Thank you.
It's 63 minutes long.
That's four hours in the 20s of three minutes.
And this is one of the longest movies ever made in English.
And when you watch it, at some point in the movie, you recognize just how long it is.
You recognize that you're sitting on the couch for three hours and stuff in the middle of the movie.
The other thing you'll notice is that the movie has several endings.
A city is defended against people, but then assaults on people's self-made, a ring is destroyed, and a king is converted, and on and on.
And so it goes.
But it wasn't to be an annoying event in the movie or the book.
It also calls to recognize that the story is over there.
As grand as it is, it must have all of those endings in order to include all the generic strengths that have been done.
The movie would actually be an interesting thing.
Without it.
You know, John ends like the Lord brings.
He has multiple endings.
Look at chapter 20.
That chapter concludes by giving the reason why the book of John was written.
Jesus has already been raised from the dead and appeared to the apostles, and things look like they can wrap up here pretty well.
In fact, many more liberal biblical scholars say that chapter 21 shouldn't even be in this book for precisely that reason.
It seems to act on to the ending of the book, which properly ends in chapter 20.
But it seems to me that there are really good reasons to say that chapter 21 is original to the book.
And therefore, the better argument is to see John, like the Lord of the Rings, having multiple endings.
Each given the conclusion of a particular narrative thread that has woven its way throughout the book.
So the gospel of John is incomplete without chapter 21.
Our task tonight, therefore, is to determine what exactly this ending, chapter 21 of the book of John,
tells us about the work of redemption that Jesus brought about through his death.
So, we're going to take it up and read it now.
It's page 907 in your pew Bibles, if you'd like to follow along.
The gospel according to John, chapter 21.
After this, Jesus reveals himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias.
And he revealed himself in this way.
Simon Peter, Thomas, called the twin,
Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee,
the sons of Zebedee,
and two others of the disciples were together.
Simon Peter said to them,
I'm going fishing.
And they said to him,
We'll go with you.
And they all went out and got into the boat.
But that night, they caught nothing.
Just as day was breaking,
Jesus stood on the shore.
And the disciples did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them,
Children, do you have any fish?
And they answered him,
Nope.
He said to them,
Cast a net on the right side of the boat,
and you will find some.
So they cast it,
and now they were not able to haul it in
because of the quantity of fish.
And that disciple whom Jesus loved,
therefore, said to Peter,
It's the Lord.
And when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he put on his outer garment,
for he was stripped for work.
And he threw himself into the sea.
And the other disciples came in the boat,
dragging the net full of fish,
for they were not far from the land,
but about a hundred yards off.
And when they got out onto the land,
they saw a charcoal fire in place,
with fish laid on it and red.
And Jesus said to them,
Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.
So Simon Peter went aboard
and hauled the net ashore full of large fish,
a hundred and fifty-three of them.
And although there were so many,
the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them,
Come and have breakfast.
Now, none of the disciples dared ask him,
Who are you?
They knew it was the Lord.
Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them,
and so with the fish.
This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed
to his disciples,
after he was raised from the dead.
And when they had finished breakfast,
Jesus said to Simon Peter,
Simon, son of John,
do you love me more than these?
He said to him,
Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
He said to him,
Feed my lambs.
He said to him a second time,
Simon, son of John, do you love me?
He said to him,
Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
He said to him,
Tend my sheep.
He said to him the third time,
Simon, son of John,
do you love me?
And Peter was grieved,
because he said to him the third time,
Do you love me?
He said to him,
Lord, you know everything.
You know that I love you.
And Jesus said to him,
Feed my sheep.
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.
This he said to show
by what kind of death
he was to glorify God.
And after saying this,
he said to him,
Follow me.
Peter turned and saw the disciple
whom Jesus loved following them,
the one who had also leaned against him
during the supper,
and said,
Lord, who is it
that is going to betray you?
When Peter saw him,
he said to Jesus,
Lord, what about this man?
Jesus said to him,
If it's my will
that he remain until I come,
what is that to you?
You follow me.
So the saying spread abroad
among the brothers
that this disciple was not to die.
Yet Jesus did not say to him
that he was not to die,
but if it is my will
that he remain until I come,
what is that to you?
This is a disciple
who is bearing witness
about these things
and who has written these things,
and we know
that his testimony is true.
Now,
there are also
many other things
that Jesus did.
And were every one of them
to be written,
I suppose that the world itself
could not contain
the books
that would be written.
So, tonight I will argue
that the point of chapter 21
is this.
Jesus' faithfulness
restores
what our faithlessness
has lost.
Jesus' faithfulness
restores
what our faithlessness
has lost.
We'll see this
in four ways.
First,
Jesus' faithfulness
restores meaning
in his disciples' lives.
notice here,
the chapter opens
after the disciples
have seen the risen Lord.
Jesus has appeared
to them in chapter 20
and given them a blessing.
Peace be unto you.
That greeting
appears nowhere
in the gospel
before the resurrection.
It seems not only
to be a simple greeting
but even more
to tell the disciples
something about
their condition
in the eyes of God
as a result
of the work of the cross.
It will later form
part of Paul's
favorite greeting
grace and peace
to you.
Christ has secured
for them already
the acceptance of God
and therefore
the immediate disciples
and we,
the followers of Christ
centuries later
have peace.
But it seems unlikely
that the apostles
understood this peace
at the moment.
There's no evidence
in this chapter
of a clear
spirit-filled
mission and vision.
We find the disciples
in this chapter
not busying themselves
about the work
of telling people
about the resurrection,
not working and striving
eagerly to bring about
the promised kingdom,
but fishing.
Now, why fishing?
Well, this was their
profession before
they met Jesus
and after their time
with Jesus
looks like it
might be completed,
they're not really sure
what exactly
they ought to do
and so they take up
their previous life.
They go fishing.
Now, we have
the book of Acts
and the bit of church
history that has
transpired between
the apostles and us
and so we know
how the story ends.
We know something
of the meaning
of the resurrection
but it seems like
the apostles don't.
So they seem
neither to have
rejected Jesus
nor to have been
eagerly calling to mind
all the things
that he had said
while he was with them
in order to understand
what the resurrection
meant.
They just were fishing.
And besides,
let's remember
that these disciples
didn't leave Jesus
on good terms
last time.
They abandoned him
in his darkest hour
when the hour
of Jesus' crucifixion
came,
the hour that he
pleaded with them
more than ever
in his life
for them to watch
and pray with him
because his soul
was in agony.
They slept.
They abandoned.
Their courage
failed them
in the heat of battle
and they deserted.
And now their leader
has returned to them
and what will he do
with the deserters?
Certainly any friendship
between them
and Jesus
must now be
in ruins.
Imagine
the greatest shame
that you felt
after you acted
far less noble
than you know
you should have
when you betrayed
or abandoned
a close friend.
Knowing full well
how terrible
your actions were
and then you have to
face that person again.
Can you imagine
the shame
that Peter felt
after he betrayed
the Lord three times
and Jesus looked
across the courtyard
at him
just as the rooster
crowed?
Surely now
Jesus will have
nothing to do
with his disciples.
That would be
the just thing to do.
And so the disciples
drift.
They spend their time
fruitlessly
and the author
highlights this fruitlessness
and vanity
of their work
by making it literal.
They literally
catch nothing.
They're literally
wasting their time.
That is
until Jesus arrives
and at his command
they acquire fish
so numerous
they have difficulty
in hauling them in.
There's a metaphor
here I think.
Jesus has called
his apostles earlier
and told them
they would be
fishers of men
and here the only
difference between
their catching no fish
and their catching
far too many fish
to manage
is the fact that
they are obedient
to God.
but God
is ultimately
responsible
for the success
of their efforts.
This is true
even in the evangelistic
task they are given
later.
So
Jesus' faithfulness
restores meaning
in the disciples'
lives.
Second
Jesus' faithfulness
restores the disciples'
history.
Restores the disciples'
history.
The second
purpose of this story
is to walk
these disciples
through the history
of their discipleship.
Do you recall
where it was
when Jesus first
called many of
these men
to be the disciples?
This story is given
to us in Luke 5.
There in that story
Jesus comes to
the disciples
while they're
fishing or they're
in the boat.
He employs one
of their boats
as a platform
for his preaching
and then he instructs
them to cast their
nets into the water
and they catch
so many fish
the boats begin
to sink.
And only at that
point when the nets
are almost breaking
Peter recognizes
the power of Jesus
and Jesus calls him
to follow him.
Peter at that point
leaves his nets
and immediately
follows Jesus.
And so begin
three years of his life
where Peter's
impetuousness
and stubbornness
clash often
with the wishes
of Jesus
and where he
frequently misunderstands
the doings of Jesus.
And while over the course
of these three years
Peter seemed to show
improvement,
faithfulness,
even a fierce loyalty
it was only a
superficial loyalty.
For in the end
Peter betrayed Jesus.
Think of the bitter
weeping he had
when he betrayed him.
We have no account
of what Peter did
between Good Friday
and Easter Sunday.
Was it spent
mourning his
unfaithfulness to Christ?
Was he ever tempted
to look at
and apply to himself
the Old Testament
prophecies
of the people of God
abandoning their Lord?
Did he weep more bitterly
over the death
of a comrade
or the death
of his courage?
We can't be sure.
But certainly
there must have been
a hint
by this time
in the story
that Peter
had squandered
his opportunity.
His history
it seems
would now be
forever marred
by the indelible
stain
of betraying
the one he loved.
But now
that setting
of the original call
is being reconstructed.
Look, the boat
the fishermen
the fish
the Lord
it's all there.
God seems
to be giving Peter
a second chance
to walk through
his own history
and this time
to redeem it.
But this is
seen more clearly
in the following section
where Jesus
restores Peter.
We have already
considered that
the apostles
all abandoned Jesus
and Peter
did so
most obviously.
Peter's boast
before Jesus
crucifixion
was the loudest
and the brashest.
Even if all
others deny you
I will never
deny you.
I will even
go to death
with you
but I will
never deny you.
But betray him
he did.
And it is ironic
that the gospels
give more attention
to the details
of Peter's betrayal
than to the betrayal
of any of the others
except for Judas.
Jesus said
that all the apostles
would abandon him
but what about
Bartholomew?
We don't really
know much about him.
His boasting
is absent.
It didn't seem
to boast
that he was the best
and would punch
the bad guys
in the face.
His boasting
is absent
and his betrayal
seems minimal
in the text.
He's gone
but the gospel
doesn't emphasize it.
But Peter's boasting
was loud
and his betrayal
is given
in great detail.
This is difficult
you see.
It introduces
a problem.
The ancient
Greek philosophers
were fond
of a certain saying
there is one thing
that even the gods
cannot do.
Undo
what has been done.
That is
the past
cannot be altered
even by the gods.
And perhaps
you feel that way
sitting here today.
Perhaps you are aware
of your many failures.
perhaps they run
through your mind
even as I'm speaking
these words.
Perhaps you can't
break an addiction
that plagues you
every week.
Perhaps you fight
in vain
against the temptation
to compare
your accomplishments
to those
of the people
around you.
Perhaps you have
some betrayal
that you committed
embedded so deeply
in your history
that it has come
to define
the way you
view yourself.
The past
cannot be altered.
even by the gods.
So what hope
is there for you?
Well I think
this section
is illuminating
and it actually
gives us great hope.
You see
Jesus
in this section
restores Peter
by walking him
through his failures.
Look here
we mentioned
that the boats
are there
the fish are there
the fisherman
is there.
Look even at
the charcoal
fire.
Do you see it
there in
verse 8?
Not to put
too much emphasis
on this
but there's only
two places
in the whole book
of John
where a charcoal
fire like this
is mentioned.
And interestingly
enough the previous
time all the
characters are the same.
The last time
in John 18
Peter sat
before a fire
early in the morning
it was in the
courthouse
of the courtyard
of the high priest
and he was asked
a question
you are one
of his disciples
are you not?
In fact
the gospel of John
recounts that this
question or a variant
of it was asked
to Peter three times
all of them
by the same
fireside
and three times
Peter emphatically
answers no
I did not know
the man
I have no
association
with him.
Three questions
three denials
and here he is
again
by a sunrise
fire set
being asked
if he would
associate himself
with Jesus
but this time
it's the crucified
one himself
who is asking
the question
what can be
made of this?
I suspect
that this is
Jesus
reminding Peter
in word
and in deed
about his
betrayal
and proceeding
to negate
to erase
the denials
one by one.
You are also
one of this
man's disciples
aren't you?
I am not.
Simon son
of Jonah
do you love
me more
than these?
Yes Lord
you know
that I love
you.
You also
are not
one of his
disciples
are you?
I am not.
Simon son
of Jonah
do you love
me?
Yes Lord
you know
that I love
you.
Did I not
see you
in the garden
with him?
I tell
you I
do not
know
the man.
Simon
son of
Jonah
do you
love me?
Lord
you know
everything
you know
that I
love you.
Jesus
recounting
Peter's
denials
one by
one
and negating
each of
them
shows
both to
Peter
and to
those
around
him
that his
sins
are forgiven
and his
position
is restored.
And note
that this
happens at
breakfast
with the
other
disciples
around
after
Peter's
boast
made
in front
of all
of them
they would
all know
he had
failed
to maintain
his
faithfulness
to the
Lord
and if
he was
called
to
strengthen
and
encourage
the
apostles
how was
he to
do
that
with
such a
blot
on his
record?
So
Jesus
walks
him
through
the
painful
recounting
of his
failures
in
public
in
order
to
deal
with
them
and
finally
to
erase
them.
He
won't
let
Peter
hide.
He
goes
right
to
the
source
of
betrayal.
Consider
an
example.
If
you've
ever
had
a
sports
injury
you've
likely
had
to
go
to
a
physical
therapist
during
the
process
of
your
recovery
and
when
you
have
an
injury
it's
your
body's
natural
reaction
to
attempt
to
shield
that
muscle
from
further
injury
by
using
other
muscles
to
compensate
for the
work
that
muscle
ought
to
do.
Your
body
hides
the
injured
muscle.
But
that's
not how
the
muscle
gets
healed
and
so
it's
the job
of the
physical
therapist
to put
your
body
through
exercises
and
stretches
that
isolate
exactly
that
muscle
and
exercise
it
directly
often
with
great
pain
in order
finally
to restore
the health
of that
very
muscle
that has
been
injured.
I think
this is what
Jesus is
doing with
Peter
here.
Or
another
example
perhaps
more
intimate
and
maybe
even
childish
but
I
think
God
sometimes
buries
his
greatest
truths
in
shallow
sand.
When I
was a
little
boy
and
would
be
playing
outside
I
would
sometimes
get a
scratch
or two
go cry
to my
mother
and she
would pick
me up
sit me
down
in the
kitchen
top
counter
and ask
me
where's
the
boo-boo
and I
would
of course
point to
the
scratch
on my
elbow
or my
knee
and my
mother
would
lean
over
and kiss
it
and she
said
there
now it's
all better
she would
identify the
direct source
of the pain
and she
would give
me the
loving care
that I
need
right there
you know
she even
did this
for the
injuries
that I
incurred
because I
had
disobeyed
her
I think
that's
something
like what
Jesus
is doing
for Peter
here
and this
is why
confession
of sin
is also
so important
for the
health
of the
Christian
soul
confession
requires us
to look
our sin
directly
in the
eye
and renounce
them
to expose
our injury
in order
to treat
it
we admit
to a
fellow
believer
or to
God
himself
that we
have not
kept
our
vows
to the
Lord
we hear
the
condemnation
of that
sin
and the
good
news
that
Christ
has
taken
away
our
condemnation
this
is the
true meaning
of Martin
Luther's
doctrine
of the
priesthood
of all
believers
not that
each
individual
is his
own
church
and doesn't
need
others
no
but on
the
contrary
that each
individual
believer
can intercede
for the
rest
can beg
that God's
grace be
given to
his fellow
church
member
and that
he might
be kept
from stumbling
once again
here
here at
Trinity
we often
do this
in a
morning
service
during
some
prayer
time
where we
confess
our
sins
to
God
and we
hear
the
forgiveness
of them
or we
do so
in the
quiet
time
before we
receive
the
Lord's
supper
we
take
time
to
examine
our
consciences
confess
our
sins
and make
sure
we are
in
right
standing
before
we
receive
the
bread
and
the
wine
don't
think
lightly
of these
times
of
confession
they're
not a
formality
they're
abalmed
the
soul
redemption
of our
failures
you see
always
comes
by walking
through
those
failures
the
first
time
when we
sin
we walk
through
our
failures
away
from
Christ
but
in
repentance
we walk
through
our
failures
again
this
time
with
Jesus
at
our
side
the
first
time
in
this
story
it
is
Peter
siding
with
his
sin
against
Jesus
here
Peter
takes
the
side
of
Jesus
against
his
sin
this
is
what
makes
his
restoration
possible
so
Jesus
faithfulness
restores
the
disciples
history
third
Jesus
faithfulness
restores
the
disciples
calling
the
result
of
this
process
of
restoration
through
which
Jesus
takes
Peter
is
a
strange
one
he
is
commissioned
three
times
feed
my
sheep
feed
my
sheep
feed
my
sheep
but
then
Jesus
predicts
Peter's
end
verse
18
and
19
there
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
this
is a
strange
consolation
this
is a
strange
encouragement
and
Peter
ministers
with
this
prophecy
hanging
above
his
head
for
three
decades
before
his
martyrdom
comes
to
pass
but
do
you
note
that
there's
also
a
hope
that's
hidden
in
this
prophecy
the
gospel
writer
John
in
verse
19
says
this
is
the
death
by
which
he
would
glorify
God
you
see
Peter
will
be
killed
at
the
end
but
his
death
will
bring
glory
to
God
and
why
because
the
next
time
he's
challenged
concerning
whether
he
belongs
to
Christ
he
will
not
fail
the
test
where
once
Peter
shrunk
back
in
fear
at
the
interrogation
of
a
mere
slave
girl
now
Peter
will
stand
firm
even
in
the
face
of
torturers
and
assassins
Peter
has
failed
once
but
Jesus
promises
here
that
he
will
not
need
to
be
restored
again
and
in
the
book
of
Acts
we
read
stories
of
a
very
different
Peter
in
Acts
Peter
is
preaching
to
thousands
of
people
instead
of
cowering
before
just
a
few
he's
going
to
jail
being
flogged
and
beaten
and
praising
the
Lord
for
all
of
it
this
is
a
changed
Peter
what
accounts
for
this
change
Jesus
has
sent
his
Holy
Spirit
to
dwell
in
Peter
and
as
Pastor
Nick
said
this
morning
those
who
have
the
Holy
Spirit
never
fall
finally
away
but
in
this
story
Peter
does
not
yet
see
this
prophecy
as
having
even
a
hint
of
good
news
in
it
he
attempts
to
evade
what
about
this
one
he
says
but
Jesus
will
have
none
of
it
what
does
it
matter
to
you
he
says
you
follow
me
you
see
there is
a
certain
simplicity
about
the
Christian
life
we
simply
do
what
God
commands
us
to
do
we
don't
take a
poll
to
determine
the
popularity
of
our
actions
we
just
do
what
we're
called
to
do
so
we
ought
to
encourage
Christian
teenagers
and
young
people
that
while
this
is
difficult
and
sounds
rough
there
are
many
voices
in
the
lives
of
our
young
people
in
our
church
that
cloud
their
path
and
tell
them
to
do
things
that
the
Lord
doesn't
tell
them
to
do
we
ought
to
tell
them
that
while
they
may
feel
alone
and
isolated
they
have
a
higher
calling
God
has
called
them
to
greatness
and
they
are
to
do
what
God
commands
knowing
that
therein
lies
the
way
of
truth
and
happiness
in
my
years
I
have
found
this
to
be
true
that
God
is
a
faithful
father
who
desires
our
happiness
and
he
will
not
let
us
down
we
have
a
high
and
noble
call
to
God
be
faithful
you
see
that
this
calling
and
Jesus
rejection
of
Peter's
comparison
to
John
also
destroys
competitiveness
characterizes
many
perhaps
all
other
aspects
of
our
lives
it's
a
competitiveness
that
ought
not
exist
at
all
in
the
Christian
life
we
cannot
compare
the
work
that
God
has
called
us
to
do
with
the
work
that
he
has
called
another
to
do
the
work
that
God
has
called
each
of
us
to
do
is
not
identical
faithfulness
for
you
may
look
like a
life
of
pain
and a
martyr's
death
for
the
one
in
the
pew
in
front
of
you
it
may
mean
bearing
under
the
weight
of
a
disease
year
after
year
and
tenaciously
clinging
to the
words
of
Job
though
he
slay
me
yet
will
I
praise
him
for
still
another
God's
call
to
you
may
be
to
spend
the
prime
of
your
life
raising
a
goodly
heritage
of
children
or
working
in a
nine
to
five
job
at
the
office
where
you
steadily
lay
down
your
life
to
provide
for
your
family
and
be
faithful
to
your
church
and
God
is
glorified
in
all
of
these
things
yes
we
can
and
we
ought
to
strategize
about
how
we
can
bring
most
glory
to
God
but
once
we've
received
a
calling
from
God
we
ought
to
fight
the
temptation
to
compare
ourselves
to
our
brothers
and to
lament
that we
have
a
less
noble
calling
than
they
you
will
not
bring
a
copy
of
your
resume
to
the
final
judgment
so
we
have
many
missionary
biographies
that
recount
the
mighty
works
that
God
did
through
a
certain
preacher
or
teacher
and
I
think
these
books
are
great
and
they
encourage
us
to
consecrate
our
lives
to
God
but
let
me
tell
you
about
a
story
about
a
friend
of
mine
about
whom
you'll
never
read
a
book
his
name
is
Tim
and
I
had
the
honor
of
working
with
him
in
northern
Iraq
two
years
ago
where
he
was
a
missionary
the
work
is
hard
and
the
converts
are
few
one
day
I
asked
him
Tim
are
you
ever
discouraged
and
tempted
to
believe
you
misread
the
hand
of
God
he
replied
to
me
sometimes
but
you
know
I
made
my
peace
a long
time
ago
with
the
30
the
50
and
the
100
do
you
get
what
he
means
by
this
do
you
remember
in the
parable
of the
four
soils
the
good
soil
receives
the
word
of
God
and
what
does
Jesus
say
it
does
it
bears
fruit
some
of it
bears
30 fold
some
50 fold
some
100 fold
see
even
there
in the
parable
is
embedded
the
recognition
that
in terms
of sheer
numbers
we won't
all
have
the
same
amount
of
success
and
just
a
year
ago
Tim
and
his
wife
had
to
leave
Iraq
because
she
was
diagnosed
with
Lou Gehrig's
disease
and she
died
in
January
seeing
only
a few
converts
from
nine
hard
years
of
labor
in
northern
Iraq
but I
ask you
this
is
God
not
glorified
in
that
so
keep
on
my
friend
keep
on
do
not
put
your
hand
to
the
plow
and
turn
back
be
faithful
in
the
furrow
of
God's
field
in
which
he
has
placed
you
knowing
that
a
harvest
of
righteousness
awaits
all
those
who
are
faithful
to
do
the
work
that
God
has
called
them
to
do
not
be
weary
in
well
doing
for
in
due
season
we
shall
reap
if
we
do
not
lose
heart
and
what
is
the
motivation
for
this
well
doing
and
the
assurance
of
this
harvest
this
is
my
fourth
and
final
port
tonight
finally
fourth
Jesus
restores
the
earth
Jesus
restores
the
earth
he
restores
history
he
restores
vision
he
restores
calling
and he
restores
the
earth
look at
the
last
verse
of
the
chapter
it
says
now
there
are
many
also
many
other
things
that
Jesus
did
and
were
every
one
of
them
to be
written
I
suppose
that
the
world
itself
could
not
contain
the
books
that
would
be
written
some
people
tend
to think
this
is an
exaggeration
I
don't
you
see
Jesus
John
ends
this
book
by
reminding
us
there
are
many
things
that
Jesus
did
he
began
the
book
by
telling
us
that
the
divine
word
of
God
the
second
person
of
the
trinity
is
the
blueprint
for
all
creation
he
says
all
things
were
made
through
him
and
without
him
was
not
anything
made
that
was
made
you
see
it
is
Jesus
who
is
the
blueprint
for
all
of
creation
consider
this
therefore
if
Christ
created
the
whole
world
and
he
was
also
active
in
loving
the
father
and
the
holy
spirit
before
the
foundation
of
the
world
and
if
Christ
in
his
flesh
taught
and
healed
and
prayed
far
more
often
than
is
recounted
in
this
book
and
if
through
his
resurrection
he
began
the
process
of
rolling
back
the
curse
then
of course
the world
itself
cannot
contain
the books
that
would
be
written
the
world
itself
is
just
one
of
the
books
that
would
be
written
and
do
you
know
that
Jesus
is
active
still
do
you
know
that
he
intercedes
for
you
this
is
the
power
of the
man
who
ate
fish
with
his
friends
on
the
beach
in
Galilee
and
this
is
the
power
that
stands
behind
and
assures
each
of
us
of
every
one
of
his
promises
to
restore
meaning
promises
to
restore
history
promises
to
restore
our
calling
promises
to
restore
our
world
this
is
our
God
let us
go forth
this
week
and
praise
him
in
word
in
song
and
in
deed
let's
pray
Lord I
thank you
for your
resurrection
I thank
you that
death
by death
has been
defeated
and that
you are
in the
process
of a
great
restoration
of this
world
I pray
that we
would have
eyes
to see
this
restoration
going on
around
us
and we
would have
zeal to
be
participants
in this
restoration
we pray
that you
would do
this work
quickly
we pray
that you
would give
us
faith
we pray
these things
in the name
of your son
amen
so there's
anything
unclear about
the sermon
or you'd like
to hear more
about
or anything
in general
fire away
we have
not that
long so
try to keep
the questions
short and I'll
keep the answers
short as well
yes sir
short answer
no
long answer
if you
if you want
to have
some fun
tonight
go home
and look up
various historical
interpretations
of the
153 fish
because there
are lots
of them
and I think
all of them
are nonsense
but they're
all a lot
of fun
if you do
really weird
multiplication
triangles
and stuff
it ends up
sort of
Illuminati-esque
probably the
reason is
these guys
are like
oh my goodness
there's a lot
of fish
I wonder
how many
of them
are
I don't
know
Peter
let's
count
them
and they
ended up
with
103
yeah
good question
so
a similar
question
on this
text
is
this
play
between
these
two
verbs
do you
love
me
and it's
a phileo
and agape
so basically
in Greek
it's two
different
verbs
what you'll
notice
throughout
John
frequently
is he likes
to make
these subtle
changes
in his
words
so I
actually
don't think
there's any
real difference
between Jesus'
three answers
or the three
questions
if you notice
the questions
are also
different
slightly
different
but then
it says
here
in
verse
17
Peter
was grieved
because he
said to him
the third
time
do you
love
me
so it
seems
like
it seems
like
Peter
is receiving
this as
the same
question
three times
so
the variations
I don't
think
there's
much
there
the significance
of the
feed my
sheep
though
I think
it's calling
Peter back
to what he
was going
to do
originally
what Jesus
had told
him to do
I find it
fascinating
before the
crucifixion
Jesus has
the whole
disciples there
and he says
Simon
the devil
has asked
for
and then in
Greek
it's
y'all
has asked
for y'all
that he might
sift you
like wheat
but I
prayed
for you
singular
that your
faith
would not
fail
and when
you
were
restored
go
encourage
the
brothers
so it
seems
like
Peter
has
some
sort
of
responsibility
here
to
have
a
pastoral
role
toward
the rest
of
the
apostles
and you
see
he
continues
to do
that
in
the
book
of
Acts
in
the
Jerusalem
church
there
yes
Patrick
yeah
that's a
great
question
I have
found
I asked
my mother
this question
I was having
some sort
of like
dark night
of the soul
and I said
mom
it just
seems like
I get
a new
sin
every year
like I
can look
at the
calendar
and tell
you
this is
the year
of anger
and this
is the year
of impatience
and like
what's going
on am I
just getting
worse
and my mom
said no
it may be
the case
that when
you become
more spiritually
mature
the Holy
Spirit
sort of
turns up
the magnification
on the
microscope
and you can
see more
clearly all
these things
you didn't
see before
and what I
found is that
repentance
needs to be
an ongoing
thing
over and
over
Martin Luther's
first thesis
of the 95
is when the
Lord said
repent
he meant
that the
life of the
believer
should be
one of
continual
repentance
so repentance
is a thing
that I tend
to do
try to do
every day
sometimes
I can
tell
when
sort of
the channel
to the
Holy Spirit
is a little
bit clogged
and I
know
that I'm
harboring
sins
that I
have not
yet
confessed
so what
I'll often
do is
just like
in the
morning
you pray
through your
schedule
of the
day
at the
end
you do
it again
you say
Lord
I really
failed
there
I was
impatient
with that
person
there
I really
want to
do
better
would you
give me
the grace
to do
it
and thank
you
for the
cross
that I
know
that my
efforts
at repentance
here
don't even
have to be
perfect
I can
trust you
with the
sins
I don't
even see
and know
that you
have taken
care of
them on
the cross
and so
strangely enough
repentance
makes the
cross sweeter
for you
okay
thank you
right
thank you