Jesus, the Miracle Worker

John 21:20-25

Jesus Is The Miracle Worker

Prepared by Dr. John E. Marshall

 

John 21:20-21 (Holman) So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them. That disciple was the one who leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, "Lord, who is the one that's going to betray you?" When Peter saw him he said to Jesus, "Lord – what about him?"

Jesus told Peter, "Follow Me", but the Apostle reverted to his error of taking his eyes off Jesus. He turned and saw our author, John the beloved, who had rested his head in the bosom of the One who came from the bosom of the Father (1:18).

 

One thing that makes it hard for us to follow Jesus is our desire to snoop into other people's lives. Peter had received harsh news (21:18-19); he will suffer and die for Jesus. Peter wondered, "Will I suffer alone, or will others share my fate?"

The Apostle was slipping into the bad habit of wanting to manage other people's lives.

 

John 21:22 "If I want him to remain until I come," Jesus answered, "what is that to you? As for you, follow Me."

 

Jesus reproved Peter. The Master was not interested in satisfying Peter's curiosity. What happened to another was not Simon's business. Impulsive Peter had to learn some things were outside his authority. Jesus rules in human affairs.

 

In any difficult relationship-situation, there are three major components: what only God can do, what only the other person can do, and what only we can do. Blessed are those who know the latter, and limit themselves to it.

 

We have the right to analyze others only when the motive is love. It is one thing to ask, "What should I do for this person?" and quite another to ask, "What should this person do?" The former question is necessary, the latter presumptuous.

 

John 21:23-24 So this report spread to the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not tell him that he would not die, but, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?" This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

 

John dealt with an error that rose in the early church. Because he lived long, and due to Jesus' words, some thought John would never die, that he would live until Jesus returned.

 

John did not live till Jesus returned, but did live a long, gentle life. Peter's life was one of action, ending in martyrdom. He was a fighter. John was tender, a person Jesus could entrust His mother to. John became a man of contemplation.

 

He walked close to God. He came to know his Lord so well that he could say, "God is love." To John's close communion with Jesus we owe this blessed book, the Holy of Holies of the New Testament, and my favorite Bible verse, John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

 

John has become a true hero to me. I am proud I was named for John the Baptist. But through the years I have grown to appreciate John the Beloved greatly.

 

Loving the Bible and Bible history, I want to tell a story before we go to the next verse, this book's last sentence. Nearing the end of John's Gospel brings to mind a wonderful event. On May 26, 735 A.D., the monks of Jarrow, in northeast England, were whispering to each other. In their monastery, Bede the Venerable, the greatest Anglo-Saxon scholar and the father of English history, was dying.

 

The last project of his life was to translate the Gospel of John into his native tongue. It would be the first part of God's Word translated into the vernacular of Saxon England. The task was unfinished, chapter 21 still needed to be completed, yet Bede's gasping for air proved death was near. By his bed sat a scribe, who pled with Bede to rest, "Father, you speak with difficulty, the exertion is too great."

 

Bede disagreed, "Take your pen. Write as fast as you can." As hours passed, sentences trembled from Bede's lips. One sudden pause made the scribe fear the old monk had died, but when he realized Bede was alive, the scribe leaned close to his cherished master and whispered, "Only one sentence is lacking – only one."

 

It revived Bede's spirit. With faltering breath he spoke the last sentence. The scribe rejoiced, "It is finished." Bede replied, "It is finished," and praised the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He asked to be carried to the spot where he was accustomed to pray. In this holy place, his work done, Bede the Venerable died.

 

As we end this series on the Gospel of John, we honor Bede, who labored to give us this precious book in our language. Can we imagine English literature without John's Gospel? We are grateful for Bede, and many others, who labored to make this book available to us. And what was the last sentence Bede translated?

 

John 21:25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if they were written one by one, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.

 

John the Beloved dropped his pen, saying many other things could have been written. This beautiful climax causes the book to end with an "et cetera."

 

Much about Jesus we can never know. He was the ultimate Miracle Worker, the One who performed more miracles than we could ever imagine.

 

John, unable to write all he knew about Jesus, had to make a few choices from the mountain of material available. If all had been written down, we would have to spend all our time reading about Jesus rather than serving Him.

 

Thus, the question. How did John decide what to write? What did the Holy Spirit use to give Him parameters within to work? John's answer is found in 20:30-31: "Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name."

 

Jesus purchased our salvation. In His "It is finished" cry at the cross we heard the completion of redemption. Everything needed to buy our Heaven is found in Christ. Sinners have no need to seek forgiveness elsewhere. Nothing needs to be added to Jesus' sacrifice. No flaw exists in what He purchased for us.

 

People do not go to Heaven because they are good; people do not go to Hell because they are bad. Jesus took care of the sin debt; He paid it by His death on the cross. Thus, He is the ultimate issue regarding salvation, or the lack thereof. All who know Him will be forever with Him in eternity; all who do not know Him will be forever separated from Him. Everything hinges on our relationship with Jesus.

 

Dear unbeliever, God is totally satisfied with what Jesus did. Why aren't you? Jesus did all that is necessary for our acceptance, now we must accept Him.

 

When John's life was over, I'm sure he heard "Well done." If the Gospel of John has taught us anything, it has taught we serve One worthy of being faithfully served to the end. May we finish strong, ever remembering, holiness matters most.

 

 

Jesus Restores

John 21:15

Jesus is the Restorer

Prepared by Dr. John E. Marshall

 

If Peter's sin of denial had not been dealt with publicly, it might have been deemed trivial by others and him. Peter, acknowledged leader of the Apostles, had acted as a coward and traitor. The disciples knew it. His sincerity was under suspicion. Restoring Peter's honor required drastic action, special public treatment.

 

This must have been extremely trying for Peter. He had no way to escape the Lord's probing questions. Peter had three times openly said, "I do not know Jesus!" Now he would be asked three times to say openly, "Jesus, I love you."

 

John 21:15a (Holman) When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, . . ."

 

Jesus called the Apostle by his former, pre-commissioning name (John 1:42). Simon had not yet proven himself worthy of the name Peter, which meant rock. His life thus far had been quite a bit less than firm and dependable.

 

A name can be used very effectively. When I was a child, I knew all was well if my parents called me John. When they said, "John Edward," I knew they were displeased. If they said, "John Edward Marshall!" I knew I was in serious trouble. The Apostle eventually became Peter, but for now Simon had to do.

John 21:15b ". . . Do you love Me more than these?"

 

Simon could have been asked. "Why did you deny? How could you fail so miserably? Did you not know the impact your act would have on your reputation?"

 

Jesus avoided these. Without beating around the bush, He went straight to the point. Love was the only topic Jesus needed to ask Peter about. For God to own our hearts, He must have our unlimited faith, repentance, allegiance, and all else.

What went wrong with Peter? He had to examine his heart, and analyze his denial, in order to help make sure what caused his fall would not happen again.

 

 It is frightening to know our love can wane without our being aware of it. We can be busy doing God's work, yet at the same time our love be diminishing.

 

We can serve out of duty or habit, or to receive people's praise. This cannot go on forever. Without love, faithfulness inevitably fails. We should tremble to consider, at any moment we may be going through the motions of religion, and yet have little love for Jesus in our hearts. In these moments, temptation topples us.

 

What happened to Peter could happen to any of us. Beware smugness. Prior success in Christian living does not guarantee a lifetime of faithfulness to Jesus.

 

A victory yesterday cannot secure today. A win today cannot safeguard tomorrow. Yea, a success this morning cannot protect this afternoon or tonight.

 

Paul's words haunt me, "I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified" (I Cor. 9:27). Would it not be an unspeakable disaster if, after years of serving Jesus, our life resulted in a sin so hideous that it shocked not only others, but also us?

 

Watch for tell-tale signs of a declining love. Why are we serving Jesus less? Why do we not attend church as often, and no longer read the Bible daily? Why do we spend less time in prayer, and give less these days? We rationalize these things, and make clever excuses, but the real reason is, our love for Jesus has grown cold.

 

Peter was a doer. He left all to follow Jesus, was the first to confess Jesus as Messiah, walked on water, and drew a sword to protect Jesus, but would probably have traded all this for staying true to Jesus that fateful Holy Week Thursday night.

 

Somewhere Peter forgot to pause to look inward. He needed to ponder, "Do you love Jesus?" Often do inventory of our lives. We head toward a terrible fall if our walk with God becomes routine. Measure the depth of our love. Is an old flame still there? Peter reminds us; mighty works are wonderful; love for Jesus is greater.

 

Not even Bible knowledge can compensate for a lack of love for Jesus. For three years, Peter learned from Jesus, but it did him no good when his love failed.

 

In our text, Jesus did not speak to Peter about knowledge, but asked, "Do you love Me?" Knowledge is good; love is better. Orthodoxy is not the ultimate good. We need leaders who hold to the cardinal beliefs of our faith, and who at the same time love Jesus. Give us people firm in what they believe, yet soft at heart.

 

It is possible to believe in a burning Hell, but have a heart of ice. We can hold resolutely to water baptism, yet never undergo a baptism of love in our heart.

 

Love! Love! Love! Keep it strong, or all else is vain. Consider yourself. Daily, yea hourly, ask ourselves the question Jesus posed, "Do you love Me?"

John 21:15c "Yes, Lord," he said to Him, "You know that I love You." "Feed My lambs," He told him.

 

Jesus now felt He could safely commit His weak sheep to Peter because the Apostle had been weak. His failure made him a better Pastor. A heart broken over its sins finds it difficult to harden itself against a fallen brother or sister. Recalling his own fall would make it easier for Peter to be gracious with others who stumble.

 

Many people have had their lives improved by a failure early in life. Stumbling early can actually help us walk more carefully later. It can teach us to distrust ourselves, to lean more fully on Jesus, and to be more compassionate.

 

Peter knew he could not claim perfect love for Jesus, but would not lie. He wanted to be honest; he did love Jesus, and would not show false humility by saying he didn't. Peter's dilemma is often repeated in our hearts. Knowing our love for Jesus is not perfect, we often hesitate to say confidently, "Jesus, I love You."

 

We can usually boldly say, "I know Jesus. I trust Jesus. I believe on Jesus." But for some reason, the words "I love you, Jesus" sometimes stick in our throats.

 

Jesus said the first command is; love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Nothing is more important to God than that we love Him.

 

We know this, yet often have trouble verbalizing our love for Him. Why? We balk often because we know we fall far short of a life totally pleasing to God.

 

It is true that we best show the intensity of our love for Jesus by obeying Him, but we do us and Jesus a huge disservice if we think we can love Him only if we are perfect. If this were the case, none of us could ever say we love Jesus. 

 

Yes, Godliness is our purest proof of love for God. Sin does indicate love is waning, but it is impossible for a believer not to love Jesus. Our love may "grow cold" (MT 24:12) and lessen, but it is impossible for our love to God to die totally. 

 

Peter taught us well. He had shamefully denied Jesus, but nevertheless loved Jesus, and could not deny an emotion in his heart. We must have the same feeling. Do not give up on yourself. It is possible to love Jesus even if you fall into sin.

 

We sin. This does not mean we must spend the rest of life beating ourselves up over it. God determines consequences. We do not have to help Him punish us. 

 

We must minutely examine ourselves, but not overly condemn us. There is no virtue in castigating ourselves for a lifetime over the failure of one moment.

 

Our love is certainly not demonstrated in our sins, but can be shown in our reaction to them. If love for Jesus is present, sin will cause a deep sense of regret.

 

Nothing in the world is more painful than to hurt someone we love. Do be warned; if we can sin without remorse, the Bible offers us no comfort. But if our sin is quickly followed by repentance and Godly sorrow, we prove we love Jesus.

 

After Peter denied, he wept bitterly. Do not try to avoid sorrow. In our heart, look Jesus in the face and say, "I am so sorry. Forgive me. I love you. Help me love you more." Do weep and mourn over our sin, but then leave its guilt behind.

 

If sorry for our sin, we love Jesus. If we repent, we love Jesus. If conscience gnaws, we love Jesus. Don't fear being sad. Fear callousness. Being disappointed in ourselves is a good sign, but do not let it destroy us. We disappoint family often, but know we still love them. We fail friends, but know we still love them. This reaction applies also to our relationship with Jesus. We fail Him, but love Him.

 

Don't brag about our love, but do tell Jesus we love Him. Saying it increases it, and keeps it in our mind. We may never need to brashly say, "Lord, I will die for You," but can always come to Jesus as a humble, sorrowful Simon, saying, "Jesus, I do love you. Increase my little portion. Help me to love you more."

 

 

Jesus Is Our Savior

John 19:23-30

Jesus Is the Savior

Prepared by Dr. John E. Marshall

 

John 19:23 (Holman) When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from the top.

 

Soldiers who served as executioners received the clothes of crucified criminals as compensation for their effort. Jesus' clothes were the last material things He owned in the whole wide world. He literally gave up everything for us.

 

The mocking crowd gazed on God's Son, who was clothed only in total humiliation. Our Master allowed Himself to be undressed that we might someday be dressed in white robes (Revelation 3:18). We will not be naked in Heaven. We will wear robes to remind us righteousness was not inherent in us. We had to put it on as a gift. Our robes will be white because Jesus' robe is red (Rev. 19:13-14).

 

Jesus' tunic, instead of being made of separate cloths sewn together, was woven in one piece, without seam. The Old Testament specified the High Priest's robe had to be woven (EX 39:22). John wanted us to see Jesus is our High Priest.

 

John 19:24 So they said to one another, "Let's not tear it, but toss for it, to see who gets it." They did this to fulfill the Scripture that says: "They divided My clothes among themselves, and they cast lots for My clothing." And this is what the soldiers did.

 

The tunic's intricate weaving by hand made it valuable. Since tearing the robe would have made it worthless, the four soldiers gambled for it.

 

By keeping the garment in one piece, the soldiers unknowingly pointed to another "High Priest" symbol. In addition to being woven without seam, the High Priest's robe was not to be torn (Leviticus 21:10). Caiaphas the High Priest had earlier disregarded this command. In a fit of rage against Jesus, he ripped his garment (Matthew 26:65), thereby unwittingly symbolizing the end of the Aaronic priesthood. Clothes are torn only if there is no more use for them. Jesus, the one whose robe is in one piece, is now our High Priest.

 

These soldiers knew nothing of the Jewish Bible, but fulfilled an Old Testament prediction (Psalm 22:18). Since they were pagan, no one could accuse them of collusion or "stacking the deck" in order to fulfill a Bible prediction.

 

The soldiers did their duty callously, stoically, as if nothing special was happening. "While they played with dice, He made His sacrifice" (Studdert Kennedy). These soldiers are a classic example of the world's indifference to God's love demonstrated in Jesus. Unbelievers act as if Jesus' death is not important. Many people in our age would rather have nice clothes than have Jesus, and prefer gambling for goods over giving their lives to God.

John 19:25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

 

On the cross, Jesus was surrounded with contempt and apathy. Soldiers gambled, Judas had betrayed, Peter had denied, nine other disciples had scattered like scared rabbits. Jesus at Calvary was also loved. A stark contrast to those who failed Him were John, the only disciple bold enough to stand beneath the cross, and these four women. Heroism knows no gender distinction.

John 19:26-27 When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple He loved standing there, He said to His mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then He said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

 

Sufferers are usually selfish, but not Jesus. Even in pain on a cross, He showed compassion for others. He prayed for His executioners, saved a dying thief, honored His Heavenly Father, and protected His earthly mother. By taking care of His mother, Jesus set an eternal example of the proper way for us to live out the fifth commandment.

 

Jesus, dying a substitute for the world, asked John to be His substitute as a son to Mary. Giving this awesome responsibility to John shows how much confidence Jesus had in His beloved disciple. Jesus, who was one of at least seven siblings (Mark 6:3), passed over His brothers and sisters, and chose John as His mother's guardian. His brothers did receive Jesus later, but at this moment, their hearts were not yet knit spiritually with their brother and mother.

 

John 19:28-29 After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He said, "I'm thirsty!" A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop and held it up to His mouth.

 

Thirst often occurs in people suffering from open wounds. As body fluids are lost, cells dehydrate, and the body craves water. On battlefields, other agonies are soon forgotten in this one. This cry drowns out every other cry.

 

Jesus, the Maker of rivers and rain, let Himself reach this depth of being parched. Had He spoken the word, rain would have fallen, and rivers would have deluged, to refresh Him. Instead, He chose to thirst in order to give us the water of life that we might never spiritually thirst again.

 

John 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!"

 

Once His dry mouth moistened, Jesus clearly spoke a cry of conquest. John, near the cross, heard the word Jesus spoke, "Tetelestai!", meaning "It is finished," in the sense of mission accomplished.

 

Jesus' final word from the cross has reverberated through the whole universe for 2000 years, and shall continue to do so forever. While He was dying, Jesus posted a victory bulletin from the battlefield. He died not with a groan of defeat, but with a cry of triumph. 

 

To us, Jesus is Prince of Peace. To Satan, Jesus was a man of war who came to fight the evil one in his own territory. Jesus let the cruelties and guilt of sin be sheathed in His own body. This inner spiritual struggle was Jesus' worst suffering at Calvary. The pains of Hell, evil, and death penetrated His innermost essence.

 

Despite the strain, our Champion did not fail. Heaven's Lamb withstood Hell's Serpent. Fiends of perdition hurled themselves against Him. They could hurt, but not destroy, Him. They could at worst only bruise His heel. He, on the other hand, crushed their heads (Genesis 3:15). He dealt them a fatal blow.

 

The cross appeared to be evil's greatest victory, but proved to be its ultimate defeat. On Calvary was conducted the funeral of Satan's hope to vanquish God.

 

Christmas Evans preached, "Death struck its fiery dart deep into the heart of Jesus, but when Death tried to pull the dart out again, its sting was left behind." While sin was nailing Jesus to the cross, Christ was nailing sin to the same tree. Sin and sin's destroyer were both nailed there. Sin was defanged, but sin's destroyer arose victoriously.

 

Having drained the cup of our condemnation dry, Jesus held it upside down when He said, "It is finished!" Not one drop trickled down the edge. The Hell we deserve was in the cup. Jesus drank it dry at the cross.

 

Jesus bore Hell's condemnation, and can bear the condemnation of every sinner on Earth if they will throw themselves on Him. To be saved, we must acknowledge our need for Jesus, and lean totally on Him for salvation. Do not try to win God's favor by adding to the finished work of Jesus. He did all that God requires. The only thing left to do is for us to appropriate what Jesus accomplished.

 

Jesus' cry from the cross is our consolation as sinners. The fact Jesus carefully enunciated the word, and the fact the Holy Spirit recorded it in His Holy Word, prove it is the message God wants all to hear. For us, Jesus conquered sin and Satan at the cross that He might also conquer both in us. He is our Savior.