97. "Final Instruction...'Follow Me!'", John 21.18-25

In this, our last lesson from the Gospel according-to the Apostle John, we have several different things happening almost all at once, including Jesus' final instruction to Peter, as well as a personal comment on the life's work of Jesus, by John himself.

Previously, we had seen Peter's jealous obsession with John (21.20-21), likely because of John's close relationship with their Master. However, we must realize that Peter and John had a very close bond, due to their years of travel with, and teaching from Jesus Messiah. And like brothers sometimes do, they occasionally experienced a personality clash, or two...and Jesus was very much aware of the problem. Although the timing is unusual, considering the near-end of Jesus' earth walk, John had obviously been "inspired" to make note of it. He was most likely the younger brother of Andrew, the sons of Zebedee...together nicknamed by Jesus, "the sons of thunder". So without a doubt, John had a temperamental personality, such as did Peter, which could have from time-to-time, ignited fireworks between the two!  

It's also worth mentioning that from this point, John is rarely heard-from, up until his three short letters to the church, and finally, his "Revelation" of the Lord in His glorious eternity. In fact, according to Luke's record of the development of the early church, Peter is prominent, while John is second in evidence after him, if not third after James, the Lord's brother (Galatians 1.19, 2.9). But as we notice from chapt. 21.20, he is careful to make the point for one last time, that it was he whom "Jesus loved", and who had "leaned upon (Jesus') breast at the supper...", clearly indicating his role as one of Jesus' most trusted friends and confidantes. 

Now for Peter to have ignored John's fate after having been told by Jesus, of his own as recorded in vss. 18-19, would have been very much out of character...unthinkable, in fact! It seems to have been a real flaw in Peter's personality that he had to know everything about everything...he wasn't one to "keep himself to himself", just as a lot of Jesus' followers still are today. Notice, however, that Jesus' response to him, as recorded in vs. 22, is a real brush-off. He had no time left at this stage, to play referee amongst these soon-to-be apostles; Holy Spirit would be in charge of that, mostly, once-and-for-all. For now, Jesus needed Peter's full attention...to stick with the program, as Paul had written in his first letter to Timothy...to "concentrate on your own business, and that of the Gospel!" 

The Lord's business was His Own business, and it was apparently, none of Peter's business as to what the future held for John...their Lord certainly had a plan for each of them. We should well know as Believers, that our destinies are in the hands of our all-knowing God, and our Lord made it clear that from HIS perspective, there was only one expectation of Peter, and most certainly for John and for every future disciple as well, and that is..."Follow Me!" 

Now of course, that exchange got another rumour started amongst the Jews...that John would never die (vs. 23)! Talk about misunderstandings; but notice the theology here concerning the Lord's eventual return...that it could happen even in your lifetime, or in mine. But isn't it all the same in the end, regardless of your personal theology concerning eschatology? We will one day be with Him, regardless of the time and the means, and that end will be entirely according to His providential will. I believe that this proves without a doubt, that what "the brethren" have to say about the matter is nowhere nearly as reliable as the holy, inspired Word of God, as recorded in "The Book". 

So ends the apostle John's account of the "Greatest Story Ever Told". No mention here, of Christ's last commission to disciples-at-large; no mention of His ascension into the clouds; and no mention of the other disciples, who had missed out on these last few, precious moments! In fact, the record ends with a word picture representing Jesus and the disciples still together in body...but soon to be reunited in spirit. And so, we shall "forever be with the Lord"!

But before we close the Book on John's Gospel account, let's take a closer look at vss. 24-25, the personal oath and testimony of the chronicler of this Gospel record. This is the truth, and the whole truth concerning the Way, the Truth and the Life. And it's clear that the Apostle realizes just how insignificant his own efforts are, and just how huge the life and works of Christ really are...more than all the books of the entire world could ever contain! But this one book is just sufficient to have documented all that we need to know. Are all our questions answered there? Certainly not. Is there more that Holy Spirit may yet reveal to us? Certainly, yes!

I took the time to examine again, the starlit sky one night, and it just leaves me in awe to know that the Lord God has created all that is and ever was, recognizing that I am merely a nearly indiscernible speck, on what is barely more than a water mark on the multi-universal creation of Lord God Almighty. 

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God", John 1.1. He has also critically recorded in his first letter to the churches, 1 John 5.7-8, "For there are three that bear witness in heaven...the Father, the Word, and Holy Spirit; and these three are one." And of course, from John's record of the Revelation of Jesus Christ during his exile on the Isle of Patmos, the testimony of the ascended Redeemer, chapt. 1.8, "I Am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End...Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, the Almighty."

I've sometimes heard it said that such and so, is a work in progress; well that would describe our great God's eternal Plan, Jesus being the King Who reigns over it all...and will bring it to fruition for us, in His Own good time!

Thus endeth John's very personal account of the Gospel record.

96. "Do You Love Me More Than These?", Pt. 2

Well when we finished last time, we had considered not only the extent Peter's faith, but of our own as well. He had been charged with caring for the flock of the soon-to-be church of Jesus Christ, and you can be certain that he had no idea of the extent of the mission he was being ordained-to. None of us, in fact, ever are really sure as we step out in service to the Lord, what He has in store until the penny drops (so to speak!). However, if you have truly been called by our Lord to salvation, and have been given to your church for some aspect of service there, the command of Jesus to Peter may sound very familiar to you indeed. In fact, back in chapt. 14.12, He had revealed to His disciples that they would find themselves performing even "...greater works than these (His own)!"

If you look back to John 20.19, 21 and 26, we find that Jesus had appeared in the midst of the ten, gathered in mutual consolation, He had thrice pronounced that blessed benediction upon them, "Peace be unto you!" Then in vs. 22 He had breathed Holy Spirit upon them, followed in chapt. 21.16-17 with the charge to Peter to "Feed My lambs", and to "Feed My sheep". Now with that little bit of background, you may find it a bit harsh that Jesus would then in vs. 18, immediately begin to reveal to Peter an end-of-life prophecy. 

However, what is taking place here, is that the Lord is giving Peter notice that, although he had dishonoured Jesus in the past, the time would come when, because of his faithful service, he would glorify God by his own sacrificail death. A true Believer's love for the Lord is apt to be far greater than his love for his own life, and we believe that, when that final time of testing came for Peter, he was fully prepared to die for his Lord! The well-loved Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, said to be a disciple of the Apostle John, was burned at the stake in Rome for his faith in Christ, where Peter just may have ministered until the end of his own life. 

Do you realize what the western church has rarely ever experienced? Persecution and death on behalf of our Lord! In fact, history tells us that some of the early settlers of the Americas, came here because of persecution in their mother lands; and they founded their new homelands in the name of the Lord God. But the persecution of the western church today, is not far off...we can see it just on the horizon, in the name of racism and multiculuralism and modernism and agnosticism and conservatism and deism and hedonsim and humanism and a whole bunch of other "isms"; even humanitarianism and materialism and perfectionism and rationalism...and maybe even, Americanism!   

The fact of the matter is, as any and all of these different "isms" creep into the church, employment, and into our social circles, Western Believers will begin to experience real live, close up and personal persecution ourselves, as well as on a truly international scale. But it was to be in times of persecution that Peter's true faith was revealed, as it had been as well, with Paul, of whom the Lord had said at the beginning of his ministry, in Acts 9.16, "I will show him how great things he shall suffer." 

Suffering is a great teacher, as the Lord reminded the faltering Hebrews in He. 10.32. "...remember the former days in which, after you saw the light, you were able to endure the many afflictions of life." Notice that they weren't told to remember the good times in life, but the bad; and how the Lord had seen them through! We certainly are awaiting His return, and return He shall! But we know today that many who do now, and have lived before us have died as a result of persecution, and we may too, before the Lord returns! In the meantime, remember that Jesus has, and will have His hand on your life, what'ere befall.

Who is to say that your own death couldn't glorify the Lord as well? It's a fact that many Believers have come to trust in the Lord at the passing of a loved one, because of that one's patient endurance, testimony of the love of Christ, and by the reassurance of their loved ones that they have no fear of the grave, because of the comforting presence of the Life-Giver, and the Preserver of their very souls! We may never know, but the truly faithful Believer may succeed in doing more for their Lord in death, than they ever could, in life. 

Well look at vs. 19, "...and when He had said this...". This was to be Jesus' final word of grace to that fallen and restored disciple. But I believe that he didn't really need to tell Peter where his weakness lay; I'm sure his face had burned with shame, and his conscience had been pricked on many occasions. Peter, like a lot of disciples today who don't follow very closely, tend to forget that the Lord's idea of following, is to take up the very cross that has been constructed...yes, for you, and in conformity to His very death, in the bearing of it; that's not most Believers' idea of living The Life. 

In our minds, the worst of our suffering involves rushing through supper in order to get to prayer meeting on time! And many Believers don't even suffer that. Remember what Jesus had told Peter in the upper room (chapt. 13.36), that "...you can't go where I'm going now, but you will, afterwards." and that saying would follow him through life and death, and right to the Father's house. 

"Then Peter..." (vss. 20-21). Poor Peter, just going from one scrape to another; just when he had begun to fix his eyes upon Jesus, he laid eyes on John. Fully restored to favour, standing in the literal shadow of His Lord, and commanded to follow; but instead of following, he faltered...again! There can only be one explaination, and it would apply to us all...the lust and the pride of our spirits, at odds with the Spirit of God. In Peter's case, perhaps resulting in the jealous inclination that John may have been given greater love, or be granted an easier death. But rather than evoke jealousy, Peter should have taken a lesson from that "beloved disciple", and leaned more heavily on the Saviour's breast, especially in light of the coming hardships and loss which had been prophesied of him. 

Of course, John also died during imprisonment by Rome, on the Isle of Patmos. There really is...for the true Believer...no escaping at least some degree of persecution when we are cross-bearers, along with our Lord. Our only recourse, if we are numbered with the Faithful, is to realize once and for all, that there is no recourse. To follow Christ as a faithful witness and loyal servant, is to boldly go, where you would never have dreamed of going, before you were called by Him to make faith, your profession!

95. "Do You Love Me More Than These?", John 21.15-25

This is a very telling portion of scripture, taken from a very telling Gospel record, giving us a very telling account of Jesus' very last instruction to the very closest to Him on earth. And it blesses our hearts! The main characters in this short passage are of course Jesus and Peter, and the discussion that they have is nearly a sequel to what is recorded of Peter in chapt. 13, where Jesus was attempting to wash his feet. In that passage, Peter represents us all, demonstrating the frailty and the fickleness of every Believing one of us. 

Every Christian Brother and Sister can relate on some level, to Peter's fall and recovery, and his doubt and disobedience. So in these verses, we cannot miss his eagerness to please and to reassure the Lord, and to be given a greater challenge for greater service, even if it was to bring greater persecution...perhaps even death!

If you look back to Luke 22.31-32, you would notice that when Jesus acknowledged Peter's impulsiveness, He didn't pray to keep Peter from falling, which is Satan's will for the followers of Jesus. Rather, Jesus' wish was that Peter's faith would be strengthened, that he would realize the condition of his own heart, and the frailty of his own ability to keep himself from sinning when the pressure is on. And Peter's response to the Lord, in vs. 33, shows just how little discernment he had, concerning the direction in which Jesus' ministry was heading. He had some hard lessons to learn, between then, and the time of his Holy Spirit baptism!

You know, Jesus doesn't want a-one of us to fail, any more than He did Peter. His wish is that we turn from our own self-confidence and pride, and come to terms with the fact that we are nothing, without Him. That's when Satan fails in "sifting" us, as he had been able to do, after all, with Peter. For him, his failure in faithfulness could have been a death blow, and I'm sure that, at the least, it nearly had caused him to desert what remained of his faith, in those last critical days during the Lord's last week on earth. But...the Lord had a special role for Peter in the church He was building, just as He does for us, once we have finally received and believed!

Now take a look at chapt. 21.15-19. How much do you really and absolutlety love your Lord? Enough to die because of your faith in Him, as He is prophesying here of Peter? And this is not a word of judgment on Peter because of his earlier "indiscretions"...He hadn't asked Peter, "Why did you deny Me?" 

You know, I've heard all kinds of interpretations in regards to the nature of the Believer's judgment before "the Judgment Seat of Christ". But the fact of the matter is, our appearance before Christ on that Day will not be an occasion for loss, but rather, a time for reward for faithfulness in the living-out of our faith, through the accomplishment of the works we have done, in His Name. For the Believer, there will be no reference to our often derelection of duty to the Saviour; only the dying echo of the last tear drops we might have ever shed in life, in that instant in which we experience the fulness of His glory as our eyes are opened, and our created purpose finally becomes clear! No condemnation, but a commendation, as with Peter before his Lord for the very last time in his earthly existence, as he was commissioned for his new work in fishing for men.

"Simon, son of Jonas; lovest thou Me?" If there is any question that might be asked of us at the Judgment Seat of Christ, it will be exactly that..."Do you love Me more...?" And the answer should be, like Peter's, a resounding, "Yes Lord! Thou knowest!" And as we will be, in our time, Peter must surely have been rewarded a crown for his faithfulness. The Lord knew that in just a short while, sinners would be saved by the thousands, and Peter would be one of the headliners in the accounts of the great spiritual awakening which would be soon taking place, beginning back in Jerusalem!

All those new converts would be needing pastors to lead them in their new faith. They would need feeding and tending-to and defending, and Peter was to begin an altogether new vocation...from fishing to shepherding. And the very first of the flock are the most vulnerable...the brand new lambs, the weakest and neediest in the faith-flock. And we in today's church, as well as Peter in his, need to realize that, although they are not our lambs, but the Lord's, it is still the church's responsibility to rear them up to fulness of faith...remembering that it's all about Jesus!

Then we read that, two more times Jesus asks Peter that same question, and a very searching question it is. We all know so much, and talk so much, and give so much, and go through so much, and we make such a show of it all, and yet, like Peter, are half asleep before Christ, practicing mostly dead works. It really is a very good question... "Lovest thou Me more than these?" 

Peter was not yet willing to own what Jesus had in store for him. But what about us...have you really counted the cost of discipleship? Jesus surely had good reason to plant that critical thought in Peter's heart. But notice that, according to vs. 17, just as any of us might do, Peter began to get a little testy..."Lord, You know all things!" And I thank You, Jesus, that You do, brcause every time I step off the narrow road, and tend to wander back toward that "broad road that leads to destruction", He knows that I still am in love with Him. So it's probly a little bit OK for us, like Peter, to confirm His all-knowingness; He really does see us little sparrows when we fall! He knows that we're made of flesh and blood. And He knows when it really is Him, that we really trust, and dearly love. 

This could very well have been Peter's pivot point...when he finally found himself, because, following his third confirmation of his love for the Lord, Jesus responds, as recorded there in vs. 17, "Then feed My sheep!" Peter had been an "apostate apostle", but Jesus had, as Jesus does, blotted out Peter's sin and fully restored him to a place of useful service. And remember, their conversation had taken place in the presence of the six other disciples; his sins had been very public ones, and so must his restoration be, and his ordination to his new shepherding role in the future church..."Then if you love Me, serve Me!" 

In fact, it is only when you really love the Lord that you are ever ready and able to minister in any appreciable way, to the church of Christ. But of course, He's been speaking to Peter in terms of the larger ministry...the work of prophet, pastor, teacher and misssionary, and he was being ordained to fulfill each one of those roles and more, as he began his real life's calling. And I'm sure your own pastor would tell you that that work would be so slow, and painful, and underappreciated, and criticized, that it could only be the love of Christ that would drive him on to the bitter end. So Peter here, is being forgiven for his past failures, restored to full functioning, as well as to even "greater works than these" (14.12)! 

There have been times during my many years of sometimes faithful service, when I, like Peter, needed to be "taken to the woodshed" by my Lord! I'm sure He never thinks of it in that way, but it's been my experience that when a not-so-veiled object lesson, as Jesus often used, would be more than enough to keep us on the track that our Lord has ordained us-to. Thank you, Jesus, for Your patience with Peter...and me.

94. "The Last Breakfast", Part 2

As we finished our last study, we had been reading of the miraculous draught of fish which seemed finally, to open the eyes of at least one of Jesus' disciples, as we read in chapt. 21.5, "Therefore the disciple whom Jesus loved (we believe, John himself)...". And this is exactly what Holy Spirit has intended to be recorded by John all throughout his Gospel account. He had been involved in a number of "firsts" concerning Jesus' death and resurrection, so he seems to have had the greater discernment here, and his response to this last miracle of Jesus, even had it's effect upon "doubting" Peter, as we read in vs. 7, "So Peter...". 

The ever impetuous Peter, had jumped ship and was flailing through the deep water toward the beach, with his oil clothes around his waist! The very one who had decided they make a trip fishing...while Jesus waited for them on the mountain! But the other disciples, being a little more cautious, took time to get the skiff and haul the loaded net safely to shore...the last biblical record of these men ever being engaged in the fishing trade, ever again! They didn't realize it then, but others would soon be crewing the ship and setting the nets, while they, themselves, were to become true "fishers of men". 

Well in vs. 9 we read, "When they arrived at shore...". Can we even begin to imagine how Jesus feels toward those who love Him? Even when we might brush Him aside, or run ahead of Him, or get a little lazy in our commitment toward Him? He's compassionate and He's merciful, and He's not only concerned for our eternal souls, but also for our mortal flesh! As we read in Psalm 103, "For He knows our frame, and He remembers that we are but dust"! He even knows when we're suffering hungry-pain!

"Did any of you guys have breakfast yet?" Apparently a cup of coffee and a toothpick is not good enough for our Lord! And it's not likely that He even needed food, but for His disciple's sake, provision was made for a seaside meal. The Lord cares for His own...I can truly attest to that, over and again, and I'm sure many of you can, as well. He wasn't too good to wash their dirty feet, nor was He too busy planning eternity-future, to take the time to feed His half-hearted friends. Don't think for a single moment that He does not see, or that He does not care!

Now just look at vs. 10. Jesus' first command to them had been to cast the net; His second was, "Bring Me some fish." We must realize that all our fish, do not all belong to us! And likewise, that the souls we catch for the Lord, are the Lord's...not ours. This lesson is so necessary in today's church...the Lord willingly gives to us what is rightfully His, while what we consider to be ours...our church house, our people, our deacons, our pastor, our new converts (our fish), all literally and without question or consideration, belong to Him! What those disciples had been given, rather than a bulge in their pocket books, was living proof of the blessing of the Lord on His obedient children! And He really is, and must be acknowledged as such...the Captain of the fleet of soul-fishers that are His church. 

Now notice in vs 11 that it had been Peter-the-impetuous who had landed the net, holding 153 great fishes. Back in vs. 6 we read that the other disciples together, had not been able to draw the net on their own, "for the multitude of fishes". But that was when they thought the fish belonged to them! Once Jesus had claimed His share of the fruits of their labour, the work had been taken out of it. Six men had not been able to accomplish in their own strength, what one of them could do by the word of the Lord! Peter was weaker than water, when back in chapt. 18.16, he "stood at the door without". But in the presence of the Prince of Power, he experienced the power of the Prince! I can't help but be reminded of Isaiah's precious prophecy as recorded in chapt. 40.29-31, which still bears the need for some personal contemplation!

How cautious are we as we approach our own work for the Lord? We must remember that our strength comes from Him, and that it is nothing of our own will and own way. I find it very humbling when I realize just how insignificant I am in this world, and I experience it all the time! This world would operate just fine without me even in it, because life's very continuation depends wholly on the pleasure of our Lord and God!

Now back in Luke 5, we have recorded another miraculous catch of fish, when the net had broken; and that net had broken in order that Jesus make His point that, "...from henceforth you shall catch men". There was no numbering that catch, and that was to be Peter's life's calling, though he didn't realize it then. In Luke's account, many of those fishes would have been lost, just as many today, who hear the truth, never receive and believe. But in the passage before us, the net being unbroken, those who were to be eventually counted for their faith would be found safe and secure in their Saviour's arms!

Now this bit is beautiful! His third command in this passage consists of a beautiful invitation to "Come and dine", and that's an invite that would be hard to refuse! Remember, those disciples still weren't completely sure that this was their Lord; and they didn't dare ask, so they aparently sat down in silence...no joyous reunion, here; no fanfare, and no anxious questions. Just, "Have a seat fellows...breakfast is ready!" And He took bread, and He took fish, and He surely dispensed His blessings as they sat and talked about the future. 

But notice that we're not told by John that Jesus gave thanks, as recorded of the last supper. Rather, Jesus acted in an altogether different way toward His disciples; now, His response to them was more distant, and neutral, and less personal, but perhaps less judgmental as well. He was in every sense, their Minister, and in a coming day, He will, as recorded by Luke in chapt. 12.37. "...gird Himself, and make (us) sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve (us)." His provision at that time, in a day to come, will be from "the tree of life", Rev. 2.7; and of the "hidden manna", Rev. 2.17...a feast fit for eternity!

I may have sung it before, but..."What a day that will be, when our Saviour we shall see...!", and we shall be called to "Come and dine" at the marriage supper of the Lamb!

93. "The Last Breakfast", John 21.1-14

Now as we begin this last chapter of the Gospel according to John, the last of four separate, but connected accounts of the life of our Lord, we need to recognize its deep, enduring significance. We see there, the disciples going to sea...the Lord, again absent from them; His sudden reappearance, and then, breakfast! But following that, His solemn charge to care for His church...the sheep of His flock, and finally, revelation talk! In chapt. 20, peace talks, but now, final lessons in discipleship. 

What we see first in this chapter should be of no surprise to us at all, by this time...Peter's concern for the things of this world, and the other disciples' willingness to follow him; secondly, their failure, due to their lack of spiritual discernment; and third, their submission to their Lord's call for obedience. Then, His gracious provision of a highliner catch of fish...His last recorded Gospel miracle, performed for those disobedient disciples; next, in the last section of the chapter, Jesus' teaching on the proper motivation for service, for Believers in any age...their love for God, and their love for others. And finally, their eventual reunion in eternity!

Remember that back in chapt. 20.21-23, Jesus had appeared to the eleven disciples, communicating His will to them, commissioning them for service, and commanding their obedience....now, all those disciples had to do, was comply! But rather, "I go fishing", with the others' ready agreement... "Let's do it!" I wonder, if Peter had said, "I go witnessing", or "I go preaching", or, "I go to the mission field", whether the response would have been quite as eager? 

But let's get back to 21.1, "After these things...", Jesus made an appearance to a few of His disciples together...this time on the edge of the Sea of Tiberias, or Gallilee. Back in Matthew 28.10, we read that Jesus had earlier said to them, "Don't be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Gallilee and there they will see Me." So they had indeed gathered, but certaintly not at the appointed meeting place. In Matthew's account, Jesus had appointed a particular mountain, which was to be the place of gathering, so once again, they had missed the mark. 

As John has recorded, Peter being Peter, had decided to take a small detour, and it wasn't long before he and the six who were with him had found and launched a boat, and were fishing. Of couse we know that the Lord had promised, as we read in Mark 1.17, that they would become fishers of men, but on this occasion, they couldn't even catch fish! You just have to wonder where their hearts were, both before they rode off the rails, and now, having just spent the entire night with nary a nibble!

But, then came the morning...and Jesus stood on the shore! What a promise there is for us, there in that fourth verse! We experience a good many dark, empty nights during our nights upon this earth...no hope, no joy, no fruit and no fish. Those disciples were down and out on their luck, and even moreso in their dependence upon Jesus. They had exercised their natural skills, and had experienced another "broker" for their efforts; and they had ignored their spiritual calling to begin, even in the absence of their Master, to "fish" the souls of men for salvation! And now, when they saw Jesus waiting on the shore, they "knew not" that it was Him. 

Oh, when we fail to see the forest, when the trees get in the way. There was Jesus, Who they had been told would be waiting for them on the mountaintop; of course, He was very soon now to be found, as on that very day, with them in Spirit, wherever they happened to be, and regardless of the situation. When you least expect Him perhaps, He draws near to us without our even realizing it. Even when, like those seven wayward disciples, we're living in the flesh, or following the wrong leader, He's just that close! When we're "otherwise occupied", would be a very good time to put on our spiritual bi-focals, because these things are written for our learning. 

Now in vs. 5 we read, "then Jesus said to them...". Remember, Jesus knows all, including the fact that those hungry fishermen, having worked throughout the night, would be wanting their breakfast...but first, one more miracle. Before He gave them sustenance, He acknowledged their failure! Contrary to what your personal opinion may be, in the flesh, we have nothing but nothingness. We're for all the world like those poor, estranged disciples, rowing to the distant shore with nothing to show for our efforts but our sweat and our tears and our nothingness. But there He was, in the haven of their rest, ready and waiting to take them from zero to hero! 

As you might expect, Jesus' advice was simple enough, as recorded in vs. 6, "Just trust and obey." We might just as well face up to the Truth...Jesus is our Sovereign, and He expects to be obeyed as the Captain of our very souls. We might work our whole lives through, believing we have done just fine..and perhaps we have, from the world's perspective. But when you obediently turn your eyes upon Jesus, they're opened to entirely different ways and means...far removed from the world and its ways, you can be sure!

And finally, those disciples did exactly as they were told, by simple faith and simple obedience, with a great miracle resulting. Now notice from vs. 8, that Jesus had been one hundred yards distant, on the shore, yet they had clearly heard His instruction. So without even recognizing Him, they just knew that they just had to do what they had been told, if they had any hope at all for a paycheque. This is quite a lesson for "fringe-believers" who insist on believing in their own time, and in their own way. 

Now vs. 7, "Therefore...", finally, a demonstration of spiritual discernment! At least, "that disciple whom Jesus loved" knew that there was only One Who could ever be responsible for such a miracle as this, and just like the blind man in chapt. 9, "...immediately, his eyes were opened"! This is exactly in keeping with what Holy Spirit has had recorded about John, throughout all this Gospel record...the only disciple to be present at the cross, and the first of the eleven to accept Jesus' resurrection. It's no wonder that he had the greater discernment here, and his response must have startled them all into reaction. 

You know, I love John's insight here, and his loyalty to His Saviour in troubled times...but I've always had a soft spot for Peter, so full of bluster and beligerence! "Walk on water? I'm your man, Lord...I'll be right there!"  Or..."Crucified? Far be it from You, Lord...not on my watch!" But what a change once Holy Spirit, like a mighty, rushing wind filled him up, moving him to boldly proclaim to the multitude, "Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made this Jesus, Whom you crucified, both Lord, and Christ!" 

Don't peek ahead, now. We'll see more of him in our next lesson!

92. "Jesus and Thomas", Pt. 2

Well you may recall that as we finished our last lesson, we left the eleven disciples in the upper room, grieving the loss of their Master. But there was a situation, and that situation had a name...Thomas the Doubter! You see, he had been absent when Jesus had suddenly appeared in the midst of the ten, and refused to accept the fact of His resurrection. For sure, he had heard the very own testimony of Jesus from His very own lips, that He would die, and rise again on the third day. But apparently, that prophecy had missed Thomas completely!

So now we read in John 20.26 that, "...after the passing of eight days, as the disciples, now including Thomas, were again gathered in the upper room, the doors again being shut, when Jesus again appeared in their midst." This was, perhaps, the next Sunday, but this time, no fear. Remember that on the previous occasion, Jesus had pronounced a blessing, as He did as well, on this occasion..."Peace be with you!"...and it appears that His earlier greeting to the ten had had the desired effect. 

Jesus is just so patient with the dull, and slow of heart and mind! He never puts us down, and He never sits us down, other than to teach us the plain truth concerning Himself. In case you hadn't noticed, the Lord has many unruly children in His family; many sluggish students in His school; many undisciplined soldiers in His army; and many lame sheep in His flock, but He bears with us all! And when He tells us, "Peace be unto you", our faith should rebound with a vengeance!

Now , including vs. 19 and vs. 21, this constitutes the third time that Jesus had given the disciples this "peace sign", so there's little doubt, as I've said before, that it's peace that our Lord wants His disciples to experience. And in this case, it was peace that Thomas needed the most; this is one of the very principles of the faith...the very ground upon which peace stands...our trust in the very death and resurrection of the Son of God. And it's that same grace which must recover us as well, from our own weakness, by the overwhelming realization that what Jesus did, He did for you and me!

So here Thomas stood in the presence of the very One Who had died...for him! And with a standing invite to witness for himself, the power of resurrection...and Thomas was completely overcome. You know, we need to be more conscious of the presence of the living Lord in our own lives. Remember, He's as well acquainted with us as He was with Thomas, but are we any better aquainted with Him? We need to take special note of Jesus' command to Thomas at the end of vs. 27, to "...be not faithless, but believing...", which certainly applies to you and me, just as it did to Thomas. And then, in vs. 28, we have this unforgettable response to Jesus, as Thomas became truly converted from a true doubter to a true Believer! And take notice that his is the most decisive confession of any of the other disciples, at any other time or place...no desire anymore, to touch his Lord's hands and His side, but just to worship. Now there's a lesson in repentance!

You may not realize it, but this is the one and only time in all the four Gospels that anyone ever owned Christ to be God. And you can be sure that when we meet Him in the air, we'll have the same response, and His "Peace be unto you" greeting will be the most blessed word that you will ever hear! This has to be one of the greatest examples of grace at work, that we have in all of scripture. We know about the scoundrel thief on the cross next to our Lord; and we know of Nicodemus and Joseph, tenderly attending-to the Lord's body following His crucifiction; and of the women's bold approach at the tomb the following morning...and all their individual responses; but this has to be, by far, the most remarkable. Even hardened skeptics can be broken down by the personal knowledge and the personal experience of grace on your life!

Think back for a moment, of Elijah's meeting with the prophets of Baal, as recorded in 1 Kings 18. On the occasion of the contest between those pagan prophets and God's man on the ground, Elijah had called down fire from heaven to devour his sacrifice and more, and God had honoured him because of his great faith. But just notice the response of the pagan idol worshippers of Israel, at the great defeat of Baal, "...the Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God!" This is one of the fundamental truths of the faith, that Jesus saves to the uttermost, all because of this one fantastic truth...He is Lord of Lords, and God of all, as the pagans of ancient Israel had finally acknowledged; as had Thomas, as He finally arrived at the point of belief. 

But take note as well, of vs. 29..."...Blessed are the many who have not seen Me, but have believed." That is the blessing that the millions who have come to Christ in faith since His ascension...even His future church, have and will own, as a result of this blessing of our Lord upon those who have believed without seeing! But it's also a pretty solid condemnation of those who are...even as those death-dealing Jews had...refusing to believe in their own Redeemer. Did you realize today, that this signifies an even greater blessing on us, than upon those Believers in Jesus' own day? Well there is, and that blessedness must be extended backward to the Old Testament saints, just as it has been forwarded to us!

You know, this is a precious word for the Believer. We have not yet seen Jesus in the flesh, so this is an explicit promise for us, of a certain reunion with the Captain of our souls, and an eternal blessing as well, for those yet to come to faith. But notice vs. 30. What we have in this sacred script is only a taste of the glory that was Jesus' life! As we read here, so many signs and wonders having been witnessed by those disciples of His, that The Book could never have contained them!

Just think how many miracles had been performed throughout those few years of ministry, but this record has been given us as more than an historical record of our Lord, but in order that the lost might see their lost estate, and be drawn to Christ in faith. And that He is the One written-of by the Old Testamant prophets...the One here proclaimed by believing Thomas as "Lord and God!"

Have you yet "decided to follow Jesus"? To take Him at His word, as the resurrected Lord over His creation? Maybe you are one of those who God has given to the Son, and have been rejecting His call on you. Well if so, know that He will persevere, and will not allow you peace until like Thomas, you acknowledge Him to be your own crucified, and resurrected Saviour!

91. "Jesus and Thomas", John 20.24-31

In the previous lesson, we read of Jesus' appearance to the ten disciples, gathered in "the upper room" in fear for their lives, following the resurrection of Jesus; but in vs. 24, we note that Thomas was absent. Now we're not sure why, but from what he has told the others here, and what Jesus said to him when He appeared in the flesh before them, it was because of Thomas' unbelief...Thomas was a doubter!

Now Thomas is specifically mentioned in three different passages in this Gospel record...the first, of course, the account of his having joined up with Jesus' band of disciples. We can discern from what John has recorded, that he was kind of a "gloomy Gus"; a bit of a pessimist maybe, but not short on loyalty and devotion to His Teacher, as we especialy see from chapt. 11.16. By the time he finally appears in chapt. 21, we can't quite tell what's on His mind, other than the fact that he believes their Master was dead and buried for good, leaving he and the eleven to go back to their former occupations, like it or not.

As we well know, some of us handle death and loss a lot differently than others of us do. And it's not simply a matter of faith, either, although faith is certainly a consideration...it must be. But the fact is, that the thought of his Master on that cross had burned an image into his mind and upon his soul that he simply could not shake! All he could think of were the spikes driven into the Lord's hands and feet, and the spear being driven into His side, and the blood and the water, and the very life flowing out of Him! And he couldn't bear seeing his friends grieving, or being obliged to "talk it out", or to question their calling, or their glum plans for their future; and that, was that!

"But Thomas..."...regardless of what the others were going through, Thomas was missing, and apparently for his own self-centered reasons. That's what depression does, doesn't it...it causes you to focus sharply and unreasonably on your own being and doing. It may have its seeds in grief, or in anger, or in the unfairness of life, but whatever the cause, it controls you. 

However, while Thomas was about his own business, the other disciples were gathered in the upper room, in the evening, on Sunday...the very day of resurrection. And although it appears that John had believed the reports of the "Jesus-sightings, there was still some skepticism by others. I'm sure that each of those men had some pretty strong feelings going on...suspense, excitement, and anticipation of what would happen next, all mingled with that lingering fear! What a pity that Thomas had been missing from that first time of fellowship with his resurrected Lord.

You know, it's no mystery why when one of the brethren is out of fellowship with Jesus, he's out of fellowship with the saints as well. And when Believers are in fellowship with Jesus, they crave the fellowhip of the church..."no foresaking the assembling of ourselve together", Hebrews 10.25. So Thomas missed out on that first, and probly, best blessing of the Lord, upon His friends (John 20.21-23).

But notice from vs. 25, how the other ten disciples responded to Thomas' absence...no scolding, no cold shoulder, none of the "pride of life" displayed here, just an earnest desire to bring Thomas up-to-speed with what had taken place. They had been truly blest by the presence of the Saviour, and they wanted to share that blessing with their much loved brother. They had a heart for an unsettled saint, and they were very much aware that he needed to be anchored fast in faith. 

But delving deeper, we cannot help but consider the conditions for our own, and all faith. If you resolve to be a witness of the Truth that is Jesus, you need to be prepared to have your testimony rejected...and unbelief and dis-belief are all around us! That's why there is so little power demonstrated in the church today...because-of either a weak, or a non-existent faith; a care-less attitude toward the things of Christ; and a care-less attitude toward their Gospel calling. There are many who, having not seen, will not believe; but also many who profess belief, but have no wish to see! 

Here we can almost hear Thomas rejecting the testimony of his ten trustworthy brothers, witnessing to the resurrection of their Lord...men who had over the past three years, proven their loyalty and their trustworthiness and their truthfulness. But he stubbornly declared the obvious. "I do not believe, and I will not believe", until he faced the Saviour, and pawed-at His wounds! Now remember that Thomas had witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus, and others as well. And he had heard the Lord's prophecy of His own resurrection on the third day; and here, he presumes to set his own standard for faith...to see and to touch!

Suppose we had demanded to set the standard for our own faith! You perhaps had never considered the behaviour of Thomas in that light before. He could have turned around and left that upper room at any time, without so much as a backward glance! But we know that God the Father had chosen him, and given him to Jesus the Son, as Jesus had stated a number of times throughout this record. And Thomas' security lay in the promise of Jesus to Father God, that He would not allow anyone to snatch them away, nor would anyone snatch them from the Father's hand (10.27-29)!

And I trust that, if you were called by God the Father into faith, you know today, that the very promise of your Lord applies to you as well! Perhaps, in the millenia to come, you will have an opportunity to thank Jesus face-to-face, for His sure faith in your security...with no interest whatsoever at that point, in the necessity to touch His wounded hands and side! 

Whatever you do with the rest of your life in the Lord, do not keep secret, what God can do!