Intro
What
does the resurrection do for you and me today? Is it something that
is only relevant for our eternity or are there wonderful blessings
that it promises us today?
Goal
Let
us understand that the resurrection is about second chances.
Sermon Plan
We
will look at a different approach, our need for Jesus, some
misconceptions about God's love and the Gospel of second chances.
Trying a different approach with Jesus
The
disciples went fishing after Jesus’ resurrection, but without
success (John
21:1-19).
They probably used a net made from flax, a circle net about 6 yards
or meters across with small lead weights attached to the borders. it
was thrown with great skill to open up as it hit the water. The
weights dropped and the net encircled the fish. Men then jumped into
the water to retrieve the net, so they often fished naked. The fish
were then sorted into clean and unclean and counted so that each
received a fair share and to pay their taxes. Day laborers usually
helped with the duties. Fishermen probably knew the local Aramaic
language, Hebrew and also Greek the language of trade. Jesus was not
a fisherman but gave advice to the experts. Would we try a different
approach with Jesus?
Without Jesus we all fail
The
disciples of Jesus had failed to remain loyal to him during his
trial and crucifixion. Highlighting that failure, when they returned
to their trade they also failed (John
21:1-19).
This world is run by incredibly intelligent and fabulously educated
people, but world leadership continues to fail miserably. We are no
different than Jesus’ first disciples. When they finally make an
enormous catch, with Jesus’ help, he invited them put their bounty
with his for a meal. This is one of life’s great lessons, that we
must learn over and over. Whatever we accomplish, whatever talents
we may have, it all comes from God and we need him every hour. Jesus
then recommissioned Peter, as he denied Jesus 3 times, Jesus now
reconfirmed his commission 3 times. We all fail many times and need
Jesus’ reconfirmation time and again.
The agapé lie
Some
who are ignorant of biblical Greek claim that agapé
is divine love and phileo
is a mere human love. This is sheer fiction. The Greek wordagapé
can mean a wrong kind of love, like men who loved darkness (John
3:19),
or loving the praise of men more than God (John
12:43),
and one who loved this world more than Paul (2
Timothy 4:10).
Jesus shows that if Peter loved Jesus then he expected him to show
that love through an act of brotherly love, “feed my sheep.”
(John
21:1-19)
There is no greater love than to die for our brothers [philos]
(John
15:13).
Jesus also showed that he expects his followers to show love to him
in acts of brotherly love towards the needy, like foreigners,
homeless, sick and prisoners (Matthew
25:31-46).
The eros-phileo-agapé myth
Lesser-educated
preachers have perpetuated a myth that love in biblical Greek has
three levels: eros
(sensual), phileo
(brotherly) and agapé(supposedly
godly love). One example is a wrong explanation of John
21:1-19
where the risen Jesus asked Peter if he loved him. Jesus' question
was quite simple, not with the contrived assumptions sometimes
preached. Depending on the context, agapé
and phileo
have similar meanings. Peter did not attempt to avoid the question,
but replied quite plainly, "You know that I love you (like a
brother)." Peter was not lessening Jesus' question to a lower
level of love, as sometimes falsely claimed. Actually, Peter implied
that he loved Jesus like a brother for whom he would die. "Greater
love [agapé]
has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends [or
brothers, philos]"
(John
15:13)
Breakfast with Jesus
John
21:1-19 shows how the resurrection works in our lives: restoration
to God and real forgiveness. The disciples had all acted like
cowards. They felt guilty and ashamed. Retreating to the familiarity
of fishing with fruitless efforts. Jesus provided fish and invited
them to breakfast. It was time to move on from their grief and fear.
They were no different than any of us. We love Jesus, but sometimes
are afraid. With three confirmations of his love Peter symbolically
undid his three denials. Each time Jesus reminded him of the next
step. There was a job still to be done. Like Peter we are forgiven
and invited to start over. No need for guilt, shame and fear. The
resurrected Jesus invites us to the mission at hand. Come and have
breakfast with Jesus. Then, let us feed his sheep.
The Gospel of second chances
A
preacher in a legalistic church once claimed that God did not give
second chances, but then we have the Gospel story in John
21:1-19.
Here we see Peter who had royally screwed up after three years of
apprenticeship in Jesus’ personal training program only to blow it
completely at the last minute. How many of us have completely blown
something in life? Perhaps it was our children that we hurt deeply
because of family injustice or a spouse because of a betrayal or a
friend because of a confidence we failed to keep. Like Peter, we too
have denied Jesus Christ. Forgiveness does not mean that we trust
completely the one who has hurt us deeply, but it does mean that we
give them a second chance if they are willing. If we want it, God is
willing.
Outro/Take Home
If
we have ever done things that we truly regret, the resurrection of
Jesus Christ offers us a second chance.
