Bible Study Materials

DO YOU TRULY LOVE ME?

by   01/02/2008  

Question


1. Read verses 1-4. Where and why did Jesus appear to his disciples again? Who were there and what was the situation of the disciples? Think about Jesus who stood on the shore early in the morning? 2. Read verses 5-14. How did Jesus help them? How was Peter’s response different from that of the other disciples when he noticed Jesus? What did Jesus prepare for them? Think about Jesus’ love. 3. Read verses 15-17. When they had finished eating, what did Jesus say to Simon Peter? Why such a question repeatedly? How did Peter answer? At each time of Peter’s love confession, what did Jesus command him to do? Why again and again? 4. Read verses 18-25. What would Peter’s future life be like? What is Jesus’ final word to Peter? Why is it personal?


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Message


Happy New Year! A new year 2008 has come. “New” implies anticipation and opportunity. In this new year people expect many things, big and small, planned and unplanned. There will be the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and there will be 2008 UBF International Summer Bible Conference. As for our Toronto UBF we will move our center near U of T. We expect many good things, even unplanned. We also want to use this opportunity of a new year for our improvement and success. In doing all these things, what is really important? It is to be sure of our inner direction, rather than outward. Our Toronto UBF 2008 key verse is John 21:15 with the direction to truly love Jesus. According to the Bible, when one truly loves Jesus, his or her life is guaranteed to be truly happy and abundant and glorious irrespective of human conditions. Today, in this New Year’s worship service, let’s think about Jesus’ love for us, and our love for Jesus, what kind of love Jesus wants from us. First, Jesus’ love that is the same yesterday and today and forever (1-14). Look at verse 1. “Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias.” This was the unforgettable, memorable place where Jesus had called Simon Peter and where he had spent much of his time traveling with his disciples. After three years of his beautiful work on the land of Israel Jesus died on the cross and rose again. The world looked the same, but in the spiritual world such a revolutionary thing as Jesus’ resurrection took place. Jesus hoped that his disciples would be empowered through his resurrection and become mighty servants of God. Yet, they remained despaired and powerless even after seeing the Risen Jesus. The Risen Christ had to ascend into heaven and sit at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb 12:2). However, that glorious thing would not happen unless his disciples could stand firm in this world. So the Risen Jesus appeared again to his disciples. He would appear to them again and again to restore them. This final mission of the Risen Jesus was inflexible and unyielding. At the Sea of Tiberias, seven of the disciples were together: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. This group of people was there not with a specific task to do but for nothing. They were there to despair together. They knew they had to have faith in the Risen Lord and serve him, but they felt unworthy to do so when they thought of what they did to the Lord Jesus. When Jesus needed them most at the time of his crucifixion, they all ran away, even disowning him. They were disappointed at themselves. Now they looked like the most pitiful and miserable group in the world. Simon Peter suddenly said, “I’m going out to fish.” Then others said, “We’ll go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. They became totally failed men, both as disciples of Jesus and fishermen. Even the fish of the sea did not seem to like these failed people. So all the fish escaped their net. The dark night with nothing in their net was the exact expression of their lives in the world. How could they survive in this world of survival of the fittest? Who could help them? Look at verse 4. “Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore.” What a contrast to the scene of the disciples despairing in the dark night! It was like New Year’s coming after an old year passing away. This Jesus was still filled with hope for his disciples as the bright morning filled the earth after the night. He was ready to do anything for them. He was willing to start all over again to restore them and establish them firmly in faith in him. His hope is truly greater than anything in the world. Even if the whole world is in a despairing situation, his hope can stand. This hope of Jesus is like the hope of God who began his redemptive work by calling one hopeless man Abraham when the whole world was in sin and utter darkness. In Jesus there is truly no despair. Our Risen Lord Jesus is there when we are in the lowest point of our lives or in the most despairing situation. Let’s see how Jesus helped his own. Jesus was there standing on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Sometimes our eyes and mind-set do not function properly. Then Jesus used his voice to appeal to their ears. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” Their ears were fine, but their minds were not functioning properly yet. So they answered, “No.” Jesus said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” Surprisingly they obeyed this direction. Then they made a great catch of fish. They were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. In this world people reward those who succeed and punish those who fail. But Jesus restored his disciples’ failure through the great catch of fish. Our gracious Lord Jesus is willing to restore anyone who comes to him even after much failure. Then John’s mind was prompted. He said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” At this something interesting happened. As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, ‘It is the Lord,’ he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.” What a fabulous sight! Simon Peter could have been a Beijing Summer Olympic gold medal candidate for diving. In the Bible Peter is a very interesting person. Time and again he showed his impulsive prompt actions, desirable or undesirable. This time he suddenly jumped into the water wearing his outer garment to come to Jesus, while the other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish. It was unplanned and unscheduled. However, this prompt act of Peter showed that Peter had a deep respect and love for Jesus. He did not seem to be interested in the great catch of fish but Jesus the Lord. Simon Peter’s relationship with Jesus was unique. His failure was different and unique, and his response to Jesus’ love was personal and unique. It was sure that through 3 years of life together with Jesus a seed of love for Jesus was planted in Peter’s heart. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Raised in glory Jesus cooked and prepared this table. The risen Jesus understood their hunger and coldness, for he knew them, their failures and their hearts. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Then Jesus put more fish on the burning coals. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Before his crucifixion Jesus had supper with his disciples called Lord’s Supper. Now the Risen Jesus wanted to have a breakfast with his disciples on the beach. What is the meaning of this? The disciples had not expected such a beautiful table on the beach in the morning sunlight. But Jesus prepared it. It was more than just a simple meal. It was the expression of Jesus’ unchanging love for his changed and failed disciples. At this love-meal of Jesus their cold hearts must have been melted completely. Later, John wrote in Revelation 3:20, “Here am I! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” What can be more beautiful than eating together with Jesus? It is to be associated with Jesus and have fellowship with him in his unchanging love. When we are hungry and cold, he knocks the door of our hearts to come in and eat with us. He truly knows our hearts and life situations. He is our delicate Risen Lord. He wants to live with us in our daily life. This is the wonderful unchanging grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise Jesus, who stood on the seashore with his imperishable hope and prepared the beach-breakfast and invited his hungry and cold, failed disciples to the love-feast. In this he fully confirmed his unchanging love for his disciples. He is the same, yesterday, today and forever. Second, the love Jesus wants from us (15-25). John 21 has the second part. Look at verse 15. “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’” Until now Jesus never asked any question to anyone, calling the specific name of a person. Here is the only private question given to a person named Simon Peter. He asked, “Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” Why such a question? It is not for the sake of Jesus himself, but for the man Simon Peter. Jesus, raised and glorified, does not need anyone’s love. He lacks nothing. He had perfect love relationship with his Father in heaven. Jesus is wholly helping Peter. Receiving Jesus’ changing love was not enough. He had to love Jesus. Of course, Peter loved Jesus from the beginning. How could he not love Jesus who loved him first and was so dear to him? Impossible! However, the love Jesus wanted from Peter was the love of “truly” and “more than these.” In the view of Jesus’ question Peter loved Jesus and something else. In truth he loved something else more than Jesus. Most probably, he loved his dream of being the top leader in Jesus’ messianic kingdom more than Jesus himself. So when Jesus was crucified and killed on the cross, his dream was shattered into pieces and his love for Jesus could not be alive. He was only wounded. Whereas Mary Magdalene loved Jesus to the end and followed Jesus even to the tomb, Peter could not. This made Peter powerless and ever-despairing even after seeing the Risen Jesus. So far Peter was blind to see himself. He only insisted his love for Jesus, saying, “I will lay down my life for you.” Now Jesus who truly loved Peter knew this problem of his exactly and wanted to help him to recognize and solve it so that his life might truly blossom. At this Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He could not confidently say, “Surely, Lord, I love you,” like before. Some change must have happened in his heart through all the painful events. He understood Jesus’ question and showed his prepared heart. Still he could not be confident in himself but in Jesus who knew his heart and his love for him. Then, again Jesus asked, “Simon, son of John, do you truly love me?” It is because this is such an important matter. Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” The third time Jesus said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” This time Peter was hurt. He probably thought Jesus still remembered his betraying Jesus three times. Anyway, loving Jesus was such a serious matter. “Third” is a complete number. Jesus wanted to help completely in this love matter. Peter said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” He trusted all-knowing knowledge of Jesus. In this way Jesus helped Peter to fully confess his love for Jesus. Love must be sincere and must be confessed and expressed. Love confession makes one’s love certain and sure. Here we should think more about why Jesus demands such love from us, using the words “truly” “more than these” again “truly” and asking three times? And some people ask, “Then should we love Jesus only not any other people or any other things?” First of all, no one can love us as Jesus did, because he loved us giving his all, even his life: he laid down his life for our salvation. He purchased us with his life-blood. He has all right to demand such a love. On top of that Jesus teaches us the truth of love-order. It is a love-principle that when we love Jesus most, our hearts become a wellspring of life and we can truly love others. On the contrary when we love other people or other things more than Jesus, the people or things become snares to us and our hearts become corrupt and we cannot truly love them. This is the reason God commanded Abraham to offer even his dearly loved son Isaac as a burnt offering so that Isaac might not be a snare and idol to him and he might be set free and truly love his son before God. May we examine our hearts to see whether we love other people or things more than Jesus, such as our children, our spouses, money, school study, company work, our body, our dream and success and human recognition, etc. so that we can be free and truly love them. Especially, may we check our hearts at the time of success and God’s abundant blessing and when we are greatly troubled and in a critical situation so that our love for Jesus may become true. We also must know that love is more than a feeling. Love is making life-commitment and taking responsibility. It is doing what the one we love wants us to do. If we truly love Jesus, we can do anything that he wants us to do. Jesus said in John 14:21, “Whoever hears my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me…” In John chapter 21 we see what Jesus really wants us to do. At each time of Peter’s confession, Jesus commanded, “Feed my lambs”, “Take care of my sheep,” or “Feed my sheep.” In the Bible there is no record of Jesus’ pressing anyone in such an intense way. Certainly it is not the meaningless repetition of the command. To Jesus this is the most important and urgent command given to those who truly love him. We can entrust important matters to those whom we love. Jesus wants to entrust his sheep to the true lovers of him, commanding, “Feed my lambs; feed my sheep.” Jesus wants Jesus-lovers to express their true love for him through feeding his sheep. Jesus’ great agony is that his uncared sheep are increasing, but there are not many true responsible shepherds for them. May God have mercy on us to listen to Jesus’ command and feed his flock of sheep, particularly scattered U of T sheep so that his love may flow to them through us Look at verse 18. “I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” Jesus predicted Peter’s future life as a shepherd. It would be a life of suffering but truly glorious. Jesus showed the example of this glorious life with suffering and wanted Peter to follow him very personally. We thank God for Jesus’ unchanging love which restores any wounded and failed hearts. May God help us to truly love Jesus more than anything else because of his love and live a shepherd life very personally so that our life be truly beautiful and fruitful in the year of 2008.


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