June 2002 chaplain's corner

The Chaplain's Corner is a monthly message for chaplains.

Chaplain's Corner - June 2002

Rev. Rich Hines

This message is primarily for those who call upon the name of Christ as their own Lord and Savior, and are serving as correctional or rescue mission chaplains within the United States.

This month our message is from John chapter 21. The chapter breaks into two sections - Jesus and the collective disciples in verses 1-14, which I will use as background for the main section I want you to see, the second section: Jesus dealing with individuals in verses15-25. I want you to identify with Peter, when and where it applies to you.

Follow along with me as I now read verses1-14

1 After these things (after the events of the resurrection appearances in chapter 20) Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself:

2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the twin, Nathaniel of Cana of Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others ofHis disciples were together.

3 Simon Peter said unto them, "I am going (present indicative active verb) fishing." They said, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

5 Then Jesus said to them, "Children have you any food?" They answered Him, "No."

6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it) and plunged into the sea.

8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits) dragging the net with fish.

9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.

10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have just caught."

11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.

12 Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast." Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?" - knowing that it was the Lord.13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.

14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead

What we have in these first fourteen verses is a post-resurrection appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples. The first two collective appearances were on the day of His resurrection to ten of the disciples, then about a week later, that time including Thomas.

What we also have here is seven of the eleven disciples being disobedient to their Lord. Jesus had commanded all the disciples to meet Him on a mountain in Galilee. They were to proceed to that mountain and wait for Jesus there. These seven believers got tired of waiting for Jesus and led by Peter, they decided to go back to the fishing business. When Peter said in verse 3, "I am going fishing." that is what he meant, I am going back to fishing for my living - for my business. He was such a strong natural leader, the rest decided to join Peter's new enterprise.

They are then out of the will of their Lord, they are in disobedience and they catch nothing. That is an important spiritual lesson for us. When we are out of the will of the Lord, not doing what He tells us to do, we are fruitless.

That's when Jesus decided to reveal Himself to them through a miracle (or as some see it two miracles). The miraculous catch of fish revealed first to John, then to Peter and then the rest, that this was indeed the Lord Jesus on the shore. Some see the fact of the net not breaking under the strain of 153 large fish, estimated by scholars to weigh in excess of 300 pounds, as a second miracle.

Jesus was rebuking them for their disobedience and teaching them like He had in John 15, with the illustration of the Vine and the branches, that without Him they could do nothing (see John 15:4,5).

Jesus also reminded them of the time in the upper room, the night before His crucifixion, in John 13, when he had washed their feet. He did this by preparing a barbecued breakfast to serve each one (see verses 12,13). He made this breakfast from bread and fish which He had miraculously created in His hands (like the fishes and loaves for the five thousand and again for the four thousand, see Mark 6:32-44 and Mark 8:1-9).

In verse 15, our text focuses on Simon Peter who had denied His Lord. Three times he had denied that he even knew the Lord. Here Peter had also led in this rebellion to Christ's will and word that had instructed them to meet Him on the mountain. So verse 15 picks up the story -

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, Son of Jonah, do you love (agapas - present indicative) Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know (perfect tense) that I love (phile - present indiative) You." He said to him, "Feed (present imperative) My lambs."

16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (agaps - present tense) Me?" He said to Him,

"Yes, Lord; You know that I love (phile) You." He said to him, "Tend (shepherd, pastor, - present imperative) My sheep."

17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (philes- present indic.) Me?" Peter was grieved (elupethe - from which we get "lupus") because He said the third time, "Do you love (phileis) Me?" And he said to Him,

"Lord, You know (perfect tense) all things; You know (present indicative) that I love (philo) You." Jesus said to him, "Feed (present imperative) My sheep.

19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he (Peter) would glorify (future indicative) God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow(present imperative) Me."20 Then, Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?"

21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?"

22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?" You follow (present imperative) Me."

23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him

that he would not die, but, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?"

In dealing with Peter, Jesus teaches us Christian chaplains much about our ministry for Him. First, in verses15-17 He spoke of the secret of ministry, the key element of all chaplaincy ministry. Then in verses18,19a, He gave the ultimate goal of all Christian ministry. Finally, in verses 19b-23 Christ stressed the point that ministry for Him has an individuality about it - that every believer's ministry is not a carbon copy.

In the first section in verses 15-17, is a well known passage, it tells us the secret of ministry for Christ is LOVE FOR HIM. This love is a special all-out devotion to Him. When that is there, all ministry is done in His interest, in His name, not our own. All service by chaplains should be so that Christ, not self, will be magnified and glorified. Self should be removed from the picture.

There are a lot of chaplains and other people doing a lot of stuff in ministry for their own name, for their own interests, even out of pride. You can tell that, when the credit for something they have done gets threatened.

Then also, there are those that really care a lot about people, and that's not wrong. But, if the reason we serve people is only because we love them and at the same time our service is not offered as an act of love and worship to Christ, that human-centered love will burn out and grow cold. That will happen because the people we love naturally will eventually let us down. When we only serve them so that they'll love us back, in reality we're only seeking our own interests.

Now look carefully at the text -

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, Son of Jonah, do you love (agapas - present indicative) Me more than these?"

There are a number of views on what Jesus meant, but the right one is: "Do you love Me more than these other men (disciples) love Me, because that really was what you boasted back in Matthew 26:33"

31 Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: "I

will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered."

....

33 Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, because of You, I will never be made to

stumble."

Do you see the pride in Peter's boast?

Before we move on, it's important that you really understand the word "love" that Jesus used here with Peter. It was the highest form of the word love. It is used in the Bible to describe God's kind of self-sacrificial, unconditional love. Of the popular Eng. translations, the NIV is the only one that gives us a sense of it in this section down through verse 17.

Every time this word is used, the NIV translates it as "truly love" in contrast to a lesser word "love." So what Jesus asked His disciple was (and He is asking every correctional chaplain this also) "Do you love Me with that highest form of love that means all-out devotion? Is your devotion to Me really greater than the others devotion?"

"Simon, Son of Jonah, do you love (agapas - present indic.) Me more than these?" Now note Peter's answer

He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know (intellectual awareness, have learned) that I love (philo - like You a lot, I have an affection for You - present indicative) You."

Peter thought about Jesus' question, and the word He used, and when he answered, He used a lesser word, one that means the love of fondness, affection. In effect Peter answered, "Yes, Lord, You know that I like You." His love as devotion had fallen short - three times during Jesus' trials.

Peter could not say "Yes Lord, I truly love you with the highest form of love because my actions have said otherwise." Some of you know this higher word is agape, the lesser is phile. Phile has emotion attached to it, so does agape, but agape always goes further. The love of all out devotion, agape, does the right thing when it's hard to do, in spite of emotions.

True agape type love, never "falls out of love with a person or a thing" because it's based on the devotion of the one loving, rather than the object of the love.

Jesus didn't push the point any further, but simply: "He said to him, "Feed (present imperative) My lambs."

This would take Peter and the others, whom I think were in earshot, back to the scene in John 10 where true believers were referred to by Jesus as His sheep. Jesus now was leaving and disciples like Peter would have to give God's sheep God's word. In John 10:16 Jesus said to Peter and the others:

"And other sheep I have that are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will (future tense) hear My

voice; (because true sheep, Christians, always have a hunger for God's word) and there will be one flock and one shepherd."

Chaplain, if you love Jesus at all, even if you just like Him, then feed the people in your facility God's word!

This is Jesus' command.

So Jesus here was saying in effect, Peter if you love Me at all, if you even like Me - obey Me and feed My little sheep, the new ones like lambs, that will come to believe through your ministry, feed them My word. This can be seen as a re-commissioning for Peter. IT WAS A COMMAND

Moving on -

16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (agapas - present tense) Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know (learned, intellectual knowledge) that I love (like) You." He said to him, "Tend (Shepherd, pastor -present imperative) My sheep."

The same question as before with the same words, "minus the more than these" and the same response from Peter. "Well, no Lord, I don't love you with all out devotion, with the highest form of love, but you know that I like you a lot!" As in verse15, Jesus, said in effect, "Then do something!"

And this time it was a little different. Here in verse 16 Jesus didn't command him to "Feed," but rather, literally to "Shepherd, pastor or tend" His sheep. The last word is really little sheep, and that's the same thing as lambs,

isn't it?

Now pastoring includes feeding, but it also goes beyond that and includes other things, like disciplining, restoring, healing hurts, assisting and leading. But the thrust still is that out of love for the Lord, ministry to His people that are inmates, is to give them His word and care for them.

Now verse17 is very important, and it really hurt Peter, but it was necessary, and Jesus made His point.

17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (fileis- present indicative, NOTE, JESUS CHANGED THE WORD FROM AGAPAS) Me?"

Christ changed the word to the lower one, as if to say "Do you even like Me Peter?"

Peter was grieved (elupethe- from which we get the English word Lupus a very painful disease.) because He said the third time, "Do you love (fileis - like or have affection for) Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know (Greek 'oida' You've had intellectual knowledge of - perfect tense) all things; You know (Greek 'ginoskeis' - NOTE THE WORD CHANGE BY PETER, You know by ongoing personal experience - present indicative) that I love (philo - like, have affection for) You."

And Jesus' response to Peter is "Well Peter, if you even like Me, your job is to FEED MY SHEEP." This is the heart of it all. The Lord is saying to chaplains and all Christian ministers, "Do you love Me, Do you like Me? If you even like Me, then My command for you is to keep on giving those inmates, those people in that facility, or those residents that come through the rescue mission, My word."

Now, secondly in this passage we come to THE GOAL OF MINISTRY FOR CHRIST. It's in verses 18,19a

Jesus, now secures His wounded disciple, so He says to Peter:

18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you (wrap you around) and carry you where you do not wish." - (Peter, you failed Me in your 'love' in the past, but you won't fail in the future, you'll get another chance to not deny Me. In the future you won't deny Me)

19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he (Peter) would glorify (future indic.) God.

There it is, the goal of all ministry for Christ - the glory of God.

Jesus re-commissioned Peter to ministry for His name. He stressed that all-out love for Him would be the secret driving force to get it done. He reminded Peter that He wanted him to give God's children, Christ's sheep God's word, and He reminded him the goal of it all would be glorifying God.

Reaching souls only serves the greater cause - the glory of God.

Finally, in the middle of verse 19 Jesus gave Peter one last important command to constantly be about obeying. Note it:

19b ... And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow (present imperative) Me." (Keep on following Me)

The word actually means "to be in the way with." Often it means to literally walk along with someone down a road. But Jesus also often used it to speak of someone being in union with Him in His work, His cause - His ministry.

The fact that this command is also in the present tense suggesting ongoing action, together with the fact that Jesus was soon to ascend to the father, makes it clear: Jesus was speaking spiritually, of the need for Peter or any Christian minister to model himself after Christ, to follow Him in that sense.

Jesus, by His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, is still saying this to chaplains today. Have you got the message? Do you understand Jesus wants you too, to follow Him in ministry for the glory of God?

To truly follow Jesus in ministry means we have to stop following the flesh's desires and the world's ways. We cannot be one in purpose with sinful societies' thinking, and do a true service for Jesus to the eternal glory of God. Do you know what Christ wants you to do for Him there at the jail, prison or rescue mission? Follow Jesus in the way you do ministry. Do it for the same reason He did it and when and where you can with the same attitude and devotion.

Now Peter, in this closing part shows us how not to do it. It's amazing.

Getting back to our text, at some point Jesus rose up from the ground where they had breakfast, and started walking off a little. Peter was literally following along as they had this conversation. I know that because our text in verse 20 indicates the beloved disciple, John, was also following them down the road. What happened next gave Jesus the opportunity to speak about THE INDIVIDUALITY OF MINISTRY FOR CHRIST (and rebuke His disciple).

Look again at the end of verse 19 and the beginning of verse 20

19b ... And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow (present imperative) Me."

20 Then, Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following (present tense), That's amazing! Immediate disobedience!

John goes on to help the reader understand it was him, the writer, Peter was so concerned about.

21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?"

Jesus had to be a bit exasperated with Peter at this point. Think about how exasperated He must get with you and me. He'd just told him to focus on following Him, and right away Peter revealed his greatest concern was what the program for John would be! Don't look at other Chaplains or other ministers, look at Jesus, follow Him in chaplaincy.

22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?" You follow (present imperative) Me."

The emphasis is in Jesus' words "What is that to you?" As if to say, "You mind your own business, what I have for that man, doesn't change what I want from you, you are to pay attention to what I command you, so I'll repeat it again, and this time with emphasis, 'YOU follow Me!' "

This isn't the only time Jesus stressed that ministry for Him was a matter of an individual being assigned a special task and equipped to do it, different from others under His command.

The parable of the talents in Matt.25:14-30, is a good illustration. There, the one that represents the Lord in verse15 gave five to one servant, two to another and only one to the third servant, "each according to his own ability."

1 Cor.12:7, makes it clear every believer receives a gift or gifts from the Holy Spirit for ministry, but verses 27-30 make it clear - all do not have the same gifts for ministry.

The lesson Jesus now had to re-teach Peter and is teaching us, is that we are not to be so concerned with what he has for another to do, as we are with what He give us as an individual responsibility to do for Him. Have you learned that?

The first step, and this is the same for each one, is to make sure you're saved, then through study and prayer and fellowship to find out what He wants and commands you, as an individual, to do. Then, be at it, keep on doing it.

Now closing the scene there by the lake that morning, in verse 23 we see something sad, that John, writing years later had to correct.

Most serious Bible scholars believe this 21st chapter was added by John sometime after the he finished what he wanted to say in his presentation of Jesus in 20:31. There is no doubt as to it's authenticity, and that it was also inspired by the Holy Spirit. It flows well with the rest of the book of John and what happened in chapter 20.

I also believe it was added by John at a later date, partly to correct a superstition that John himself would not die. John himself mentions the spreading of this wrong view in verse 23. As John grew older, and the other disciples were martyred, the superstition would tend to only gain momentum.

23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?"

Listen to me people, I've said this before: Bible words are important! If you miss the "IF"in verses 22,23, it changes everything. Drop the "IF", and the emphatic "You, are to keep on following Me," and it reads: "I will that he remain till I come."

That is the way most people in the first Century took this. But Jesus didn't say that. He was not giving Peter a promise about John. He was ordering him to stop worrying about John, and He only mentioned John as a supposition, - "Suppose I desire and decide that John live until I return. Even if I want to do that, and I'm not saying I do, but IF I did, what concern of yours would that be, Peter?"

Look again at the beginning of verse 23. "Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die." When? Right away, "Then!" Who started the rumor, and spread the misunderstanding of God's words?

If we go back to verse 20, we are reminded that Jesus had moved away from the other men, so that except John, the rest probably did not hear what Jesus said to Peter in verse 22. So who started the wrong info going around?

A careful reading of the text points back to Peter. Think about it.

He probably came back to the rest of the disciples, or his brother Andrew and said "Hey, guess what I heard!"

That's all it would take, human nature took over from there and the "saying," the rumor spread that John, the disciple that Jesus loved, the one that leaned on His breast at the last supper, the one that also was able to ask the Lord to reveal the traitor Judas Iscariot - that one was the subject of a rumor that spread.

But more important than a story that isn't true, is that a good testimony as a man of God and truth would spread. Verse 24 speaks of the true testimony John had over the intervening years. It is in contrast to the false rumor. I think it was written, by his secretary to whom he probably dictated this closing chapter, he said of John:

24 This is the disciple who testifies (present tense) of these things, and wrote (aorist - pointing to the a point in time in the past) these things; and we know (perfect indicative) that his testimony is true.

This then speaks of the reliability of John and by extension, - the reliability and importance of John's gospel.

It is absolutely accurate and true. Everything John has shown us that Jesus said and did proving He was God in human flesh was true. That's so because the Holy Spirit made John a holy vessel through which He gave us this wonderful, powerful record of Jesus. You can count on it!

John then picked up the pen and spoke in the first person "I." In effect he said, though my testimony about Him is true and important, He is greater than anything anyone can ever write about Him. His closing words are:

25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that

even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Think of the final message from Jesus in this gospel, "Love Me, serve Me, give the word, take care of My people, pay attention to Me and follow Me! Dear chaplain, I pray you are doing just that.

Rev. Rich Hines

Minister To Chaplains