April 16, 2023
Evening Service

I intended to follow up our Easter message looking at what the Gospel John tells us about what happened during the time after the resurrection but before the ascension.  The Lord had other plans this morning so we will have look at it tonight.  Matthew and Mark give us very few details of what went during those 40 days other than the giving of the “Great Commission” at the time of Jesus’ ascension.  Luke tells of the two who walked with Jesus unaware on the road to Emmaus as He “expounded to them the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”  When their eyes were opened they said to each other; “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

            John’s gospel gives us a couple of insights into that time that we will look at tonight.  We will begin with John 20:19 which immediately follows John and Peter running to find the empty grave and Jesus’ appearance to Mary Magdalene on Easter morning.

John 20:19-23

·        The disciples were still in fear of being taken by the Jews (the doors locked)

·        Jesus appears wishing them “Peace to you!” a common greeting.

·        He showed them His hands and feet causing them to rejoice as He had promised in 16:20-22 (read)

·        Jesus then commissioned these men to the ministry in which He had called them

·        He symbolically “breathed on them to receive the Holy Spirit.”  This was not the indwelling of the Spirit as it will come at the time of Pentecost in Acts 2.

John 20:24-25

·        It does not pay to miss church!  You never know what you might miss!

·        Thomas (this is where he earns his nickname “the doubter”) rejects the testimony of the woman and all the disciples insisting that he would only believe it when he saw it touched Jesus and the scars.  He could very well be taking Jesus at His word of the promise of chapter 16.

·        Thomas does show what we could call a lack of faith here by, in essence, demanding a sign from God.  However, sometimes there are people who need to “know that they know” before they believe.  There are many who believe on a spur of the moment and there are others who have to ponder and dig into it before accepting it as true.

o   That is where we need to be able to bring our kids to before we send them off to college.  They not only have to believe, but they must OWN their faith as their own not their parents’ faith.

John 20:26-29

·        Eight days later Jesus does appear to them again with Thomas present this time and immediately invites Thomas to “reach here and look at my hands and place your hand on My side do not be unbelieving but believe.”

·        That is all it took for Thomas as he proclaims; “My Lord and my God!”  He saw it and owned it!  There is no greater affirmation that anyone could say than this!

·        Notice we are blessed by Jesus in that we have not seen or touched, but yet believe.

John 20:30-31

·        John states the purpose of what and why he is writing this gospel.

·        We now pick up where we began this morning as the disciples struggle with what to do next, so they do what they are comfortable with; they go fishing.

John 21:1-8

·        This is the sole miracle recorded to be done by Jesus after His resurrection.

·        This was a repeat of history as this was the exact scenario that occurred when Jesus first called Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

·        Upon the filling of the nets, Peter ignored the fish and focused on being with his Lord as he plunged into the water and swam to shore.

John 21:9-14

·        Jesus already had a fire of coals going and was cooking fish and bread.

·        Notice He then commands the to “bring some of the fish you caught” and Peter goes out and dragged the net to shore in obedience.

·        There were 153 fish in the net and it did not break.

·        There were no doubts among them that this was Jesus cooking them breakfast

·        Picture this in your mind.  Early morning, they gathered around a fire of coals and ate what Jesus had fixed them.  It was an intimate time in their element (they felt very comfortable on shore as they had done it hundreds of times before).

·        Sitting around the fire, with no doubt each of their eyes staring at Jesus, He begins to look across the fire and question Peter.

John 21:15-17

·        This is a beautiful exchange of restoration for Peter.  Jesus ask him twice “do you love Me” and the final time He asks “do you agapao Me?”  This is the most intimate of words in the Greek language for love that means basically a love that would lay down your life for.

·        Jesus had instructed the disciples in John 13:34 to “love as I have loved you.”  Jesus was allowing Peter to affirm the love he had in heart and put the past behind him.

·        The first question “do you love Me more than these?” refers back to Peter’s proclamation that “though everyone else forsake you, I would die first.”  This leads to Jesus’ proclamation to Peter of his future.

John 21:18-19

·        Again I ask you to picture the scene in your mind.  A fire of coals and intimate time of fellowship and Jesus proclaims to Peter basically that in his future he will be imprisoned for his faith and be forced to be places he did not want to be.

·        Upon the completion of that statement, He looks deep into Peter’s eyes and commands him to “Follow Me.”

·        Each of us have that moment along our walk with the Lord.  We must commit to be “in it to win it!” not just to go along for the ride.  It is a moment of decision to push all your chips into the pot and say, “I am all in!”

·        Peter, as Peter often does, fumbles the ball a little here with his reaction.  Don’t be judgmental of him though as I am sure each of us has done the same thing.

John 21:19-23

·        Jesus said this in Matthew 10:38-39

Mat 10:38-39 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  (39)  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

·        We all have at some time compared our journey with Jesus with someone else and wonder why did they not have to deal with “whatever?”

·        Jesus is being crystal clear here that when He calls us to follow Him, we are called to die to ourselves.  We are to pick up whatever cross He gives us and continue our journey until we complete it.  Some crosses may seem light and others heavy, but we are called simply to carry the one He gives us.

·        We are not to dwell on others’ journey other than to show compassion and help them when they need it (Better Together!).  Jesus will give you the strength, endurance and wisdom to complete your journey as He never places more on us than what we can bear.