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Remember these are only notes so do not expect full sentences, perfect grammar or even perfect spelling! (Remember too that British spelling is not the same as American spelling!) JOHN 21 - JESUS RE-INVITES THE DISCIPLES TO FOLLOW HIM. • Q. Have You Ever Been Tempted To Simply Give Up The Christian Life And Be Completely Secular? • Forget God, Worship, Prayer, Discipleship? • Life Easier? • Perhaps We See Something Of This In The Disciples Even After The Resurrection Of Jesus. • Chap 20 Resurretion appearances In Jerusalem. • Tomb in Jerusalem. • Mary Magdalene • Upper Room - Thomas. • Chap 21 The Disciples Have Gone Back To Galilee - • Home - 70 Miles. • Need For Recommitment. -------------- • Yes The Risen Lord Has Appeared To Them In Jer • Tremendous Experience. • Indeed The Whole Jerusalem Week Had Been Amazing. • Entered Jerusalem On Donkey - • Palm Sunday. • Crowds Cheering. • Cleansing Temple. • Teaching In Temple Courts. • Confronting The Religious Leaders. • Mt Of Olives - End Of The World. • Last Supper. • Gethsemane. • Arrest. • Trials. • Crucifixion. • Resurrection. • He Had Shown Himself To Be Conqueror Of Sin And Death. • Commissioned Them. • Time Of Unsurpassed Spiritual Experience For The Disciples. • As If The Had Now Seen And Experienced Everything! • Many Chapters In The Gospels That Are Concerned With That One Week. -------------- • Perhaps You And I Have Had Times Of Gt. Spiritual Experience; • Series Of Christian Meetings - Conference. • Keswick Spring Harvest. • Then You Had To Go Home After It All. • Well The Disciples Had To Go Home! • Couldn't Just Stay On In Jerusalem. • Passover Now Over. • Return To Galilee. John 21:2-3 Simon Peter, Thomas (Called Didymus), Nathanael From Cana In Galilee, The Sons Of Zebedee, And Two Other Disciples Were Together. "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. • `I Am Going To Fish.' • It Is As If Peter Is Simply Going Back To His Old Trade. • Nothing Wrong With That. • But Sees No Real Sense Of Direction. • So He Quickly Decides To Resume His Old Ways. • It Is Not That He Was Giving Up Christ • Just A Loss Of Direction • At Home • Away From The Excitement Of Jerusalem. • So They Go Out To Fish. • Catch Nothing. • No Satisfaction. • If You And I Simply Give Up Serving The Lord - • No Satisfaction - Emptiness. --------------------- • Whilst In The Boat Jesus Appears On The Shore - • They Don't Immediately Recognise Him. • That Had Happened Before. • Mary Mag. And Emmaus Road. • Another Reminder That Jesus Is The Same But Transformed. Two things In The Story That Remind Them Of The Jesus That They Once Knew - In The 3 Years Of Ministry Before His Crucifixion. • Yet Something Different About Each One. 1 Jesus's First Meeting With Simon Peter 3 Years Before. Luke 5:4ff 4 When He Had Finished Speaking, He Said To Simon, "Put Out Into Deep Water, And Let Down The Nets For A Catch." 5 Simon Answered, "Master, We've Worked Hard All Night And Haven't Caught Anything. But Because You Say So, I Will Let Down The Nets." 6 When They Had Done So, They Caught Such A Large Number Of Fish That Their Nets Began To Break. 7 So They Signalled 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. 8 When Simon Peter Saw This, He Fell At Jesus' Knees And Said, "Go Away From Me, Lord; I Am A Sinful Man!" 9 For He And All His Companions Were Astonished At The Catch Of Fish They Had Taken, 10 And So Were James And John, The Sons Of Zebedee, Simon's Partners. Then Jesus Said To Simon, "Don't Be Afraid; From Now On You Will Catch Men." 11 So They Pulled Their Boats Up On Shore, Left Everything And Followed Him. Now Here, After Resurrection, In Galilee: John 21:4ff 4 Early In The Morning, Jesus Stood On The Shore, But The Disciples Did Not Realise That It Was Jesus. 5 He Called Out To Them, "Friends, Haven't You Any Fish?" "No," They Answered. 6 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. 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. 8 The Other Disciples Followed In The Boat, Towing The Net Full Of Fish, For They Were Not Far From Shore, About A Hundred Yards. 9 When They Landed, They Saw A Fire Of Burning Coals There With Fish On It, And Some Bread. 10 Jesus Said To Them, "Bring Some Of The Fish You Have Just Caught." 11 Simon Peter Climbed Aboard And Dragged The Net Ashore. It Was Full Of Large Fish, 153, But Even With So Many The Net Was Not Torn. • V. Similar Miracle. • Reminds Simon Peter Of His First Calling To Be A Disciple. • - To Be A Fisher Of Men • - To Cast The Net Of The Gospel • Bring In Men And Women To Kingdom Of God! • What Is The Difference? • In The First - Net Breaks. • In This - The Net Does Not Break. • At Jesus's Arrest - Disciple Band Had Broken Up. • Fear. Ran Away. • Peter Had Broken Under The Strain - • Denied The Lord. • Now The Disciple Band, • In The Power Of Resurrection, • Hold Together In The Face Of Terrible Persecution. • The Catch Of The Gospel Would Spread To All Nations. • Inspite Of All Faults Of The Christian Church, • God Has Held It In Being Enough • To Proclaim His Gospel To All Nations. • Has your Christian service just broken up? • Is it the power of the Resurrection you lack? 2 Note The Reference To Charcoal Fire. (V. 9). • When Was A Charcoal Fire Last Mentioned? • John 18. Jesus Had Been Arrested. • Peter Has Followed. • Warming Himself At A Charcoal Fire. • Then He Is Challenged 3 Times. • He Denies 3 Times. John 21:15ff 15 When They Had Finished Eating, Jesus Said To Simon Peter, "Simon Son Of John, Do You Truly Love Me More Than These?" "Yes, Lord," He Said, "You Know That I Love You." Jesus Said, "Feed My Lambs." 16 Again Jesus Said, "Simon Son Of John, Do You Truly Love Me?" He Answered, "Yes, Lord, You Know That I Love You." Jesus Said, "Take Care Of My Sheep." 17 The Third Time He Said To Him, "Simon Son Of John, Do You Love Me?" Peter Was Hurt Because Jesus Asked Him The Third Time, "Do You Love Me?" He Said, "Lord, You Know All Things; You Know That I Love You." Jesus Said, "Feed My Sheep. • Jesus Asks Peter 3 Times `Do You Love Me?' • And Recommmissions Him As His Disciple! • Perhaps You And I Have Failed The Lord. • We Need To Re-committ Ourselves To Him • Consciously Putting Behind Us Our Failure. • Note The First Q. • Do You Love Me More Than These? • These What? • These Fish, And Fishing Tackle. • Do You Love Me More Than You Love Your Fishing? • Jesus Is Telling Peter He Must Really Leave His Secular Employ. • (Not All Of Us Of Course) • Now: John 21:18ff 18 I Tell You The Truth, When You Were Younger You Dressed Yourself And Went Where You Wanted; But When You Are Old You Will Stretch Out Your Hands, And Someone Else Will Dress You And Lead You Where You Do Not Want To Go." 19 Jesus Said This To Indicate The Kind Of Death By Which Peter Would Glorify God. Then He Said To Him, "Follow Me!" • Truly Truly, Or Verily Verily, Or Amen Amen. • Formula Preceding Something V. Serious. • Jesus Had Previously Used It When He Told Peter • "You Will Deny me 3 Times." • Now Jesus Is In Fact Predicting That Peter Would Be Martyred • And That By Crucifixion. • As Jesus Is Walking - • Peter Becomes Aware That John Is Following • He Askes What About Him? • What Will Happen To Him? John 21:22 Jesus Answered, "If I Want Him To Remain Alive Until I Return, What Is That To You? You Must Follow Me." • What Is That To You, Follow Me. • It Is Not Our Business To Know God's Purpose For Others. • Are They Going To Be More Favoured Than Me? • Don't Keep Comparing Yourself With Others - • It leads to Jealousy or Pride. • Your Task Is To Follow The Lord. ----------------- • Another Exampleof Speculative Q. : • `Will Those Who Are Saved Be Few?' • Jesus Does Not Give A Direct Answer But Says: • `You Strive To Enter By The Narrow Door! • Lastly: John 21:25 Jesus Did Many Other Things As Well. If Every One Of Them Were Written Down, I Suppose That Even The Whole World Would Not Have Room For The Books That Would Be Written. • We Actually Know Little About The Early Life Of Jesus. • His Ministry 3 Years. • John's Gospel - 21 Chapters. • 1/2 Of These Chapters Are Concerned With Only 2 Or 3 Weeks - • Up To His Crucifixion And Resurrection. • All He Did Fill The Whole World? • Exageration? • He Is The One By Whom And For Whom All Things Have Their Being. • He Became One With Us To Bear Away Our Sins And Share His Victory With us. Howard Taylor welcomes questions
and
comments
(critical
or not).
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