Too Far Gone?
This week we’re wrapping up a series of Easter messages that have taken us through John’s account of the resurrection, Peter’s letter to the churches spread across Asia and now once more to John’s Gospel. The big question is - “am I too far gone?” Perhaps you have asked yourself “can I stray too far from God?”, or maybe you’ve said to yourself, “I’m not cut out for following Jesus; I can’t be like these other Christians I see around me.”
The gospel is good news for you! It’s good news for all of us, of course. You cannot be too far gone, following Jesus is for everyone, and maybe the hurts and or insecurities in your life run deep and you’ll struggle with them for a long time, but the Love of God runs deeper still! This week we look at how Peter came to realize this personally, and what it means for the church and for us an individuals today.
Anchor Texts:
John 21:12-19 NTE (Version 1)
John 21:12-19 NET (Version 2)
Questions to Ponder:
Can you recall a time when you failed to “love Jesus”? What happened? What did that do to you?
Though it clearly upsets Peter, why does Jesus insist on walking through Peter’s 3 denials of knowing Jesus with these three questions?
Have you ever felt that Jesus was walking you through the effects of your sin in order to restore you? Why do you think He does this?
Jesus tells Peter to “feed my lambs,” “tend my sheep",” and “feed my sheep.” What do you think these three commands mean? Are they only for Peter, or is there a lesson for all of us to remember when we are restored from our sin or denial of Jesus?
In v. 13 we see Jesus feeding the disciples a meal - what does Jesus feeding his disciples remind you of from the rest of the gospel? Also ponder, what does Jesus feeding his disciples symbolize about their relationship? Lastly, how does this relate to Jesus commanding Peter to be the one who feeds Jesus’ future disciples?
Video Resources:
This first video gives a great answer to the question - why does Jesus ask Peter three times “do you love me?” It actually has a few other really helpful points about symbolic numbers in the Bible, it’s well worth the 2.5 minute watch!
The Theme for Kids:
This stop motion video is a great way to visualize what happened that morning - enjoy!