John 21:1-25 - Feed My Lambs
Sermon by Pastor Brent Kompelien
February 18, 2024
INTRO
Good morning! I’m Pastor Brent and I’m excited for today. We’re coming to the conclusion of our study of the gospel of John.
ILLUST — If you know me, you know I love the mountains. Probably my favorite activity is hiking in the Sierra Nevadas, the Rockies, or even the foothills of southeast Minnesota.
Each year I spend 4 days in the mountains with three other pastor friends doing what we call “Survival Club”. It is an accountability retreat where we talk about life, family, and ministry. We want to be healthy pastors who stay in ministry for the long-haul amidst the challenges of pastoral leadership. We also do some fun activities that push ourselves literally to new heights.
On June 25, 2014, my friends Luke, Chipper, Ryan, and I wanted to climb a “fourteener” which in mountain-speak is a summit that is over 14,000 feet high. So we decided to scale Quandary Peak near Breckenridge, Colorado. (SLIDE 2)
We set out from the Monte Cristo Trailhead at 8:25am at a starting elevation of 10,860 feet. The hike up to the summit took us 2.5 hours as we gained over 3,400 feet in elevation in only 2.7 miles.
We hit the tree line at 11,700 feet. The rest of the hike was almost straight up a face of crushed rock. (SLIDE 3)
If you’ve ever done a hike like this, you know that the lack of oxygen can do strange things to your body. I remember the last 30 minutes as we scaled the final 1000 feet. My vision was a little blurry, my legs were shaky, and because we were higher than all the surrounding mountains, there was no longer any background or horizon in your peripheral vision, which made everything disorienting.
But the view from the top was incredible! We reached the peak at 11:00am. The final elevation: 14,265. (SLIDE 4) The top of Quandary is covered in snow year-round. As we stood on this peak that is smaller than this room, you could see for dozens of miles in every direction. The grandeur of this vista was indescribable. The perspective it offers, the vision, the ability to see clearly in all directions is a breath-taking experience.
We spent 25 minutes on the summit. (SLIDE 5) As we were basking in the glory of this achievement, suddenly the sunshine was gone. We looked up and saw some clouds forming nearby, and my friend Luke, who lives in Colorado, suddenly said, “We need to go right now!”
One thing you need to know about the mountains is that the weather can change very quickly. And being exposed on the top of a 14,000 foot summit is not good when a thunderstorm suddenly rolls in.
As soon as we left the summit, the wind picked up and it started to snow. We hiked as quickly as possible down the sheer face of rocks with a 30 mph wind at our backs and snow flying sideways!
As soon as we got to the tree line, the storm stopped as suddenly as it had started. The sun came back out, and we finished out descent to the trailhead, very tired and grateful we were safe. (SLIDE 6, title slide)
In many ways, this is like the experience of Jesus’ disciples in the gospel of John.
For Jesus’ disciples, getting to the mountain peak of the resurrection was somewhat disorienting, and sometimes their vision of God’s kingdom got blurry, or their legs got shaky, or their ability to balance was tested. Remember: they scattered when Jesus was arrested, they struggled to understand Jesus’ purpose in going to the cross, and some, like Peter, denied him publicly at the moment of truth.
Yet here they are. Overjoyed at the appearance of the resurrected Jesus! On top of the world, hardly able to believe that this is really happening, Jesus is alive! And this reality changes everything, it shapes our perspective, it is the vantage-point from which we can see clearly the purposes of God.
You see, we have now reached the peak of the gospel of John. Jesus is risen! The resurrection secures our ultimate hope for new spiritual life today, and new resurrection life tomorrow in the new heavens and new earth. What now?
This morning we come to the final chapter of the gospel of John. This chapter answers this question: What now? The storm clouds are brewing. The disciples have a mountain-top experience seeing the resurrected Jesus, but he is going to ascend to the Father, and what comes next?
Today we are going to see the account of John 21 tie back to critical moments from earlier in the gospels as Jesus once again calls his disciples to follow him, and he specifically reinstates Peter to help establish the early church. This is a launching point, a commissioning, a sending of his disciples to come down from the summit and to go into the world to be witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Open with me to John 21. This final chapter recalls two specific events as Jesus deliberately re-constitutes and re-commissions his disciples to follow him and lead the church. As I read the text, I want you to notice how the themes of fishing and shepherding come through in this passage. READ John 21:1-25.
ORG SENT — There are two parts to this account of Jesus’ third appearance. First, we see a familiar story about fishing that harkens to when Jesus first called his disciples (vv. 1-14). Second, we see the three-fold reinstatement of Peter as Jesus commissions him to shepherd the church (vv. 15-25).
MAIN 1 — Breakfast With Jesus (vv. 1-14). (SLIDE 7)
We pick up the story here in Galilee, and verses 1-2 tell us the names of the specific disciples who were together, which included Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James and John, and two others who we don’t know their names. Why were they in Galilee and not Jerusalem? (SLIDE 8)
Galilee is about 70 miles north of Jerusalem. It took a few days to walk there.
The gospel of Matthew captures why. At the Last Supper, this conversation happened with the disciples in Matthew 26:31-35, (SLIDES 9 and 10) “Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “ ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.”
Remember this? Peter’s grand promises, the disciples lofty aspirations. Yet all is dashed when the moment of truth comes…they abandon and deny Jesus.
But did you see the part about Galilee? Jesus promised that he would go ahead of them to Galilee after he had risen. The disciples kinda skipped over that part in the moment, but now they remember! They head to Galilee to find Jesus.
But I want you to notice something important here: In all three appearances of Jesus, his followers never find him…he appears to them. (SLIDE 11) Jesus initiates, he plans, he decides.
And here, as the disciples wait, there seems to be an aimlessness or an anxiety in Peter’s voice. He is back in Galilee, where he used to be a fisherman, and he doesn’t know what to do now. Yes, Jesus is alive. But Peter probably feels a distinct sense of trepidation after his series of three denials.
As this scene unfolds, I don’t want you to miss the symbolism, because this whole account should draw us back to remember a foundational event when Jesus first encountered these men beside the Sea of Galilee.
Look at verse 4. READ v. 4. — (SLIDE 12) Early in the morning: symbol of the dawn of Jesus’ reign (theme of light in John). Immediately prior in verse 3, the text says that the disciples had been fishing all night and caught nothing! John is deliberately bringing in the theme of darkness and light again. The disciples are in darkness, Jesus is the light!
Now look at what Jesus says. READ vv. 5-6.
Jesus’ suggestion to throw their nets on the right side of the boat is an interesting moment. The disciples had no clue who this random guy was. He is standing on shore about 100 yards away, and they likely could only see his silhouette in the early dawn light. Why would they take his advice?
It is likely that Jesus’ command is rather like the banter of fishermen: “Did you try casting over there? Did you try minnows? Did you try leeches? Did you try trolling? Did you try jigging off the bottom? Did you try crank baits? The list goes on and on!
I’m sure some of the disciples rolled their eyes. They were professional fishermen! Here is some random guy giving them advice from shore that they didn’t ask for. Give me a break!
ILLUST — A few years ago I took Annabelle fishing and I invited my dad to join us. We took my little fishing boat down to Lake Byllesby in Cannon Falls. We fished for hours and caught nothing. Annabelle had a little fishing pole with a plastic worm on it. I told her she needed to cast it near the reeds and slowly reel it in. She didn’t want to do that. Instead she dropped the worm in the water and held it about 6 inches under the water right next to the boat. I told her, “Annabelle, you’re never going to catch anything right next to the boat.” She insisted. So I said, “Whatever.” About 5 minutes later, she starts screaming, “Dad, dad!” And sure enough, she pulls out a really nice sized bass! And she has never let me hear the end of it!
Think about this moment with Jesus and the disciples: (SLIDE 13) This has happened before. In Luke 5:1-11 we see the account of when Jesus originally called these disciples to follow him: (SLIDES 14-17) “One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”
Now in John 21, the Apostle John, one of the sons of Zebedee, he remembers! And he says, “It is the Lord!” And it suddenly clicks for Peter also, and Peter brashly (typical!) jumps into the water to swim the 100 yards to shore when he could have helped his friends with this huge catch of fish.
I read that original account from Luke 5 because I want you to see some important parallels to John 21 and some important differences: (SLIDE 18)
(SLIDE 19) They had fished all night and caught nothing.
(SLIDE 20) Jesus tells him to let down the net and they catch a miraculous amount of fish.
(SLIDE 21) Peter’s reactions are different:
First reaction: “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (far)
Second reaction: Peter jumps out of the boat to swim toward Jesus (near)
(SLIDE 22) The nets are different:
Nets begin to break in Luke 5
Nets don’t break in John 21
(SLIDE 23) Jesus’ commissioning of Peter is different:
First commission was to “fish for people”
Second commission is to “feed my lambs” (which we will see in a moment)
KEY: Notice the location of where Jesus is on shore? He built a fire of burning coals. Remember the High Priest’s courtyard? Something profound is going to happen here.
MAIN 2 — Reinstating Peter (vv. 15-25). (SLIDE 24)
After Jesus feeds the disciples breakfast, he has something to say. READ vv. 15-17.
IMPORTANT: Peter finds himself around a fire again being questioned whether he loves Jesus. (SLIDE 25) The only other time this specific word for “burning coals” is used in the gospel of John is when Peter denies Jesus around the fire in the High Priest’s courtyard on the night Jesus was crucified.
Don’t miss this: (SLIDE 26) Peter denied Jesus three times. Now Jesus reinstates Peter three times.
Irony: Peter is personally hurt by Jesus’ three questions.
Don’t you think Jesus was hurt by Peter’s three denials!?
Yet here Peter still struggles to see clearly that Jesus desires deeper heart transformation.
KEY: The Apostle John captures this moment because it is critical for the beginning of the church and the re-commissioning of these disciples to follow Jesus. Remember the mountain-top experience, and yet there is a real world out there and the storms are brewing. These disciples are being sent by Jesus into difficult times with a job to do: to fulfill the Great Commission. And Jesus takes this moment to pull Peter aside, the oldest and the leader of the disciples, to call him again, to redeem his failure, and to set him on a trajectory of shepherding the early church in the crucial first years of the spread of the gospel.
In Jesus’ three questions, we see a powerful teaching tool. One of the consistent things we see in the gospel is that Jesus tends to use questions to provoke a disequilibrium in others so that he can get to the heart of the matter. This is what he does with Peter! Did you notice the specific language of his questions:
(SLIDE 27) Whose lambs are they? They belong to Jesus! — “feed my sheep”
(SLIDE 28) What is the basis for Peter’s care of the sheep? Love for Jesus! — “do you love me?”
KEY: Look at what Jesus says immediately after. READ vv. 18-19.
The language here of “stretch out your hand” is the typical words used to describe forcing someone to stretch out their arms to be nailed to a cross. (SLIDE 29)
Historical evidence shows that Peter was martyred years later in Rome under Emperor Nero. He likely was crucified. The words of Jesus here reveals that Peter will shepherd the church like the Chief Shepherd, even to the point of dying like his Savior.
But remember Peter’s lofty promises at the Last Supper? Let me remind you of Matthew 26:33, “But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” Yet he did just that.
Friends, I need you to see this: Jesus is working something deeper within Peter. (SLIDE 30) He is doing a work of heart transformation. He is forging a man of God, a true whole-hearted disciple, one who knows failure and suffering, one who realizes that he had tried to follow Jesus on his own strength, but now he has come to the end of himself, and he is ready to be used by God!
It is at this moment that Jesus renews his original call to Peter from three years earlier on that same beach on the Sea of Galilee: (SLIDE 31) “Follow me!” Follow Jesus, with eyes fixed on him, drawing your strength from him, tending and caring for the church like Jesus tenderly cares for each one of us.
This is the real moment of truth for Peter. Rather than his failure winning the day, Jesus’ mercy and grace redeem his life so that Christ’s power would be made perfect in Peter’s weakness.
Yet Peter is still Peter. He turns around to see the Apostle John listening in, and Peter asks, “What about him?” When faced with the future reality that he will have fruitful ministry tending Jesus’ sheep, but he will be martyred for his faith, Peter succumbs to comparison.
Jesus’ response: God’s plan for other people’s lives is not your business. You have a simple task: follow me.
We know that Peter took this to heart — I want to end by telling you in Peter’s own words what he came to understand about his leadership in the church. Toward the end of his life, Peter wrote a letter that we know as 1 Peter. Listen to these words from a formerly proud man, one who used to lord it over others, one who was anxious to achieve things by his own strength, one who fell to Satan’s temptations and suffered failure, and yet was one who was restored by Jesus.
(SLIDES 32-35) 1 Peter 5:1-11, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
Restored, strong, firm, steadfast, humble, prayerful, and full of love and care for other. This is the redeemed and Spirit-empowered Peter! What an example for the people of God! And what a fitting way to end the gospel of John, with a real-life story of redemption through Christ.
Taking our cue from the end of the gospel of John, our Elders and I have decided to do a four-part series from now until Palm Sunday called “Biblical Church Leadership.” We will start with a message on how Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, the Head of the Church. Then we will discuss topics like Elders and Deacons and ministry priorities for the church from 1 Timothy.