Intro to John 21:15-25

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/12/2017 10:10 AM

My Worship Time                                                                            Focus:  Intro to John 21:15-25

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  John 21:15-25

            Message of the verses:  “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. 18 "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." 19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!" 20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" 21 So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!" 23 Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?" 24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.”

            After reading over the rather short, short for MacArthur, I have decided to quote it as it gives us some good advice to follow and gives us things to think about along with helping us understand things that perhaps we have not understood before.

            The name of this last chapter in John MacArthur’s commentary on the gospel of John is “Epilouge—Part2:  How to Be a Committed Christian.”

            The true gospel call to follow Jesus Christ is a call to self-denial.  It is not a man-centered call to self-fulfillment; there is no ‘Christianity lite.’  The gospel calls sinners to submit fully to Jesus Christ, to find their lives by losing them, to gain their lives by abandoning them, to live life to the fullest by emptying themselves.  Our Lord’s message, frankly, was not user friendly; it was not so much comforting as threatening.  He did not make salvation easy, but hard; Christ’s preaching, while motivated by love and compassion, filled with grace and mercy, and offering forgiveness, peace, and joy now and forever, was still demanding in the extreme.  Jesus was t a false confidence, a false assurance of salvation.  ‘No one,’ He declared, ‘after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God’ (Luke 9:62).  He warned that those who would follow Him must be willing to die to themselves, and He stressed the importance of counting the cost of commitment to Him:

“26 "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 30  saying, ’This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 “Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions (Luke 14:26-33).’

In Matthew 7:13-14 the Lord exhorted, ‘Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.’  Jesus does not offer sinners a superficial makeover to satisfy their desire for self-improvement; He calls them to submit to a complete takeover of their lives for His glory—with eternal benefits.

            “As noted in the previous chapter of this volume, chapter 21 forms an appendix or epilogue to John’s gospel, bringing closure to it by resolving some questions left unanswered at the end of chapter 20.  The first fourteen verses dealt with the disciples’ question of whether Jesus would still provide for them now that He was ascending to the Father.  He would still meet their needs, as He illustrated with the incident of the fish, and by providing them breakfast.  That settles a huge concern—divine care.  The remainder of the chapter focuses mainly on another concern—Jesus’ restoration of Peter the leader of the apostles so critical to the gospel ministry after Christ’s ascension and the sending of the Holy Spirit.  He was God’s choice to be the most significant voice for the gospel to the Jews in the beginning days of the church.  As such, he is the main figure in the opening chapters of Acts (2-12), and the other apostles needed to continue to follow his leadership.  In the process of tying things up with Peter, believers can see an example of the essential means to being a committed Christian:  by loving Christ more than everything else, by being willing to sacrifice everything for Christ, and by following Christ.”  

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Remember the cost of following Christ.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to see me through the procedure that I have to undergo this afternoon.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “The Church of God” (1 Corinthians 15:9).

Today’s Bible question:  “What did Jesus teach regarding judging?

Answer in our next SD.

6/12/2017 10:48 AM