A Life of Purpose

John 21:14-25

     Today's reading will bring us to the end of our journey through the book of John.

     And yet, what we have read about Jesus only touches the tip of the iceberg, "...There are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written..."

     After Jesus' crucifixion Peter went back to fishing. His statement of purpose, "I am going fishing.", gave other disciples something to do, also. They went fishing with him!

     Have you ever know a "Type A" person? They go from event to event, project to project, barely slowing down between each, always looking forward to the next. When we read about Peter throughout the Gospels, he seems to fit that profile. And imagine how many events he had witnessed if all that Jesus had done during His earthly ministry couldn't be written down because the, "...world itself couldn't contain all the books that would be written..."! Each day would've been filled with meaning and purpose.

    And then the cross...

     The hiding in fear behind a closed door...

     With Jesus gone, what purpose did life have?

     Jesus did not leave Thomas in doubt....and He did not leave Peter without purpose.

     "...do you love me? ...Feed my sheep..."

     Even though Peter had betrayed Jesus, there was still a reason for him to go on. Jesus had a plan for Peter that was much bigger than a fishing boat, nets and fish. We see the plan lived out in Acts 2. Peter was in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. Now filled with the Holy Spirit he stood before a crowd of devout Jews from, "every nation under heaven", and Peter raised his voice to tell them about Jesus Christ... that they needed  to, "Repent...be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ...be saved from this perverse generation."

     God has a purpose for us too.

     Perhaps you doubt that statement. You, like Peter, may have denied Jesus over and again. How could He possibly care about you? How could you have a part in the work of His Kingdom?

     "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)

     Jesus gave Peter a purpose. You are not here randomly, He has a purpose for you, too!

     Believe what you have read in the book of John. Jesus loves you. He died for you. He offers eternal life with Him if you repent of your sins and confess Him as your Savior. He will walk with you every day of your life and reveal the purpose He has for you.

     And you will be amazed...

     
   

Empty Nets, Full Nets!

John 21:1-13

     Peter and some of the other disciples were together at the Sea of Tiberias. They were no longer locked up in fear, but had gone back to the place of two great miracles; this is where Jesus fed the five thousand (John 6:1-15), and where He walked on water (John 6:16-24). Imagine the excitement of  following Jesus each day, not knowing what miracle He might next perform. Imagine the emptiness the disciples surely felt when He was no longer there leading and teaching them.

    And so we see the fisherman Peter, at the sea, back to doing what he had before Jesus chose him as His disciple - fishing. The others climb into the boat with him and spend the night casting their nets, but catching nothing. And as they fished, perhaps they reminisced. Peter himself had walked on these very waters! They had all seen the wind and waves obey Jesus as He calmed the stormy sea! Though Jesus wasn't with them, He had given them many experiences to think about, teaching to remember, a new way to live.

     Daylight breaks, and on the shore Someone shouts to them, "Children, have you any food?" No fish, no food - empty nets and empty stomachs! The One on shore calls to them again, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." They don't know who this is yet - and since they've been fishing all night you can imagine that they probably have cast that net to the right a few times! But they cast it out anyway - after all, what do they have to lose? The net is so full of fish when they try to pull it out that they can't bring it all the way back into the boat!

     What may have started as a dismal day is suddenly full of excitement! John realized Jesus was on the shore, Peter jumped out of the boat to get to Jesus as quickly as he could, the rest joined him as the boat came near. Jesus had breakfast ready - bread and fish.

    Jesus didn't forget about His disciples. He appeared to them time and again, strengthening their belief.

     Because we don't see Him, we sometimes forget Jesus is near. That He cares about us. That He provides what we need, especially when all our own efforts leave us empty!  

   Our lives are like the disciples' nets- empty when we forget Jesus and go our own way, full when we listen to His instruction for us!



   

A Way that Seems Right...

John 18:12-27, Luke 22:54-62

      "...I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered."  Mark 14:27

     That night Jesus was arrested and led away. "...one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand..", "Then they all forsook Him and fled." (John 18:22, Mark 14:50)

     God's will, God's timing, fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

     God's will is not always what I expect, most often not my own will. If I had lived in Jesus' time I would have expected Him to stay on earth until He was old. Until all the sick were healed, and all the sinners made clean. Maybe until He had established an earthly kingdom utopia.  My vision would have been limited by my understanding of His purpose. 

     "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord." Isaiah 55:8 We are limited by our inability to see beyond the very second we are living, for surely the expectation of what we believe will happen next can be interrupted by any number of circumstances! 

     Peter was ready to fight to the death rather than stumble that night. He spoke brave words and drew his sword. But when God's will was done, and Jesus was led away, Peter denied Him - just as Jesus said he would. 

     For all our brave words, for all our determination to stand for Christ - no matter what that might involve, we too will stumble. We may deny. Because God's will may involve things we don't expect.

     If God allowed us to determine what was best, it would result in anything and everything but the best. Proverbs 14:12 says, " There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."  Our will, our understanding of what needs to take place in order that we may spend eternity with God, can result in our spiritual death. There are not many ways to God- only one, Jesus Christ, "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6). There are no works good enough to open Heaven's door, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God..." (Ephesians 2:8).

     It was God's will that Jesus died for our sins. It is His will that we believe Jesus died for our sins. So we are left with a choice - do we accept God's will?