Invisible But Invincible - June 1, 2014

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SERMON:

Today is Ascension Sunday. On this day we remember how the resurrected Jesus left this world. Forty days after Jesus was raised from the dead, he gathered his followers on a hill just outside of Jerusalem. After blessing them, he rose bodily into the sky, and ascended steadily until the clouds obscured him from their view.

This was Jesus’ way of taking his visible presence from the earth. He didn’t die again. He didn’t just disappear. He purposefully ascended so his followers would know he was going to the Father.

Though they would no longer see Jesus with their eyes, Jesus assured them that he would remain with them, and with all who trust in him as their Savior from sin. Jesus told them,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV).

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Have you ever wondered why Jesus said all authority in heaven and on earth had been GIVEN to him? He was the eternal Son of God, right? So that authority was always his, right?

To begin with today, I’d like to review some theology that helps us understand statements like this. Statements made about Jesus in the Scripture. Statements that speak of Jesus being GIVEN divine rights and abilities.

When the eternal Son of God became human, his divine attributes were transferred to his human nature. But since he came to be a humble servant to save sinners from hell, his human nature did not freely and openly use the divine attributes transferred to it. Instead Jesus used his divine powers as God only when necessary for his work as our great Savior. Theologians call this the “Humiliation of Christ.” It covers the period of his life from his conception to his burial.

But when God the Father raised his Son from the dead, the human nature of Christ began to freely and openly use the divine attributes that had been transferred to it. This is why Jesus says that “all authority in heaven and on earth” has been GIVEN to him. The Son of God always had this authority because he was in substance, God. But now his human nature was given this authority as well. He was fully glorified as the God-Man. Theologians call this the “Exaltation of Christ.” It began with his resurrection, and will never end.

This is the Jesus that you and I have been connected to through faith. Today he is invisible to our eyes, but he is also invincible beyond our wildest imaginations.

It is this connection to the invincible Savior that the apostle Paul helps us to better understand today.

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If I asked the question, “What is an airplane?”, even a little child could give me an answer. An airplane is a thing that flies in the sky. It carries people from one place to another. But if I asked one of our Boeing engineers what an airplane is, I’d get a more detailed and technical answer. Both answers would be true, but the adult version would be more full. More advanced.

It is one thing to know the FACT that we are connected to God through Jesus. And it’s a wonderful thing to know that. But to fully comprehend what this means for our lives every day—that is something God must show us. God must enlighten us through his Holy Word. May God bless our study of his Word today, so that the eyes of our hearts may more fully grasp the great salvation we have in Jesus.

Ephesians 1:15-23 (NASB)

  15   For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints,

  16   do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;

  17   that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

  18   I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

  19   and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might

  20   which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

  21   far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

  22   And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,

  23   which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

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There’s a lot of stuff in this text. A lot of deep, transcendent, and profound concepts. That’s why Paul prays that God would enlighten us. We need God’s teaching and guidance, otherwise we will never understand spiritual truths of this magnitude. 

Simply put, Paul says he wants his fellow Christians to know three things: God’s calling, God’s inheritance, and God’s power. Just what kind of calling is this? What type of inheritance? What level of power are we talking about here?

When people talk about a “calling” we often just mean a job. A vocation. What you do in life. In this sense, a person’s “calling” could be quite grand, or quite common.

An inheritance is the same. It could be next to nothing, or it could be billions of dollars.

And power is the same too. It could be little or great.

So where does God’s calling rank? Or his inheritance? What about his power? Are these little, or great? How great are they?

Paul directs us to look at the Father’s interaction with Christ Jesus. In the Father’s interaction with the God-Man, there is also a calling, an inheritance, and a power. And if we look to Christ we’ll have some idea of how grand God’s calling, inheritance, and power is concerning us.

In verse 19 Paul says…

“…These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might

  20   which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

  21   far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

  22   And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,

  23   which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:19b-23 NASB).

The connection Paul is making is this: look at how the Father did things with Jesus, and you’ll have an idea of how he’s dealing with us. Look to Christ, and you’ll be able to estimate the greatness of God’s calling, and inheritance, and power towards us.

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First of all, God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. This exercise of power is something only God could do. No human doctor has ever raised a corpse from the grave. Not even Satan with all his angelic energy could do this. Only God raises the dead.

But God didn’t just raise Jesus from the dead, he elevated him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places. That is to say, God set the man Jesus in the place of highest honor and power. Paul describes just how high Jesus has been elevated by saying that he is “above all rule and authority and power and dominion” (verse 21). In other words, Jesus is above every human authority. He is above every angel, every demon, every force of nature in the created universe.

Imagine for a second that we had a list of every being who ever existed, human or otherwise. And imagine that we put those names in order from greatest to least. Paul says that the name of JESUS would top the list. His name is the the greatest name ever named in this age, and the greatest name that will EVER be given.

Just to make sure we get it, Paul says that when the Father set Jesus at his right hand, he put ALL THINGS in subjection under his feet. If two kings meet on a battlefield and king “A” ends up standing with his foot on the head of king “B”, we know king “A” is the victor. He is completely in charge. That’s what the Father did for Jesus. He set everything under his feet.

But then comes a little twist in the description. Though Jesus is the mighty victor, the champion with his foot resting on the universe, God the Father gave him to be HEAD of the church. Certainly, Jesus is above us, but not as a victor grinding our faces in the dirt. For those who look to him as Savior, Jesus is our gracious HEAD. And we are called his BODY, part of him now, by faith.

Paul even says we are the “fullness” of the One who fills all things in every place. Not just according to his divine nature, but also according to his human nature, Jesus Christ is now present everywhere in this universe. And we have been placed safely in him through faith in his cross. No longer do we have to fear God’s wrath over our sins. Now we are IN CHRIST. Our sins stand forgiven through his blood.

This is how God the Father exercised his power in connection with the human Jesus. He called him from the grave. As his inheritance he gave him the position of highest authority and honor. And he gave him power over all things to use on behalf of his church.

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But maybe these thoughts are hard for us to grasp. So let’s look at this calling, inheritance, and power in a different way.

When you invite someone to a party, your call goes out with the intention that they’ll come. That’s why you invite them.

When someone leaves you an inheritance, that inheritance is legally YOURS even though you don’t have it in your possession at the time. Eventually the paperwork will be finished, and the inheritance will be placed in your hands.

If you plug a cord into a power source, the power that flows through that cord matches the power of the source. If you’re plugged into a car battery, you have one level of power. If you’re plugged into a nuclear reactor, you have another.

God the Father has called us in Christ. Through his Word he has revealed that our sins damn us, but that Christ has saved us. The Father’s intention is that we will believe, and be saved.

Through Christ, God the Father has set aside an unbelievable inheritance for us. This inheritance means forgiveness of sins in this life, love from God, peace with God, joy in life, guidance, comfort, and after this life—an existence beyond our imagination at God’s side in heaven.

Through Christ,  God the Father promises us that his power will flow into our lives. Protecting our souls, and working through anything and everything that happens to us to bring us spiritual blessing and fulfillment. In Romans 8 it says…

“²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 NKJV).

This is the hope of his calling, the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe. And it’s all because we’re connected to Jesus by faith. He is our invisible, but invincible Savior.

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We tend to forget these things as we trudge along through life, distracted by the cares and worries of this world. If we don’t continually come back to God’s promises, to review then again, and again, to refresh them in our minds, then we get into a weak-faith frame of mind. We grow an attitude that says, “Yeah, Jesus is my Savior, BUT there’s so many things going on in my hectic life right now. Yeah, God is all-powerful, BUT I’ve got a lot of problems to figure out. A lot of errands to run. Savings to manage, bills to pay, etc., etc.

Through the apostle Paul, God calls us back to the truth of the Gospel. We have been redeemed by the God-Man. He has been exalted to the highest place. He holds absolute power over hell, death, the devil, and over any other power that seeks to tear us away from God. Jesus is our LIVING Savior, and he watches over us with a loving and powerful eye. And the same Father who exercised immense power in raising Jesus from the dead, and exalting him, that same Father is now our heavenly Father too.

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We know these truths. Now is the time to learn these truths more completely. Now is the time to see our lives through the lens of God’s Word, and more specifically, through Christ’s Gospel. This is what Paul prays God will help us to see.

Jesus ascended. But he’s still here. May his Holy Spirit enlighten the eyes of our heart so that we say, “Gosh, my life is hectic, BUT JESUS IS HERE. Yeah, I’ve got problems to solve, errands to run, savings to manage, bills to pay, but in all these things, BUT JESUS IS HERE. Invisible, but invincible. And because he’s with me, I’ve got nothing to fear.”

PRAYER: Father in heaven, help us not only to know your truths, but to live in them. Strengthen our trust in your Son. Lead us to a greater understanding of the love and grace you have showered on us through our crucified and living Savior. Help us by your Spirit to live in the light of your forgiveness, and ever to rest on the surpassing greatness of your power. Amen.

Children of Divine Privilege - May 25, 2014

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SERMON:

By definition, privilege is possessing what many others do not. Or, having things that are not our right to have, but are our blessings all the same.

As citizens of the United States, we live in a land of privilege. When we’re thirsty we can just turn on the tap and pour a cool glass of water. We don’t have to wonder if the water will make us sick. We don’t have to walk miles to get it.

If we find ourselves in need of medical care, there is usually a technologically advanced emergency room nearby. And if we call 911, they’ll even come and pick us up.

Because privileges like these are so commonplace in America, we take them for granted. But every once in a while we get a glimpse of the less fortunate on the news, and that helps us remember how privileged we really are.

Maybe you saw the story too. This week a small group of Iranian citizens made a fan video where they sang the song “Happy” and danced around. Within six hours of posting that video the group had been detained by the local authorities.

You see, Iran is a Muslim state, and some of women in the video were not covering their heads with the required “hijab.” They were also dancing with men, which is forbidden. The result was arrest.

How easy it is to forget that the rest of the world is not so privileged as we are.

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As followers of Christ, we Christians are even more privileged. We have fellowship with the triune God. And while the blessings of being an American citizen could vanish at any moment, the blessings of faith are not so easily taken away.

In our Scripture reading for today, Jesus describes some of the privileges that come to those connected to the true God. He reminds us that through faith in him we have become “Children of Divine Privilege.”

On the night before he was crucified, Jesus addressed his chosen apostles. He told them…

John 14:15-21 (NASB)

  15   “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

  16   “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;

  17   that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

  18   “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

  19   “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.

  20   “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

  21   “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”

Jesus did not speak these words to the crowds that trailed after him. He spoke these words to his chosen apostles. The twelve he had selected to proclaim his message of grace and forgiveness to the world. He spoke these words to those who trusted that he was their heaven-sent Savior and King.

The first divine privilege Jesus bestows on the apostles here is the gift of fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Jesus would ask the Father in heaven, and the Father would send the Holy Spirit to be a powerful Helper to the apostles.

They would need this Helper. Just a few verses later Jesus says…

“…the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26 ESV).

The Holy Spirit would enable the apostles to speak Christ’s message with accuracy. Neither adding to his message, nor taking away from it. It was this special gift of the Holy Spirit that would enable men like Matthew and John to write down their accounts of Jesus’ life and work with no mistakes.

It was this special gift of the Holy Spirit that would embolden the sometimes frightful and skittish apostles to proclaim God’s message of sin and forgiveness to the world.

Jesus did not just give his apostles the truth, he also secured for them the Spirit of truth. A Tutor above all tutors, who would guide their lives and ministries for the glory of God, and the saving of many, many sinners.

Jesus taught them to appreciate the gift of the Spirit when he told them that the world cannot receive the Spirit, or know him. But the apostles would have him at their side, and in their hearts.

It is one thing to say the Holy Spirit is present everywhere. It is another thing altogether to say he dwells with you and in you. Not all can say this.

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Dear Christians, you and I have been given the Holy Spirit as well. Not in the same way that the apostles received him. We do not write under the inspiration of God. We are not all sent to travel the world, preaching the Gospel. We do not miraculously speak in languages we have not studied like the Pentecost apostles. But we have been given the same Spirit. He is the one who enables us to believe we really have been forgiven through the cross of Christ. He is the one who continually speaks the truth to us through his Holy Word.

Let this truth sink in. The same Holy Spirit who Jesus gave to the apostles, the same Holy Spirit who brooded over the waters in the beginning—lives in you today, dear Christians.

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The second divine privilege that Jesus bestows on the apostles here is the gift of fellowship with Himself. Jesus says,

“ 18   “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

  19   “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.

  20   “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (John 14:18-20 NASB).

Here Jesus speaks of his crucifixion and resurrection. He would indeed be leaving them soon. He would be arrested, condemned, crucified, and laid dead in a tomb. But that would not be the last the apostles would see of Jesus. His story would not end on a cold slab of limestone in a borrowed tomb. He would rise again on the third day, as was foretold. And by his resurrection, he would proclaim to the world that the sacrifice for our sins has been made. And the gift of forgiveness and eternal life is there for all to receive, through faith in him.

The apostles would certainly feel like orphans in the coming days. They would feel abandoned. But Jesus would appear to them again. They would see him with their own eyes, and touch those wounds that meant so much. And Jesus promises them, “because I live, you will live also” (John 14:19 NASB).

These are the blessings of fellowship with the Son of God: never would they be abandoned, theirs would be an eternally living Savior. A guardian who would never stop watching over their souls. And because he would live, they would live.  

Dear Christians, Scripture tells us that this same Jesus is guarding over our souls as well. When Jesus ascended back into heaven, he told his followers,

“…I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 NKJV).

The apostles John told his fellow Christians…

“…My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ² He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2 ESV).

And just two verse after our sermon text, Jesus himself says…

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23 ESV).

Do you love Jesus? Me too. He lives in us by faith. We are his home.

This is so different than the manmade religions of the world. Manmade religions often advise people to earn their way to God. Other times they tell people that God accepts everyone just the way they are, regardless of what we do. God’s okay with whatever you’re okay with.

But the message of Jesus is much different than this. Jesus says, “Your sins are going to land you in hell. But I have come to be your Savior. You don’t earn your way to God, God comes to you. I have come to save you.”

Dear Christians, Jesus will return visibly to us also. Not in a locked room in Jerusalem. But in glory on the Last Day. He will come with rank upon rank of heaven’s angels. He will come in glory stepping down through the sky. And he will draw us to himself. We shall meet him in the air. This is the promise of God’s Word. We shall have eternal fellowship with the Son of God, who gave himself to redeem our souls.

Let this truth sink in. You will meet this same Jesus, the one raised to life on the first Easter Sunday. You will meet him in person on the Last Day. But even today, now, by faith he lives within you.

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The third divine privilege that Jesus bestows on the apostles here is the gift of fellowship with God the Father. Jesus says,

  21   “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him” (John 14:20-21 NASB).

Jesus tells his apostles that they who love Him, are love by His Father. God the Father. No longer would their sin separate them from God. By Christ’s cross the sins of the apostles would be removed. And the full light of the Father’s love would be focused on them.

And we are promised this same blessing through faith in Christ.

Do you love Jesus? Me too. And we are assured by Jesus that all who love him, are loved by the Father. Our sins were paid for on that cross too. Not just the sins of the apostles. The Father who promised Adam and Eve that a Savior would come has provided that Savior, and opened the door to knowing the living God through the cross of Christ.

In John 17, it says…

“…this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3 ESV).

This is the privilege that we have as followers of Christ. Knowing God, and getting to know him better. This is what this day of worship is for! And this privilege comes from the Father. In Colossians 1, it says,

“the Father … has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³ He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14 ESV).

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These privileges are available to everyone, but they are obtained only through faith in Christ. Only the Christ follower has the Holy Spirit as his tutor. Only the Christ follower has Jesus as his eternal guardian. Only the Christ follower feels the love of the Father that will extend into eternity.

And Jesus gives us a description of the Christ follower in verse 15. Jesus says,

“If you love Me [that is, if you are a Christian], you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15 NASB).

This is what Christians do. We keep Christ’s commandments. Of course, we don’t keep them perfectly. We’re sinners. And we will remain sinful until the final resurrection when God takes our sinful nature out of us, and purifies us for an eternity of living with him.

But, as followers of Christ, we try to live our lives like he directs us to. We honor God by the things we say. We respect our parents. We care for our neighbors. We love our families. We love our enemies. We speak the truth instead of lies. We put others needs before our own. We serve one another joyfully.

And when we fail. When we stumble in sin, we don’t continue in sin. We turn away from it, and seek God’s forgiveness. We return to the Gospel of Christ’s cross, and remember that He paid our debt completely. We return to that empty tomb, and remember that his sacrifice was accepted. We find peace, knowing that in Christ we stand forgiven forever. And we dedicate ourselves to avoiding sin in the future.

To love Christ is not merely to accept his commands about proper living. To love Christ is also to hold tightly to his promise of forgiveness. Loving Christ means living a life of repentance. A life of renouncing our sins and coming to him for cleansing.

This is what it means to be a Christian. And what an amazing privilege it is. Much greater than the privilege of being an American citizen.

Like I said earlier, our privileges as American citizens could be taken away at any moment. Our country can, and will change. New legislation will be written. New laws will be passed. And in the blink of an eye, the privileges we have in America may vanish.

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But the privileges of being a Child of God through faith in Christ, those privileges cannot be taken from us by the powers-that-be. Just ask the countless Christians down through the ages who lost their lives because of their faith in Christ. Just ask the apostle Paul, who was imprisoned for his faith in Christ. Ask John, who was exiled to a small island for his faith in Christ. Ask them. Ask them,

“How has your imprisonment, exile, or death changed your relationship to God?”

They’d laugh if you could asked them this question. Change my relationship to God? Haven’t you read…

“…in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39 ESV).

Dear Christians, ours is a divine connection. Unbreakable so long as we do not throw it away through impenitence and unbelief. In Christ we have been made God’s children. Children of Divine Privilege. It has been granted. But do not take it for granted. Cherish this connection. Use it. Live in it. There is no more precious or powerful advantage in this world—or the next.

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts, and your minds, in Christ Jesus.

The Making of a Shepherd - May 18, 2014

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SERMON:

In one of my favorite books, there is a story about a chipmunk who survives the great flood aboard Noah’s ark. The story is called, “How the Chipmunk Got His Stripes”, and it’s told from the perspective of one Jacob Chipmunk. Now, of course, Jacob’s story isn’t found in the Biblical account of the flood, but you’ll understand why I’m telling you about this little story in just a second.

In the story, the ark finally runs aground on Mt. Ararat. And Jacob Chipmunk finds that through his nervous chewing he has bored a hole clear through the ship to the outside world. And so, before the doors are opened, and the animals set loose, one lone chipmunk scampers down onto the soggy ground.

Jacob Chipmunk is, of course, ecstatic  to be on land again. But he notices that there’s still a big huge ocean of water surrounding the ark. And he realizes that this little bit of beach property won’t be big enough for all the animals.

So, the hyperactive chipmunk devises a plan to dry up the world. He runs to the water’s edge, soaks his tail full of water, and then runs back up the beach to wring it out. He figures that with enough trips, he can drain the sea away.

Back and forth the little chipmunk races, until all of the sudden a huge hand reaches down and scoops him up into the bright blue sky. It is, of course, the hand of God. And in the story, God goes on to explain how silly it is that Jacob chipmunk should try to dry up the whole world with his little chipmunk tail. This was God’s job, and God would do it. And so with a deep and fathomless breath, God breathes out over the waters and does in an instant, what Jacob couldn’t have done in a million years.

Now, here’s the part I wanted to share with you. As God sets the little chipmunk down on the newly dried land, the author writes…

“Just before the hand was withdrawn, however, the tips of the fingers brushed once, lightly, along Jacob’s head and back, leaving a most profound and mysterious impression upon the little Chipmunk. For somehow it seemed, this mystic stroke, to be a combination of two things, two things impossibly different: In one way , it was like the long-ago memory of his own mother’s tongue, licking him; but also it was like the claws of a great bird of prey raking through his flesh.

The pain, however, was only for a moment, while the delicious sensation of the tenderest of caresses remained forever. And along with it came four beautiful white stripes, embedded in the Chipmunk’s fur, running the length of his body and set like a crown on the top of his head: the sign of being stroked by the Almighty’s love” (How the Chipmunk God His Stripes, by Mike Mason).

The tale of how the chipmunk got his stripes is fiction of course. But that description of the Lord’s touch is sometimes quite truth. Sometimes God deals with us in this way. Sometimes his touch is both sharp and painful, and yet at the same time full of compassion and tenderness.

With his Law God rakes through our conscience laying bare the reality of our sin and guilt. He says, “Love me above all. Honor my Name. Take time for me. Honor your parents. Don’t murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t covet what isn’t yours to have.” And with his Law, God cuts deep down to our true motives, to our secrets sins. He reveals that in our arrogance and selfishness we have failed to live up to his standards time and time again.

And yet at the same time, through the message of Christ’s gift of forgiveness, God tenderly soothes and heals our deepest hurts. He restores our souls and cleanses our conscience through the fact that His Son suffered and died in our place, and now lives as our great Savior and King.

Yes, sometimes the touch of God is both painful, and utterly soothing.

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In our Scripture reading for today, Jesus applies both Law and Gospel to the apostle Peter. And Peter feels both the deep cut of the Lord’s rebuke, and the tender healing of his forgiveness.

John 21:15-17 (NASB)

  15   So 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, “Tend My lambs.”

  16   He said to him again 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, “Shepherd My sheep.”

  17   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 all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.

This conversation between Peter and his Lord took place on a beach, on the Sea of Galilee. It took place after the crucifixion and after the resurrection of our Lord from the dead. John tells us this was the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples as a group. But our Lord’s words here, were directed not to the group, but to Simon Peter alone.

Jesus calls Peter by his given name, Simon. And he adds, “son of John”. I was curious about this. Why does Jesus adds this “last name” of sorts. So, I searched and found that Jesus only callsPeter the “son of John” on three occasions—all important ones. He called him “Simon, son of John” when they met for the first time, after Peter had confessed him as the Son of God, and on this occasion. It’s as if Jesus is adding weight to their interaction by calling Peter “Simon, son of John”. Kinda like when your mom or dad use your middle name.

I don’t know about you, but my mom would call me “Caleb John!” at two times. When I had done something particularly bad, or when she wished to express love. Perhaps Jesus was doing both when he called Peter, “Simon, son of John”.

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Peter had indeed done something particularly bad. We remember. When pressed into a tight corner, Peter had denied even knowing Jesus—three separate times. He even called down curses on himself to prove that he didn’t know Jesus.

And Peter had done this just hours after swearing to Jesus that even if all the other disciples abandoned Jesus, Peter would remain true. Peter would die before denying Jesus. Or so he had claimed. Sadly, the reality played out much differently.

And so, Jesus begins this conversation by asking, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” (John 21:15 NASB). That is to say, do you still claim your love for me is so much stronger than the love of these others?

Peter is humbled by the directness of Jesus. In his reply, Peter doesn’t even use the same word for love that Jesus does. Instead, he affirms his love for Christ with different word for love. Peter is through comparing himself with others. Peter is done claiming great powers of love for himself.

And with the first stroke of rebuke delivered, Jesus follows that blow with tenderness. He says to Peter, “Tend by lambs” (John 21:15 NASB). He means, of course, be a keeper of my people. An overseer of those who trust in me. And in this gracious assignment, Jesus expresses both his love and his forgiveness. For Jesus only calls those who have tasted his forgiveness to be purveyors of it.

Peter’s days of self-centered boasting were at an end. His life would now be one of serving his Savior, and serving his Savior’s people.

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But the rebuke was not at an end. And the deepest cut was yet to come.

Like the right hook that follows the left jab, Jesus’ next question hits Peter squarely in his pride. Jesus asks, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” (John 21:16 NASB). This time Jesus doesn’t ask if Peter love him MORE than the others do. This time Jesus asks Peter if he loves him at all.

It is all that Peter can do to reply. And he again uses a lesser word for love than Jesus does. Peter repeats his claim with the same simple words that he used the first time, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You” (John 21:16 NASB).

And with the second stroke of rebuke delivered, Jesus follows his blow with more tenderness. He says to Peter, “Shepherd My Sheep” (John 21:16 NASB). Note those words well. These are JESUS’ sheep that Peter is to shepherd. It is not PETER’s flock. He’s not the boss. He is but the under-shepherd of the Good Shepherd. And again, by repeating this gracious assignment, Jesus is expressing his forgiveness to Peter. For as odd as it may sound, in the Savior’s flock, all the under-shepherds are themselves sheep. They are stumbling, bumbling sheep, whom the Good Shepherd has claimed for eternity by his precious blood shed on the cross.

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This remarkable assignment from the Lord could have rekindled Peter’s pride. Think about it like this, if the resurrected Jesus appeared to YOU and said, “I want YOU to be a shepherd of My sheep” wouldn’t a tiny bit of you think, “Me? Well I guess I do have some suitable qualities. I mean, you thought of me for the job, right?” Pride dies hard, doesn’t it?

The reality is that none of us have anything to offer God that has not already been given to us by his hand. We cannot claim even a scrap of goodness apart from the Lord’s working in us through his Word.

As the Bible says,

“…no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3 NASB).

And,

“…it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 NKJV).

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And so Jesus asks Peter a third, and final question. One final cut, and the deepest of all. One final blow to knock Peter’s sinful pride to the ground. Jesus asks, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” (John 21:17 NASB). But this time Jesus exchanges his word of high love, for Peter’s lower word for love. In essence, Jesus says, “Peter, do you really love me, like you keep saying you do?”

And all that Peter can do is cling to the truth. He does love Jesus. And he knows that Jesus must know that, for Jesus knows all things. He is the divine Son of God, who after suffering and dying on the cross for the sins of all people, took up the full use of his divine powers once again. And so Peter says to Jesus, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You” (John 21:17 NASB).

And one more time, Jesus follows the blow of rebuke, with the tender embrace of forgiveness. He repeats the task he has given to Peter, his redeemed servant. He says, “Tend My Sheep” (John 21:17 NASB).

Three denials from Peter. Three questions from the Lord. Three blows of rebuke, which cut deep. And three assurances that Peter was truly, and completely forgiven. That is what we find here in this little exchange on the shores of Galilee’s lake.

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It’s easy to put ourselves in Peter’s shoes, isn’t it? Through arrogance and selfishness we too have failed to love God by the things we say and do.

And if we actually pick up the Bible to see what God has to say about it, we find that God has some rather serious words to say about our behavior. The Bible says…

“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 NIV).

“…the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23 NKJV).

“All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;” (Isaiah 53:6 NKJV).

But you know how those passages end, don’t you?

“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24 NIV).

“…the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NKJV).

“All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6 NKJV).

The raking claws of God’s Law are followed by the tender caress of his undeserved love and forgiveness. And on the heels of this complete forgiveness comes an assignment.

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No, we are not all called to be apostles like Peter. No, we are not all called to teach Bible Class on Sunday or proclaim the Gospel from a pulpit in church. But we are all called to shepherd God’s flock. For the shepherds are the sheep. The forgiven are the called.

And the calls is simple. Our Savior died for all. They need to know it. And the sheep that are in the fold already, they need to stay safely in the fold. And we need to tend them. You and me.

We need to keep each other from danger. Diligently watching each other with love. Being present in the lives of our fellow Christians. Praying for one another. Applying the rebuke of the Law when needed, and the tender embrace of the Gospel.

We need to keep each other well pastured and watered. Continually speaking the Word of the Almighty God to one another. With an email. With a post. With a phone call. With a text. And yes, even IN PERSON.

We need to bind up the wounds of our fellow sheep and nurse them to health with the powerful Word of God. Patiently bearing each other’s burdens. Exercising the compassion and wisdom that our divine Savior teaches.

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When God asked Cain where his brother was, the world’s first murderer replied, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9 NKJV).

Help us Holy Spirit, that this would NEVER be our response to the grace and mercy we have received in Christ. Let our response instead be, “I AM my brother’s keeper. I will go and find him. I will call him with your Word. Your power will do the work, but I will be your humble instrument. I will tend your sheep.”

Through God’s Law and Gospel, Peter was made a redeemed sinner, and a shepherd of his fellow sheep. God’s cutting Law, and healing Gospel has done the same for us. We are redeemed. Let us now be about the business of tending the Good Shepherd’s flock, together.

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds, in Christ Jesus.