OUR FATHER WHOSE SON RETURNED TO HIM

The book of John chapter 21 verses 20 - 25 concludes the book of John with this conversation between the Lord Jesus and Peter regarding John ( the writer of the book ).

20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”

22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”

23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

After the Lord had risen, He spent many days doing things that would have taken many books to record.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO RESTORES HIS PEOPLE

The book of John chapter 21 verses 15 - 20 records a conversation the Lord Jesus had with Simon Peter. Peter, having denied Jesus three times, was now being formally restored and Jesus walked Peter three times through an affirmation of his love for Jesus as a prerequisite for his assumption of ministry duties.

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, 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.”

16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”

He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”

He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”

17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, 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, “Feed My sheep. 18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

The Lord then gave Peter a road map of His transition from autonomy to a state where he would be completely surrendered to the will of God such that he would end up being in the hands of those who would kill him and he would accept that fate even though he did not wish it.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE SON INTERACTED MULTIPLE TIMES  WITH HIS FOLLOWERS AFTER HIS RESURRECTION

The book of John chapter 21 verses 1 - 14 records a subsequent appearance of Jesus to  His disciples as the fished on the Sea of Galilee (called the Sea of Tiberius in this passage.

When He called to them from the shore, they hurried over to Him but He did not physically look like the Jesus they knew but they knew it was Him.

1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”

They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”

They answered Him, “No.”

6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”

11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.

14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

This third appearance by Jesus the Sea of Galilee had some surprising components to it. The first surprise was that  Jesus served His disciples breakfast of fish and bread.

Another surprise was the demonstration of a miracle where their fishing efforts which were futile through the night, suddenly yielded a large number of fish.

Another surprise was that the peculiar number of 153 fish was given leaving generations of people to ponder over what that number signified.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE WITHOUT FATH

The book of John chapter 20 verses 24 - 31 says this ;

24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”

So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

The axiomatic spiritual principle that confers additional blessings upon  those who had not seen Christ and yet believed, is established in this interaction between the Lord Jesus and Thomas.

Thomas, having been away when Jesus appeared to the other disciples,  had declared that he would not believe that Jesus was raised from from the dead unless he saw Him with his own eyes.

Jesus appeared again this time with the apostle Thomas present and Thomas then believed after seeing the risen Christ and called Him his Lord and his God.

In the spiritual realm, believing without seeing is called faith and faith is defined in the scriptures as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

Remembering that without faith it is impossible to please God, the special commodity that God is looking for in humanity is the humility to  believe in Him without seeing any direct evidence of His kingdom. 

If we believe in God's provision for our salvation and respond in repentance based only on the inner witness we receive, we meet the criteria of having believed without seeing.

There will be people in different dispensations who will believe in Jesus' ability to save them because they will see Him in His Glory  but they will not have the blessing of those who believed with no evidence except the conviction in their hearts when the good news of the kingdom is shared with them.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE SON ROSE FROM THE DEAD

The book of John chapter 20 verse 19 - 23 records the startling events that ocurred during the evening of the same day. The disciples were holed-up in a safe-house in Jerusalem with the doors and windows sealed when the Lord Jesus appeared physically in their midst and reassured them and identified Himself to them by showing them the injuries in His hands and His side.

19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

The Lord Jesus Jesus, having set the example of being sent into the world, He then sent out His disciples.

Jesus then breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit" and gave them a spiritual authority that would give them the power to forgive sins and the power to retain sins.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE SON ROSE FROM THE DEAD TO ASCEND BACK TO HIM

The book 0f John chapter 20 verses 11 - 18 was the first recorded encounter that a person had with the Lod Jesus after He had risen from the dead.

Mary Magdalene was emotionally distraut about the  Lordˋs crucifixion and now, she found that His body was missing from the tomb where it had been laid and wept over the whole situation.

She stooped to look into the tomb and saw two angel in white  sitting where Jesusˋ body had been.

11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”

18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

Mary was asked by the angels why she was weeping and she expressed her distress over the removal of the body of her Lord.

She turned and saw a man standing in the garden whom she did not recognize and when He asked her what she was look for, she asked the man if He had taken her Lordˋs body and if so, she would take responsibility for it and take the body.

The man she had supposed was the gardner called her by name and when she turned to Him, she recognised Jesus and called Him by His title, ˋteacherˋ.

Jesus told her not to cling to Him because He had not yet ascended to His Father but that she should go and tell the disciples that He was ascending to His Father and their Father and to His God and their God.

Mary relayed the message to the disciples that she had seen Jesus alive and what He had said to her.

Amen.

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