Tim Keller says you don’t know who Jesus is unless you are running from Him or toward Him. If you are somewhere in the middle, you do not see that He is Lord of Lords and demands your all.
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At the first fish miracle, Peter cries, “Away from me, I am a sinful man.” But after the resurrection and the second fish miracle, Peter jumps out of the boat and swims toward Jesus. Peter realizes who He is each time, but has two very different reactions. I will include the transcript, but I suggest listening or watching as well, for God’s anointing is on Keller as he preaches. Here is the link to the sermon, which is both on video and audio:
https://gospelinlife.com/sermon/it-is-the-lord/
Sunday:
1. How did you experience the goodness of the Lord during Easter Sunday and the following week?
Monday: The Text
2. Read John 21:1-14
- John begins with Afterward — so, after what?
- I’ve heard sermons that say it was wrong for them to go fishing after the resurrection, for they should have only been fishing for men. What are your thoughts?
- How do you see a desire to be together in verse 3?
- What miracle did Jesus perform? In what ways was it similar to when they first met Him?
- Describe Peter’s reaction.
- Why do you think we are told Peter wrapped his garment around him before he jumped in?
- Why do you think no one dared ask “Who are you?”
- What did Jesus ask of them?
- What stands out to you from this account?
Honestly, if I had to preach from just this account, I don’t know what I’d say, so Keller amazes me in all he saw!
Tuesday: Supernatural Unity
Read/Listen to the text below:
So, for a couple of weeks, we’re looking at these post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. All year, we’ve been looking at the night before He died, John 13–17, where He’s training them as disciples to be ready to go out into the world to represent Him. And we’ve been going through that training ourselves, and we’re going to go back to it and finish John 17. But for a couple of weeks here, around Easter, we’re looking at the teaching He did after His resurrection because He’s still teaching them; He’s still preparing His disciples and us to go out into the world and represent Him and this time, we see four things in this lovely passage. And by the way, next week, we see how Jesus deals with Peter’s denials or threefold denials. But the first half of this chapter, we see Peter and the disciples meeting Jesus for the first time and we’re actually being taught, Jesus is always teaching … and He’s teaching them four things. While He’s teaching us, four things that should be true of us if we’re Christians … Or another way to put it is four marks of the church … Four marks the Christian church ought to have in the world. And those four marks are supernatural unity, new identity, continuous intimacy, and comprehensive certainty.
Four marks! Let’s take a look, first of all, look at the first couple of verses. I love the simplicity of it, you can miss it, you can just go right by it. And I also love where the period is; it says ‘Simon Peter, Thomas Nathanael, two other disciples, were together.’ Period! It doesn’t say they were together to do something, they are gathered to do something, or some event … it says they were just together, period! And notice when Peter says ‘I want to go fish’, the others don’t say, ‘Oh, we want to go fish too.’ No, they just said ‘we want to go with you’. They don’t say they want to go fish … He wants to go fish, but they want to be with you. What’s going on here? If you go back through the book, you’ll see all these characters and they are very different, they have different temperament and different outlook. They’re always getting on each other’s nerves, they’re always arguing. In fact, you can even go back through John chapters 20 and 21, and you look at Mary, John, Thomas and Peter, and they’re so different. You know, Mary was a feeler and John was a thinker; and Thomas wanted sensory experience, ‘I want to feel, I want to actually touch Him with my hands.’ So Mary was an existentialist, and John was a rationalist, and Thomas was an empiricist. Those of you with a philosophy degree should be very impressed right now with me … ‘Wow! I can’t believe he knows what those terms mean.’ I actually don’t; however, I’m trying to get across the fact that these people were very different, extremely different, and they didn’t get along until now. Now, they all have a Living Center, they’ve met the risen Christ, and now they’re together. They want to be together, they will be together. They’ve got a Living Center that unites them because they’ve all seen the living Christ, the risen Christ. When that happens, it doesn’t matter how different everybody else is, they’re your brothers or your sisters. Look, I guess human beings have always been this way. We’ve always looked out there in the world and we’ve seen some people that we really can’t stand, we think the world’s worse because of those people; and by the way, don’t tell me I’m wrong because I go on the internet and all everybody does is talking about ‘those’ people. That’s the only thing you talk about, ‘those people’, ‘those people’; guess what, when you go to the church, the church is filled with ‘those people’ and guess what? You’re ‘those people’ to somebody else! Okay, you’re ‘those people’ to some others, ‘those people’. Experience of the risen Christ takes all that away. Now they’re together. They are together, and the experience of Jesus Christ, that true encounter with Jesus Christ brings about a supernatural unity. Or, another way to put it is you get along with people that outside in the world, apart from Jesus, you would never give the time of day to. Now, are you experiencing that? Now let me go a little further. The other thing we see as you go through John chapters 20 and 21 is because these people are so different, Jesus meets them at their point of need. So He does give John, if you remember, John sees the grave clothes. He gives John, who is a rationalist, lots of evidence to think about. And He gives Thomas a sensory experience. So ‘here I am’, you know, ‘here’s my wounds, take a look, feel them’. But with Mary, if you remember, I just love it … When He meets Mary, you know how He reveals Himself to Mary? He says, ‘Mary!’ He just looks at her and just says her name. He meets everyone at their point of need, but you know what that means, because there’s such a difference in temperament. Every person brings out something in Jesus that the other people do not. Which means it’s only together … See it’s not just that Jesus … knowing Jesus means that you suddenly now have all kinds of brothers and sisters you’d never otherwise would have been with. But being with them shows you Jesus in a way that you would never know all by yourself, do you see that? Without Jesus, you would never know these people, but without these people you will never know Jesus. I’m basing that on the famous quote … I’ve quoted so many times over the years, I won’t even read it to you again … those of you old timers say ‘yeah, I know this one by heart.’ But there’s a place where CS Lewis in his book on friendship is talking about the fact that his name was Jack, they call him Jack and J. R. R. Tolkien, they called him Ronald, and Charles Williams … these three authors, very famous authors were all dear friends with each other, and then Charles dies … it was Jack and Ronald and Charles, and when Charles died, Jack thought, ‘well, that’s terrible! but at least in a sense I’ll have more of Ronald.’ Then he realized that there was a part of Ronald that only Charles brought out, that he had lost forever. The way he puts it in the book, as he says ‘in each of my friends, there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out; by myself, I’m not large enough to call the whole person into activity.’ And in other words, what he’s saying is, ‘actually Charles knew Ronald in a way that Jack just can’t!’ Now if that’s true of human beings, just a regular human being, how much more true would that be of the of Jesus Christ? And what this means is in fact, look, ‘I’m more like, John, I’m more than rational or didn’t you know that?’ But when I even read about how Jesus treats Mary, it shows me something I wouldn’t see otherwise. You will never know the multi-dimensional glory and beauty of your Savior unless you know Him in community. You need a whole pile of other people who also know Jesus well, who are different than you, and you’ve got to know them, to know Him. Which means it does not work, the busy New York thing … the busy New York Christian thing is, ‘I’m very busy with my career, and I come to church, and you’re lucky that I’m even coming to church.’ But I’m sorry, that’s not good enough. You come into church having a kind of ‘you and God’ experience, even if it’s a good service or something like that. You have to join, you have to be a member of a church, you’ve got to commit yourself to brothers and sisters, you have to … without knowing Jesus, you would never know these people; without knowing these people very well you will never know Jesus, at least you will not know the full, the multi-dimensional beauty and glory of your Savior. See, this is all the supernatural unity that we have in Jesus Christ. And I think it’s right to ask, do we have that? Do you have that? Are you practicing that? Are you experiencing that? Do we experience that here? That’s the only point, one. Wow, you know, we could close in prayer right now. Wasn’t that inspiring enough for you? But let’s go on. It’s amazing. The Bible is amazing.
3. What stands out to you from Keller’s first point on supernatural unity and why? How does he substantiate from the text?
4. Are you friends with people you might not have been friends with if you did not both have Christ at the center of your lives? If possible, give an example.
5. How has knowing Christ in community, in church, on this blog, or in any kind of Christian fellowship enhanced your relationship and understanding of Him? Give an example.
6. Why is it not sufficient to attend church and go home without truly being in fellowship? How could you connect better with people after church?
Wednesday: New Identity
Read/Listen Below
So number two … the new identity. The heart of this passage is the change in Peter. One of the great contrasts in the entire Bible is the difference between Peter in Luke 5 and Peter in John 21. And it’s almost as if, you know, they’re I know, they’re written by two different authors, but it’s pretty astounding. It’s almost as if Jesus sets it up to show us a couple things. And here’s why. If you go to Luke 5 and John 21, there are six to seven ways in which they are identical. In fact, I’ll give you the names, I’ll give you the list; in both Luke 5 and John 21, the disciples are in a boat, they’re in a boat fishing. Also, they fished all night and they catch nothing. Okay, that’s four things. Jesus says, ‘throw the nets in one more time’. And in both, they also then have this enormous, miraculous catch of fish through the power of Jesus Christ. So in both those places they’re absolutely the same. But in Luke 5, what is Peter’s response? He says, ‘Depart from me.’ He’s scared, he’s annoyed … it’s not it’s numinous or it’s dread, he’s dreading the presence of it. He says, “Depart from me, I’m a sinful man. You make me feel sinful, you make me feel weak, you make me feel small. I don’t want to be here!” So in Luke 5 all this happens, and he just wants to get away from Jesus; and in John 21 the same thing happens, and in that what is he doing? The exact opposite! He’s running for Jesus like a madman, like a crazy man. He jumps into the water, he’s not waiting for the boat, and he’s wading, swimming, whatever. Trying to get as close to Jesus as possible, as fast as he can. Complete opposites! Well, we’re obviously supposed to learn something from this. What? Well, one thing we learn is if you ever encounter Jesus, it’s never a vitamin supplement. What I mean by that is if you meet Jesus Christ, you cannot meet Jesus Christ and then just get a kind of pickup … supplement energy, inspiration, for the life you’re already living. If you meet Jesus Christ, you’ll live a whole ‘nother life. Jesus is not a vitamin supplement, He’s not just a booster to help you on the, you know, just to help you do better the life you’re already living … He gives you a whole new life, completely changed new creation, Paul says. Secondly, the only cogent … I’m using the word carefully … The only cogent response to Jesus Christ is an extreme one. Because in Luke 5,Peter is just scared, frightened, dreading; in John 21, he’s ready, rushing and running toward Him, but they’re both, what? Here’s the one thing that never happened. Never. Nobody ever said, ‘Gee, how did He do that thing with a fish? That’s interesting. Let’s go talk to Him about that.’ No, nobody ever did anything like that. Because when you begin to realize the claim, when you begin to realize who He is or who He claims to be, the only cogent responses are either to say I want nothing to, you know, anger and fear, I want nothing to do … or, run toward Him and give yourself to Him. See, look at the claim. What’s the claim? It’s almost in every page of the Gospels, New Testament … Jesus Christ is the Creator God of the universe who has come to earth to give Himself for us so that we could live for Him. And that’s a totalitarian claim. Because, you know, you either have to run away screaming and anger and fear from it or you have to run toward Him with joy and love and tears and fall down at His feet and say, ‘I’m yours’. And nothing in the middle makes any sense. And by the way, if you are in the middle, I know some of you must be, because most people are not listening, you’re not seeing you don’t really know who He is. Maybe you were raised, and maybe your parents are Christians and now you kind of have to go to church. I don’t know what it is. But the point is, unless you are running away from Him, or you’re running toward Him, you actually don’t really know who He is, you haven’t really come to grips yet with Him. But here’s the main thing that I think we’re supposed to learn. And some of you might actually remember the second heading for the sermon. And that is, Peter is showing the results of the fact he has a new identity. So there’s two kind of ways to get a self-image. The one way, I guess we could call it an achieved self-image … you get the self-image by trying your best to live in a certain way and you convince yourself you’re a good person. I mean, most of our self-mage, most of our self-worth is based on the idea that ‘you know what, I’m actually fairly good person, I’m a pretty good person’. I think we mentioned a couple of weeks ago that psychologists have actually found that even murderers and rapists have to work it out; so that they said, ‘we’re not really a bad person’. Because everybody is achieving a self-image through, you know, it could be hard work, it could be your morals, it could be a religious self-image; I mean, in other words, you could say, ‘look, I go to church and I try to live like Jesus Christ.’ In other words, everybody is ordinarily trying to build their self-image on the idea that they’re a good person. But the Gospel is very different. You see, if you have your self-image based on something you’ve achieved, like ‘I’ve tried very hard to live a good life’, then, when you come into a situation where you feel helpless, flawed, you just say ‘Depart from me!’ We cannot be in the presence of anything that threatens that self-image of ourselves as a good person. But see, the Gospel teaches that Jesus Christ did not come as an example, but as a Savior. He came to live the perfect life you should have lived, and died the death you should have died for your imperfect life. And when you believe in Him, you’re accepted by God, He looks at you and He loves you, and He loves you unconditionally, which means you have not an achieved identity but a received identity, not a fragile identity that blows up when you actually see that you’ve done something wrong, where you feel you’re kind of helpless … But an achieved identity which is absolutely unconditional, which is solid, it can’t change, it doesn’t go up and down depending on your performance. So you see, the normal identity, ‘I’m a pretty good person’ is based on the idea that you’re a good person, but the Gospel is basically an idea that you’re not a good person, but you’re saved by grace. The Gospel is based on that idea. So what happens when you come into a situation that shows you you’re really a lot weaker, a lot more insufficient, a lot more flawed than you thought? Well, you see, if you have the old kind of identity, you just melt down and you run. But if you have a Gospel identity, it actually just drives you more into the love of God, it makes you say, ‘I always knew that I was flawed’, and that makes your grace all the more wonderful, all the more beautiful, all the more precious to me. Peter, you can see as a new identity, you know, at this point, how much does Peter understand the doctrine of justification by faith? How much does he understand the fact that Christ is standing before the Father? He doesn’t really understand it. So he’s just got a smidgen of an idea that he’s saved by grace and that’s all it took. His identity is different, he responds differently, he’s not upset or freaked out by the knowledge of his being a weak and flawed person. It just drives him more into Jesus’ love. You know, there’s a hymn we sing that explains what happened to Peter. ‘He’s not cowering down, He’s rising up and running’ you know that hymn? It goes like this if I remember: “Arise, my soul, arise! Shake off thy guilty fears; The bleeding Sacrifice In thy behalf appears. Before the throne my Surety stands; My name is written on His hands.” I mean, Peter doesn’t know any of that theology yet, and yet he’s got the new identity so He runs.
7. What stands out and why?
8. Explain why Keller says you don’t know who Jesus is unless you are running away or running toward Him.
9. What is the difference between earning an identity and being given an identity?
The following question is controversial, and you may disagree with me, but I know this is a problem in my community, though perhaps it is not in yours. But I am eager for your thoughts.
10. Many secular people see evangelicals as having their primary identity in conservative politics or a particular candidate based on their conversation, media posts, and passions. (The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.) Do you think this is a problem? If so, what is to be done? (You may remember the testimony from last week of the woman who thought being a Christian meant joining a dangerous political group.)
Thursday: Intimacy with Jesus
Read/Listen:
Third, not only are we supposed to be characterized by supernatural unity and by, you know, this identity, but also … what I mentioned before, is a kind of intimacy with Jesus. We’re not just supposed to believe in Him in some abstract way, we’re supposed to have intimate communion with Him. Now that gets across the text … gets that across, that should be the life of a believer, should be part of your life. A couple of ways. One of them is the meal, which we’ll get back to, but I’ll just say right here, when Jesus says, ‘eat with me’, some of you have heard this … Have you ever heard Bible preaching before? When you go through the Bible, in the ancient times, to invite someone to eat with you meant even more than it does today. Today, if you invite somebody to eat with you, it’s still a friendly gesture. But in ancient times, it was a pledge. It was really saying, ‘I want you to be my friend.’ And so by Jesus saying, ‘Come and eat!’ He’s not just saying ‘Come and eat.’ What He’s actually saying is ‘look, I want fellowship with you. I don’t want you just to believe in me. I don’t want you just even to obey me. I want to know you. I want you to know me.’ But actually, many people who’ve studied this passage over the years noticed something. And there’s an assurance that that’s possible for you and me. See, we say, ‘Well, of course they had fellowship! They actually saw Him, they saw the risen Christ!’ But a number of people have pointed out that one of the reasons perhaps that this miracle was repeated, Jesus does it in Luke 5, but then He actually does it here in John 21. Why? What’s the difference? Well, it seems like it’s the same except there’s one difference. We already mentioned the one that’s Peters response, but there was another difference and what’s that? In Luke 5, Jesus is in the boat. But here, see, verse 4, Jesus is on the shore. And it’s almost as if Jesus wants you and me to know that ‘don’t think that the reason why these great things happen in the disciples’ life was because I was physically present.’ Because guess what, ‘even if I’m not physically praying, I can still work in your lives; my power can still do the same thing.’ Remember what Jesus said to Thomas? He said, ‘You have seen and believe, but I say, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and believed’.’ And so it’s Jesus’ way of trying to say, ‘it’s very possible to still have fellowship with me even though I’m not physically present’. I think, actually, this connects to one of the most puzzling things about these narratives, these resurrection narratives, is the fact that when Mary sees Jesus risen from the dead, she reaches out to touch Him. He says, ‘Don’t touch me. I’m ascending to my Father.’ But when He appears to Thomas, He says, ‘touch me!’ Go ahead and just touch me. And you read that you say, ‘What? What’s the problem? What’s the issue here?’ You know, why would you say to Mary, don’t touch me. I’m saying to my Father, why would He say to Thomas to touch me? It’s not because it was a holy thing like, ‘Oh, you can’t touch me because I’m resurrected’. Obviously, I wouldn’t have said to Thomas ‘Put your hand in here.’ However, here’s probably what happened. The word for ‘touch’ when it’s said in John 20, that ‘Mary touched Jesus’, it’s actually a word that means ‘gripped like a vise’. And you can just imagine how we love this. I think when you read it, Mary realizes it’s Jesus and she grabs Him and she says, ‘Lord, Rabbi, you know, ‘rimoni’,’ you know … and she grabs Him as she’s saying,’ I lost you once. I’m never ever, ever losing you again.’ And when Jesus says, ‘Don’t touch me’, He’s saying, ‘you don’t have to hold on to me like this.’ And when He says, ‘I’m going to the Father’, I believe this is His teaching. He’s saying, ‘Mary, I understand that you never want to lose me again. But as long as I’m here physically on Earth, you know, sometimes I won’t be with you. But if you let me go to the Father and I send the Holy Spirit and which mediates my presence, don’t you realize I can always be in your life? You can always have me in your heart. My love can flood your heart, my presence, you can know my presence all the time, … anywhere, anytime. Let me go and you’ll have more of me than you have right now.’ Jesus is saying, ‘you’ve actually literally got my flesh in your hands, but I can tell you … let me go to the Father and you’ll have me even better than you have me now.’ And see, that’s a promise to all of us, is it not? Let me just ask you. Do you have that intimacy? Do you have that intimacy? Do you just say prayers? Or sometimes when you pray, do the burdens come off? Sometimes when you pray, do you know His love and His joy and presence? I mean, not all the time, of course, but have you ever taken this gift? Do we have a supernatural unity? He says the church should have supernatural unity and He promises. Do we have the new identity? That incredibly solid, non-fragile identity that can take the rough knocks of life, do we have that? That He promises? And do we have this intimacy that He promises?
11. What stands out and why?
12. What did eat with me mean then? Do you think it still does? Why or why not?
13. How is it possible to have fellowship with Christ even when He is not physically present? How does this happen? Give a specific illustration from your life of a simple way.
14. Why does Keller say Jesus told Mary not to hold on to Him?
Friday: Comprehensive Certainty
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Now lastly, the fourth mark of the church should be, I hope it can be a what I call a comprehensive certainty. And I call it comprehensive because there’s more than one kind. First of all, one of the reasons that Jesus is appearing here is to give the Apostles mental certainty that He’s really raised from the dead. Take a look here at the last verse. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples after He was raised from the dead. See John’s keeping a record and what he’s saying is, Jesus appeared over and over and over again to the Apostles to give them absolute mental certainty that He was really raised from the dead. It wasn’t a hallucination, it wasn’t an illusion that He’d really been raised from the dead, that therefore, the Cross had really atoned for sin. Now, don’t forget, the Apostles got the royal treatment. They had multiple, actual eyewitness experiences of the risen Christ, and that was because they were the very first preachers, they were the very first evangelists. They were the Apostles, and they were sent out with the Christian message, and they had to be absolutely certain! Why? Because they were the very first ones that were going out, and every one of them except one were going to die preaching the Gospel, every single one, He was sending these guys to their death. And they were going to go out into the world, no one had ever heard the Christian message, so it’s gonna be strange to everyone. So of course they got the royal treatment, they had to have the absolute mental certainty, they had to see Him. So you say ‘great, that’s them. But what about us when we haven’t had, you know, actual eyewitness experiences of the risen Christ. Do we have any mental certainty? Is it possible?’ And the answer is, yes! No, it’s not the royal treatment. But absolutely … Remember I said, Jesus actually said to Thomas, ‘you have seen and believed, blessed are those who have not seen and believed’ so it’s very possible. So how do we get mental certainty? Well, one of the ways … I’m not saying this is all you need … But one of the ways is the Gospel accounts of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, if you read them carefully, and you reflectively think about it, they themselves … (because I know I’ve been doing this for forty-five years) they themselves start to create that mental certainty because they’re evidence. They are evidence … they are Exhibit A, that this actually happened. You say, ‘Well, what do you mean?’ Well, scholars will tell you that if you compare the Gospel accounts to fiction that was contemporary to the Gospel, so you go back to the ancient world, and you look at how the Greeks, the Romans, and the Jews wrote fiction, that when they wrote fiction … so when the Greeks and the Romans wrote, you know, epics and sagas about Hercules or heroes or things like that, they were fiction … And when they wrote fiction, how did that fiction compare to this? And the answer is this is radically different. You have to keep in mind that ancient times’ fiction did not include the genre of the novel. The modern novel is actually novel. That is to say, it’s the modern novel. I know. The point is, it was a new idea, the idea of realistic fiction … I’ll explain in a minute. So for example, let’s take a look at the reasons why this is not fiction, why this has all the earmarks of historical document. So look at verse 7. ‘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.’ Pretty interesting. What is it telling us? It’s telling us that Peter actually, when he was fishing, he had his coat off. And when he saw it was Jesus and he wanted to run, he turned around, he saw he did not have his coat … It took time to put that coat on, to wrap it around himself. So what he did was he just picked up the coat and he tied it around his waist and he jumped. Now why do we need to know that? How does that help? What is the … come on, I already, you know, impressed the philosophers. Yeah, the philosophy. Okay, you English majors … What’s the narrative purpose? How does this move the narrative along? How does this develop character? How does this help us? In what way is this helpful? It’s not! We don’t need to know it. Take a look at the next verse, verse 8. Here it says the other disciples fall in the boat, towing the net full of fish, and then as they were not far from sure 100 yards …’ Why do we need to know that? But then the best part is when they drag the net out, you know, it says Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, a 153! Why do we need another 153 fish? Now, when I say there’s no such thing as a modern novel back in those days, here’s what you do not see. You don’t see the story of Hercules going like this … ‘Hercules walked to the door, sweat was pouring down his face, the floorboards creaked as he walked.’ I mean, that’s not how fiction was done. Fiction was high. You never put in these kinds of extraneous details that had no narrative or didactic purpose. But they’re all filled through here. Why are they here? And the answer is, they would only be here if they happened. This is ‘Eyewitness News Testimony’, that is to say, people remembered it. You know maybe when John was writing this up, he consulted another Apostle or something like that. And he says, how many fish were there? Oh, yeah, 153! That’s it. And so what scholars will tell you is this is not a legend. By the way, there are skeptical scholars who will still tell you, and they’re the main ones that the media quotes, they’ll still tell you that the New Testament is basically legends. They were legends, they were written long after, they were legends about Jesus Christ. So they have to tie themselves in knots to figure out what this 153 represent, because in ancient fiction, you wouldn’t put 153 unless it was symbolic. Maybe they say there were 153 churches at the time that John wrote, I mean, they’re tying themselves in and not why it’s there … because it just happened. This is a historical document. It was written within the lifetime of the eyewitnesses or it couldn’t have been written. And it shows that hundreds of people really did see Jesus Christ raised from the dead, they testify to it. They wrote it down. They went out live their lives and they died for their faith. Does that prove it? No, but it is really strong historical evidence. And it helps us toward mental certainty. But look, let’s finish here. We actually need a comprehensive certainty. We don’t just need mental, intellectual, rational certainty that Christianity is true … We need a spiritual certainty that Jesus Christ is really, really offering us this. These gifts are so wonderful … supernatural unity, new identity, intimacy, and it’s only natural for us to say, How is this possible? How is this possible? How do we know these things are really there? For us, I think the answer is this meal on the beach. This meal on the beach … when Jesus Christ cooks in this meal, He’s actually, if you know the whole Bible, He’s saying something about Himself that is incredibly powerful. In 1 Kgs 19, back in the Old Testament, in 1 Kgs 19, Elijah, the prophet is not just depressed, he’s suicidal. He’s just had this dramatic confrontation with the prophets of bale on Mount Carmel. And now he’s running for his life because Ahab and Jezebel are trying to kill him. And he runs to someplace, and he sits down, and he looks up to God and he says, ‘Take away my life!’ He’s suicidal. I mean, he’s deeply depressed, and then he falls asleep, and the Angel of the Lord comes. Now, the Angel of the Lord is one of the most strange and enigmatic figures in all the Bible. Whenever the Angel of the Lord shows up, the language about the angel is so strange. So for example when the Angel of the Lord appears in the burning bush, you might remember, to Moses, at some verse, it says, ‘the Angel of the Lord appeared in the bush’. And then a couple verses later it says, ‘The Lord appeared in the bush.’ The Angel of the Lord often speaks for God, but then other times speaks as if the Angel Lord is God. So there’s this strange person who’s sort of God, speaks for God, and yet at the same time is God. Whoever this is, a very majestic person and shows up in front of Elijah who has now fallen asleep and just asked for God to kill Him. So what does the Angel of the Lord do? Boy, I love it! This is in 1 Kgs 19, did He say “wake up? Get on your feet.” Does He get Elijah by the throat and say, you know, ‘Pull yourself together, man. Let’s go! Or does He say ‘Behold my glory! Abase yourself before My majesty.’ What does He do? You know what He does? Here’s what happened, 1 Kgs 19, ‘Then Elijah lay down under the bush and fell asleep. An angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ And Elijah looked around, and there, by his head, with some bread baked over hot coal and a jar of water (Probably you know how good baking bread smells.) the Angel of the Lord’ … this is the angel of Lord. And all that Angel does is He touches Him, and He says, ‘Get up and eat!’ And He cooked a meal from Nevada. This affirms every mother in the world. Sometimes the best thing to do is say, ‘You’re tired, you’re upset, no lecture, no sermon.’ By the way, this is all something mothers need to remember. No sermon, no lecture. I don’t know why you’re not laughing at that. But here’s something to eat … bedside manner. This is the Angel of the Lord, and all He does is cook something for Elijah. And then Elijah eats, drinks and lays down, falls asleep again. He’s that exhausted, and the Angel of the Lord comes back and touches Him and says, ‘you still need to get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank, strengthened by that food he traveled forty days and forty nights till he reached for of the mountain of God. This majestic Angel shows up to the suicidal person and realizes I guess, that the main thing Elijah needs is not a sermon, not an exhortation, not a pep talk. He doesn’t need to be smacked and he doesn’t need smelling salts … he just needs someone to touch him, to cook for Him! I mean, here’s the Angel of the Lord. He says, ‘Hey, get up. I just made you something to eat.’ Who is this? What kind of majestic divine figure would have this kind of servant heart, this kind of humility? Well, I think you know that many, many … you can see this coming, can’t you? Many, many. It’s not just me. Many other theologians and commentators have said ‘who would this ancient person be who sometimes seems to be God and other times seems to be from God?’ And of course, the answer is that the angel of the Lord is the pre-incarnate manifestation of Jesus Christ. And here’s the proof. He shows up on the beach and He says, here comes this disciples instead of saying a base yourself before imaginary I am the reason one here’s what He says is ‘hey, I made you breakfast!’ I mean, the humility of this man! But it isn’t just a gentle touch. Jesus Christ, this is who He is, this is the meaning of life, by the way. Jesus says, ‘Who is greater … the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? I am among us, one who serves.’ Who’s greater, the guest of honor, or the busboy? I’ve come as a busboy. The Son of Man came, not to be served but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many … that’s what Jesus says. But you see the only reason why He can make this meal for them is because the night before He died, He took bread and broke it and said ‘take! Eat! this is my body.’ How can you know these gifts are there for you? How can you know that intimacy is there? That unity is there, that identity is there. Look what He did. He will give you what you need, He loves to give you things and He’s sold out to give them to you; He’s laid Himself out, He died to give them to you, He’s done everything to give them to you. He’s that kind of Savior. He loves you that much. He’s that tender, He’s that kind. Those things are there for you; don’t say ‘Oh, how do I know these gifts are there for me?’ They’re there for you. Are you using them? Are you picking them up? Do we as Redeemers, are we realizing them in our midst? Come and eat! Let us pray: Our Father, how grateful we are … So, even in ancient times, your Son has always been so tender, such as servant, willing to break His own body so that we can eat, willing to serve, willing to cook for us. Oh my! And Father, therefore we know that ultimately these great things that you have prepared for us, they’re there for us … We just need to pick them up. Give us both the rational certainty, that emotional intimacy, the social unity, the psychological identity, all the things that you have said are there for us in Jesus Christ, if we take Him by faith. So let these things be.
93 comments
Chris, please read my response to your last post for last week 😉
1. How did you experience the goodness of the Lord during Easter Sunday and the following week?
Of course our Easter Day and church service was blessed. Thank You Lord!
The Lord has been with my family this week as we travel for spring break. Our brand new car’s alternator died along the way as my husband drove to our destination. I had to work and was flying to meet him halfway to our final spot. He was able to put the car in a dealership for repair and get a rent car to continue the trip and meet me at the airport. Then we got to our condo safely, and they told us we missed our week! It was last week! Ugh. God is so good to us because we got another, larger condo because my husbands sisters and our youngest son are joining use this week! We needed a bigger place anyway! Thank You Lord. You are always in control if we just would notice!
Laura! This so shows how God is always two steps ahead of us! I love reading that you had such wonderful Godwinks all week! I pray that you have a great time with your family! Rest and enjoy all the gifts God has brought! 🙏💕
Oh my goodness, Laura — so many troubles, but so much trust!
I love this, Laura! We sure live in a world full of circumstances that can be frustrating, but we have a God who works things out for our good. As you have wisely said, He is always in control if we just notice. Enjoy your break-relax-don’t think about school (wink, wink),-let Jesus refresh you!
Gosh Laura,
So sweet to hear how God took care of you. 💕
Thank you for your kind note, Laura. What a week you had! I failed to mention that not only did the Lord give me the testimony, but he also gave me Psalm 103: 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—This verse helped me to see that I did not need to rely on human faith, but only on the Lord’s faithfulness to his people. Praise God for his faithfulness to us all.
Sunday:
1. How did you experience the goodness of the Lord during Easter Sunday and the following week?
—On Easter Sunday we were blessed to be back in our home church with family and friends. Then we had a dinner in our own home with our two children and their families that live here locally and we celebrated the resurrection together. It was Christmas time that we were all together last. The spirit of Easter carried over during the week into bible study and fellowship with believing friends. On Friday I was able to spend a whole day with just my sister to celebrate her birthday. She is my only sister and is a precious person who loves and serves God deeply. When we are together we talk a lot about the Lord and what He is doing in our lives and families. It was a very refreshing day for us being together experiencing the goodness of God.
Bev, thanks for sharing and glad you are back in your home church. What a precious time you had with your only sister. God is good.
I love your relationship with your sister and wish that I had that. I think I could have but the opportunity is passed. However, as Corrie says, there are no mistakes in God’s plan, so I will look for opportunities to build that in the future. Thank you again for your lovely example.
What a lovely week of sweet family celebrations, Bev. I love your sweet relationship with your sister.
That sounds lovely, Bev!
Sunday:
1. How did you experience the goodness of the Lord during Easter Sunday and the following week?
Easter Sunday was a beautiful day with our church family in many ways. The following week was busy for me as I wrapped up our last week at school. I would be honest to say that this semester has been full of challenges. But despite everything, including doubting myself at various moments, I have felt God’s assurance of my worth in His eyes. I do not have to perform. I do not have to be liked by all. I am loved by the God of the universe. I am my Beloved’s, and He is mine.
I am very thankful to have made two friends, one, a neighbor, and the other, a young mom with 2 kids and one on the way! They have started attending a Bible Study I co-lead. The group has decided to take a break for the summer and pick up where we left off in September. Since the latter mom is expecting to have her baby in September, I offered to do the study with her during this break. She and my neighbor have met once already and will continue as our schedules mesh. They are both young in their faith, and I have enjoyed getting to know them in this small group setting. I am praying that the three of us will grow in our walk with God and our friendship with one another. I am truly grateful. Both their husbands work in the same nuclear power plant.
Bing, It is delightful to hear about your little bible study group. What a sweet fellowship and opportunity to encourage others to grow in their walk with the Lord.
Wise soul talk. The approval we should want most is that of the LORD’s! You are very caring, Bing.
I love your desire to mentor this younger woman. We have a small group from church that we lead. They are all young with 1-2 children. They are excited to dive into the word and share with their unchurched friends. They wish to keep meeting over the summer in bible study. Their excitement is contagious and we feel honored to be leading.
What a wonderful way to get to know these women, dear Bing. I pray that you three will have a very special bond and that these dear friends will be drawn to Jesus. You are such a sweet mentor.🙏
Monday: The Text
2. Read John 21:1-14
John begins with Afterward — so, after what?
—After Jesus had appeared for the second time to the disciples behind locked doors when he interacted with Thomas who had demanded he wouldn’t believe in the Resurrection until he saw the wounds of Jesus for himself.
I’ve heard sermons that say it was wrong for them to go fishing after the resurrection, for they should have only been fishing for men. What are your thoughts?
—It seems premature to judge them for that decision at a time of such powerful experiences. They had a lot to sort out and talk about. Their lives had been affected by a huge crises. They were still grasping the reality of Jesus being alive and He wasn’t staying with them when he appeared but coming and going. He was now in a glorified body and He functioned differently. He wasn’t just moving back in among them so to speak. They were needing to get their feet underneath themselves again before moving forward. And I think there was unfinished business between Jesus and Peter. That was then resolved on the beach over breakfast.
How do you see a desire to be together in verse 3?
—I wonder if fishing was a way for Peter to get out and clear his head. Sitting cooped up behind locked doors may have become a stifling experience for him and the others as well. How many of us at some point have had to just get up and go outside for a walk to clear our heads so to speak. It would have been natural for the others to want to follow Peter’s lead and stay together. I wonder if the other 4 stayed behind or had gone back to their own homes when Peter said I’m going fishing?
Their lives had been very much entwined for the last few years and they were experiencing this whole episode with Jesus together. He had given them instructions when they were together in rhe upper room before the Cross but now they knew He was alive again. So I’m sure they were waiting for His further lead in their lives.
What miracle did Jesus perform? In what ways was it similar to when they first met Him?
—He provided a huge net full of fish after they had fished all night and caught nothing just like in the beginning of his ministry when he called them to follow him.
Describe Peter’s reaction.
—It sounds like when Peter knew it was Jesus he dove into the water and swam to be with him rather than wait and come in with the boat.
Why do you think we are told Peter wrapped his garment around him before he jumped in?
—I don’t know what was the reason behind that action. I’ve always thought there was something practical about his need to have his clothes.
Why do you think no one dared ask “Who are you?”
—I don’t know that either. It has never made sense because John had already identified that it was the Lord. But perhaps in his glorified body something must have been significantly different about his appearance and perhaps even his clothes.
What did Jesus ask of them?
—He asked them to bring him some of the fish they had caught. Will be interesting to see what thoughts Keller has about that request.
What stands out to you from this account?
—I found it interesting the number of particular details that were included in this account.
7 Disciples
The time of day
The breakfast described that Jesus had prepared for them.
153 fish
100 yards from shore
Peter threw himself into the water.
And it was the 3rd time Jesus revealed Himself to them.
But especially the exact number of large fish they caught is interesting.
Your comment about fishing being a way to clear his head was just what the fishermen in our home church said during discussion!
Love that great insight about the fishermen clearing their heads! And you had that, as well as the fishermen at Dee’s home church! Love!!
Sunday:
1. How did you experience the goodness of the Lord during Easter Sunday and the following week? I believe I shared much of my Easter Sunday and last week blessings from the Lord on last weeks study. Yesterday was a gloriously beautiful sunny day here in Michigan. I spent almost the entire day outdoors and am suffering a minor sunburn and loving it. My favorite local greenhouse is opening at 9am today and I hope to be among their first customers. One of the most favorite parts of summer for me is gardening. I’m not particularly great at it, as I usually lose control of the weeds at some point, but I love getting it started and putting my hands in the soil. I always hope that maybe this year, I will stay ahead of the weeds and on top of the watering, but my failings never keep me from starting again. There are so many spiritual truths to associate with gardening.
Monday: The Text
2. Read John 21:1-14
John begins with Afterward — so, after what? After he revealed himself to Thomas.
I’ve heard sermons that say it was wrong for them to go fishing after the resurrection, for they should have only been fishing for men. What are your thoughts? I tend towards believing that since Jesus met them there, that is exactly where they belonged. Isn’t this exactly what we all crave when the world seems upside down -normalcy? Besides, Peter needed to be restored before he could begin ministry.
How do you see a desire to be together in verse 3? I love how TK pulls out that the other disciples did not say, yes, lets fish, but we will go with you.
What miracle did Jesus perform? In what ways was it similar to when they first met Him? A large catch of fish-everything was the same.
Describe Peter’s reaction. He threw himself into the sea in order to get to the Lord as fast as he could.
Why do you think we are told Peter wrapped his garment around him before he jumped in? TK says we have no need for this information and it shows this is an eyewitness account.
Why do you think no one dared ask “Who are you?” This part makes me think that Jesus seemed unrecognizable and yet they knew it was him-or what it their unbelief in his ability to continually appear to him after dying that brought the question to mind? I’m surprised they dared speak at all to a dead man who was raised to life-it must have been so incredible.
What did Jesus ask of them? Children, do you have any fish? Bring some of the fish you have just caught. Come and have breakfast. -he wants a relationship with them.
What stands out to you from this account? He comes and meets them where they are and meets their physical/emotional needs as well as spiritual needs. He calls them children-this is so tender. His love for them is so evident. He comes to have a meal with them and provides the fish needed. He provides the fire and his own fish, as well as bread. He is fatherly towards them. He even makes sure their net is not torn, which would have happened with such a large catch. This is the third time he was revealed to them, but as we know from Thomas’ experience, he has been there the whole time.
Suffering from minor sunburn and loving it. 🙂
I love the tenderness in this closing scene as well.
I love your joy of gardening! I love seeing the new growth, hearing the birds and watching the new birth of the Seasons too, Chris! Love getting my hands in the soil. I always have love the Hymn “In the Garden”. I always feel the presence of the Lord when I am in the garden.
2. Read John 21:1-14
John begins with Afterward — so, after what?
After the resurrection.
I’ve heard sermons that say it was wrong for them to go fishing after the resurrection, for they should have only been fishing for men. What are your thoughts?
It seems to me that the fishermen were distraught over the weeks events and were clinging to what they knew. It made them feel comfortable. I remember when my dad died (I was 12). My mom kept me home from school. She was doing what she thought was right. However all I wanted was normalcy. That meant going to school, doing my homework, being with my friends. It meant keeping that part of my life on track and what I would “normally” experience day to day, and not thinking about the pain at my house, which was unbearable.
How do you see a desire to be together in verse 3?
The others don’t even hesitate. They agree to go fishing too.
What miracle did Jesus perform? In what ways was it similar to when they first met Him?
It was at the Sea of Galilee. Jesus gave them 153 (?!) fish! It was exactly as the first miracle in that He tells them to fish on the right side, this time they do it, no arguing, and receive the catch.
Describe Peter’s reaction.
Peter jumped out of the boat, grabbing his tunic, and yells that it’s the Lord!
Why do you think we are told Peter wrapped his garment around him before he jumped in?
This one eludes me. I suppose it’s an eye witness account, so that was what was seen.
Why do you think no one dared ask “Who are you?”
Not sure here either. Something must have been apparent to them. Maybe He looked like Jesus so they didn’t have to ask? Also, I know we have all been in a place where we have seen someone that we usually don’t see in that place, and been confused. Like, maybe I see a person that I usually see at church, out at the grocery store. I am confused for a minute until I remember, oh! I see you at church, not the grocery store. It feels strange.
What did Jesus ask of them?
He asked them to bring some fish to Him.
What stands out to you from this account?
It’s another, but the same, miracle! He is resurrected and still performing miracles!
Laura, your comment made me think, maybe they needed to see this is still the same Jesus as before the resurrection. He was still there for them like before
Monday: The Text
2. Read John 21:1-14
John begins with Afterward — so, after what? After the events surrounding the discovery of the empty tomb, Jesus’ appearance to Mary M., His appearance that same night to the disciples (except Thomas) and eight days later to the disciples (including Thomas).
I’ve heard sermons that say it was wrong for them to go fishing after the resurrection, for they should have only been fishing for men. What are your thoughts? I think that when in doubt about what to do, most people return to what they know how to do. Jesus was alive! He had always given the disciples clear directions as to what they should be doing, might Jesus now resume His leadership role? It was a time of waiting to see what would now happen, and the disciples probably discussed all the events and Jesus’ words as they worked.
How do you see a desire to be together in verse 3? When Peter says, I’m going fishing, the others say, We’re going with you! This shows a clear intent on not being separated.
What miracle did Jesus perform? The disciples had caught no fish all night long. Jesus is on the shore and instructs them to cast the net off the right side, and the the net became so full of fish the disciples could not draw it into the boat (the net did not break).
In what ways was it similar to when they first met Him? In both instances no fish have been caught after a night of fishing. In both instances Jesus gives instruction to let down the net another time. In both instances the net becomes full of fish.
Describe Peter’s reaction. The first time Jesus is in the ship, and Peter grudgingly complies (if you say so). When the net is filled Peter is astonished and falls at down before Jesus saying, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Luke 5:8
The last time when the net is filled, Peter grabs his coat, jumps into the water, and swims to Jesus who’s on the shore. When Jesus says to bring some of the fish they had caught, Peter immediately complies.
Why do you think we are told Peter wrapped his garment around him before he jumped in? Peter would want to be decently clothed/covered before facing Jesus.
Why do you think no one dared ask “Who are you?” In John 21:12 it says the disciples knew it was the Lord, but I think there was something about His appearance that stopped them from asking any questions. I think they were filled with awe.
What did Jesus ask of them? Several things: have you caught anything, cast the net again, bring some of the fish you caught, come and eat,
What stands out to you from this account? The similarities between the first encounter and this one.
I like the idea Peter would want to be covered.
Tuesday: Supernatural Unity
Read/Listen to the text below:
3. What stands out to you from Keller’s first point on supernatural unity and why? How does he substantiate from the text?
—“You will never know the multi-dimensional glory and beauty of your Savior unless you know Him in community. You need a whole pile of other people who also know Jesus well, who are different than you, and you’ve got to know them, to know Him.”
This statement by Keller describes how effective community enhances our lives personally in our walk with Jesus. What he is describing doesn’t happen in isolation. That full multi-dimensional glory and beauty of our Savior is experienced through others who are different from us. The differences are necessary and broaden our perspectives in so many ways for good. His description of the differences between John, Thomas, Mary and Peter illustrate it well.
4. Are you friends with people you might not have been friends with if you did not both have Christ at the center of your lives? If possible, give an example.
—Yes, One is in the small bible study group that I attend on Tuesday mornings has dwindled down recently to four of us being the regulars. We are different ages, different stages in life and different in economic status. Even our personalities are very different. But God has bonded us as we have shared deeply our various struggles and pray for each other. Jesus is our common denominator.
5. How has knowing Christ in community, in church, on this blog, or in any kind of Christian fellowship enhanced your relationship and understanding of Him? Give an example.
—All of the above entities mentioned have had an impact on my life over the years. As I observe God working and moving in others lives I have grown to appreciate the incredible beauty of His work in their lives. The beauty of his love for all his children that knows no bounds. I hear of his faithfulness to them and observe how as our perfect Heavenly Father he meets the deep heart needs of us all. In this blog group alone I have deep appreciation for the different ones as I see here. There are teachers, wives, mothers and grandmothers, singles, widows, writers, those in the work force with it’s struggles and those as homemakers with their own set of struggles. But Jesus is the beautiful thread that ties us together as he loves and accepts each one right where they are and gives us opportunity to encourage one another by what He does in each of our own lives. We each reflect some aspect of the broad spectrum of his beauty.
6. Why is it not sufficient to attend church and go home without truly being in fellowship? How could you connect better with people after church?
—It takes a commitment to engage with people and truly interact with them. Because of my husband’s personality he is always seeking to go have a meal together after church or look for opportunities to have someone over to our house for at least a snack (He makes popcorn a lot 😊) Over the years we have gotten to know many of God’s people by sitting at a table sharing over food. Doesn’t matter of it was fancy or simple. The important thing was to relax and interact.
And keep in mind that may have a noble sound to it but there have been some let’s say “interesting” encounters and a few trying ones as well but in the overall we have been greatly blessed by God’s people in our lives.
I didn’t know that about your husband’s nature!
I love your husband’s commitment to having people over. It is truly a blessing to be so welcoming. So like Jesus. Thank you for sharing this, Bev.
3. What stands out to you from Keller’s first point on supernatural unity and why? How does he substantiate from the text? This supernatural unity is displayed in the text through the unusual/unique group of disciples brought together by one unifying factor, the risen Christ. What stands out to me is the question Tim asks, do you have this? Do you have people who you are in Christ with at church or some related spiritual circle, who you would never be friends with otherwise? Yes! Absolutely, yes. I have experienced this in bible study and church and marveled at how I so appreciate a person’s insight or ministry but realize that we would never call each other to hangout and yet we can have such great spiritual conversations. I actually have two women who I have met with for prayer for probably 20 years and we have tried different times to get together in social ways with our families, but it never really comes to anything. But we don’t miss one month of prayer 🙂
4. Are you friends with people you might not have been friends with if you did not both have Christ at the center of your lives? If possible, give an example. Whoops, see end of answer above.
5. How has knowing Christ in community, in church, on this blog, or in any kind of Christian fellowship enhanced your relationship and understanding of Him? Give an example. I think that I more and more appreciate those who are different from me as I see how each person reflects Christ differently. It’s not that one person does it wrong, but that one person can’t possibly hold all the pieces of who God is. I love the reference to CS Lewis’ book where he finds that a person in his friend group is gone and it diminishes what he knows of those who are left. I will have to read that now. I guess I feel that with some who have gone from my life, like my dad and my grandparents and my little granddaughter. There is something about them that we can never see in anyone else, and something about them that we saw brought out in others but will never again see. My dad and grandparents all had a love for collecting things. Not just random things, although that was definitely there, too; but a love for collecting things that had history. My curiousity would always be peaked by something they had and I would get a story about the item, either personal or historical. There was a nostalgia that was nourished in the retelling of these stories. And there was a deep sense of family history that was retold- where people grew up and jobs they held, illnesses battled, etc. Sadly, there was never a retelling of a faith story, except one memory my grandma shared of walking to church with her family when she was a young girl and her mom, dad and baby brother were going to be in the Christmas play as Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.
6. Why is it not sufficient to attend church and go home without truly being in fellowship? How could you connect better with people after church? I did not get at the heart of what should have been the answer to the last question, but it is what came to mind. This question I can answer. Sitting in a pew every week doesn’t make someone a Christian, like going to McDonald’s doesn’t make someone a cheeseburger. We need to be a part of the vine and connect with the branches. John 15: 5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” The verse says it all. We can do nothing apart from HIM. There is a part that Christian fellowship plays in our lives that helps us grow and remain accountable to our faith, that we would not have without it. Our small groups have always drawn us closer to the Lord as we flesh out the scripture and how to apply it to our lives, but also as we see the needs of others and strive to meet them in prayer and practical ways. Looking for the Lord to be working in our lives, like we do here every week. The way a person can share a perspective about our situation that we had not seen, but gives us life where we had none. This is what it is to truly be in fellowship. So we use small groups for this, but there are other ways. We have friends who just started going through their church directory and inviting someone new to their house for dinner every week. They were able to connect with people on a new level that can’t be done in a few minutes of coffee after church. I love this idea as well. This week during the church greeting time after singing, I got out of my comfort zone and introduced myself to the young couple behind us and invited them to our small group. I’ve never done that before. I usually just shake hands and say hello, too shy for more. What a blessing to actually engage with people. I need to do this more. My dad was always very outgoing and a friend to everyone he met. I found this embarrassing to some degree as a teenager, but appreciate it more now that I’m grown and especially since he is gone. I could always rely on him to meet everyone in the room 😉
Sounds like a wonderful father God gave you.
2. Read John 21:1-14
John begins with Afterward — so, after what? It is as if “life goes on” after the Resurrection. Yet, they were each changed, dramatically. I often wonder what happened between the appearances of Jesus, after the Resurrection. What were their thoughts, conversations, plans for the future. This third appearance of Jesus to His disciples, since the Resurrection. It is almost like saying, “And then”….or referring to the previous appearance of Jesus.
I’ve heard sermons that say it was wrong for them to go fishing after the resurrection, for they should have only been fishing for men. What are your thoughts? Because Jesus was on the shore making them a meal, it seems that He was expecting this. What would they have been expected to do?
How do you see a desire to be together in verse 3? When Peter said that he was going fishing, the others said “we are going with you”.
What miracle did Jesus perform? In what ways was it similar to when they first met Him? After a night of unsuccessful fishing, He filled their nets with 153 fish and the nets did not break.
Describe Peter’s reaction. When John said “It is the Lord”, Peter put on his over garment and swam to the shore.
Why do you think we are told Peter wrapped his garment around him before he jumped in? I have no idea ~ maybe he was so excited, he did not want to have to go back to the boat for it?
Why do you think no one dared ask “Who are you?” It seemed that Peter was the first one to realize it was Jesus….they made the assumption it was the Lord, as He was the only one who had ever told them to throw their nets in again. And, it seems He appeared out of nowhere.
What did Jesus ask of them? “Do you have any fish/food?”
What stands out to you from this account? Seven of the disciples were together fishing. Jesus repeated a miracle. Jesus appeared on the shore, ready to fix a meal. He must have known where they would be ~ of course He would, He is God. Peter put on his over garment before he jumped in the water. Was the water shallow? 🙂
I love Keller’s sermon on this section!! He drew out so much that I had never thought about! I love that the Word of God is HIS LIVING WORD!
I love your enthusiasm — always have.
3. What stands out to you from Keller’s first point on supernatural unity and why? How does he substantiate from the text?
We need others who are like minded to understand the vision of Christ. He points out that the disciples are together. They aren’t actually doing anything. They are just together. They were all different. They get on each others nerves! They don’t necessarily want to go fishing, however, they do it to support each other.
4. Are you friends with people you might not have been friends with if you did not both have Christ at the center of your lives? If possible, give an example.
Probably, but I really don’t have many friends. I now have a younger friend because of the grands. She is a Catholic. We are different that way. I have a “friend” at church who is SO different than I am, so yes.
5. How has knowing Christ in community, in church, on this blog, or in any kind of Christian fellowship enhanced your relationship and understanding of Him? Give an example.
I am daily blessed here in the blog, by the sisters who are so wise. Thank you everyone! Being here helps me to keep focused. It helps, daily, to keep me “in line.” I have learned so much here!
My church is not a church that I would have, in the past, gone to because nothing more charismatic and less traditional. I have learned to raise my hands when we sing. I can be freer in my worship there than in a more formal setting. I like that, being the dancer I am.
6. Why is it not sufficient to attend church and go home without truly being in fellowship?
We need to help each other through. We need each other to know the entirety of Jesus.
How could you connect better with people after church?
I should call people, ask others to join me in an activity, and find ways to be with others.
I so agree with this, Laura!! I am daily blessed here in the blog, by the sisters who are so wise. Thank you everyone! Being here helps me to keep focused. It helps, daily, to keep me “in line.” I have learned so much here!
Monday: The Text
2. Read John 21:1-14
John begins with Afterward — so, after what?
After the resurrection, his appearance to Mary Magdalene, the disciples, and Thomas
I’ve heard sermons that say it was wrong for them to go fishing after the resurrection, for they should have only been fishing for men. What are your thoughts?
I often go back to something familiar after a significant event in my life. A time of reflecting and analyzing. I would say for me it would be either journaling or gardening. Would fish, and nets remind them of their time with Jesus? And the lessons attached to it? Peter, especially was called by Jesus after a time of fishing.
How do you see a desire to be together in verse 3?
They all went with Peter to fish.
What miracle did Jesus perform? In what ways was it similar to when they first met Him?
Jesus told them to let down their nets. They caught a lot of fish again after a night of nothing.
Describe Peter’s reaction.
He wrapped his outer garment around him and jumped into the water.
Why do you think we are told Peter wrapped his garment around him before he jumped in?
I don’t know.
Why do you think no one dared ask “Who are you?”
The catch must have given them a flashback into the story of the first time Jesus gave them one. They already knew v. 12b and John recognized Jesus v.7.
What did Jesus ask of them?
Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.
What stands out to you from this account?
That John specifically told Peter that the one on the shore is Jesus. Did John know or feel like Peter needs to “redeem” or “reconcile himself to Jesus after his denying of Him?
Honestly, if I had to preach from just this account, I don’t know what I’d say, so Keller amazes me in all he saw!
Bing — Keller said the garment reporting was simply because it happened which is typical of non-fiction not fiction. But I thought Laura’s point was good — that he wanted to cover his nakedness before going to Jesus.
That makes sense, Dee. I love that at times, we have to take things at face value and not stress over it. Smile.
I’m thinking you are referring to Cheryl Ann’s comment, Dee 😉. I just thought it might have just been an eye witness account.
1. What stands out to you from Keller’s first point on supernatural unity and why? How does he substantiate from the text?
Wow! I agree with you, Dee! How could Tim Keller see those many things from a few verses?
We know more of Jesus in the setting of community. I think it was Keller who said the phrase “you, too?” His explanation of the disciples wanting to be with Peter and not necessarily about going fishing, substantiates their need to be together. Not sure how much fishing they did. I can imagine, while they were waiting for the net to fill, how each one would either be in contemplation or talking about the post-resurrection happenings. And sharing the you, toos?.
2. Are you friends with people you might not have been friends with if you did not both have Christ at the center of your lives? If possible, give an example.
I often think of my soon-to-be 90-year-old Christian friend, Barb. When we started hanging out together, I knew she would be a great friend to have around. We like the same thing, share the same type of humor lol and love to talk about how God is so faithful to us. She would bring me to reality and I would bring her to the verse that point her to Jesus.
3. How has knowing Christ in community, in church, on this blog, or in any kind of Christian fellowship enhanced your relationship and understanding of Him? Give an example.
Here in the blog, I read and hear of the faithfulness of God through the ups and downs of life. I see the consistent goodness of God in the midst of the hard and the messes we get into due to our own doing and get to the other side spiritually revived and our joy restored.
In our church, I see people reaching out to one another because of love. Sharing each other’s burdens and showing obedience to God’s Word. I have also seen the effects of disobedience and how we supported a brother or sister who made the wrong choice, repented, and felt the love of the church.
4. Why is it not sufficient to attend church and go home without truly being in fellowship? How could you connect better with people after church?
I always feel like the experience of worship in songs and the hearing and preaching of the Word of God in church are enhanced when we truly fellowship. Only in fellowship would I know how to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ. Connecting with other people in church requires time and effort. Truly listening to what others say, and sometimes we need to be observant of non-verbal communication, remembering what they said, and following up next time you see them. As a pastor’s wife of a small church, I find it heartwarming to know the significant joys and struggles of our congregation and to use those as springboards for conversation and prayer.
As an introvert, I have to rely on God to give me the boldness to connect with a certain type of people. Especially the ones who are occasional “comers”. I have to be secure in who I am and show genuine interest in them instead of just the usual “how are you?” I should have a more prayerful attitude before connecting with somebody. I believe God will honor a quick prayer for help!
I resonate with your closing thoughts. The non-verbal communication is so important and something I have come to notice more, as people often do not say what they are actually feeling. Sometimes it’s just a look in their face that doesn’t match the conversation and a question can help bring out what they really want to say. I also completely agree with a quick prayer before connecting with someone. This is important, more than we even think. Sometimes I have been in a conversation that I know is key and could lead to something important, or I wish it to, but it does not. At those times, I need to trust in God’s timing and not my own and I can because I prayed and sought the help of the Holy Spirit. Other times I don’t pray and feel regret.
LOVE THE “QUICK PRAYER” BEFORE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS
Chris and Dee,
I appreciate your thoughts. Lately, I have had times when I would think of somebody who was at church, and I believe that is a prompt to pray or send a quick text. I had a friend, and I am sure many here have had these moments, whom I texted as I felt a strong “urge” to reach out. I sent her and her husband a YouTube video on gratitude. They both responded that they were praying and thanking God for all He has done for them, and my text went through right afterward.
I love and relate to all you wrote, Chris. I feel like sometimes we plant a small seed, but we don’t see more. I agree, we need to trust God’s timing, as we may just be a part of His plan. I also need to pray for the Holy Spirit and His leading and timing.
Bing, I too love the idea of a quick prayer. I love what Chris and Dee wrote about this too!
7. What stands out and why? The discussion of people who rationalize their identity as a good person-even serial killers! Wow. Okay, so that lie is deep.
8. Explain why Keller says you don’t know who Jesus is unless you are running away or running toward Him. If you are in the middle, such as one who grew up in the church possibly, you have no passion and your faith is not your own. This new identity is either so shocking to us that we see our terrible sin and run away, or so glorious to us that we run to our Savior in great gratitude knowing we cannot possibly live without him, as we are a sinner only saved by grace.
9. What is the difference between earning an identity and being given an identity? When we earn an identity, it all hinges on us and what we have done, so that anything that comes along can threaten to take it away. When we are given an identity, it does not rely on us and so cannot be taken away except by whom it was given.
The following question is controversial, and you may disagree with me, but I know this is a problem in my community, though perhaps it is not in yours. But I am eager for your thoughts.
10. Many secular people see evangelicals as having their primary identity in conservative politics or a particular candidate based on their conversation, media posts, and passions. (The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.) Do you think this is a problem? If so, what is to be done? (You may remember the testimony from last week of the woman who thought being a Christian meant joining a dangerous political group.) I love the article I found on the CS Lewis Institute on friendship, where it quotes Emerson and Lewis’ thoughts on friendship, “ Do you love me? means Do you see the same truth?—Or at least, “Do you care about the same truth?” The man who agrees with us that some question, little regarded by others, is of great importance, can be our Friend. He need not agree with us about the answer…” https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/reflections-on-friendship/
It is so important to not let issues divide us, especially as Christian’s. When we care about Christ and agree on Him, we must let other less significant topics lay aside. As some used to say, agree to disagree. We may otherwise end up as the Hatfields and McCoys, battling with anyone who will not agree with us and holding onto grudges to a degree that destroys us. Besides, how do we win others to Christ when we align ourselves more closely to a political party than we do our Lord? Our pastor made a comment about Trump which showed he aligned himself with Trump in some way, and I felt that was not appropriate from behind the pulpit. It wasn’t in the sermon, but during announcements as something humorous, but could have put off others. This is concerning to me.
SO GOOD FROM CHRIS:
It is so important to not let issues divide us, especially as Christian’s. When we care about Christ and agree on Him, we must let other less significant topics lay aside. As some used to say, agree to disagree. We may otherwise end up as the Hatfields and McCoys, battling with anyone who will not agree with us and holding onto grudges to a degree that destroys us. Besides, how do we win others to Christ when we align ourselves more closely to a political party than we do our Lord? Our pastor made a comment about Trump which showed he aligned himself with Trump in some way, and I felt that was not appropriate from behind the pulpit. It wasn’t in the sermon, but during announcements as something humorous, but could have put off others. This is concerning to me.
Chris, I love your answer to 10. Thank you for sharing the C.S. Lewis link. So good!
Wednesday: New Identity
7. What stands out and why?
—Keller’s comment that “everybody is ordinarily trying to build their self-image on the idea that they’re a good person”. And that is based on the thinking that they are a good person. But Jesus blows that thinking out of the water with our need of the Gospel because we are sinners. We need Jesus because we are sinners.
I liked his thought that we don’t have “an achieved identity but a received identity”.
8. Explain why Keller says you don’t know who Jesus is unless you are running away or running toward Him.
—If we recognized Who Jesus really is as Savior from our sin it will cause a clear response of rejection or acceptance. You can’t remain indifferent. You either run from Him or you embrace Him based on the truth of the gospel.
9. What is the difference between earning an identity and being given an identity?
—Earning an identity is works based. It involves what you do. The trying to achieve our own goodness. Being given an identity is to receive it freely and is not based on what I do but on what Jesus has done for me.
The following question is controversial, and you may disagree with me, but I know this is a problem in my community, though perhaps it is not in yours. But I am eager for your thoughts.
10. Many secular people see evangelicals as having their primary identity in conservative politics or a particular candidate based on their conversation, media posts, and passions. (The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.) Do you think this is a problem? If so, what is to be done? (You may remember the testimony from last week of the woman who thought being a Christian meant joining a dangerous political group.)
—I really hate being pigeonholed into any particular philosophy or political affiliation because I am a professing Christian. But I can’t be responsible for skewed views of secular people who base their opinions on other noisy voices who also profess Christianity. Or even just because they reject the claims of Christ. I feel Jesus has not called us to take up causes or run with our own agendas. We are to always represent the the good news of the Gospel and to treat all people with respect and a heart of love like Jesus does which can be very challenging at times in this flesh of my own. But my identity should be found in Jesus.
I think of examples like Mother Theresa who did the hands on work of Jesus. She did stand against evil practices like abortion with her voice. But it was her unquestionable work of loving and caring for the lowly and least of all peoples that could not be argued with. Her identity in Jesus was genuine.
Mother Theresa is such a good illustration for your point, Bev.
I so agree with this, Bev:“ I feel Jesus has not called us to take up causes or run with our own agendas. We are to always represent the the good news of the Gospel and to treat all people with respect and a heart of love like Jesus does which can be very challenging at times in this flesh of my own. But my identity should be found in Jesus.” How I pray for the Lord to filter the words in my mind before they get to my tongue.
3. What stands out to you from Keller’s first point on supernatural unity and why? How does he substantiate from the text?
Loving the Lord is a wonderful way to bond with others that I may, otherwise, not have anything in common with. I love people and knowing Jesus is a wonderful bond and a solid base for a long term friendship. Keller tells how different the disciples and Mary are, yet they are together. Community is so important in my walk with Jesus. My walk with Jesus is also so important in building community. I had not seen that as clearly before Keller’s sermon…they were together. The period is important! Their hearts were together, bonded by Jesus.
4. Are you friends with people you might not have been friends with if you did not both have Christ at the center of your lives? If possible, give an example. Yes, for sure. Though we may not see things the same way, there is incredible grace and understanding with Jesus at the center of the relationship. It is true of marriage, as well. With Jesus at the center, the differences in personalities can find a common ground.
5. How has knowing Christ in community, in church, on this blog, or in any kind of Christian fellowship enhanced your relationship and understanding of Him? Give an example. It makes a huge difference in my life. Being in community helps me to grown in Christ, in the same way Keller mentioned the friendship of C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and their third friend, Charles. Each perspective of other Christians, helps me to see Jesus in a deeper and more multi-faceted way. All of you dear friends on this Blog, enrich my view of Jesus with your amazing gifts and insights and the love you show! I have friends that I have had for many years, like Dee, who I met when we had toddlers, and they are still close friends, who continue to enrich my life and my fellowship with Jesus.
Why is it not sufficient to church and go home without truly being in fellowship? How could you connect better with people after church? Isolation is not good for growth, especially as Christians. The Bible Study at my new church has helped me to get to know people and to pray for them. I also joined a prayer support team, and a women’s group that sends cards and notes to those in need, (even if I don’t know them). These have helped me learn about the members of the church and have conversations when I see them. Praying for someone, and sending a card is such a good way to build a bridge to a friendship.
Patti, love your comment about isolation is not good for growth. So true!
Patti — you have been so proactive in finding fellowship after your move — I am so proud of you and praying for some kindred spirits for you.
1. How did you experience the goodness of the Lord during Easter Sunday and the following week? From the warm weather and a quiet sense of peace throughout the week.
Dawn, I’m LOVING the warm weather as well 🙂
I’m a little jealous. But I know it will come eventually to Door County, Wisconsin.
John begins with Afterward — so, after what? Jesus had appeared to the disciples and Thomas saw the resurrected Savior for himself.
I’ve heard sermons that say it was wrong for them to go fishing after the resurrection, for they should have only been fishing for men. What are your thoughts? I think if it were wrong, instead of giving them the miracle of fish, Jesus would have given them a lecture.
How do you see a desire to be together in verse 3? When Peter said that he was going fishing, many wanted to join him.
What miracle did Jesus perform? A miraculous catch of fish. In what ways was it similar to when they first met Him? Jesus had Simon row him out onto the lake to get away from the crowd. Jesus then told them to cast their nets into the lake, even though they had fished all night and caught nothing, they caught their net to overflowing with fish.
Describe Peter’s reaction. He wrapped his garment around him and jumped into the water.
Why do you think we are told Peter wrapped his garment around him before he jumped in? Maybe he was naked? It seems like if it were a robe it would have weight him down, unless it was a loin cloth.
Why do you think no one dared ask “Who are you?” Because they knew it was him.
What did Jesus ask of them? To come and eat some breakfast.
What stands out to you from this account? Not all of the disciples were there and there was one person with them who wasn’t even a disciple. ( I found this interesting as well about the number of fish: Augustine of Hippo argued that the significance lay in the fact that 153 is the sum of the first 17 integers (i.e. 153 is the 17th triangular number), with 17 representing the combination of divine grace (the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit) and law (the Ten Commandments)
Augustine of Hippo boggles my brain. Seems a little far fetched to me — but who am I to argue with such a great mind?
7. What stands out and why?
I love the idea that we become a new person when we know and accept Jesus. I don’t have to be the way I was.
8. Explain why Keller says you don’t know who Jesus is unless you are running away or running toward Him.
You are luke warm! You have not committed one way or the other. Running away means you have rejected Him. Running toward means you are His and can’t wait to be with Him.
9. What is the difference between earning an identity and being given an identity?
Earning means I rely on myself. Being given the identity means I am His. He controls the situations I am involved in and I do not have the control. I only have to please Him. No one else!
Perfect succinct answers!
11. What stands out and why? I really like the way Keller brings out the idea of intimacy with God. He asks, do you have that? And he acknowledges, of course not all the time, but when you pray do the burdens come off sometimes? I love that honesty and practical way of applying our faith.
12. What did eat with me mean then? Do you think it still does? Why or why not? It meant a commitment to a relationship. With fast food today? No. But when inviting someone to your home and preparing a meal, no matter how meager, but actually making time to spend with someone. Yes! This is a commitment. People do not do this often. I think families don’t do this enough. We have been caught up in running around and being busy-we have screens in front of us at the meal, etc. It makes it tough. We are still reading through TK’s book on the meaning of marriage with our son and his fiancé and we have included dinner before as an incentive for them, not that they need the incentive, but I think it adds something to the commitment on our end. It has been tough for his fiancé to make it ontime, so I plan to see if I can change anything to help with that. She works in landscaping and they have longer hours now. We did switch days, but she was still late yesterday and must have got food on the way. I do like the opportunity to to have some small talk beforehand and just see what’s going on in their lives before we dive into deep stuff.
13. How is it possible to have fellowship with Christ even when He is not physically present? How does this happen? Give a specific illustration from your life of a simple way. Prayer/scripture. The Lord speaks to us through his word, prayer, creation and circumstances in life. A simple way is when reading scripture and something stands out. This is the Lord drawing our attention to something. Sometimes a song on the radio or a kind word from someone. There are many simple ways the Lord leads us and it is rather miraculous and not easily explained but so amazing to experience.
14. Why does Keller say Jesus told Mary not to hold on to Him? I like Keller’s thinking on this and it is biblical. He says from the wording, Mary would be saying she wants to hold onto him physically and not let go, but Jesus is saying, if you let me go to the Father, he will send the Holy Spirit and you will have me in a way you can’t right now. This makes so much sense to me. I like what he says about the second fish miracle being on shore as well, and it confirms what I was thinking earlier about the disciples needing to see that he is the same Jesus still doing miracles, still meeting their needs in a resurrected form.
Love that you are breaking bread and reading Kellers book on marriage with your son and his fiance!!!!
Thursday: Intimacy with Jesus
11. What stands out and why?
—What stands out to me is the first part where he talks about the depth of meaning in the biblical culture that sharing a meal with someone meant more than it does today. It meant I want your friendship and your fellowship.
I realized how that applies to what I shared on Tuesday about my husband’s practice of getting together with people for a meal or at least sharing around a table with coffee and a snack. And as a result we have built many meaningful relationships and friendships with others.
12. What did eat with me mean then? Do you think it still does? Why or why not?
—It meant I want to be your friend. Yes I do think it still does. We get together and fellowship with those we want to connect with and we don’t normally share meals with and seek friendship with our enemies so to speak.
13. How is it possible to have fellowship with Christ even when He is not physically present? How does this happen? Give a specific illustration from your life of a simple way.
—I would say prayer is the primary key to my fellowship with the Lord along with reading and studying the Word because through those times he speaks to my heart’s needs.
A while back I was alone and driving to Kearney a little over an hour away which is mostly driving through a rural area. As I did I prayed out loud for every single immediate family member of mine. During that time I was deeply encouraged by the Lord’s presence and I knew He was really listening to me. He cared as much and even more than I do for each one I talked with Him about.
It felt very conversational as I spoke out loud to Him.
14. Why does Keller say Jesus told Mary not to hold on to Him?
—Because she was literally clinging to Him and not wanting to let Him go physically. He was telling her by going to be with his Father in Heaven it would open the door for him to be with her (and us) at all times through the power and presence of his Holy Spirit.
From Bev: A while back I was alone and driving to Kearney a little over an hour away which is mostly driving through a rural area. As I did I prayed out loud for every single immediate family member of mine. During that time I was deeply encouraged by the Lord’s presence and I knew He was really listening to me. He cared as much and even more than I do for each one I talked with Him about.
It felt very conversational as I spoke out loud to Him.
Bev, I love what you shared about praying outloud while driving. I find this very powerful. I did this recently, when struggling through my heart for those who I may need to forgive. I have heard that our brains believe what we say out loud (from Hope Out Loud ministry) and this is why we need to say scripture out loud and speak the truth to our hearts. It really does make a difference!
Interesting about praying out loud!
Chris, I love that Hope out loud! Oh, how I get inspired by reading the posts by each of you!
I love that you were praying out loud, Bev!! I am going to do that more! I do that sometimes in my home, praying for the presence of the Lord.
10. Many secular people see evangelicals as having their primary identity in conservative politics or a particular candidate based on their conversation, media posts, and passions. (The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.) Do you think this is a problem? If so, what is to be done?
I think it might be problematic. Our first “alliance” needs to be with God, however I have always wondered how a friend of mine could support abortion (being affiliated with the Democrats who support things like Planned Parenthood and say abortion is a woman’s healthcare right?!) while he is a Catholic, since Catholics, in my area at least, are staunch pro-life Christians 🤷🏻♀️ . So, it goes both ways.
I believe you are referring to people who are Republicans and support our President and the affairs of the country. I appreciate the passion because it means people (on both sides) are paying attention.
But, I don’t support the media, who have hijacked the news and made Americans believe things that aren’t true. They do this by not telling the WHOLE story and that whips people up. I listen to reliable sources who aren’t trying to “gin” up the public. For example, a recent, seemingly fair, poll, was actually supported by the likes of George Soros and a bunch of very wealthy, evil people. You had to dig deeper to understand who the source was. Here’s a link to a great news agency:
https://www.billoreilly.com
You ask what can be done? You can’t change people. They believe what they want to believe! But, we can continue to love and correct, gently when it comes up. If God is our center, then that’s our focus. I honestly don’t understand though, how one can accept abortion and be Christian. I know that’s harsh. I’m trying not to be judgmental. Here is an image, taken by Dr. Robert Wolfe in 1972 of an ectopic pregnancy (6-7 weeks). How can anyone not believe that this isn’t a human? Scroll down to see the image and read about how it was taken.
https://thelifeinstitute.net/learning-centre/life/science-photos#
If the issue is illegal immigration, I believe God wants us to follow the laws of the country, which state that there is a process to enter our country. Jesus said to give to Caesar what is his. I can’t just walk into another country and demand they accept me (our son has actually had this problem in Europe – being able to live there). There is a system that you have to follow to live here. The law is clear.
So, I think if we Christians, focus on Him, stand up for His values, then the secular world will begin to understand. In the end, He determines who leads us or doesn’t.
I understand your feelings, Laura. I agree with your distrust of the media. And I don’t think social media is the way to have a discussion, for you can’t hear tone, see facial expressions, or do a real dialogue.
Amen, Dee!
So true about discussions online! Important discussions need to be face to face. It’s why I don’t get on social media much anymore. Toxic!
Thank you for these links, Laura! I had not heard of the Life Institute. We do need to be so careful where we get our news!
Yes, the Life Institute link was incredible. Brought tears at the incredible capture of life in the womb!
Wednesday
7. What stands out and why? The statements about self-image. I’ve known believers who say they are saved by grace, but their justification depends on their own actions (going to church, tithing, no swearing, etc). Some believers are still trying to earn God’s favor.
8. Explain why Keller says you don’t know who Jesus is unless you are running away or running toward Him. Those who are running away from Jesus have just a glimpse of Him. There is either anger or hatred at being faced with Jesus’ claims, such as the Jewish leaders, or people today who scoff at being “sinful.” Keller points to Peter’s reaction in Luke 5, when Peter felt he was in the presence of a holy Jesus and was convicted of his own sinfulness. Peter wanted Jesus to leave. I’ve just been looking at Isaiah 6 where he says, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips.” Although this was a vision, I think it is alike to Peter’s first reaction to Jesus in person, fear in the presence of holiness.
Running toward Jesus is when you understand His claim and His love, “Jesus Christ is the Creator God of the universe who has come to earth to give Himself for us so that we could live for Him,” and you run toward Him as your Savior with thankfulness and love for Him.
9. What is the difference between earning an identity and being given an identity? Earning an identity is when you need to DO something to achieve standing/position. It all depends on the person’s actions, consequently the standing can be lost if she doesn’t live up to the right standard.
Being given an identity is something that depends solely on the giver, not the recipient, and can only be lost/changed by the giver. “Not because of who I am, but because of what You’ve done. Not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBcqria2wmg Casting Crowns, “Who am I”
10. Many secular people see evangelicals as having their primary identity in conservative politics or a particular candidate based on their conversation, media posts, and passions. (The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.) Do you think this is a problem? If so, what is to be done? (You may remember the testimony from last week of the woman who thought being a Christian meant joining a dangerous political group.)
The problem I have encountered most often isn’t secular people, but fellow believers who say Christians HAVE to belong to a certain political party or HAVE to support a certain political candidate. This attitude has caused so much anger, mistrust, and division among us. The only thing I can think of to do is look at the Word. The New Testament church lived in a time of oppression, turmoil, bitter persecution, political upheaval, etc. If we have honest conversations centered on the Word, with joint prayer, our unity might be restored. This unity is our witness to the secular world. Without it, the secular world just laughs or makes assumptions as to what a “Christian” believes.
I’ve always loved Who Am I but didn’t know it had come out by Casting Crowns. Our daughter Beth used in a speech when she told the story of her dad seeing her in a vision and deciding we had to find her and adopt her.
Dee, that is an amazing story about your daughter, Beth.
Wednesday: A new identity
1. What stands out and why?
The old kind of identity vs the gospel identity.
2. Explain why Keller says you don’t know who Jesus is unless you are running away or running toward Him.
Jesus has a totalitarian claim to being the only one who can save us and enable us to live for Him. You are then confronted with a choice: you run away because of frustration or anger, or you run toward Him because you know He is who He claims Himself to be, and you are nothing without Him.
The more I realize and accept that I am flawed, the more grace becomes wonderful. Yeah!
3. What is the difference between earning an identity and being given an identity?
Earning identity is based on works or performance; the identity that is given is only by grace, bought by the blood of Jesus.
The following question is controversial, and you may disagree with me, but I know this is a problem in my community, though perhaps it is not in yours. But I am eager for your thoughts.
4. Many secular people see evangelicals as having their primary identity in conservative politics or a particular candidate based on their conversation, media posts, and passions. (The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.) Do you think this is a problem? If so, what is to be done? (You may remember the testimony from last week of the woman who thought being a Christian meant joining a dangerous political group.)
I am not sure how to describe the demographics in our small town regarding conservatives and liberals. I vote prayerfully and use my conscience. Some of my friends, whom I think are conservatives, sometimes sound like they do not consider the candidate at all and just vote for them because they ran on a conservative ticket.
Good point about voting blindly. I know I have done that when I don’t really know either candidate, I vote my party.
Have to admit, I do the same
1. What stands out and why?
I love his point about Mary touching Jesus to mean gripped like a vise. Mary did not want to lose Him again. He meant that more than His physical presence would be with her if He goes to the Father. The promised Holy Spirit in her and to all of us. Hallelujah! His presence is not confined to time, space, and proximity. Because Jesus went to the Father, I do not have to say, “I wish Jesus were here.” It should be more like, “I am grateful, Lord, that you are with me. Even as I type these words, you are with me. Thank you, thank you!”
2. What did eat with me mean then? Do you think it still does? Why or why not?
Jesus not only wants our company, but he wants us to know Him more. He wants to know us more. The offer still stands. But sometimes, we are just too busy. And it translates not only to our relationship with Jesus but to each other. Why can’t we sit down and take our time for fellowship? Why are we always in a hurry to go to the next thing?
3. How is it possible to have fellowship with Christ even when He is not physically present? How does this happen? Give a specific illustration from your life of a simple way.
Jesus lives in us through the Holy Spirit. We just had our last Parents Night Out before we take a summer break. We were expecting 12 little kids to come, and I had 2 high school girls speak to help. At the last minute, one called in sick. This set my mind to starting to worry. But I felt the prompting of the Spirit to trust Him because He will provide. An older Christian member of our church helped me set up, and before I knew it, 3 middle school girls showed up and were great helpers throughout the 2 hours we had! And I felt his presence amid the hubbub and din of 3-8-year-olds! I took a pic of the kids during our wrap-up activity with the parents in the background, waiting for their children to be dismissed. It was a beautiful sight! All through the night, my mind had this wonderful conversation with Jesus about how good He is to us and our church.
14. Why does Keller say Jesus told Mary not to hold on to Him?
Don’t hold on to me because I am going to the Father. You will have more of me if I do, because you would sometimes not have me if I were to stay here. But if I were to go to the Father, you would always have me in your heart.
Jesus is now in Heaven interceding for me; the Holy Spirit is in me, guiding me here on earth.
Bing I love hearing about your small church experiences. Most of my life I have lived and been part of the small church experience so I really relate to your stories of needs and God supplying. And it has been those sweet and special servants of God like you and your husband who have had a great impact on my life personally. May God richly bless all you do for Him in serving your little church.
None of my answers to Monday’s questions that I posted yesterday showed up. I copied something that had links added. Maybe it got marked for approval. I don’t really want the links added anyway, but I didn’t have time to edit them out.
I just approved it, Dawn. Should show up soon.
thursday – Intimacy
11. What stands out and why? The first thing that stood out to me was Keller’s teaching about inviting someone to dine, and how it meant a desire for fellowship and friendship. I started to think of other biblical examples that included Jesus: Eating at Mary and Martha’s home, at Simon the leper’s home, at Zaccheus’ home, with the two men going to Emmaus, etc. Then I thought, “How can I dine with Jesus?’ Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good…” popped into my mind. By reading and studying the Word I am dining with Jesus!
,12. What did eat with me mean then? Do you think it still does? Why or why not? It meant a desire for fellowship and friendship. I know it still means the same thing for me personally. It’s a way for me to get to know people and build relationships.
13. How is it possible to have fellowship with Christ even when He is not physically present? How does this happen? Give a specific illustration from your life of a simple way. I already mentioned one way, reading/studying the Word, and being kissed by the King. Another way is through music, hymns and worship/praise songs. When I use sign language instead of my voice to sing, I focus on the Lord alone. I forget about the people in front of me, or around me, and it is a time of sweet communion with Him.
14. Why does Keller say Jesus told Mary not to hold on to Him? Keller said Jesus is teaching Mary that being with Him physically on Earth, sometimes I won’t be with you. If I go to my Father, the Holy Spirit will come and you will have me forever with you in your heart.
I remember Keller said something else in regard to John 20 about Mary clinging to Jesus, that Jesus had more to do and He also wanted Mary to go tell the disciples what she had seen.
Friday: Comprehensive Certainty
15. What stands out from the above.
—Keller pointed out that the Bible’s account of this story is clearly a historical document written within the time of the actual eye witnesses or it couldn’t have been written. Many who really did see Jesus raised from the dead testified to it and wrote it down. So that helps us toward a mental certainty but he then says “We actually need a comprehensive certainty. We don’t just need mental, intellectual, rational certainty that Christianity is true … We need a spiritual certainty that Jesus Christ is really, really offering us this.”
It is beautiful how Keller then ties the Elijah story of the pre-incarnate Jesus serving and feeding Elijah to the “risen from the dead” Jesus feeding the seven disciples on the beach.
16. Why does Keller say the apostles got the royal treatment in proofs of certainty?
—They would need that comprehensive certainty because of what they had been chosen to do. They were called to be the first preachers of the Gospel and they would die for doing it.
17. Why does Keller say that things like Peter putting his coat on or the telling that there were 153 fish give evidence that this is not fiction?
—Because in fiction those are totally non essential details to the story. An eyewitness account included details of what was actually happening and seen by the person relating the events.
18. What are some ways the Lord gave Elijah certainty of His love and reality?
—He was gentle in his approach of touching him and then met his most basic need for food and water and rest. He served Elijah.
19. List three ways God has given you certainty that this is all true and that He loves you.
—For me it comes back to this comment by Keller that I included above.
“We need a spiritual certainty that Jesus Christ is really, really offering us this.” I find that in my personal relationship to Jesus and as I spend time in the Scriptures and in prayer I am spiritually revived, encouraged and strengthened in my life. His Holy Spirit brings an assurance that His Word and the many promises it contains are true.
This morning I read this comment by Paul D Tripp on my daily Bible reading.
“So every call and command of God is accompanied by his empowering grace. We need grace both to desire and to do what God calls us to do.”
It is the result of God’s amazing grace that I have the certainty of Who He is and what He wants to do in my life and I have understood how much He truly loves me.
Friday – Certainty
15. What stands out from the above? It’s interesting how Keller points out that the Lord shows love by cooking for the disciples, cooking for Elijah, and breaking the bread (offering it to the disciples) at the Last Supper. “Come and dine,” (breakfast). “Arise and eat,” “Take, eat; this is my body.” I had never made this connection before.
16. Why does Keller say the apostles got the royal treatment in proofs of certainty? He says it’s because the apostles were the first preachers of the Gospel. Their message was something new, never heard before. All but John would be killed for preaching, so they were actually being sent to their death. The apostles had to be absolutely certain of the message in order to withstand everything they would encounter.
17. Why does Keller say that things like Peter putting his coat on or the telling that there were 153 fish give evidence that this is not fiction? In ancient fiction details were added only if they helped move the narrative or were symbolic. The details that John includes serve no such purpose, just stating factual details, making this a historical document (eyewitness account).
18. What are some ways the Lord gave Elijah certainty of His love and reality? The Lord cooked for Elijah. Elijah was sleeping; tired, depressed, on the run from Ahab and Jezebel, Elijah wanted to just die. Then the Lord touched him, and told him to get up and eat the bread that was cooking on a small fire, plus a cruse of water to drink. Elijah did and then fell back asleep. The Lord woke him a second time for another meal. These two meals that the Lord prepared gave Elijah the strength to travel 40 days.
19. List three ways God has given you certainty that this is all true and that He loves you. I know it’s true that Jesus is alive, because He lives in me. I know He loves me, because the Father sent the Son to die for me, as it is recorded in the Bible (which has been shown to be true). I know it’s true, and that He loves me, when I look at my life and see His loving hand in all my days.
From Cheryl:
I know it’s true that Jesus is alive, because He lives in me. I know He loves me, because the Father sent the Son to die for me, as it is recorded in the Bible (which has been shown to be true). I know it’s true, and that He loves me, when I look at my life and see His loving hand in all my days.
11. What stands out and why?
The part where Jesus blesses us! He says, “…blessed are those who have not seen and still believe…” Keller points out that Jesus is saying the we can have fellowship with Him even when He is not present. I think the Bible is an amazing book and the fact that I am in it too is stunning!
12. What did eat with me mean then? Do you think it still does? Why or why not?
It was an action that was intimate with the parties who were eating together. It was a pledge to friendship. Well, I don’t think I would invite enemies to dinner (?!), but then again Jesus does want us to love our enemies…sometimes meals might just be business events, but yes, I think people invited to dinner are those you want to be with generally speaking.
13. How is it possible to have fellowship with Christ even when He is not physically present? How does this happen? Give a specific illustration from your life of a simple way.
We can read the Bible, pray, and talk to Him all day long. The Holy Spirit is with us also. I talk to Him all day long! He can still work in our lives.
14. Why does Keller say Jesus told Mary not to hold on to Him?
He says for her to not grip Him tightly, and if He rises to the Father she will have Him with her forever. He will be able to send the Holy Spirit who will guide her always.
20. What is your take-a-way and why? This week’s sermon and the sermons on the Tim Keller podcast that I have been listening to this week have been touching on the same topics,. Even though the ones that I have been listening to were posted to the podcast back in September 2024, they were from one of his Easter series. It was unintentional on my part, but I believe very intentional on God’s part. He makes some of the same points in both. Especially the story from JRR Tolkien about how his friends need each other to complete each other.
I think that God is telling me that I need to be more involved in Christian fellowship at my church. I used to be years ago, but my experience has been that as soon as we (me and other sisters in Christ) weren’t in the same bible study, home school group, church, etc. there was no longer any connection. People move on and sometimes they don’t even say why. I’ve had so many people over the years that I thought that I was close to just go to another church without even saying that they were leaving and never contacting me again, that I have pretty much given up trying to have a relationship with anyone at church. I go, volunteer monthly in the nursery, go to the weekly church lunch and eat with my grandkids, but, to be honest, as an introvert it takes a lot of effort to connect with new people and I don’t even want to try anymore. I know that it is a selfish and sinful attitude and I really feel that I need to stop worrying about protecting myself.
I do believe the Lord is speaking to you. I thought you were very shy when I met you in person, but it has been a joy to see your heart through this blog. I pray you can reveal that beautiful heart to others and that the Lord will meet you.
19. List three ways God has given you certainty that this is all true and that He loves you.
He won’t let me give up. My son calls me “annoyingly optimistic.”
I get His “kisses” at times.
He has spoken to me once and told me He would always take care of me.