After Jesus rose from the dead, He continued to appear to His disciples over the next forty days. The disciples remained in Jerusalem for at least eight days after the resurrection (Jn 20:26) and then traveled north to the Galilee region, just as Jesus and the angels had instructed them to do (Mt 26:32; 28:7, 10; Mk 16:7). They stayed in Galilee for an undisclosed amount of time and returned to Jerusalem at least ten days before Pentecost (Ac 1:3-4). Perhaps Jesus sent them north for their safety or simply just to be with family before the explosive growth of the church began (Ac 2:41; 4:4; 5:14). It was during this time in Galilee that John takes us to another appearance of Jesus. Chapter 21 begins with Jesus revealing Himself to a group of His disciples, which carried a symbolic miracle of provision and calling. They had gone back to fishing; after all, it was what they were good at, and it provided for their families. Jesus shows up on the shore with a familiar promise. Jesus provides and seeks intimacy even when we lack direction.
Fishers of Men - 4/7/2024
April 7, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 21:1–11
Whats it to You! - 4/27/2024
April 28, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 21:18–22
Last week, we witnessed this beautiful moment as Jesus restored Peter from the damage he had done to himself through those three denials. Jesus loved Peter. So, in these following few verses, we see how Jesus assures Peter that he will never deny Him again. In fact, Jesus tells Peter that he would glorify God by dying a martyr's death in old age. Those words that assured him of his faithfulness as a follower of Jesus also brought a grim reality of the kind of death he would suffer. Jesus invited Peter to follow Him. By the time the gospel of John was written, Peter had already suffered a violent death. However, that day on the beach, while Peter walked and talked with Jesus, those prophetic words brought a bit of envy as he once again took his eyes off Jesus, but this time, he wasn't looking at the storm that nearly caused him to drown, this time he was looking back at the "beloved disciple" with envy and comparison. Jesus' path for Peter was uniquely his, and John's path was likewise. So, Jesus asked, "What is it to you." It was more of a statement than a question. Jesus calls each of us personally and uniquely to follow Him.
Do You Love Me? 4/20/2024
April 21, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 21:15–17
Jesus’ meeting on the beach with His boys was profound in many ways. Not only did He provide for their needs (the miraculous catch of fish), giving them a promise for the future, and demonstrated His servant-heart by feeding the disciples breakfast, but it also included the restoration of Peter, whose courage had failed him when Jesus was arrested. Having boasted that he would never deny the Lord, even if the other disciples did (Mt 26:33, 35; Mk 14:29; Lk 22:33; Jn 13:37), Peter had done so three times (Mt 26:69-75; Mk 14:66-72; Lk 22:55-62; Jn 18:15-18, 22-27). Every one of the gospels reports those denials in detail, but John also tells us that Jesus restored Peter. On the day He was resurrected, Jesus met with him privately (Lk 24:34; 1Co 15:5), and during that meeting, He must have forgiven him. However, that morning, by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus took Peter aside after breakfast and went for a walk with him. During that walk, He carefully healed the damage that those denials had produced, one denial at a time, and He also reaffirmed Peter’s call to ministry. Peter must have felt disqualified from serving Jesus after his denials, but thankfully (for Peter and us), Jesus does not call the qualified. Instead, He qualifies the called.