John Chapter 21. I want to speak this morning, the Lord helping me, on "Jesus Restores Peter." Lord help us now. John 21:15-23.
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 turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper 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?"
During the forty days between the resurrection and the ascension of Christ, where was Jesus? Well, He was not as commonly thought, on earth continually for 40 in Jerusalem. He's now, after the resurrection, what has been called, “He's the heavenly man in paradise.” And He will now in 40 days make appearances in and around Jerusalem. He appears to many, that is a surprise unannounced appearances. He just pops into locked rooms. He just suddenly appears here and there. Two guys walking on the Emmaus road, grieving, sharing, and suddenly a stranger appears and starts walking with them. He's making appearances.
(Rest of the transcript will maybe come at a later time.)
Whatever failure you’ve had, whether distant or last week, the Lord’s word to you right now is, “Do you love Me?” With these words, Jesus gently blows on the embers of the believer’s wounded heart to rekindle a mutual love relationship.
