John’s Gospel – Lesson 28

Last week we read the portions of the Gospel of John that covered the resurrection. This week we’ll finish the Gospel of John and start by discussing the first command that Jesus gives after the resurrection that indicates the purpose of the disciples. At the time of the command, it is likely that only the ten disciples were present with Judas dead and Thomas gone for some reason.

John 20:19-23
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”


The peace produced by confidence in the sovereignty of God over history is an important fruit of the Spirit. We need this and these disciples needed it. We need to know to our core that God is in control.


Jesus gives a command to the disciples and in effect makes them Apostles. These guys were charged with the continued care of Jesus’ Church here on earth. They filled a special role in all of history.


What they needed to fulfill this command was immediately given to them as Jesus provided the Holy Spirit. Remember that Jesus was in perfect submission to God the Father and the Holy Spirit as He lived out a perfect life on earth and now we see the Holy Spirit being sent from the Father and the Son to us for our benefit. This also foreshadows Pentecost but these disciples needed the Holy Spirit to direct the Church and prepare for Pentecost.


John 20:24-29
Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
     Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”


Thomas was a little hard headed but that is OK. He wasn’t the most optimistic disciple but God can use anyone He wants to use. Jesus gave Thomas what he wanted and Thomas affirms the deity of Christ. The word used for Lord here was also used in the Old Testament translation into Greek (the Septuagint) for Yahweh and God is God. The belief of Thomas was affirmed by Jesus. This recognition of Jesus as God incarnate is one of the non-negotiable beliefs of Christians in all ages and in fact it is often one of the truths abandoned by cults. As a result, it is actually a useful diagnostic.


John 20:30-31
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.


I like seeing myself and those like me in Scripture. Here we are in Scripture. This revelation is not all inclusive but it is sufficient for what I need to know. I believe in His name and I have life in His name. In fact, I’m blessed because Jesus said that I’m blessed because I “have not seen and yet have believed.”


John 21:1-3
After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.


This was prior to Pentecost and the way in which the Church would be built wasn’t completely clear. This sounds like they had some time and Peter wanted to do something that he knew how to do. So they seven went out and fished all night without catching anything. Peter knew how to fish but that doesn’t always involve fish as anyone who has fished long enough realizes. We get a picture here of activity without the Holy Spirit too. We are completely dependent on the Holy Spirit as we minister. If we forget then God will remind us of that.


John 21:4-8
Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.


John recognized that what had happened was the product of the Lord’s command. They didn’t just get lucky. Peter swam ashore while the other guys moved the net to shore. Every time you eat tilapia I want you to think of Jesus. It is called St. Peter’s fish and there are a number of species involved but it was the kind of fish caught in the Sea of Tiberias or Galilee.


John 21:9-14
When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.


Here we have the third private moment with the disciples. This wasn’t the third appearance of Jesus but this was the third with the disciples privately. Jesus fixed breakfast for them. I like the picture of Jesus caring for our physical needs. Their trip was about to end without any fish and 7 hungry guys but instead it ends with lots of fish and Jesus feeding them a hot breakfast. Jesus knows both our physical and spiritual weakness and cares for us.


Hebrews 4:14-16
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.


God’s knowledge of us is information given to us to drive us to the throne of grace. His knowledge of your weaknesses should cause you to respond to your weakness by running to the throne for mercy and grace. Jesus knew all about Peter just like He knows all about us.


John 21:15-19
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”


Peter wasn’t grieved just at being asked the same question three times … he was grieved that the verb changed from agape to phileo on the third question even though he used phileo in each answer. We don’t have adequate precision in our language to understand all that is going on here without thinking about the Greek.


The commands are to (in the power of the Holy Spirit and with the Word of God):

1) Feed the lambs (the new births),
2) Tend to the sheep (pastor those growing in Grace), and
3) Feed the sheep (feed those growing in Grace).


God was faithful to accomplish these things in Peter’s life and He can do the same for us.


John 21:20-23
Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”


This even caused some confusion about what God was going to do in the life of John. The point here that we don’t want to miss is that we can’t be wishing that someone else’s life was our life. God will be glorified in each of us in a different way. We want to yield completely to what He is doing in our lives and submit to Him. We don’t want to be looking at other Christians and wishing we were them. What does that look like? I think Paul describes it …


Philippians 2:12-16
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.


Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.


If you get caught up comparing yourself and your life to others then you are clearly not, “working out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”


John 21:24-25
This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
     Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.


I read these verses and they connect us to John. Through all the centuries this is John’s signature witnessing to what he saw firsthand. God’s revelation of the acts of Jesus is not complete. John makes a point of telling us that this isn’t a complete record of all that Jesus did. However, God’s revelation through John is sufficient so that, “you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”