Selected scriptures from John 21:1-25 (WEB)1
Here is a link to last week’s series, Upside down.
There are also many other things which Jesus did,
which if they would all be written,
I suppose that even the world itself
wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written.
John 21:25
Seed Basket began this journey in John back in July. I don’t know about you, but the search for the word believe has opened my eyes to so many lessons that I never saw before. That is the wonder of loving God’s Word. The more you look, the more treasure you will always find.
This was never about quantifying the word believe. If it were that academic or even that simple, we could have chosen any word from John’s Gospel to study, because all of the words in the Bible have meaning.
Yet, the word believe is the key to our faith. You see, without the pursuing, mysterious grace of God, we would never find the sight to believe, would we? We would always just be blind. We would never see our Savior.
But these scriptures have shown us the loving nature of God as He has pursued disciples, Pharisees, women, children, lepers, Gentiles, Jews, widows, orphans, the wealthy, the poor, and the sick –
– and even disloyal betrayers like Judas and Peter.
Some keep walking in the dark, while others repent and confess their faithful love for the Lord.
Peter had denied the Savior three times. The disciple was going to need restoration that only Jesus could give him if he was ever going to find a voice to share the Gospel.
Have you ever been there? You know. Have you ever made such a mess of life, and you just wondered, “How would God ever even want to use me?”
God wants to use you. He loves you. He wants to forgive you first, so that He can restore you to a right relationship with Him. We can’t live in habitual sin and walk in close communion with God.
But we can confess our sin, turn around and be made right with God. We can start over.
And that is what happened for Peter.
Read the exchange between the Savior and the hurting disciple.
After these things, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself this way.
That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!”
So, when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself (for he was naked) and threw himself into the sea.
But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits away), dragging the net full of fish.
Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast! ”
So, when they had eaten their 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 have affection for you.
“He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
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 have affection for you.”
He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?”
Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, “Do you have affection for me?”
He said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
One opportunity for confession and repentance exists for each word of betrayal.
But can you imagine, after going through all that Peter and Jesus have been through and using the word affection?
The Bible scholars all agree that the translation of the first two words used by Peter simply meant that he had brotherly love for Jesus.
But by the time the restoration was complete, Peter got it.
Agape. That is Christ-like love. That is the love of Jesus for the world. And that is very love that it would take for Peter to lay down his own life in a few short decades. Not for the world. But for the Savior.
Most certainly I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” Now he said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
John 21:18-19
After reaching the end of our study in the Gospel of John, we found 102 total uses of the word, believe. I hope that you have been blessed by this study.
Share the Gospel in your world.
How beautiful are the feet of those
who share the Good News!
Isaiah 52:7 (Paraphrased)
- World English Bible (WEB)by Public Domain. The name “World English Bible” is trademarked. ↩︎
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 