Bible Character Studies: Peter. Pt. 10 Falling back on old ways instead of seeking direction from the Lord.
Good morning everyone.
We had a gorgeous sunrise this morning....with all the birds singing, you just can't help thinking Spring is around the corner!
We are wrapping up this portion of our character study of Peter from the gospels. I have tried to focus on Peter's flaws and impulsiveness that marked his life before the Day of Pentecost. I am sure we all saw some similarities in our own lives with the flaws and occasional outbursts of faith that we noted in Peter.
After this, we will turn to the book of Acts to see a very different Peter than the one we have read about so far.
John's gospel contains one more part of Peter's story of another post resurrection appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 21:1-7 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
Peter's lack of direction
In the previous chapter of John, Jesus already appeared to the disciples twice. Peter knew that the Lord had risen from the dead but he seemed to lack direction. It is as if Peter forgot why Jesus called him and he did not know what to do next.
In John 21, the old Peter made a rash decision to go fishing as a return to the old way of life. The other
8 disciples decided to go fishing with Peter. All night long they labored and caught nothing.
Don't go back to the old ways that Christ saved you out of.
The message here for all believers is that the old things passed away at salvation and attempting to to back to those ways will not be fruitful. Also I think we can state that it is never a good thing to follow the crowd or to go with the flow.
When morning came Jesus stood on the shore but they did not recognize Him. This reminds us of two disciples on the road to Emmaus walking with Christ after He rose from the dead when they did not recognize Him.
Jesus asked them if they caught anything and they said "No." Christ told them where to cast their net and they caught so many fish that they could not pull the nets into the boat. The disciples immediately realized that it was the Lord Jesus standing on the shore.
Christ supplies the direction we need in His word.
There is another message here for all believers. We need the direction from Christ in order to navigate through this earthly pilgrimage. We find the direction we need in His word that equips and transforms us to be productive and fruitful servants of God.
John 21:9-14 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
When the disciples reached shore they found that Jesus had a fire going with fish and bread cooking. At this point none of the men asked Jesus who He was. They knew it was their risen Lord and likely felt conviction because they engaged in fishing instead of the work Christ called them to do.
John 21:15-17 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Faithless Peter's 3 denials are addressed by our faithful Lord.
Now Christ brings the 3 times that Peter denied him back in front of Peter. If Peter is going to be a pillar and leader in the early church then it was critical for his faith in Christ to be strong.
The questions Jesus asked Peter remind me of God seeking out Adam and Eve after they sinned in order to help them confront the issue that ruined their fellowship with the Godhead. Sin had to be confessed and a sacrifice applied before they could move forward in their relationship with God.
The Lord asked Peter 3 times if he loved Him. Each time Jesus asked"lovest thou me?" pierced Peter's heart like a dagger as he remembered denying Christ 3 times on the night he was betrayed.
Each time Peter responded that the Lord knew all things and that He knew Peter loved Him. Each time Jesus gave a solemn charge to Peter that he must "Feed my sheep."
John 21:20-22 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.
John's gospel ends with Jesus foretelling what would happen to Peter and his eventual martyrdom. Peter still seemed to be a bit jealous of John because he asked Jesus about John's fate.
Jesus replied "what is that to thee?" which is another way of telling Peter that he must mind his own business and do the work Christ is entrusting to him.
Points to Ponder....
We had a gorgeous sunrise this morning....with all the birds singing, you just can't help thinking Spring is around the corner!
We are wrapping up this portion of our character study of Peter from the gospels. I have tried to focus on Peter's flaws and impulsiveness that marked his life before the Day of Pentecost. I am sure we all saw some similarities in our own lives with the flaws and occasional outbursts of faith that we noted in Peter.
After this, we will turn to the book of Acts to see a very different Peter than the one we have read about so far.
John's gospel contains one more part of Peter's story of another post resurrection appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 21:1-7 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
Peter's lack of direction
In the previous chapter of John, Jesus already appeared to the disciples twice. Peter knew that the Lord had risen from the dead but he seemed to lack direction. It is as if Peter forgot why Jesus called him and he did not know what to do next.
In John 21, the old Peter made a rash decision to go fishing as a return to the old way of life. The other
8 disciples decided to go fishing with Peter. All night long they labored and caught nothing.
Don't go back to the old ways that Christ saved you out of.
The message here for all believers is that the old things passed away at salvation and attempting to to back to those ways will not be fruitful. Also I think we can state that it is never a good thing to follow the crowd or to go with the flow.
When morning came Jesus stood on the shore but they did not recognize Him. This reminds us of two disciples on the road to Emmaus walking with Christ after He rose from the dead when they did not recognize Him.
Jesus asked them if they caught anything and they said "No." Christ told them where to cast their net and they caught so many fish that they could not pull the nets into the boat. The disciples immediately realized that it was the Lord Jesus standing on the shore.
Christ supplies the direction we need in His word.
There is another message here for all believers. We need the direction from Christ in order to navigate through this earthly pilgrimage. We find the direction we need in His word that equips and transforms us to be productive and fruitful servants of God.
John 21:9-14 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
When the disciples reached shore they found that Jesus had a fire going with fish and bread cooking. At this point none of the men asked Jesus who He was. They knew it was their risen Lord and likely felt conviction because they engaged in fishing instead of the work Christ called them to do.
John 21:15-17 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Faithless Peter's 3 denials are addressed by our faithful Lord.
Now Christ brings the 3 times that Peter denied him back in front of Peter. If Peter is going to be a pillar and leader in the early church then it was critical for his faith in Christ to be strong.
The questions Jesus asked Peter remind me of God seeking out Adam and Eve after they sinned in order to help them confront the issue that ruined their fellowship with the Godhead. Sin had to be confessed and a sacrifice applied before they could move forward in their relationship with God.
The Lord asked Peter 3 times if he loved Him. Each time Jesus asked"lovest thou me?" pierced Peter's heart like a dagger as he remembered denying Christ 3 times on the night he was betrayed.
Each time Peter responded that the Lord knew all things and that He knew Peter loved Him. Each time Jesus gave a solemn charge to Peter that he must "Feed my sheep."
John 21:20-22 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.
John's gospel ends with Jesus foretelling what would happen to Peter and his eventual martyrdom. Peter still seemed to be a bit jealous of John because he asked Jesus about John's fate.
Jesus replied "what is that to thee?" which is another way of telling Peter that he must mind his own business and do the work Christ is entrusting to him.
Points to Ponder....
- Peter did not begin the work that Christ called him to do.
- Peter went back to his old way of life instead of waiting on the Lord.
- We must seek the perfect direction that Christ has given us in His Word.
- Like Peter our sins must be dealt with by confessing and forsaking them.
- Our faithful Lord will cleanse and restore us when we deal with our sins.
- Like Peter, we can be prone to jealousy when we look at what other believers are doing or what gifts they have in comparison to ourselves.
I pray that the Lord will help mature us as we learn about this disciple. Peter had some good qualities and he had several flaws that God would have to work out of his life. May our Lord keep us focused upon His kingdom and His mission so that we can fully participate in His mighty work. May we find ourselves fully and securely anchored to the Word of God.
Bob
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