"Do You Want to Be Healed?" (John 5:1-9)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Jesus said to the invalid of thirty-eight years: “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5:6).

 

For thirty-eight years, a man had not been able to run. He had not been able to walk. For thirty-eight years, he had been waiting. Now, we don’t know how many times he appeared at the pool called Bethesda, but he was there, and he knew how the game was played. 

 

Here’s the game: somewhat mysteriously, every once in a while, that water would begin to stir. And when it stirred, people believed the water had healing qualities to it, but it was very brief. It came and and it went. The common belief among the people was that when the water was stirred, it was because an angel from heaven was dipping its wing into the water, thus causing the water to move. And because of that movement, it was believed that the first person into the water would be healed of whatever infirmity he or she had. 

 

With people believing the water had a healing quality, it’s not surprising that there were a lot of ill and infirm people gathered around that body of water. There were a multitude of invalids just waiting to be healed, among them were the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed.

 

So, picture what that scene looked like on most days. We have desperate people all with the desire to be healed. So, as the water began to stir, imagine the pushing and shoving that likely happened as each ailing person desperately tried to be the first into the water. When you are desperate, it’s highly unlikely that you would be polite and patient with each other. So, they wouldn’t have been helping each person into the water or waiting patiently for their turn. No, it was more like every man for himself. So, nobody would have been helping anyone else. If there was anything going on, it was scheming on how to be the first person into the pool.

 

Now, about the pool. The pool of Bethesda was divided into two sections. Half of the pool was used to wash the sheep that were used in the temple sacrifice. The other half of the pool was used by people. 

 

One day, as Jesus came to a feast of the Jews in Jerusalem, He passes by the Sheep Gate and by the pool of Bethesda. And in case you are curious, Bethesda means “house of grace” or “house of mercy.”

 

So, Jesus walks by and witnesses this multitude of invalids waiting beside the pool of Bethesda. So, Jesus sees this man who has been an invalid for thirty-eight years, and He knows the anguish this man has been through, who appears to not be able to move much on his own, at least not very easily. So, Jesus asks this man, “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5:6).

 

Now, you would expect this man’s answer to be “Yes! Yes, I do want to be healed!” But does he say that? No. What does he say? He says, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me” (John 5:7).

 

How pitiful. He says some of the saddest, most heart-rending words you could ever hear, “Sir, I have no one to help me.” How sad are those words? 

 

It is likely that there are times in your life when you have felt that you were alone, where you felt that no one would be able to help you. For this invalid of thirty-eight years, he was lonely despite being among so many people. This can be true for us, too. For some people, even with family and friends present, you may be suffering from anxiety and depression. You may feel like nobody is there for you. That nobody could or would help you.

 

We hear so much about cancer and heart disease, and rightfully so. There are nearly two million new cases of cancer each year in the United States. And one out of every 13 people will experience some sort of coronary artery trouble in their lifetime. But what about the one in five, at least, who are suffering from a mental illness? Statistics show that there are more people suffering from mental illnesses than there are people living with cancer and heart disease combined. But the big difference is that the majority of people suffering from mental illness have not sought any treatment. So, for those suffering a mental illness, they may feel like they are suffering alone.

 

Sometimes the focus of today’s Gospel reading is just on the act of divine healing. Yes, there is a divine healing. Jesus does say to the invalid, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk” (John 5:8), and at once, this man walked. He doesn’t need physical therapy. He walks. He doesn’t need to learn the occupations of his daily living. He walks. He walks right from the start. He has no limp. He just walks perfectly.

So, yes, that divine healing is certainly an aspect of today’s Gospel text. But that is not Jesus’ only concern. Following our pericope for today, Jesus sees this man in the temple. Now, we don’t know why this man was in the temple. We can ponder. Maybe he simply comes there to offer thanksgiving for the miraculous healing he received? That would be a good reason. But whatever the reason, Jesus comes up to him and says, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you” (John 5:14).

 

So, there was more to this than just a miraculous physical healing. Here, Jesus is speaking also about this man’s spiritual health.

 

What Jesus is saying is that while living with a physical ailment for thirty-eight years may have been difficult enough, what would be even worse is to have no hope of salvation in your life. What would be worse is not to know the unconditional love God has for him and for you. What would be worse is to be eternally separated from the God who created him and you. What could have been worse is to live without the forgiveness of sins and the peace God offers through Jesus’ atoning death and bodily resurrection for all people. Without all of that, life is so much worse.

 

The point Jesus makes is that no matter what may be going on in your life physically, to be spiritually infirmed would be so much worse.

 

For many of us, if we have the blessings of physical health, we would not want to trade that for anything. But to be spiritually healthy by being at peace with God through Jesus Christ’s death which won forgiveness through His blood, and to know that every sin we confess has been atoned for, there is no greater gift than that. 

 

So, Jesus not only addresses the physical needs of man, He also addresses our spiritual needs, as well. 

 

So, Jesus also asks you, “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5:6). Now, what is your response? 

 

On this day in history nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus approached this invalid for thirty-eight years and He came to address His physical, spiritual and mental well-being. He came for him. And if Jesus is so concerned with this man’s physical, spiritual, and mental well-being, then why would He not also be concerned with our complete well-being as well?

 

When it appears that there is no one to help. There is Jesus. He enters in. So, 

 

1    Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice,
    With exultation springing,
And with united heart and voice
    And holy rapture singing,
Proclaim the wonders God has done,
How His right arm the vict’ry won.
    What price our ransom cost Him!

Text: Public domain

 

Jesus came down from heaven. He saw us fast bound in Satan’s chains. All we had going for us was death. Sin so firmly possessed us. He saw our wretched state and planned for yours and my salvation. He did not choose the easy part, but gave His dearest treasure: His life, so that you and me would live forever by grace through faith in Him.

 

This invalid man of thirty-eight years never met Jesus prior to our Gospel text. Jesus simply looks at him and says, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk” (John 5:8). When it seems that no one else was there to help him, Jesus enters in. Jesus comes. Jesus comes for you, too. 

 

So, come and receive His medicine of immortality, the fruits of His cross, His body that was given into death for your sins, and His blood that was shed for the forgiveness of your sins. Come and receive His Means of Grace, His Word and Sacrament which forgives your sins and strengthens your weak faith. In Christ, you are never alone. He is always with you, with His rod and His staff which comforts you. His goodness and mercy overflows for you all the days of your life. 

 

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed. Alleluia! Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"In A Little While" (John 16:12-22)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Jesus said: “A little while, and you will see Me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see Me” (John 16:16).

 

Are you confused by these words of Jesus? If you thought Jesus only spoke in parables, you would be mistaken. Today, we hear Him saying three riddles. So, what is Jesus saying? What are we to understand?

 

As you may be perplexed by these words of Jesus, His apostles are certainly befuddled. So, they say to each other, “What is this that He says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’” (John 16:17).

 

They are perplexed. What is Jesus talking about? Was Jesus going to leave them? Then come back to them? But they just couldn’t ask Jesus what He meant.

 

Just think of this riddle: No matter how smart you are, there is one thing you will always overlook. What is it? The answer: your nose.

 

Yes, riddles can be fun, but they can also leave us confounded. The apostles reacted with puzzlement to the words Jesus spoke to them, “A little while, and you will see Me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see Me” (John 16:16).

 

As for us, we live on the other side of the “little while” of Christ’s atoning death and bodily resurrection and ascension, so we know the answer for Christ’s first “little while” riddle. 

 

We all have our own “little whiles.” Some are long; some are short. What are your thoughts when you have to wait in line at the grocery store? What are your thoughts when you wait in line at an amusement park? What are your thoughts when you are caught in traffic? We all treat our “little whiles” differently. 

 

Today, on this Fifth Sunday of Easter, we find ourselves back in the upper room on Maundy Thursday. 

 

The apostles were uneasy. The Jewish authorities’ hatred toward Jesus was reaching a boiling point. Later that night Judas Iscariot would betray Jesus with a kiss setting into motion Jesus’ arrest, trial and death.

 

Again, we know what Jesus was talking about. He was talking to His apostles about in “a little while” His coming suffering and death and in “a little while” His coming resurrection from death. 

 

But Jesus isn’t done with speaking riddles. Jesus says to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (John 16:20).

 

Jesus says, “You will weep.” Well, this is not surprising. When Lazarus died, even Jesus wept. “You will weep and lament,” Jesus says, “but the world will rejoice.”

 

This is the world that hates God, its Maker. This is the world that wants nothing to do with Jesus, its Redeemer.

 

Now, there are reasons why the apostles would weep. First, they did not know what would happen in just “a little while.” They didn’t get it. Yes, they were told several times. But just like us, we don’t always listen and ultimately understand what has been said. Second, the death of Jesus was a good reason for the apostles to weep and lament, because Jesus is killed. The Lamb takes the sin of the world upon Himself and sin kills Him. They don’t see Him, since He’s dead and buried in a tomb. Their sin, the world sin, yours and my sin killed Him. Everyone, the apostles, the disciples, the Jewish authorities and the Roman soldiers all believe that Jesus is dead and gone. 

 

But in this second riddle, Jesus concludes saying, “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.” So, what would happen? Easter would happen. The bodily resurrection of our Lord would happen. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

 

They saw Jesus again! He appeared in the barred-shut upper room on Easter evening and a week later saying, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19) and immediately showed them His hands and His side. They were glad when they saw the Lord! 

 

Then, sometime later, Jesus revealed Himself again by the Sea of Tiberias. Despite catching no fish on their own, Jesus’ voice leads them to another miraculous catch of fish and to eating breakfast with Him and Peter receiving the certainty of his forgiveness from Him after he denied Him three times on Maundy Thursday.

 

This sorrow that turned into joy was not manufactured by anything within them. They rejoiced “when they saw the Lord” (John 20:20). Their joy came from outside of them. It came from without. Their joy came from the crucified and risen Jesus! He turned their sorrow into joy!

 

“In a little while” Jesus would bring redemption, life, and salvation. But wait, there’s more!

 

Forty days after His bodily resurrection from the dead, Jesus would return to God the Father as He bodily ascended into heaven. So, again, “in a little while,” His apostles would not see Him. But “in a little while,” the Holy Spirit would make it clear to the disciples all the things that had happened. And the Holy Spirit would also point them to things yet to come, and many, including you and me, will come to faith in Jesus as Lord through their apostolic testimony recorded in the Scriptures.

 

But what about you and me? Well, Jesus gives us a third riddle: “So also you will have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you”(John 16:22).

 

We are also living “in a little while.” I bet there have been times when you have not been particularly joyful. In our “little while,” we struggle. We struggle with weeping and lament. We mourn while the world is rejoicing. And just like when Jesus died nailed to a cross, the world today is rejoicing. The world is rejoicing because it has pushed God into a corner. Now, God cannot be shoved away, but the fallen world has pushed God away from so much public consciousness. Why? 

 

Well, the world hates God and His only begotten Son, who has come as the Redeemer of the world. You see, the fallen world hates God and rejoices when we worship money and possessions, falsehood over God’s truth. The fallen world rejoices when love grows cold and when we live in echo chambers by only interacting with others who share your same beliefs.

 

So, where is the joy? Even when we live in a time of intense pain, we are living a time akin to a woman giving birth. For when the birth occurs, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child has been born into the world. For when a child is born, all the pain is quickly forgotten. All that remains is joy. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

 

Today, Jesus comes to us offering forgiveness for your sins in hidden means through His written and preached Word, through the word of absolution, and given to us under bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper for the forgiveness of our sins, the strength for our faith. But besides the mystery of the Means of Grace, we have not seen Jesus. We have not seen His scarred hands and feet with our own eyes, but we have seen Him by faith. And as Christ says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

 

But we will see Him fully. Right now, we all experience various crosses and trials, but “in a little while,” Jesus “will wipe away every tear from [your] eyes, and death will be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away”(Revelation 21:4). So, be patient. God will get you through your trials.

 

Right now, we see a world growing increasingly out of control, but “in a little while” Jesus will return and set all things right. On that Last Day, Jesus will destroy our last enemy: death.

 

“In a little while” we will see the glorified, risen, ascended, all-powerful Jesus with our own eyes. On that day, we will rejoice, and no one can take that joy away from you. Until that day, let us always look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come! Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"The Marks of Christ's Sheep" (John 10:22-30)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Jesus said: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28).

 

How good are you at listening? According to Psychology Today, in one survey, 96 percent of respondents said they were always or sometimes good listeners. Would you consider yourself to be a good listener? However, another study found that we only retain about half of what people say to us. And that is directly after they say it. So maybe you aren’t as good of a listener as you may think.

 

Now, as you are acutely aware, men and women are different. Even if the fallen world attempts to erase the fact that men and women are different, how is it that one sex is significantly better at listening than the other sex? And in case you aren’t sure which sex is typically the better listener, well, it’s female. You may have already known that. And there are always exceptions to every rule. So, there are occasions when the male is a better listener than the female, but typically, the female is the better listener.

 

In today’s Gospel text, Jesus says: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).

 

Do you know who your Shepherd is? Do you know what He is saying to you? Do you know His voice?

 

Sheep always recognize their shepherd’s voice. They listen for their shepherd’s voice. If they hear another’s voice, they flee. They flee, because voices are unique. Voices can identify people much like fingerprints. Restless babies settle down when they hear their mother’s or father’s voice. 

 

Today’s text tells us about the familiar voice of the Good Shepherd, who is Jesus Christ. But how do we identify His voice?

 

You and I hear many voices. Persistently and in many ways, the voices of the world – those “strangers,” “thieves,” and “robbers” – approach us. 

§  They call us to disobey the voice of Jesus by rejecting or evading His commands. 

§  They call on us to subvert His inerrant Word. 

§  They call us to ignore Jesus, so that we would get caught in false teachings. 

§  They call us to remain busy in this life so that we don’t have time to hear God’s Word and receive His Sacraments weekly in this place. 

§  They call on us to abandon our faithfulness to Christ. 

§  They call on us to isolate ourselves apart from Christ and this congregation. 

§  They call on us to not support the work our gracious Lord has given for us to do here, by supporting this congregation with our time, our talents and our treasures that Christ alone gives to us.

 

After Christ ascended into heaven to receive all power and all authority in heaven and on Earth, it appears that He has abandoned us. But He hasn’t. He is still speaking. He speaks to us in the Scriptures. He speaks to us through right preaching. But are you listening?

 

The Good Shepherd is speaking as He carries His rod and a staff (Psalm 23:4) and by this, He directs and guides us. He speaks to us the word of the Law – the rod, as He lets us know how much we have sinned and deserve nothing but eternal wrath apart from Him. He also speaks to us the word of the Gospel – the staff, as He forgives our sins, giving us salvation and opening for us eternal life. His word of Law and Gospel is His unique voice.

 

For the Jewish authorities who were at the temple colonnade and interrogated Jesus, which led to Jesus to say, “My sheep hear My voice,” they were wondering just who Jesus was. It was winter and Jesus was at the temple for the feast of dedication, which may be better known as Hannukah. 

 

So, the Jewish authorities asked Jesus, “How long will you keep us in suspense?” (John 10:24a), or more literally, “How long do you take away our life?” This is what they were asking. So, for these Jewish authorities, knowing who Jesus was is a life-or-death issue. They want to know if Jesus is the Messiah or not. So, Jesus answers them, saying, “I told you, and you do not believe” (John 10:25).

 

What Jesus is saying is this, “You will not understand, since you don’t understand anything I have said, because you are not of My flock. You don’t know the Shepherd’s voice. If you did, you would know. You would realize who it is Who is speaking to you.” You see, knowing the voice of Jesus is a life-or-death issue for you and me. 

 

For if you do not know His voice, you only receive judgment. The marker of unbelief is that those who oppose Jesus are not of His sheep. If they were His sheep, they would follow Him. If they were His sheep, they would become His disciples. If they were His sheep, they would be given them eternal life. For Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).

 

For everyone who hears the voice of the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd knows them, and they follow Him. And He gives those who listen to His voice: eternal life.

 

This is Christ’s guarantee for you. All those who listen to His voice and follow Him receive eternal life. And in His hand and His Father’s hand, He says that no one will ever snatch you.

 

But what’s to guarantee that we will receive eternal life that Jesus says is ours as His sheep? Afterall, there are so many kinds of strangers, thieves and robbers just waiting to steal us away from God. And because we live in America, our First Amendment allows for so many false teachers who wear sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. They preach what our itching ears want to hear rather than what we need to hear. 

 

We are called sheep, because sheep are pretty stupid. Sheep are easy prey. If everything was up to the sheep, just up to you and me, we’d all be dead. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against cosmic powers over this present darkness, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

 

This is what we are all up against. We are all facing increasing opposition against the Church. And not only that, the media and culture are bent against the Church. We have so many spiritual forces arrayed against us. And it gets worse. We have ourselves to contend with. We have our own sinful nature. It’s a never-ending battle. 

 

But Jesus says, “No one can snatch those who listen to My voice and follow Me.” Now, the fallen world, our own sinful nature, and Satan himself are sure trying. Who is going to protect me and you from ourselves, the fallen world, and the devil? These are our wolves!

 

But that’s the beauty of today’s text on this Good Shepherd Sunday! It’s not up to us – you and me. So, for us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven. He saw our hopeless situation. He saw how hopeless we were. We were like sheep without a shepherd. 

 

So, He came down. He came down to do something about our hopeless situation. You see, for the Good Shepherd, He doesn’t see us as just sheep to Him. For He calls us His brothers and sisters. He calls us children of God by grace through faith in Him. He went so far as to lay down His life for us – you and me – to give us His atoning blood which covers yours and my sins.

 

And in this constant battle, this daily battle against cosmic powers, spiritual forces of evil, and ourselves, Jesus gives us His medicine of immortality. He gives us a blood transfusion every week, so that we have the same blood type as He does. So, when you partake of Christ’s true body and His true blood, Christ’s perfect blood is coursing through your veins. And when we hear His voice, we listen. When we hear His voice, we participate in the life of Christ given by Him.

 

It is here, in the Divine Service, that the Good Shepherd teaches us His voice. It is here where the Holy Spirit records Christ’s voice of Law and Gospel within us as He writes it on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:34). And having the Good Shepherd’s voice recorded in our hearts means that we are able to hear Him, believe in Him, abide in His Word, and follow Him.

 

So, wherever and whenever the Good Shepherd speaks, we are attracted to His sweet words and we listen. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life.”Have you ever noticed that those four statements of our Good Shepherd’s voice intertwine? “Theyhear – I know – they follow – I give.” In these four short master strokes, the relation between the shepherd and the sheep is pictured. All four of these statements are simultaneous.

 

When we hear our Good Shepherd’s voice, He knows, we follow, and He gives. He gives His sheep eternal life, so that we would never perish. He gives us protection so that no one could ever snatch us out of His hand.

Yet, the wolves are always out there. Those strangers, thieves, and robbers. But we have the promise. We have Christ’s promise. We have the Good Shepherd’s promise that no one can ever snatch you away from Him.

 

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Amen!

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Receiving What's Needed" (John 21:1-19)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“Jesus said to [Peter], ‘Feed My sheep’” (John 21:17).

 

Have you ever thought, “I don’t know if my sins are forgiven by God, because I don’t feel like I’m forgiven”? Have you thought, “I don’t think my sin is even forgivable.” Well, if you have thought that, you are not alone.

 

As soon as the rooster crowed on that Maundy Thursday, Peter wept bitterly. He betrayed Jesus after He said to Him that that He would never betray Him. His heart was broken. 

 

On that Easter evening, Jesus appeared to the apostles in the barred-shut upper room. There, Jesus said, “Peace be with you” to Peter and the other unbelieving apostles. Jesus said, “Peace be with you” three times to His unbelieving apostles.

 

Through those words, Jesus forgave His unbelieving apostles and restored them to faith. Jesus reconciled them through corporate confession and absolution.

 

It is as if Jesus said what I say to you following our confession of sins: “Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” To which, we reply: “Amen” – this is most certainly true.

 

But Peter thought his sin against Jesus was just too large to be forgiven. Afterall, he said to Jesus, “‘Even though they all fall away, I will not.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.’ But [Peter] said emphatically, ‘If I must die with you, I will not deny you’ And they all said the same” (Mark 14:29-33).

 

They all denied Jesus that night. They all joined the ranks of unbelievers. 

 

But on that Easter evening, and eight days later, all the apostles felt the forgiveness given by Jesus by His words, “Peace be with you,” all, except for Peter.

 

This leads us to today’s Gospel lesson. Today, Simon Peter says to his fellow apostles, “I am going fishing” (John 21:3). And to his comment, many of his fellow apostles join him. So, they went to the Sea of Tiberias, got out into the boat, and caught nothing. What a bummer. Expert fishermen catching not a single fish.

 

But just as they are about to give up, a voice calls out to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” (John 21:5). They answered truthfully, saying, “No.”

 

The voice calls out to them again, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some” (John 21:6).

 

And so, they did, and they didn’t just find some, they found a plenty. They hauled in 153 large fish without breaking the net.

 

As soon as the fish began filling the net, John says to Peter, “It is the Lord!” (John 21:7). At once, Peter puts on his outer garment and throws himself into the sea. The other apostles followed Peter in the boat, pulling and tugging the net full of fish to the shore.

Now, this wasn’t the first time the apostles were involved in a miraculous catch of fish. Do you recall the last time? Last time this happened, Peter fell down at Jesus’ knees and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8). That was before Peter was called by Jesus to be His disciple. Now, that was the natural reaction of a man who had not yet seen the cross. You see, without the forgiveness of sins, we could never be in God’s presence. In fact, we would never want to be, since by nature, we are all enemies of God.

 

But this time is different. Instead of telling Jesus to depart from him, Peter instead jumps into the water. He couldn’t wait any longer. He had to be near Jesus! Now, this is the natural reaction of Christians who believe in forgiveness, life and salvation won by Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

 

You see, believing in the crucified and risen Christ creates in us a completely new nature. Believing in the crucified and risen Christ gives us the certainty of eternal life!

 

Last time when Jesus performed the miracle of the large catch of fish, He said to His first disciples, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10).

 

Do you suppose that Peter and Andrew and James and John, who were at that first miraculous catch of fish, recalled that previous catch of fish?

 

Now, this new miraculous catch of fish is not the point of today’s Gospel reading. And the point is not just to report another resurrection appearance of Jesus. The real point is that this is an intentional reminder of what follows after people have seen the risen Christ and believed in Him, which is forgiveness of sins.

 

When they all got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire, and fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus prepared the meal. 

 

But knowing that not all of His apostles felt forgiven, Jesus pulls Peter aside after breakfast and says, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord; you know that I love You.” “Feed My lambs.”

 

Then Jesus said a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” “Tend My sheep.”

 

Then Jesus said to Peter a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” To this Peter was grieved and said, “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love you.” “Feed My sheep.”

 

Sometimes, we don’t feel the forgiveness given by God in corporate confession and absolution. You, like Peter, may still feel guilty. So, this is why Jesus also gives us the gift of individual confession and absolution.

 

You may think that only Roman Catholics offer individual confession and absolution, but there, you’d be wrong. Individual confession and absolution may not be a popular practice, but this is still a practice among Lutherans. 

 

We are all burdened by sin. Peter was certainly burdened with his sin. So, when you feel that burden pressing against your conscience, come and see me. And when you are ready, I may hear your confession, so that you can be sure of God’s forgiveness.

 

On page 292 in the Lutheran Service Book is the rite of Individual Confession and Absolution. There you will see that confessing your sins to me individually is not as scary as you may have thought. Sometimes, we all need the personal assurance that your sin is forgiven. This is what Peter needed from Jesus. This is what you may need as well. My office is always open.

 

Peter received from Jesus what He needed. He received the forgiveness that he so longed for. 

 

And now that all the apostles have received forgiveness, they are all now ready to do what they were called to do: spread the good news of the gospel – the forgiveness of sins won by Jesus and given by Jesus!

 

Through Holy Baptism, the Holy Spirit gave you faith to believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. He gave you the strength to come to Jesus as He called you by the Gospel and enlightened you with His gifts, sanctified and kept you in the one truth faith through His Means of Grace, His Word and Sacraments.

 

Jesus knows that as His followers, you will face attacks from your sinful flesh, the fallen world and Satan himself, so to keep us strong in the one true Christian faith, He has given us the gift of forgiveness of sins through corporate and individual confession and absolution – just as He did for Peter and his fellow apostles. Christ says to you: “Peace be with you” and “Follow Me.”

 

Christ continues to forgive and renew us through His Word and Sacraments. He strengthens us through a meal as He did for His apostles on the shore. Today, receive His forgiveness through His body and blood under bread and wine for you.

 

Each Lord’s Day, Jesus proclaims your forgiveness, so that we, too, through the work of the Holy Spirit, may spread this Gospel message to those who need to hear it most. We are people who are loved and forgiven by God, so let us spread this good news! Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Amen!

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +