Peter is restored John 21

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 Easter II.  First Lesson: Acts 3:12-19; Epistle: 1 John 3:1-7; Gospel : John 21:1-19;  Sermon- "Easter --- Peter is Restored by Jesus"

Abraham Lincoln’s Attitude On Restoring the South

God does not hold our old sins against us, nor does He act like forgiveness is a favor to us, even though it is. When President Lincoln was asked how he would treat the rebellious southerners when they were defeated, he said, “I will treat them as if they had never been away.

I remember someone said broken crayons should not be thrown away.  Why?  They still color very well even though they are broken.  We bring our brokeness to God, and we will make sense out of it. We see problems.  God has plans.

How we all need forgiveness and restoration!  If we are honest,  we are all flawed , and need the help of God's new work being done in us constantly.  In the Old Testament this is illustrated as well by David's failures.  We all should remember what the prophet Nathan said to David ," Thou art the man."  He was guilty of pre-mediatated murder.  He placed one of his generals in the line of fire.  This was so David could claim Uriah's  wife for his own.  

Today's Gospel from John 21 is about the restoration of Peter .  

1.  John first recognizes that it is Jesus 21:7.  That was after the fish had been caught at Jesus's instructions .  21:6

They had fished all night without any catch.  Jesus stood on the beach.

Interesting to me that John  not Peter knew first " It is the Lord."

We too can be like Peter that we are so caught up in the work that we forget to see the work of God .  In the details, we missed God's presence.  Why?  Too absorbed?  

I can't see the forest for the trees?  God works in the ordinary to make something extraordinary.  Do all to the glory of God.  I Corinthians 10:31, " Whatever you eat or drink --"-Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

2. Peter comes to Jesus . 21:7  He did not wait. He jumped in unlike the others who went in the boat.  His enthusiasm was there for listening to what Jesus had to say.

We have the Scriptures that testify of Him.   He is also seen in creation Romans 1.  His invisible power and glory are shown .  But we need the foolishness of preaching to know Him I Corinthians 1:21

Jesus makes breakfast on the beach for all of them. He manifested His glory being the third time He had shows Himself after His death.

3.  Jesus come to Peter with some rather direct questions about feeding the sheep.  Peter is asked 3 times if He loves Jesus. ( note Peter had denied Jesus three times so He is being very direct with Peter)  The third time Jesus uses the friend word for love as Peter has continued to use.  Jesus is asking for more than friendship.  He is asking for sacrificial love and commitment.

Here our interest in Jesus is also challenged in a more direct way.  Nominal Christians here for show are not really showing their love.  Jesus asks for agape sacrificial love from His disciples.  It can be easy to show up for the pot lucks and even bring something.  But what is our relationship to Christ ?

We need His pardon for our lackluster ways in service.  He asks more than to just hug a pew.  He is asking for us to follow Him and take up our Cross in service.

What does restoration look like?  It may be we too have lost our first love and followed others that know not the God-man Jesus Christ.  We too need repentance, action and to be restored to fellowship with Him.

Wallowing in our unforgiveness and lacking trust in God is not following Jesus.  It is following our own desires and wants.  He is challenging us to be restored to service.

What is it that we need to do today to fix this ?  We may not recognize Jesus as Peter failed to do early in the fishing .  John first did.  Peter was too busy fishing to see the Lord.  God wants us to be restored,forgiven, redeemed and loved so that we can shine that love to others.  They need it...We need it.  We have walked in the darkness too long. He will treat us as we have never been away.

" I pray you noble Jesus, that as You have graciously granted me joyfully to imbibe the words of Your knowledge, so You will also of your bounty grant me to come at length to Yourself, the Fount of all wisdom, and to dwell in Your presence for ever."  The Venerable Bede

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