Lord…You Know I Love You - message given on 4/22/07
Today was a difficult time to preach. First, for the last three days I've been coming down with the flu. Finally, Saturday night I figured out I was sick, took my temperature of 102+, & decided to head to the doc-in-the-box right after church. Second, it was the day my appointment to another church was announced to my congregations. Some took it like true Methodists, used to such things, others, many of them new members, were upset. Moving is a bittersweet occasion. In that Milieu I offered this sermon, written by a sick brain (that's not unusual!) and delivered to a congregation that had been given bad news. It proves God can work with anything. After church my beloved Cindi, who is my most candid and usually most insightful critic, determined that this one was a keeper. What do you think?
Let us pray: LORD, you have revealed yourself to your disciples as you appeared in their midst and allowed them to see Jesus for who He is. Illumine us also so that we may find Jesus in our midst and that we may understand the mystery of your work of salvation. Open the eyes of our hearts, LORD, allow us to see a glimpse of your heavenly realm. Reveal your resurrected Son to us, we pray, and empower us to a life of sharing your grace, love and peace with others. I pray that each heart here be open to your word this morning and that my words become truly yours in spirit. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight oh Lord our rock and our redeemer. AMEN
A while back I talked with you about a passage from John’s gospel that covered the things Jesus told his disciples after his last supper with them. Remember, I shared that if you really want to know the important stuff, look at the first, and then look at the last. Jesus was pouring his heart out-and the disciples were understanding all sorts of deep truths. One of them even said, “John 16:29 Then his disciples said, "At last you are speaking plainly and not in parables. 30 Now we understand…” Jesus thought he had hammered in the last nail (no pun intended). He had given his magnum opus in the longest speech in the gospel of John. They even told him so.
After that, Jesus died just as He told them He would; He was resurrected just as he told them He would be; and He to visit them in the flesh-even let the ones who wanted gaze upon the holes in His hands. Doubting Thomas saw Him and said “My Lord and my God!”
Then something really weird happened. In just a short time after all those amazing things happened, the disciples became just like us. Instead of acting like folks with a saint title in front of their names, they were acting like us. They forgot Easter. They forgot Jesus' deep truths. They forgot that they were responsible for the movement Jesus started.
Today’s Scripture lesson is the absolute, for real, LAST time that Jesus talks to them in John's gospel. Let’s see how that little scene unfolded.
John 21:1-19 NLT
1 Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. 2 Several of the disciples were there, Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. 3 Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "We'll come, too," they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. 4 At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn't see who he was. 5 He called out, "Friends, have you caught any fish?" "No," they replied. 6 Then he said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get plenty of fish!" So they did, and they couldn't draw in the net because there were so many fish in it. 7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and swam ashore. 8 The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only out about three hundred feet. 9 When they got there, they saw that a charcoal fire was burning and fish were frying over it, and there was bread. 10 "Bring some of the fish you've just caught," Jesus said. 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn't torn. 12 "Now come and have some breakfast!" Jesus said. And no one dared ask him if he really was the Lord because they were sure of it. 13 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead. 15 After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him. 16 Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I love you." "Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said. 17 Once more he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep. 18 The truth is, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked and go wherever you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will direct you and take you where you don't want to go." 19 Jesus said this to let him know what kind of death he would die to glorify God. Then Jesus told him, "Follow me."
The Word of God, written for the people of God - Thanks be to God
What’s happened here? After all the miracles, where do we find the disciples? Are they out preaching good news to the poor? Are they saving souls? After they acting as the moral compass for those dastardly Pharisees and Sadducees? No! They are going back to their normal lives. Easter is over. They’re back to their real priority-fishing. Now, it would be too easy to come down on these folks, and we shouldn’t. Just some food for thought. On Easter Sunday our Morris-Friendship Charge had a worship attendance of 111. Last Sunday Easter was over. We had 50 in worship. But I don’t want to dwell on that. I’m not into taking folks on guilt trips.
Something else is significant. Throughout his Gospel, John uses light and dark to represent good and evil. Nicodemus comes at night. Judas leave the upper room into the night. He leads the guards to Jesus at night. When are the disciples fishing? They fished all night. AND they got nothing, nada, zilch. Then the dawn comes. Jesus shows up with a hot barbeque fire waiting for some of His friends to chow down on the victuals He has thrown on. He calls to them to put their net over the right side of the boat. Yeah, right.
Reminds me of when two brain-challenged men were on a fishing outing at Oak Mountain State Park. They rented a boat and set out. After a while they found the fishing hole of all holes. They pulled in so many fish they prayed the game warden wouldn't be around when they returned the boat. After they had packed things up, the first man asked his friend, "Did you mark that spot where we caught all the fish?" Friend answered, "Yeah I put a mark right on the side of the boat where I was catching them all." "You idiot!" screamed the first. "What happens if we come back and someone else has rented the boat?"
Anyway, the disciples throw out the net and start hauling in the largest catch they had ever seen. They couldn’t even get the net on board. The had to drag the net to the shore. We’re told they caught 153 fish. Many theologians have tried to explain why 153. Denn Guptill has done some research on the this work.
Cyril of Alexandria in the 5th century said that the 100 represented the fullness of the gentiles, the 50 symbolized the remnant of Israel and the three of course was there for the Trinity. St. Augustine’s theory (5th century) was a little more complicated. He said, there are 10 commandments and 7 is the perfect number of grace and that’s 17 right? Now if you add all the numbers from 1 to 17 together, you know 1 + 2+ 3 + 4 + 5 all the way up to 17 you’ll get 153. And not only that but if you were to arrange them with 17 fish in the first row, and 16 in the next row, and 15 in the next row, all the way down to a row of 1 you get a perfect triangle which symbolizes the Trinity. Jerome, he also from the 5th century, suggested that there were 153 different types of fish in the sea and it was symbolic of the church reaching all the people in the world.
You know what I think? I think the Bible says there were 153 fish in the net… because there WERE 153 fish in the net! And he then he feeds them. The last time they were all together they were eating. They’re doing it again. Did you ever get the idea table fellowship is important in the Bible?
But finally, we get to the real meat of this passage. Jesus calls out Simon, using his old name. Then He asks the famous three questions. “Do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him. 16 Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I love you." "Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said. 17 Once more he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep.” Now in this case, most scholars believe that the three questions match up with the three times Peter denied Jesus. Remember the scene in the upper room. Jesus tells the disciples he will be taken off to be crucified. Peter says, “I am ready to die for you.” Jesus knew better. “Die for me? No, before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” But the three questions allow Peter to reaffirm his faith. "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you."
Peter promised the most, but next to Judas, he delivered the least. So what does Jesus do? Think about a time when you really blew it. When you slipped and committed a bad sin, out in public. Lots of people saw it.
Regrettably, I can remember several such times. But remember, our relationship with Jesus is fundamentally no different than Peter’s. Jesus knew that Peter had to be feeling embarrassed, guilty, maybe even worthless. Kind of like when Satan lays a guilt trip on us and does his best to convince us that we are not worthy to call ourselves Christians. Jesus could have berated Peter. Instead, He allowed him to reaffirm his faith. Friends, Jesus will do that for you and me too. When our brothers and sisters in the faith stumble, we need to encourage them, not shoot the wounded. If Jesus had done so, we would have a very different New Testament.
Then Jesus says something that’s a bit difficult for us who are up in years. “But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will direct you and take you where you don't want to go.” Although Jesus has offered forgiveness to Peter and will allow him unquestioned leadership in the early church, it won’t be a picnic. In fact, all the disciples except John were said to come to violent ends.
But the final charge after all the night and day, numerology, BBQ, forgiveness and warning is perhaps the most important. “Follow me.” Jesus says “Follow me.” When we slip and fall, when we slip up and get right, or when we just do nothing, Jesus never gives up on us. He always encourages us. If you have a sin issue in your life, work on it; but please don’t let it keep you from the fellowship of believers. The one place you need to be to help you repent, to turn your life around is the church. We’re trying to be like Jesus. We’ll do our best to withhold judgment, but instead give you all the encouragement we can. In the name of the father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
MAY WE PRAY? Almighty and gracious God, help us to repent from our sins, lay aside our guilt and accept your forgiveness as we forgive others. Thank you for never giving up on us. In Jesus’ name AMEN.
Let us pray: LORD, you have revealed yourself to your disciples as you appeared in their midst and allowed them to see Jesus for who He is. Illumine us also so that we may find Jesus in our midst and that we may understand the mystery of your work of salvation. Open the eyes of our hearts, LORD, allow us to see a glimpse of your heavenly realm. Reveal your resurrected Son to us, we pray, and empower us to a life of sharing your grace, love and peace with others. I pray that each heart here be open to your word this morning and that my words become truly yours in spirit. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight oh Lord our rock and our redeemer. AMEN
A while back I talked with you about a passage from John’s gospel that covered the things Jesus told his disciples after his last supper with them. Remember, I shared that if you really want to know the important stuff, look at the first, and then look at the last. Jesus was pouring his heart out-and the disciples were understanding all sorts of deep truths. One of them even said, “John 16:29 Then his disciples said, "At last you are speaking plainly and not in parables. 30 Now we understand…” Jesus thought he had hammered in the last nail (no pun intended). He had given his magnum opus in the longest speech in the gospel of John. They even told him so.
After that, Jesus died just as He told them He would; He was resurrected just as he told them He would be; and He to visit them in the flesh-even let the ones who wanted gaze upon the holes in His hands. Doubting Thomas saw Him and said “My Lord and my God!”
Then something really weird happened. In just a short time after all those amazing things happened, the disciples became just like us. Instead of acting like folks with a saint title in front of their names, they were acting like us. They forgot Easter. They forgot Jesus' deep truths. They forgot that they were responsible for the movement Jesus started.
Today’s Scripture lesson is the absolute, for real, LAST time that Jesus talks to them in John's gospel. Let’s see how that little scene unfolded.
John 21:1-19 NLT
1 Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. 2 Several of the disciples were there, Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. 3 Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "We'll come, too," they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. 4 At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn't see who he was. 5 He called out, "Friends, have you caught any fish?" "No," they replied. 6 Then he said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get plenty of fish!" So they did, and they couldn't draw in the net because there were so many fish in it. 7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and swam ashore. 8 The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only out about three hundred feet. 9 When they got there, they saw that a charcoal fire was burning and fish were frying over it, and there was bread. 10 "Bring some of the fish you've just caught," Jesus said. 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn't torn. 12 "Now come and have some breakfast!" Jesus said. And no one dared ask him if he really was the Lord because they were sure of it. 13 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead. 15 After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him. 16 Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I love you." "Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said. 17 Once more he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep. 18 The truth is, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked and go wherever you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will direct you and take you where you don't want to go." 19 Jesus said this to let him know what kind of death he would die to glorify God. Then Jesus told him, "Follow me."
The Word of God, written for the people of God - Thanks be to God
What’s happened here? After all the miracles, where do we find the disciples? Are they out preaching good news to the poor? Are they saving souls? After they acting as the moral compass for those dastardly Pharisees and Sadducees? No! They are going back to their normal lives. Easter is over. They’re back to their real priority-fishing. Now, it would be too easy to come down on these folks, and we shouldn’t. Just some food for thought. On Easter Sunday our Morris-Friendship Charge had a worship attendance of 111. Last Sunday Easter was over. We had 50 in worship. But I don’t want to dwell on that. I’m not into taking folks on guilt trips.
Something else is significant. Throughout his Gospel, John uses light and dark to represent good and evil. Nicodemus comes at night. Judas leave the upper room into the night. He leads the guards to Jesus at night. When are the disciples fishing? They fished all night. AND they got nothing, nada, zilch. Then the dawn comes. Jesus shows up with a hot barbeque fire waiting for some of His friends to chow down on the victuals He has thrown on. He calls to them to put their net over the right side of the boat. Yeah, right.
Reminds me of when two brain-challenged men were on a fishing outing at Oak Mountain State Park. They rented a boat and set out. After a while they found the fishing hole of all holes. They pulled in so many fish they prayed the game warden wouldn't be around when they returned the boat. After they had packed things up, the first man asked his friend, "Did you mark that spot where we caught all the fish?" Friend answered, "Yeah I put a mark right on the side of the boat where I was catching them all." "You idiot!" screamed the first. "What happens if we come back and someone else has rented the boat?"
Anyway, the disciples throw out the net and start hauling in the largest catch they had ever seen. They couldn’t even get the net on board. The had to drag the net to the shore. We’re told they caught 153 fish. Many theologians have tried to explain why 153. Denn Guptill has done some research on the this work.
Cyril of Alexandria in the 5th century said that the 100 represented the fullness of the gentiles, the 50 symbolized the remnant of Israel and the three of course was there for the Trinity. St. Augustine’s theory (5th century) was a little more complicated. He said, there are 10 commandments and 7 is the perfect number of grace and that’s 17 right? Now if you add all the numbers from 1 to 17 together, you know 1 + 2+ 3 + 4 + 5 all the way up to 17 you’ll get 153. And not only that but if you were to arrange them with 17 fish in the first row, and 16 in the next row, and 15 in the next row, all the way down to a row of 1 you get a perfect triangle which symbolizes the Trinity. Jerome, he also from the 5th century, suggested that there were 153 different types of fish in the sea and it was symbolic of the church reaching all the people in the world.
You know what I think? I think the Bible says there were 153 fish in the net… because there WERE 153 fish in the net! And he then he feeds them. The last time they were all together they were eating. They’re doing it again. Did you ever get the idea table fellowship is important in the Bible?
But finally, we get to the real meat of this passage. Jesus calls out Simon, using his old name. Then He asks the famous three questions. “Do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him. 16 Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I love you." "Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said. 17 Once more he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep.” Now in this case, most scholars believe that the three questions match up with the three times Peter denied Jesus. Remember the scene in the upper room. Jesus tells the disciples he will be taken off to be crucified. Peter says, “I am ready to die for you.” Jesus knew better. “Die for me? No, before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” But the three questions allow Peter to reaffirm his faith. "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you."
Peter promised the most, but next to Judas, he delivered the least. So what does Jesus do? Think about a time when you really blew it. When you slipped and committed a bad sin, out in public. Lots of people saw it.
Regrettably, I can remember several such times. But remember, our relationship with Jesus is fundamentally no different than Peter’s. Jesus knew that Peter had to be feeling embarrassed, guilty, maybe even worthless. Kind of like when Satan lays a guilt trip on us and does his best to convince us that we are not worthy to call ourselves Christians. Jesus could have berated Peter. Instead, He allowed him to reaffirm his faith. Friends, Jesus will do that for you and me too. When our brothers and sisters in the faith stumble, we need to encourage them, not shoot the wounded. If Jesus had done so, we would have a very different New Testament.
Then Jesus says something that’s a bit difficult for us who are up in years. “But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will direct you and take you where you don't want to go.” Although Jesus has offered forgiveness to Peter and will allow him unquestioned leadership in the early church, it won’t be a picnic. In fact, all the disciples except John were said to come to violent ends.
But the final charge after all the night and day, numerology, BBQ, forgiveness and warning is perhaps the most important. “Follow me.” Jesus says “Follow me.” When we slip and fall, when we slip up and get right, or when we just do nothing, Jesus never gives up on us. He always encourages us. If you have a sin issue in your life, work on it; but please don’t let it keep you from the fellowship of believers. The one place you need to be to help you repent, to turn your life around is the church. We’re trying to be like Jesus. We’ll do our best to withhold judgment, but instead give you all the encouragement we can. In the name of the father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
MAY WE PRAY? Almighty and gracious God, help us to repent from our sins, lay aside our guilt and accept your forgiveness as we forgive others. Thank you for never giving up on us. In Jesus’ name AMEN.