The True Nature and Character of God
Study No. 32 Chapter 21
In our introduction to this study I borrowed the following quote from Barnes New Testament notes:
… If anyone wishes to learn the true doctrine respecting the Messiah, the Son of God, expressed in simple language, but with most sublime conceptions; to learn the true nature and character of God, and the way of approach to his mercy-seat; to see the true nature of Christian piety, or the source and character of religious consolation; to have perpetually before him the purest model of character the world has seen, and to contemplate the purest precepts that have ever been delivered to man, he cannot better do it than by a prayerful study of the Gospel by John.
We have come from hearing John refer to Jesus as ‘The WORD’. Holy. Too reverent to even write His name. The Word which spoke the world into being. From there we have tried to understand what John meant when he says, The Word became flesh … and dwelt among us!
We have ‘followed’ Jesus … through His baptism, as He called His disciples and from them chose 12 whom He called Apostles. We have heard him distinctly explaining to Nicodemus that the way to heaven in through a new birth. We heard him tenderly explaining to a woman at a well that spiritual thirst can only be quenched by Him. From there we read of miracles that brought him to a place of immense popularity with the people of Galilee and other areas as well. We saw how He dealt with opposition that began to come from the Jewish religious leaders. We actually learned a great deal about who He is because of this interaction … which grew and continued to grow … to where they plotted his death. Through it all we saw our Lord Jesus pausing to heal a sick man who had lain beside a pool form many years and was surely coming to the place of hopelessness. While leaving the city because of the opposition against Him we saw Him pause again to open the eyes of a man born blind. We saw no fear in Jesus. We did see a resolute individual who came for a purpose and would not be turned from it.
We especially saw Jesus relating to His disciples. Repeatedly but gently correcting them. Stating and restating His purpose for coming. Constantly pointing out to them His one main desire … ‘That you believe that I have been sent by the Father’.
Ultimately through the pages of this gospel we went with Jesus through His last days here. The very special ‘final words’ to His disciples. His arrest. His sham of a trial. His sacrificial death for you and me. And we read of his victory over death – leading souls to heaven and in so doing establishing an open door for all of us to eventually go through. Lovingly we saw Jesus alive and well as He spoke with Mary, with the two on the road to Emmaus, with the 10 disciples and again with the 11.
This brings us to the final chapter.
In this chapter:
Fishing expedition
1. Some of the apostles had been fishermen by trade.
Mr 1:16 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
Mr 1:19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.
2. Jesus called them to ‘follow Him’
Mr 1:17 Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."
Lu 5:10 … And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men."
Jesus preceded this ‘call’ with a miracle - Luke 5:2-10
3. For the past 3 and one-half years Peter and the others were taught how to fish for men by “learning from a Pro”
4. Peter returns to his original trade and several others join him. John 21:1-3
Without a doubt this has to do with his feeling disqualified as an ‘apostle of Jesus’ because of his betrayal of Jesus on the night of His arrest.
Peter would have believed himself disqualified on more than one level.
a) The crime was atrocious
b) He had boldly avowed, though all others might desert Jesus, he would not. He had lied to the Master.
c) His betrayal … was three-fold in nature. Peter would be ‘bible-based’ in the sense that the Law stated … in the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established. The Jews had become quite superstitious regarding things that happened three times. They came to see it as ‘conclusive’ evidence. (Some of us are a little superstitious about things happening in three’s, are we not?)
What Peter and the others did not know (as yet) – When God calls it is permanent: Ro 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
5. Jesus comes into Peter’s life (and the lives of the other six) with ‘persistent grace’. Verse 4
Here is a living illustration of Heb 13:5 [Let your] conduct [be] without covetousness; [be] content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
and
John 6:37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
Isa 42:3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.
Mt 11:28 "Come to Me, all [you] who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
6. Jesus performs a similar miracle to the original ‘unusual catch of fish’ performed in calling Peter and several others to become ‘fishers of men’. Verses 5, 6.
Why?
What better way to communicate to Peter and the others … that they are to fish for men. That is their calling.
That was how He got the message across the first time … It is the message He uses to restate His call on their lives.
There is a contrasting difference in these two events. Verses 7 - 14
Why the mention of
1.the breaking net in the first instance and the
2. non breaking net in the second? Luke 5:4-7
7. Jesus re-affirms Peter (and the other disciples) to ministry. Verse 15 - 17
8. Jesus predicts Peter’s death and restates his ‘call’ on Peter’s life. Verses 18,19
“Follow me” Where? Jesus keeps disappearing? Peter is asked to Follow Jesus in the same way we are asked in 1Pe 2:21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps
Peter asks about John (wanting to hear a prediction regarding John’s death). Verses 20 - 23
John’s conclusion. Verses 24, 25
1 Expositor’s Bible Commentary
2 Ibid
3
That which is born of the flesh … etc.
Paraphrased: As the result of human reproduction, a human (flesh) life is produced.
It is interesting to note that the LDS group teaches that marriage is for time AND for eternity. They further believe that it is the duty and privilege of an earthly couple to populate their future abode with children.
As they produce children on earth, they believe they are beginning to populate the planet over which they will be god. Once in heaven the man will have relations with his spouse and produce heavenly (spiritual) offspring in eternity.
For this reason plural marriages were condoned in the early days of the church, so that while on earth, a man could greatly multiply his heavenly, spiritual offspring.
In our present time polygamy being unlawful, the LDS church promotes a practice called temple marriage. That is, a man will find several women with whom he will have a temple wedding. He will not consummate the marriage here on earth, but the women will keep themselves as virgins, be responsible for their own livelihood and ultimately die and go to the new planet with this earthly husband. Once there, the man and his wives, begin to people their new home.
In our introduction to this study I borrowed the following quote from Barnes New Testament notes:
… If anyone wishes to learn the true doctrine respecting the Messiah, the Son of God, expressed in simple language, but with most sublime conceptions; to learn the true nature and character of God, and the way of approach to his mercy-seat; to see the true nature of Christian piety, or the source and character of religious consolation; to have perpetually before him the purest model of character the world has seen, and to contemplate the purest precepts that have ever been delivered to man, he cannot better do it than by a prayerful study of the Gospel by John.
We have come from hearing John refer to Jesus as ‘The WORD’. Holy. Too reverent to even write His name. The Word which spoke the world into being. From there we have tried to understand what John meant when he says, The Word became flesh … and dwelt among us!
We have ‘followed’ Jesus … through His baptism, as He called His disciples and from them chose 12 whom He called Apostles. We have heard him distinctly explaining to Nicodemus that the way to heaven in through a new birth. We heard him tenderly explaining to a woman at a well that spiritual thirst can only be quenched by Him. From there we read of miracles that brought him to a place of immense popularity with the people of Galilee and other areas as well. We saw how He dealt with opposition that began to come from the Jewish religious leaders. We actually learned a great deal about who He is because of this interaction … which grew and continued to grow … to where they plotted his death. Through it all we saw our Lord Jesus pausing to heal a sick man who had lain beside a pool form many years and was surely coming to the place of hopelessness. While leaving the city because of the opposition against Him we saw Him pause again to open the eyes of a man born blind. We saw no fear in Jesus. We did see a resolute individual who came for a purpose and would not be turned from it.
We especially saw Jesus relating to His disciples. Repeatedly but gently correcting them. Stating and restating His purpose for coming. Constantly pointing out to them His one main desire … ‘That you believe that I have been sent by the Father’.
Ultimately through the pages of this gospel we went with Jesus through His last days here. The very special ‘final words’ to His disciples. His arrest. His sham of a trial. His sacrificial death for you and me. And we read of his victory over death – leading souls to heaven and in so doing establishing an open door for all of us to eventually go through. Lovingly we saw Jesus alive and well as He spoke with Mary, with the two on the road to Emmaus, with the 10 disciples and again with the 11.
This brings us to the final chapter.
In this chapter:
Fishing expedition
1. Some of the apostles had been fishermen by trade.
Mr 1:16 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
Mr 1:19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.
2. Jesus called them to ‘follow Him’
Mr 1:17 Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."
Lu 5:10 … And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men."
Jesus preceded this ‘call’ with a miracle - Luke 5:2-10
3. For the past 3 and one-half years Peter and the others were taught how to fish for men by “learning from a Pro”
4. Peter returns to his original trade and several others join him. John 21:1-3
Without a doubt this has to do with his feeling disqualified as an ‘apostle of Jesus’ because of his betrayal of Jesus on the night of His arrest.
Peter would have believed himself disqualified on more than one level.
a) The crime was atrocious
b) He had boldly avowed, though all others might desert Jesus, he would not. He had lied to the Master.
c) His betrayal … was three-fold in nature. Peter would be ‘bible-based’ in the sense that the Law stated … in the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established. The Jews had become quite superstitious regarding things that happened three times. They came to see it as ‘conclusive’ evidence. (Some of us are a little superstitious about things happening in three’s, are we not?)
What Peter and the others did not know (as yet) – When God calls it is permanent: Ro 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
5. Jesus comes into Peter’s life (and the lives of the other six) with ‘persistent grace’. Verse 4
Here is a living illustration of Heb 13:5 [Let your] conduct [be] without covetousness; [be] content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
and
John 6:37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
Isa 42:3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.
Mt 11:28 "Come to Me, all [you] who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
6. Jesus performs a similar miracle to the original ‘unusual catch of fish’ performed in calling Peter and several others to become ‘fishers of men’. Verses 5, 6.
Why?
What better way to communicate to Peter and the others … that they are to fish for men. That is their calling.
That was how He got the message across the first time … It is the message He uses to restate His call on their lives.
There is a contrasting difference in these two events. Verses 7 - 14
Why the mention of
1.the breaking net in the first instance and the
2. non breaking net in the second? Luke 5:4-7
7. Jesus re-affirms Peter (and the other disciples) to ministry. Verse 15 - 17
8. Jesus predicts Peter’s death and restates his ‘call’ on Peter’s life. Verses 18,19
“Follow me” Where? Jesus keeps disappearing? Peter is asked to Follow Jesus in the same way we are asked in 1Pe 2:21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps
Peter asks about John (wanting to hear a prediction regarding John’s death). Verses 20 - 23
John’s conclusion. Verses 24, 25
1 Expositor’s Bible Commentary
2 Ibid
3
That which is born of the flesh … etc.
Paraphrased: As the result of human reproduction, a human (flesh) life is produced.
It is interesting to note that the LDS group teaches that marriage is for time AND for eternity. They further believe that it is the duty and privilege of an earthly couple to populate their future abode with children.
As they produce children on earth, they believe they are beginning to populate the planet over which they will be god. Once in heaven the man will have relations with his spouse and produce heavenly (spiritual) offspring in eternity.
For this reason plural marriages were condoned in the early days of the church, so that while on earth, a man could greatly multiply his heavenly, spiritual offspring.
In our present time polygamy being unlawful, the LDS church promotes a practice called temple marriage. That is, a man will find several women with whom he will have a temple wedding. He will not consummate the marriage here on earth, but the women will keep themselves as virgins, be responsible for their own livelihood and ultimately die and go to the new planet with this earthly husband. Once there, the man and his wives, begin to people their new home.