AUGUST 4, 2011 — JOHN 20:1-21:25

Good morning!  The humidity is finally gone!  The down side is that my excuse for not cutting the grass is gone.  So guess what I will be doing this afternoon?  But that’s fine.  The yard will look better for the weekend.

I love the book of John.  I love then way John finishes his book with these last two chapters.  There is so much I could write about.

Notice the details:  the race between John and Peter, the placement of the burial clothes, the account of Thomas, the number of fish caught, the conversation between Jesus and Peter.  These detail could only be known by someone close to the situation:  John, the disciple Jesus loved.

Of all the post-ressurrection appearances, I love this one in John 21 best, with the disciples fishing.  It begins with Peter’s out of the blue statement, “I am going fishing.”  He just blurts it out of no where.  They were out all night and they caught nothing.  But then Jesus tells them to cast their net on the other side of the boat and it fills with fish.  Notice, it is John who recognizes Jesus (probably from the miracle), but it’s Peter to wades a shore.  So they get to shore and there is already a fire, fish and bread.  Where did that all come from?  Jesus, of course.  They sit down and eat a nice quiet breakfast.  No one asks any dumb questions.  It’s just like old times.

Then after breakfast, Peter and Jesus go for a walk.  This is a great text, but it loses a lot in the English translation.  When Jesus asks, “Do you love me?”  He is using the Greek word “agape,” (do you love me unconditionally?).  But when Peter replies his answer is with the Greek word “phileo,” (I love you like a brother, philedelphia comes from the same word.  So that happens twice.  The third time, Jesus asks, “Do you love me like a brother.”  He comes down to Peter’s level.  And Peter response, “you know that I love you like a brother.”  John says that Peter was grieved because He asked a third time.  But I think Peter was also grieved because Jesus had to use brotherly love than unconditional love.  In light of Peter’s denial, he didn’t feel he could confess unconditional love.

What I really love about this account is that it shows us that our Lord will meet us where we are.  He comes down to our level.  No, He is not going to join us in our sin, but He will meet our faith where it is at and minister to us where we are with what we need.  Our Lord is a very personal God.  He loves us and cares for us as individuals.  He did not treat Peter and John alike.  He treated them as individuals.

That bring up the next thing I love about this text.  Peter suddenly changes the subject.  He’s had enough reminder of his downfall, so he changes the subject to John.  “Lord, what about this man?”  Jesus response, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”  Can you imagine John alive today, more than 2000 years old?  He did live a long time.  He is reported to have been over 100 before he died of natural causes.  But that’s far short of being alive until the end.  It’s a great little exchange between Peter and Jesus.

So that’s the book of John.  We move on to Acts tomorrow.  Why did it take so long for us to get through Psalms and Ezekiel and we got through the Gospels so quickly?  And I have no idea what we are going to do next once we finish.  If you have any ideas, let me know.  Have a great day!