Resurrection Reality
Text: John 21:1-25
Audio Link
Introduction: We have become acclimated to our Christian
culture. It has been around for 2000
years now and we have come to accept as common place the supernatural
foundation of Christianity. Imagine Paul walking into a city 200 years ago and
announcing, “A man who has come down from heaven, lived on earth among us
without sin, was cruel crucified but rose after 3 days in the grave and even
now is alive. If you will believe in
him, you too will know the resurrection from the dead.
Anybody
today did that we would think he was crazy, but because we have heard it about
Jesus all our lives it has become commonplace, but it is not commonplace. It is the most extraordinary, supernatural
event that has every taken place and it is just as extraordinary today as it
was on the first Resurrection morning.
We need to
be reminded sometimes of just what a miracle we are through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ. We need to be made a little more excited by the resurrection.
Maybe if it was a little more real to us like the story of three friends who
die in a car accident, and upon their arrival to heaven, they are all asked,
"When you are in your casket and friends and family are mourning upon you,
what would you like to hear them say about you?"
The first guy
says, "I would like to hear them say that I was a great doctor of my time,
and a great family man."
The second guy says, "I would like to
hear that I was a wonderful husband and school teacher which made a huge
difference in our children of tomorrow."
The last guy
replies, "I would like to hear them say "LOOK, HE'S MOVING!!!"
That would be a very dramatic and striking event because
someone that was dead was now alive. It is dramatic, it is miraculous, and it
should make us take notice when we come in contact with someone who has
returned from the dead. And we as Christians should understand this because we
are in contact with Jesus Christ, every day. We need to be reminded and
challenged of the reality of Jesus as our resurrected Lord.
Our passage today is the epilogue of the gospel of John. The
climax was the resurrection of Jesus from the grave and now John is wrapping up
the rest of the story with the appearances of Jesus after his victory over the
grave.
Removed from Service
John 21:1-3 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to
the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas
called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and
two other of his disciples. Simon Peter
saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They
went forth and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught
nothing.
Apostles return to their former life
They were in Galilee waiting for Jesus as the angel had told
them to do. Twice befor this they have seen him alive since the crucifixion and
discovering the empty tomb. Now they wait, but while they wait they return to
what they used to be, fishermen.
Seems a little out of place doesn’t it? These men who had
known and served the most powerful man who has ever lived have gone back to
fishing? These men who have seen Jesus raise the dead, heal the sick and cast
out demons have gone back to mending fishing nets? These men who have performed
miracles themselves, who once stood on a mountain and saw Jesus changed before
their eyes to shine like the sun, these men who saw Elijah and Moses are going
back to selling fish in the marketplace?
No, they could not go back. They may have been mistaken, or
they may have been just killing time but one thing was sure, they could never
be the same again. They had been in contact with the resurrected Lord and
nothing would ever be the same again.
Can Life Be As It Was?
This should make us consider the same question. Can my life
be as it was once I have met Jesus who has saved my soul and conquered death
itself? No, you will never be lost
again. No, you will never be alone. No, you will fear the powers of Hell and
death.
Your life can never be the same once you’ve been saved and
forgiven. Once you have met the very same Jesus that the apostles met, the same
Jesus that calmed the storm, multiplied
the loaves and fishes and walked water.
Your life has been permanently altered because your soul has been made
new in the power of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 Wherefore henceforth know we no man
after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now
henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Does your life reveal the reality of this truth? The reality of the resurrection not on the
pages of you Bible but in the story of your life. You are not the same, you are
a child of God, you are on your way to heaven. Your values have changed, your
thoughts have changed you are not the same person you were. Do others know this, can they see this or
like the apostles are you, “going fishing” just like you did before the reality
of the resurrection.
Illustration: Invasion of the Body Snatcher.
Ever see the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Really
scary. Aliens come to earth as little spores from outer space and settle next
you when you sleep. Then during the night the spore grows into a pod and inside
the pod is an exact replica of you. It looks like you and talks like you but
it’s not you. Your body has been
snatched.
Well guess what if you’ve been saved, that’s right your
bodies been snatched. You may look the
same and talk the same but on the inside you’re a whole new person. Oh, but the big difference is that instead of
being one of the pod people, you’re now one of the God people.
Reminded of the Savior
John 21:4-14 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood
on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith
unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto
them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast
therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now
when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto
him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other
disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it
were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they
were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and
bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon
Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, and hundred and
fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him,
Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh, and taketh
bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. This is now the third time that
Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead
Reality of the Resurrected Savior
The Lord chooses the worst moments to make himself, real
doesn’t he?
Here they have been waiting patiently for Jesus and nothing
happens then the first time they go fishing…. Jesus shows up. Even worse he
shows up when Peter is undressed! I wonder if He had been waiting just for that
moment.
Reminds me a little of the Pastor who went out visiting his
member without calling first. He arrived
at the first house saw lights on and knocked.
He was sure he heard fast footsteps but no one came. So he took out his card and wrote on the back,
“Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my
voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he
with me.” The next Sunday after
services one of the men who counted the offering brought the pastor that same
card which the member had put in the offering plate under the quote from
Revelation they wrote, I was in the shower, “Genesis 3:10 I heard thy voice …. and I was afraid,
because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
Peter must have felt like that for the Bible says he was
naked in the fishing boat. Now this
probably meant he was stripped down to his waist, but still not the way he
wanted the Lord to see him.
The disciples had fished all night and caught nothing but then
this stranger on the shore tells them to “put their nets on the right side and
they shall find.” This was something
they had experienced before with Jesus in the same way. They knew as the net filled with fish, it was
Jesus.
Peter pulls on his cloak and jumps in the water to swim to
shore. When the rest of the disciple
come to land they find Jesus with a fire and fish already prepared and He must
have smiled when he said,
“Come and Dine.”
Reminded of the Reality of the Resurrection
You know what the cure is for still acting, looking and
thinking the same as before you were saved?
You need face the reality that you serve the resurrected Lord.
That will often happen in the same way it happened to the
disciples. You’ll will be toiling in your life the way you used to and will
seem as empty as wasted as the empty nets of the apostles. All your knowledge, training and will power
will not give you what is needed in your life.
It will be at those times of emptiness that Jesus will
appear. You may not recognize Him at first.
It may have been awhile since you’ve really spent time with Him. Or it
may be that you have forgot the way it felt when Jesus walked with you daily.
But Jesus hasn’t forgotten.
He will know exactly what to say, what to do or what to ask to remind
you, “You’re not the same person you were before. You are my servant now, you
are my friend now. I have touched your heart and secured your soul. You are not your own you have been bought
with my outpoured blood. Remember who you. You are mine and I will not let you
go back to what you once were.”
The Jesus looks us straight in the heart and says, “Come and
dine. Come be with me, come fellowship
with me,”
That’s what I need to bring me back to the reality of who I
am. I need fellowship with Jesus. He
knows that and if you are His you will hear him call over and over again in
your life, “Come and Dine. Come and be with Me. Come and experience the love
and power of one who has defeated death and wants to share that love and power
with you.”
Illustration: Song, Come and Dine
This was a favorite song of my Grandma George. She loved to
think of the day when she would be in the presence of her Savior.
Jesus has a table spread
Where the saints of God are fed,
He invites His chosen people, "Come and dine";
With His manna He doth feed
And supplies our every need:
O 'tis sweet to sup with Jesus all the time!
Refrain
"Come and dine," the Master calleth, "Come
and dine";
You may feast at Jesus' table all the time;
He Who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine,
To the hungry calleth now, "Come and dine."
The disciples came to land,
Thus obeying Christ's command,
For the Master called unto them, "Come and dine";
There they found their heart's desire,
Bread and fish upon the fire;
Thus He satisfies the hungry every time.
Refrain
Transition:
Once Jesus had brought the disciple back to himself, once he
had fed them and with 153 fish, shown that he would provide for them and their
families it was time to recommission them into his service and to appoint a
pastor to take his place.
Recommissioned to Shepherd
John 21:15-19 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon
Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him,
Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He
saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He
saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him,
Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest
thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou
me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I
love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou
wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and
another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake
he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken
this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
Three Questions of Love.
Three times he is asked, “Do you love me?”
The first two times, Jesus asks Peter, “Do you agape?” It was the word that Jesus had taught the
disciples a new word for love, agape, it meant sacrificial, self-giving and
unconditional love. Peter answers with
another world for love, the normal word for love, phileo. It means love as much
as man can love, love as great as I can love. Jesus aske Peter twice, “Do you
love me with a sacrificial love and twice Peter responds, “I love you as much
as I can love you.”
Then the third time Jesus asks, “Peter, lovest (phileo) thou
me.” And Jesus uses the word in his
question that Peter had been using in his answer, phileo. In other words, Jesus
seemed to be saying
“Peter do you really love me even that much?”
Now we understand why Peter’s heart brakes, and he weeps
before the Lord. An this is just what
Jesus needed to happen. For you see this
was Peter who on the night of Lord’s crucifixion had told his Savior, “Though
all others leave thee. I will never
forsake thee.” Peter in his own strength
would not run. Peter in his own power would not betray, Peter in his own will
would not curse and deny the Lord, but just as Jesus had told him, before the
rooster crowed, Peter that night denied his Lord and Savior.
This he did not once but three times, even cursing and
swearing to make his point. Three
denials from Peter that night, and now this morning three questions from
Jesus. Peter, lovest thou me? The
question were asked and Peter’s heart broken, not for the Lord’s benefit but
that Peter might realize the truth if he was to pastor the Lord’s church once
Jesus was gone. Peter had to realize
that it was not Peter’s love, or strength or will but God that would never
fail.
When Peter broke down and cried out, “Lord, thou know all
things you know that I love thee,” the
lesson was learned, and Peter was recommissioned as the shepherd of the Lord’s
most precious possession, His church.”
Our Three Questions
I think we should consider three questions this morning that
we might understand ourselves in light of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
1st Do you know who you are?
Child of this world do you know who you are? If you’ve never
met the resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ you are lost. Without hope without peace with joy in a
world that will use you up and then discard you. If you have refused to hear his voice
speaking to your heart and calling you to himself then you are on your way to a
place prepared for the Devil and his angels.
A place that God has done everything within his power to keep you
from.
2nd Do you know who I am?
Jesus asks us about our knowledge of Himself. For this knowledge make all the difference of
eternity itself. The only difference between heaven and hell is knowing Jesus
as Lord and Savior. The only difference between a life wasted and a life
worthwhile is knowing Jesus. Do you know who Jesus is in your life everyday.
3rd, Do you know I love you?
I believe the Lord asks us all if we really know how much he
loves us. To the lost he asks, “Have you seen my hands, my feet and my side?
These are the marks of my love for you. I poured my love through the wounds of
my body and so great was my love for you that it broke my heart upon the cross.
Do you know how much I love you?
To the Christian he asks do you know how much I love you? I
love you so much that the grave could not hold me and death could not contain
me. I love you so much that each moment
at my Fathers side I plead for. I love you so much that I will never leave you,
I will always be there in every trial, every pain, every sorrow. I love you so
much I’ve called you into my service. I love you so much I’m coming back one
day to take you home with me. Do you
know my love?
How you respond to these questions determines how God will
respond to you. Will you have a life worth living, a life that counts for
eternity or only a life that’s lived and then it over.
Illustration: Sir Walter Raleigh's Trust.
After Sir Walter Raleigh was beheaded they found this poem
in his Bible.
Even such is time, that takes in trust.
Our youth, our joys, our all we have.
And pays us but with age and dust;
Who in the dark and silent grave,
When we have wandered all our ways,
Shuts up the story of our days.
But from this earth, this grave, this dust,
My God shall raise me up, I trust!
Conclusion:
On that first Resurrection Day after the disciples realized
that Jesus was truly alive it changed them forever. No longer were they afraid for Jesus had
conquered death, no longer were they hiding in the upper room for Jesus was
alive and in this world.
What a difference it can make in our life if could just
realize with that same kind of wondrous shock, Jesus is really alive and he is
my Lord, Savior and friend.
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