Giving hope to the hopeless. Giving sight to the blind. Building faith in the doubter. This is what we have seen Jesus do throughout this post-resurrection week. Today we will see Him restore what has been shattered. Read through John 21:15-23.
Three times Peter denied his Lord. Three times. And then the cry of the rooster echoed in his ears and from across the courtyard his eyes locked with Jesus’. And he remembered. He remembered his words. He remembered Jesus’ words. And his pride, his heart, his very soul shattered into a million pieces as he ran from Jesus and wept bitterly.
Imagine what these days have been like for Peter since that moment. Imagine the grief that was in his soul. Can you put yourself in Peter’s place? Imagine what Peter was thinking the first time he saw Jesus. Could he look Him in the eyes? Was he withdrawing to the back of the room?
It is Peter who decides to return to the career he had before he met Jesus...fishing. He knew fishing. He was successful at fishing. This disciple-thing, not so much. And it is in this place, that Jesus comes to Peter.
Don’t you just love this about Jesus? HE comes to Peter. HE seeks Peter out. Peter had failed Jesus. Horribly. And his shame pushed him away, but Jesus breaks through his shame and seeks him out. “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” More than what? More than his fishing career? More than his family business? More than the rest of the disciples?
It is a love for Jesus that is “greater than these” that will compel Peter to leave everything behind and follow Jesus in a way that he had not been willing before. He had followed Jesus because in his mind Jesus was the Messiah who would deliver them from Rome - and would establish a kingdom for Israel with a place of honor and prestige and power in that kingdom for Peter. This dream shattered along with Peter’s pride that day in the courtyard. But what Jesus had in mind for Peter was far greater than what Peter had in mind for Peter. And so He pursues Him to restore Him for an eternal kingdom purpose.
Three times Peter denied Jesus and so it is three times Jesus calls him to confess his love for Him. Peter’s sin was not the end of his story! Jesus graciously restores Peter and calls Him to follow Him. You see, confession is followed by action. He couldn’t just confess his love for Jesus. No - loving Jesus means following Jesus wherever HE leads!
Jesus is the restorer of the shattered. Our sin and our failure do not exempt us from following Jesus. They do not give us permission to go back to our “old ways” of living. Through the pages of Scripture Jesus looks you in the eyes and asks you the all-important question: “Do you love Me more than these?”
What is your answer? Do you love Him... more than your past? More than your sin? More than your shame? More than your desires? More than your life? Do you love Him more than “these”? Loving Jesus more is a call to confession and it is a call to action. Loving Jesus more is a call to leave everything behind and follow Him!
Do you love HIM more than “these”?
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