good context. These verses come from Revelation 19. It says this, I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse whose rider is called Faithful and True.
[11:00] This is Jesus. With justice, he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire and on his head are many crowns. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.
[11:13] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh, he has this name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
[11:27] This is Jesus. He has all power and authority. He has the last say. Let's not forget that as we read these words now from verse 9 in our passage and see the glory of his humility.
[11:45] Verse 9, When they landed, the disciples saw a fire of burning coals there with fish in it and some bread.
[11:56] Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fish you have just caught. Again, verse 12, He said to them, Come and have breakfast. None of the disciples dared ask him, Who are you?
[12:09] They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish. I think we can just see the disciples standing there, stunned.
[12:24] The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is cooking them breakfast on a beach. No doubt they were thinking, It's we should be serving him breakfast.
[12:42] But the one who has all power and authority stoops down low to serve them first. What humility.
[12:56] You see, those who have power and authority in our world expect to be served. We can all think of many examples. They expect to be served on a silver plate.
[13:09] But Jesus, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he made himself nothing.
[13:21] By taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man, what did he do?
[13:32] He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death. Even death on a cross. He went that low to lift us up.
[13:48] Do you look at the glory of his power and think, oh, he wouldn't really care about my situation.
[14:00] He wouldn't, oh, he's too great and glorious to ever come down to where I'm at. No. That's not Jesus.
[14:11] This is what Isaiah said of him. A bruised reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
[14:23] Though he is high and lifted up, he lowers himself to us. Can you see the glory of Jesus' humility? Thank you. Thirdly, see the glory of his grace.
[14:40] Of all the things the disciples expected Jesus to say, come and have breakfast was definitely the last on the list. I mean, think about it.
[14:52] They had abandoned him in his darkest hour the night before his death. But Jesus demonstrates the glory of his grace in inviting them to breakfast.
[15:06] And Jesus shows us the glory of his grace by inviting us in our brokenness, our mess, our repeated failings to come to him again and again and again.
[15:21] Grace is when you're given something so wonderful you never deserved. The glory of Jesus' grace is his welcome to bankrupt sinners to share in his riches.
[15:38] he welcomes the empty-handed with nothing to offer him but their mess and failings. And he calls them friends.
[15:52] And as he hands out the bread to each of those disciples around that little charcoal fire, they have this visible reminder. My body broken for you.
[16:04] My body broken for you. Their sin has been paid for on the cross. Jesus took the judgment they deserved. And now he gives them his relationship with the father, the status of sons and daughters to one's enemies.
[16:24] This is the glory of his grace to every one of us who would come empty-handed to him.
[16:36] Do you see the glory of Jesus' grace this morning? So that's the glory of Jesus that we see in this passage.
[16:48] His power, his humility, his grace. But what happens when we really see his glory?
[16:59] Like, truly see it? Well, Peter's response tells us. Now, the funny thing is, for these disciples, this event was all a bit of deja vu.
[17:10] I want you to keep your finger in John. Turn back with me one book to Luke chapter 5. Matthew, Mark, Luke, chapter 5, verse 1.
[17:30] That's on page 1032 if you're using the church Bible. And this was the first day that Luke records Jesus ever meeting his disciples.
[17:40] day one and such. And I want you to note the similarities between this event and the one that we just read in John 21. This is very interesting.
[17:52] So, verse 1, Luke chapter 5. One day, as Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, that is, Sea of Galilee, same place, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.
[18:04] he saw at the water's edge two boats left there by fishermen who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, Simon Peter, and asked him to put out a little from shore.
[18:19] Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch. Simon answered, Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.
[18:38] But because you say so, I will let down the nets. And when they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
[18:49] So they signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. And listen to this, verse 8.
[19:01] When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man.
[19:18] Peter sees the dazzling glory of Jesus' power and holiness for the first time, and he is petrified of it.
[19:31] because he knows the blackness of his sin. That's the reason why. He said, I am a sinful man. What's interesting is Isaiah had exactly the same response when he saw Jesus in all his glory.
[19:51] He said, Woe is me, for I am ruined, for I am a man of unclean lips. my eyes have seen the king, the lord of hosts.
[20:06] See, when we see God in his dazzling holiness and purity and power, the ugly darkness of our sin is laid bare.
[20:21] We can begin to fool ourselves that our sin isn't all that bad. You know, I'm okay, I'm not as bad as, you know, that person over there or that person I read about on the news.
[20:34] No, when we really see the holiness and power of God, we are left on our faces in terror at our sin and where that leaves us with a holy God.
[20:50] We instantly realize we have defiled God's good creation. we have rebelled against his good rule. You see, Peter and Isaiah, their responses are natural.
[21:04] They wish the ground to swallow them up because they know their sin condemns! And that's where our sin must actually bring all of us as well. We need to come to the place where we see God as just in condemning us for our sin.
[21:18] to see that we've not just fallen a little bit short of God's glory, but in so many ways we have torn up his creation, his rule book, his love, and thrown it back in his face.
[21:39] But God does not want us to stay in that place of horror at our own sin and condemnation. Flick back to John. 21, verse 7.
[21:52] Because three years later, we have the same Sea of Galilee, we've got the same fishing boat, we've exactly the same miracle performed, but oh so different a response to Jesus.
[22:10] Read with me from John 21, verse 7. Then 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.
[22:32] The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. See, the first time this miracle happens, Peter begs Jesus to get away from him.
[22:46] The second time, Peter can't get to Jesus fast enough. What has changed? What drives this fisherman to abandon his catch and throw himself into the sea and swim freestyle, about 90 meters, to the shore?
[23:07] 46 seconds, by the way, is the Olympic record set in Paris, back in 24. I think Peter came close. I don't know about you. Here's my guess as to what changed for Peter.
[23:20] The first time around, Peter only saw the glory of Jesus' power and holiness, and it condemned him. Now, three years later, he's also seen the glory of Jesus' grace and his humility, which is freedom from his condemnation.
[23:40] Before, he cried, away from me, Lord, I'm a sinner. Now, he knows he's a sinner more than ever. But he's thrashing through the waves to get to Jesus.
[23:56] Before, his awareness of sin kept him away from Jesus. Now, it propels him towards his Savior. He sees the glory of Jesus' grace and humility.
[24:12] Peter knows Jesus has paid for every one of his failings, so he doesn't have to hide. Peter knows Jesus came to save those who freely admit their sin.
[24:29] He can run to Jesus, not hide from him. for everyone whose faith is wholly placed in Christ's death and resurrection, we can say it is finished.
[24:47] There is no condemnation. There is nothing left to pay. Our guilt is gone. The sin atoned for. There are no reasons left to stay away from Jesus now.
[25:05] No reasons left. The tragedy is we keep coming up with reasons as to why we need to stay away.
[25:20] We start hanging back from Jesus. Now, if there was anyone in this situation who had a reason to hang back from Jesus, you'd have to say it was Peter, right? He's the one who failed Jesus the most in the context of these disciples.
[25:37] He flat out denied knowing Jesus three times, abandoned him on the night before his death. And the natural feeling is shame to hide yourself, just like Adam and Eve did, in the garden, after they had sinned.
[25:52] As those united to Christ, how often do we hang back from Jesus in the moment of our sin? We keep our distance. We say things like, oh, I've fallen again.
[26:05] I can't even face him now. I just know he's so disappointed in me. We say things like that. And instead of moving toward him, we avoid him.
[26:20] We busy ourselves. We doom scroll. We watch the next episode. Here's a quote from Dane Northland.
[26:33] He says this, perhaps Satan's greatest victory in your life today is not the sin in which you regularly indulge, but the dark thoughts of God's heart that cause you to go there in the first place and keep you cool toward him in the wake of it.
[26:52] what a tragedy when Christ's bride, his people, whom he has clothed in his righteousness, think that they must withdraw from him in their brokenness.
[27:09] Yes, we will struggle with sin, but our sin can never separate us from Christ now. It only draws him to us.
[27:21] To think that Christ would ever be resentful or disappointed or angry with his bride is a lie of the devil. That lie is designed to destroy our joy in him.
[27:38] Here's another quote. As Christ's people, his bride, we are loved with all the madness in Christ's soul.
[27:50] If you can only see a frowning saviour on the beach waiting for you, that's a Jesus of your imagination.
[28:03] Can you see the glory of his power and his grace? Can you see your smiling saviour there on the beach with a meal ready to serve you?
[28:22] At the start, I put this line up. I can't come to Jesus today because whatever reasons you or I put in there, if our trust is in Christ, we can rip them up.
[28:40] We can throw them away. we can burn them in the fire of Christ's unquenchable love for us, his bride.
[28:52] The more we see of the glory of his power and grace, the more we are drawn to him, like Peter was, in his beauty.
[29:05] The more we depend on him for our daily bread, the more we long to hear his words spoken to us, the more satisfied we are in his love, the more we are filled with joy in his presence.
[29:21] Come and have breakfast, Jesus says to each one of us. There are no reasons left to stay away.
[29:37] Now, maybe you're thinking this morning, Sam, I just struggle to see the glory of Christ in all its fullness. And so often we see like a lopsided version of Jesus, we see maybe a lot of the glory of his power, but not much of the glory of his grace.
[29:58] Or it could be the other way around. And whichever way, it causes us in different ways to draw back from Jesus and not to come to him.
[30:12] In all of this, we have a helper, the Spirit of Christ, who dwells in all those who are united with him.
[30:24] And the Spirit's job is to help us to see Christ in all of his glory. So we can pray, we can ask the Spirit to help us see Christ in all his glory.
[30:37] Pray for the Spirit to open your eyes to see him more clearly in his word, in the world around you. Pray this for your family, for your friends, for your neighbors.
[30:48] Pray that they will be drawn irresistibly to Jesus, satisfied in him. And I also want to say, if you're somebody sitting here today, and in your heart you know that you've never come to Jesus for mercy and refuge, don't wait another day.
[31:16] He invites you to come and receive from him forgiveness, grace, everything you need.
[31:30] Come to him while he may be found. Paul asks this question in Romans chapter 2. He says, do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance, and patience?
[31:44] not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance. God is kind and patient with you so that you can turn to him and find forgiveness.
[32:08] Either run to him now as your loving savior, or one day face Jesus as your righteous judge. Jesus is calling out to you now to turn from your sin, trust in his work for you on the cross.
[32:29] You don't have to have everything figured out. You don't need to understand all the ways he works in this world. You don't have to have a certain amount of Bible knowledge.
[32:41] know. All you need to know is you are a sinner in desperate need of his mercy, and that he would give it to you if you would come to him.
[32:59] So come to him while he may be found. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. May we all be those who see the glory of Jesus and run to the refuge like Peter again and again.
[33:24] Let's pray. Amen. We thank you, Father, for showing us your brilliant glory in your son, Jesus.
[33:59] Thank you for giving us this text that we might see his glory in its fullness.
[34:12] Lord Jesus, we thank you for humbling yourself and dying on a cross for our wickedness.
[34:23] Thank you for destroying every possible reason to keep us from you. Holy Spirit, give us new eyes to see the glory of Christ's power, humility, grace, everything else.
[34:47] That we would not hang back in shame, but run to him for mercy and refuge.
[35:00] Amen.