I. OUR LIVES CAN BE CONFIRMATION OR DENIAL OF OUR CONNECTION TO JESUS

A. We are told of one disciple, named Peter…

Who betrays Jesus by denying that he even knows who He is.

After three years of ministry alongside Jesus, Peter carelessly refuses to remain loyal and he denies connection to Christ.

Three different times Peter is questioned about his connection; each time he distances himself.

Simon Peter was following Jesus, as was another disciple. That disciple was an acquaintance of the high priest; so he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard. 16 But Peter remained standing outside by the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the girl who was the doorkeeper and brought Peter in. 17 Then the servant girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” “I am not,” he said. 18 Now the servants and the officials had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold. They were standing there warming themselves, and Peter was standing with them, warming himself. —John 18:15–18 CSB

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” 27 Peter denied it again. Immediately a rooster crowed. —John 18:25–27 CSB

B. What about you?

This morning, in this room, there are more than likely many of us who can think back over the past weeks, months, or years and point to thoughts, words, and actions that hurt the heart of God.

Like Peter, many of us time and time again live as if we don’t know who Jesus is.

Unfortunately, some of the most unloving and difficult people I have come across in my life and ministry have been people who call themselves Christian.

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” —Brennan Manning (Author & Speaker)

I realize things are more complicated. It always is. We have been isolated here. We are generally really good to each other here at A Fresh Wind.

C. We must ask ourselves, what do our lives say about our connection to Jesus?

Maybe today you have left a trail of destruction.

You might have a history of broken relationships that has left you without hope that it could ever change.

I wonder what Peter thought as soon as he heard Jesus was alive. Jesus even warned Peter! Before the rooster crows you will deny me 3 times.

He told Jesus he would never deny Him. Even unto death.

The good news is that Peter’s story does not end with his denial, and our story does not have to either.

D. Going fishing

After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 “I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them. “We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. —John 21:1–3 CSB

Following Peter’s denial of Christ and Jesus’ ultimate death, the Bible says that Peter and the others go back to fishing.

Many of the men whom Jesus had invited to follow Him during His ministry had a background as fishermen.

They had left their nets because they believed Jesus was going to make them fishers of men, that He would lead them into restoring the world to the way God first intended.

Not only would that fishing trip have been somber as they mourned the loss of their friend and their desertion, but verse 3 tells us that their nets were empty as well.

When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus. 5 “Friends,” Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you?” “No,” they answered. 6 “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he told them, “and you’ll find some.” So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish. 7 The disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer clothing around him (for he had taken it off) and plunged into the sea. 8 Since they were not far from land (about a hundred yards away), the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. 9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. —John 21:4–9 CSB

To the disciples’ surprise, Jesus shows up on the shore of the lake where they are fishing. They do not recognize Him, much like Mary last week. The beautiful thing about this story is that Jesus is the one who initiates the restored relationships. He comes to the shoreline and calls out to the boat. As soon as the disciples recognize that it is Jesus who told them to fish on the other side of their boat and miraculously provides a great catch, Peter leaps into the water to swim to shore. HOPE!

II. JESUS’ GRACE RESTORES OUR HOPE

A. Why does Peter respond so drastically?

Peter is filled with hope that his relationship with Jesus can be restored.

I am afraid some of us this morning feel that we have made too many mistakes to be forgiven.

Some of us have lost hope that God could ever love us.

This morning I want to invite you to see that the Savior has come to the shoreline of your life and is offering you grace.

B. The miracle of Easter is that because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ…

All of our broken relationships can be restored

All of our mistakes and shortcomings can be covered by God’s grace.

DEEPER DOCTRINE: God’s grace is inexhaustible! You can never use is up! It is His and it’s based on unmerited favor.

That is why His mercy is New every morning! It is why Resurrection day is so important! God’s grace made available to those who confess Him as Savior and lord.

It is more than enough to fill us with hope once again. It is sufficient for us and is not something that we can do on our own.

It is when we recognize that Jesus has pursued us and called out to us that we are prompted, ever so quickly, to respond with our lives.

When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Feed my lambs,” he told him. 16 A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Shepherd my sheep,” he told him. 17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” “Feed my sheep,” Jesus said. 18 “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.” —John 21:15–19 CSB

C. Do you love me?

After they had finished eating along the shore, Jesus begins a conversation with Peter, “Do you love me?”

There are four words used for “love” in Greek. Each word is nuanced in one way or another. When Jesus asks if Peter loves Him, He says do you “agape” Me?

The word agape is the kind of love that is selfless and sacrificial. It is the way the biblical authors write about the death of Jesus. Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him like that.

Peter responds by saying, yes, of course I love you, but he uses a different Greek word for love that is “phileo.” Phileo is a brotherly love. It is affection for another, but it is not the same as agape.

Jesus asks this question three times and Peter responds all three times. With each question, Jesus is slowly, deliberately resurrecting Peter’s hope in Peter that their relationship can be restored. Each one of the three questions is a reversal of the three denials from the chapters before.

III. LOVE FOR JESUS IS PROVEN BY A LIFE FOR JESUS

A. What is your answer?

Peter responds to each invitation from Jesus to restored relationship by answering as honestly as he can about his love.

Jesus loves sacrificially, in “agape,” but the best Peter can do is love conditionally, in “phileo.” Jesus accepts Peter at this level.

Jesus answers and says. It’s okay GIVE ME WHAT YOU GOT!

B. Jesus’ invitation ends each time with a call to action. He says, “Feed my sheep.”

Essentially, Jesus is giving Peter the opportunity to demonstrate his love for Jesus by serving others.

The Bible tells us that Peter did indeed remain true to this call - he ends up giving his life to serve the Church and feed Jesus’ “sheep.”

Peter’s love for Jesus is proven in his life for Jesus.

C. The best thing about this conversation on the shore is how Jesus finishes the discussion.

He invites Peter, as He did in the very beginning, to follow Him.

He invites peter the very same way He invited him the first time.

This is a very important truth for us to see this morning. Every one of us is invited to follow Jesus initially.

We are invited to trust Him with our lives and become His followers. But even when we fail to remain faithful, the invitation remains exactly the same: to follow Him once again.

Summary

This morning, Jesus’ question to you is this: Do you love me? If the answer is yes, then we must live like it—in how we love others and serve the world. If the answer is no, through confession of sin and an honest repentance, we can allow the grace of God to wash over us, and our hearts can be filled with affection for Him.