trying to find His way
“Jesus did many other things as well.” (John 21:25) I am intrigued by John’s point about Jesus’s “many other things”.Think of all the forgotten moments when Jesus blessed people.Jesus’s whole life, short as it was, was an expression of God’s love.Humility, grace and compassion were natural to Him, and people felt it.The ripple effect would have…
“What is that to you? You must follow me.” (John 21:22) Three times Peter denies Jesus, three times Jesus recommissions Peter.Jesus is not rubbing it in, He is matching His grace to Peter’s failure.The Lord knows each one of us personally, our strengths and our weaknesses.He invites us all, just as we are, but He does…
“‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’” (John 21:16) Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, and three times Peter says YES!Then three times Jesus tells him to feed and take care of His lambs and sheep.Why does Jesus connect loving Him to feeding and taking…
“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” (John 21:15) In this section, Jesus is having a hard conversation with Peter.Peter denied Jesus three times; Jesus asks Him three times if he loves him.This first time Jesus specifically says “more than these”.Remember Peter is always trying to outdo the other disciples, to be…
“This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.” (John 21:14) John wants his readers to know that they really saw Jesus.There was no doubt in their mind, they knew it was the Lord.This was not a figment of their imagination, they ate breakfast with Him.Not just…
“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.” (John 21:7) Once again Peter makes a public display of his devotion to Jesus.But this follows his three-time public denial of Jesus.Peter knew himself, his failure…
“‘I’m going out to fish,’ Simon Peter told them, and they said, ‘We’ll go with you.’” (John 21:3) What would you do after you just met someone who died and came back to life?I am imagining that they were in shock, experiencing both fear and joy.No doubt they wanted to be with Jesus, but He was…
“These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31) John has a clear agenda in what he writes… all the Gospel writers do.He selects some signs from many to make his point and achieve his goal.He…
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) Thomas gets a bad rap because he doubts that Jesus was alive.He will forever be known as ‘doubting Thomas’.And those who raise doubts will also be called ‘doubting Thomases’.And yet in fairness, those who are quick to believe will becalled gullible.I do not…
“‘Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’”(John 20:29) At one time I saw this verse as proof that Jesus was God.It is hard to know what exactly Thomas meant when he said this.But I can’t imagine Thomas was making a theological statement about God.Maybe eventually he did conclude that Jesus was ‘God with us’.But…