WHAT’S TRUE & WHAT’S NOT - Sermon

John 21:1-19    WHAT’S TRUE & WHAT’S NOT & DOES JESUS’ RESURRECTION MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Ray is a corn farmer. He and his wife Annie and small daughter Karin live on farm in Iowa. Ray is a good husband and dad perhaps because he made up his mind to be different from his own father John who was seldom around when Ray was a boy. Their relationship was always troubled and then John died. 

Year later Ray began to hear a voice telling him to build a baseball diamond and an outfield on his farmland. The voice told him, "If you build it he will come." Ray doesn’t understand the persistent message and unable to ignore it he believes it and he persuades Annie let him build a baseball field with spectator seats. One evening some uniformed players begin to emerge from out of the cornfield and they begin to play ball. They appear so happy to play. The game ends as the sun sets and the players withdraw into the corn. Neighbours hear about it and at first think Ray has lost his mind. A game happens night after night as these ghostly players come from the corn and the neighbours show up to watch one night, and return each following night. 

If you haven’t recognized it, Ray is the protagonist in a novel called ‘Shoeless Joe’ written by Canadian author W.P. Kinsella, a novel that was turned into the movie called ‘Field of Dreams.’ In this fantasy drama Ray doesn’t know that the voice belongs to Joe Jackson, nicknamed “Shoeless Joe,” who was an outfielder with the 1919 Chicago White Sox. That team became known as the Black Sox because of a dreadful scandal, when seven players all dead and gone now, were disgraced and banned from baseball because they accepted bribe money for intentionally losing the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. 

Near the end of the story as the players return into the corn stalks, only the catcher remains on the field. He removes his mask and a handsome face appears that Ray recognizes as his father John when he was a young aspiring ball player. Ray says to Annie, "It's my father... I-I only saw him years later when he was worn down by life. Look at him. He's got his whole life in front of him, and I'm not even a glint in his eye. What do I say to him?" Ray introduces John to Annie and Karin and choking with emotion Ray asks, "Hey Dad? Do you want to have a catch?" The two enjoy a game of catch between father and son one more time as the sun sets. Then dad waves goodbye and moves into the corn stalks. 

Kinsella story is an inspired piece of literature about the themes of faith and redemption. He writes fiction. He deals in make believeand it’s entertaining and we are okay with that because we understand the genre. 

However, those themes of Faith and redemptionare customary themes in church too. Here in this place we are uninterested in fiction. We want and we expect truth in our conversations and in our teaching. We certainly want the truth about faith and redemption.  

It has been 84 days four days since Easter when we remembered the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The events of Jesus’ last weekend alive on earth were so uncommon and uncomfortable, that they sounded fictitious, as though they might have spun out of a cornfield. Two events stood out. One event was viciously uglyand the other was superbly inspiring. The ugly One was Jesus’ crucifixion. His body spiked to a wooden cross.  Confused citizens and Roman soldiers killed this innocent man. 

The inspiring eventwas Jesus’ bodily resurrection.Jesus died from blood loss and organ collapse and suffocation and heart failure. It’s true he died. His body was placed in a tomb where it would predictably decompose. That was the expectation but on that weekend, the general expectation was turned into a divine exception. In the darkness of the death chamber, Jesus' lifeless corpse experienced resurgence, restoration, and revitalization. He came back to life, sat up, stood up, folded his grave clothes and left them lying there. In this risen form Jesus exited the tomb.

Unlike Kinsella’s stories, the Jesus events are true, genuine. They really happened. Jesus appeared to people in this resurrection form. Mary Magdalene saw him not long after that. During the same day he appeared to his disciples who were assembled in a room with the doors locked because they were afraid of the Jewish community. He showed them his punctured hands and side. Thomas was the only one not present then, but eight days later Jesus showed up again and this time Thomas realized the truth of Jesus’ resurrection when he put his fingers on Jesus’ wounds. That’s when he emotionally exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!”

And John’s gospel, 20:30-31tells us this. 

May I ask you, in the past seven weeks since Easter has the truth of Jesus’ resurrection been influencing your life? Has the reality that he is at the Father’s side in heaven right now, encouraged your faith? My take on scripture is that the disciples were greatly affected by the risen Jesus. When they knew this was real, they determined to be holy people, and spend their lives travelling to tell others about Jesus and started churches.  

I’ll look with you at one episode when Jesus appeared to the disciples so that we can learn together how we should live life because Jesus rose from the dead. We will learn five life lessons about living with the risen Jesus.

First life lesson

21:1-4 ESV After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way.Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 

1. IT’S SENSIBLE FOR US TO ANTICIPATE THE RISEN JESUS SHOWING UP DURING OUR INEFFECTIVENESS (failure, hopelessness).

The disciples did not know where Jesus was or where he stayed now in between his sudden appearances to them in his resurrected body. They did not expect him now. 

The disciples were severely confused. How were they supposed to live their lives since their Master was not dead but alive? Yet He was not with them. He had appeared twice but he didn’t stay with them. Where did he go? Where was he staying? What did he want them to do? How should they spend their time? 

The hours dragged on. Simon Peter suddenly stood up and announced,  “I’m going fishing.” Why not? It’s what he knew how to do. Fishing had been his livelihood before he met Jesus. And right now he was antsy, and could sit on his hands any longer. Going fishing was Peter’s idea and a good one because he and his friends needed to eat. If he caught more than they needed, he could sell them in morning like he always had done. Six of his fellow disciples immediately said they’d join him, so it was a group of seven. Five of the group seven are named here, Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, James and John, and two others are mentioned but unnamed. They all knew how to fish. 

Three years earlier before Peter met Jesus, he had come to shore from a night of fishing and he was checking his nets and folding them when Jesus walked up to him, engaged him in conversation, and then invited Peter to follow him. Jesus said, “I’ll make you a fisher of men.” The comment and Jesus himself were so compelling that Peter left his livelihood to be with Jesus and over the months became convinced that he was walking with Messiah. But Messiah had died and obviously come back to life and Peter didn’t know if or when Jesus would show up again. It was mysterious. Well it didn’t matter. He was going fishing. 

They launched their boat as the sun was setting. Late afternoon and evening was the time when fishermen went out to fish. Surface water had cooled by then and fish instinctively swam back to the surface after diving into deeper water during the heat of the day. The fishnets were underwater but suspended nearer the surface. The men expected to catch fish, no problem. But on that night, hour after hour passed with no action. Not one stupid fish stumbled into their net. Imagine the frustration and disappointment. And then it was dawn, and they had caught no fish, not one. But didn’t we read in vs.4, that as dawn was breaking Jesus stood on shore but the disciples did not recognize him. He showed up right at the time of their ineffectiveness.

You are not alone. Are you trying to find work, and so far your efforts have been unsuccessful? What kind of work are you doing? Have you been experiencing challenges at work? Is it a new job? Is it a huge challenge or adjustment? Are you worried about your workload, or workplace, or workmates? Do you have a project that you have stalled on? Are you working at home projects and finding that a struggle? Are you involved in summer school? Are you working on a term paper, an assignment, and are you bogged down? Is there something that is not going well, and you can’t seem to remedy it? Are you trying to make a decision about a relationship? Is there something that is unsettling in your life right now?

Get ready. You should expect the risen Jesus to show up in your life right about now.  Keep an open and discerning mind so you will recognize his voice when you hear it. It may come through someone else, or through a scripture or a book or a song, or a quiet sacred inner voice. This was the way Jesus revealed himself to some of his disciples, right at the point of their helplessness, their ineffectiveness and disappointment. 

A second Life Lesson

21:5-6 5 Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No." 6 He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 

IT’S ADVISABLE TO OBEY THE RISEN CHRIST EVEN WHEN WHAT HE SAYS IS COUNTERINTUITIVE.

The figure on the shore was visible but undistinguishable to the disciples. Perhaps the dim morning light or the mist from the water or the distance inhibited them from seeing facial detail. Even when he spoke they did not identify him by his voice. “Have you any food?”This was a way of asking, “Have you caught any fish?”

There are times when you welcome questions, as when your doctor questions you in order to diagnose your symptoms. But when servers bring you your ordered meal, and return so soon after you have taken one bite and ask some inane question like “How’s it going so far?” or “How are you doing so far?” you may reply politely but you really want to say, “I’m doing fine, how are you doing?”

Jesus’ question sounds innocent, harmless.  Yet when something you are working on is not going well, a question can be unwelcome. I’m unsure how these seven exasperated fishermen felt with the question, after spending an entire long night on the water in cramped conditions, and catching not one miserable fish. You and I might be timid about asking them a question, but you don’t know if you don’t ask, so Jesus did.  “Children, have you any food?” They said “No.”

Now imagine this stranger on the shore offering advice to these veteran fishermen on what they should do next in order to catch fish. Would that go over well with most tradespeople you know? Or with most professionals? And if the advice sounds so bizarre as to be laughable, the disciples could ridicule Jesus or be angry with him. Nevertheless, Jesus offered this word, more like a command than a suggestion.  

“Well then, here’s something you might try. Put your nets on the right side of the boat instead of on the left.” His advice was not bizarre; it was contrary to intuition or to common-fishermen-sense.Something that is Counterintuitive defies common sense. It’s a paradox. We bump into paradoxes and counterintuitive situations frequently. (1) Make it mandatory that all bike riders wear helmets and the number of bicycle related injuries would increase. Sounds counterintuitive, or against common sense but it is true that wearing helmets invites riders to take greater risks and to ride more recklessly. (2) The less time you spend on online “social” networks, the more likely you are to build authentic social connections and relationships. You make a better friend face to face than by texting.

Fishermen would not think that the habit of fish is to swim in schools and hang out on either the port side or starboard side. The seven fishermen know this innately. The boat was eight, ten or twelve feet wide. Fish were not going to avoid one side of the boat in order to congregate a few feet away on the opposite side. It sounded like foolish advice – counterintuitive. But Jesus virtually promised that if they did this, they would catch some fish. Listen, it’s counterintuitive to think that God exists.  It’s counterintuitive to think that God spoke words and immediately there was light and darkness, and land and sea, and sun, stars and planets, and vegetation, and creatures on land, sea and air and that it was all perfectly good. But common sense has nothing to do with the supernatural.  And that’s what is taking place here.

I cannot explain to my own satisfaction what compelled the disciples to follow Jesus’ advice right then but they did.He virtually said, “you caught nothing on the left side, so put your nets on the left and you’ll catch fish.” Maybe the disciples simply thought, “Well, it can’t hurt.”  Sure enough, their nets were suddenly filled with fish, so many they could not pull the nets back over the boat edge. Right side or left had nothing to do with the results but rather had to do with either working with God’s guidance or without it. That’s the lesson being taught here. Will you and I listen and obey the instruction of the risen Master?

Can you see how this relates to the questions I was asking you about your life? What are you doing? What are you trying to complete? What choices must you make? What decisions are you considering? What problems are you trying to solve? What do you want to do? Where do you want to move? What relationships do you want? 

We are accustomed to doing it ourselves, in our own way. Yet if God clearly intercepts us with his direction that we had not considered, are we ready to do it God’s way? That’s the question we have to answer. Whether it is looking for a lifetime partner, or seeking to be sure about someone we are dating, or wondering which schools to apply to for the fall, or trying to find a good job, or what kind of vehicle to buy and how much to spend, or should I move away from here … so many decisions of life for which the LORD will have the solution which will end our indecision, our uncertainty, our lack of focus, ineffectiveness and futility.  - Expect God to give you some help and direction. He has invested heavily in you.  Tell him you’re listening. Be living and walking closely to him so that you can recognize when it’s his voice speaking. Be bold to do what he tells you. Step out in faith when his direction is different from what you at first chose to do, or wanted to do, or are comfortable to do. It is in your choice to obey that your success and contentment will be found.

A third Life Lesson

John 21:7-14 ESV   7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.  8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. 9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

IT’S UNDERSTANDABLE TO BE OVER THE TOP ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT SPENDING TIME WITH THE RISEN JESUS.

We see the phenomenon all the time. Masses of people push at one another to be able to get free food or event tickets. Celebrities draw crowds. Ordinary people crowd each other to get close to band members, to someone who is famous, or heroic in sport or some other discipline. 

The boat was 200 cubits from shore, 91 metres or 100 yards. As soon as John said out loud, “It’s the LORD,” Peter excitedly tore off his tunic and jumped bare-chested into the shallow water to wade to Jesus. Jesus was not just a celebrity. He was the one who fed five thousand people with a boy’s lunch. He walked on water. He gave sight to the blind and healed crippled deformed legs. He died and rose again. Peter loved him. That’s why Peter was overwhelmed. Had I been there I would be overwhelmed, wouldn’t you? I amoverwhelmed by him? I’m sure you are too, Aren’t you?“I go to prepare a place for you?And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John14: 2,3

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”John14: 15-17

On the sand, Jesus already had a fire burning with fish already cooking over it as well as warmed bread. We are not told where those provisions came from but it doesn’t much matter. This was Jesus, who could take a few loaves and fish and multiply it to feed thousands of hungry people. Jesus has everything we need, but he will also use what we have.

The boat was still floating slowly to shore, dragging the net of fish. Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish you have caught,”so Peter waded to the boat, and dragged the net to shore. When the fish were pulled out and counted, there were 153 large fish. Everything about this event was demonstrating the supernatural. Normally, the size of these fish and so many of them would have torn the net, but the net held together. 

And Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” 

At this point in this developing episode, all of the disciples now knew that this was Jesus. They just did not dare to say anything like, “is it truly you LORD?”That would have been so lame. “Who are you really?” Even though this is now the third time that Jesus had appeared to them following his resurrection from the dead, they found this experience overwhelming. He had been lifeless. The spear had pieced his heart. He was dead. That was verified. But now he was among them. The scars of the beatings, and crown of thorns and crucifixion remained on his body. He could physically hold bread and give it to them. Many people use the term “surreal” these days to describe certain situations, and it would be apropos to use it here.  “It’s too good to be true. But it is true. He is actually there. He speaks. He told us to throw our nets to the right side and look what happened! Seriously, whatever he tells me to do, I will do. I love him so very much.” 

A fourth Life Lesson

John 21:15-19 ESV 15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." 16 He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." 

17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. 

18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me."

IT’S REASONABLE TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR LOVE FOR JESUS BY TELLING OTHERS ABOUT HIM AND FOLLOWING HIM.  

This is a wonderfully tender moment between Jesus and Peter. It’s a remarkable scene because Peter’s great betrayal of Jesus had not been addressed until this moment. It begins with a question from Jesus. “Do you love me more than these?”

He’s asking whether Peter thinks he loves Jesus more than the other disciples do. It was an appropriate question to ask because only weeks earlier Peter had boasted that he did. On that occasion Jesus informed his disciples that cold-blooded people wanted to take his life. Peter had boasted that his love and loyalty for Jesus was superior to that of the others. He said, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” It sounded arrogant. He was so confident about his devotion to Jesus and I think he was sincere. But Jesus had known what would happen. “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” No, no, no never, is what Peter thought. That would never happen Peter thought so he said, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples had said the same thing.” 

But then it happened. Jews and Roman soldiers invaded the garden prayer retreat and Peter’s anger erupted and he lopped off the ear of one of the men. That was courageous but it didn’t prevent the inevitable. Jesus was taken into custody and hustled through the kangaroo court without good evidence and was sentenced to death. During those hours Peter was confronted by accusers, of being a sympathizer and follower of Jesus. He was afraid. Three times he was accused of being a devotee of Jesus, and each time Peter denied that he knew Jesus. Peter had been filled with unquenchable remorse that consumed him ever since that betrayal night.

It’s important to let God use such a moment to also speak to us through this narrative. 

Imagine if you have sinned and disappointed the LORD, grieved him. And now you are standing in his presence but instead of him saying what you expect he will say, such as, “are you sorry? Do you apologize?” “Do you promise never to do it again?” he says to you, “do you love me?” Wouldn’t that break your heart? You would have expected the other remarks and you could quickly answer, “sure, yes, I am sorry, I apologize. I’ll never do that again.” But he asked, “Do you really love me.”

If in your life you have been following Jesus at a distance, rather casually, half-heartedly, very short of flat-out faithful commitment, or if you have been spiritually lukewarm, not hot, not cold, just warm enough not to feel too guilty, but Jesus is clearly not satisfied with this because he wants you love him and true love is displayed differently.

In English we are limited to one word for love that has to pertain to love for God and for spouse, for children, for job, for hobbies, for sport and everything else we love. So the word we use doesn’t express the level of love we have for our car or for our sweetheart. To communicate that distinction we add phrases like, “I really love my car,” and “I love you with all my heart,” or “to the moon and back.” But the Aramaic Greek language Jesus used had several “love” related words. Two times, Jesus asked his question using the word “Agape,” the highest form of love, as if to ask, “Do you love me with your heart and soul and all of your strength?” And Peter answered with the word ‘phileo’ meaning something equivalent to “You know that I like you,” or” You know that I’m your friend.”

 So why does Peter answer the way he does? I admit this is my own thinking but I believe Peter had changed his mind about himself. He modified his self-serving boast about being devoted and he’s not boastful any more. He has been humbled.  

A third time Jesus asked the question, he used Peter’s word, “Do you have a friendly, brotherly phileo love for me?” And Peter still not wanting to claim too much used that same word, intending as earnestly as possible to convey how much he loved Jesus. “You know everything Jesus and you know that I love you.” And right there in the presence of the others, Jesus restored Peter. Sure Peter was an emotional, spontaneous, verbal, even volatile fellow but he was also leadership material. These other disciples and many other followers were Jesus’ flock. Jesus told Peter to take care of them. ‘Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep.” 

Jesus knew everything. He knew Peter loved him and would always love him even when it would mean his death. Jesus was alive. That was true not false. It made all the difference. Peter would tell others about Jesus even if it cost him his life. Jesus commanded Peter, “Follow Me.” Peter would die a martyr for the sake of Christ. Jesus is saying that same thing to you and me today, ‘Follow me.’ 

The Fifth Life Lesson

John21: 20-23  20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

21:20-23 IT’S ESSENTIAL TO ACCEPT THAT OUR PRIORITY OBLIGATION IS TO FOLLOW THE RISEN JESUS REGARDLESS OF WHAT OTHER CHRISTIANS DO. 

Peter noticed another disciple nearby and Peter asked Jesus this question. “What about this man?” Jesus had just given Peter a grim forecast about his future, so impulsively as was his habit, Peter to ask about the other man’s future. “So if that’s what I have to look forward to, what about that guy? 

So Peter has asked Jesus, “If my life has such a grim prospect, what about him?” Jesus’ answer was blunt. “What business is it of yours what I choose to do with him? Your job is to follow me.” He had just finished telling Peter that his life would end as a martyr and that outcome would glorify God.  Then he commanded Peter, “Follow me.” Now he tells him that again. To dramatize Peter’s responsibility, Jesus spoke hypothetically about exempting John from physical death for a long time and if that were to happen that still had no bearing on Peter’s obligation to follow Jesus every step of the way. 

 John is the author of this account and he describes this other guy as the disciple whom Jesus loved, and the one who leaned against Jesus during the last supper, and the one whom Peter motioned to because he was sitting closest to Jesus to ask Jesus the relevant question, “which one of us is going to betray you?” Why doesn’t John give us the disciple’s name rather than call him the disciple whom Jesus loved. Why is it that no other gospel writer refers to any disciple this way as the one whom Jesus loved? Only John does this and he uses this phrase six times. What it suggests to me is that John is referring to himself. I believe John was forever grateful that Jesus had taken an interest in him, turned him into a disciple, and taught him so much. And even as Jesus was dying on the cross, his mother Mary was standing with John, and Jesus said, “Mom, that will be your son from now on. John, my mom is going to be your mom.” John was indebted, humbled, blessed. He feels loved. Of course, there are always liberal thinkers who suggest a homoerotic relationship between Jesus and John. That’s blasphemous. 

We are so inclined to comparisons, them and us. You and I don’t need to be concerned with what God is doing with anyone else because our focus should be on what he has commanded us to be and to do. “Follow me.” When we follow Jesus it is into a life of obedience and purity and righteous godliness and light and salt and service to others.

And with that John has concluded his book, John 21:24-25. John testifies that what he has recorded is accurate and yet incomplete because all that Jesus did and that God does cannot be contained in books.