Commissioned

40 Days After the Resurrection

Commissioned

 

As we journey between 40 days

of Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension;

We discover Jesus’ claim to all authority

and

Jesus has a commission for you and I!

 Does what God want you to do make you nerves or are you unsure?

You are not alone the 11 disciples faced the same fears and doubts.

Each of the Gospels record Jesus

commissioning the disciples.

Matthew said the 11 went to Galilee

to a mountain where Jesus told them to go.

When they saw Jesus there,

they worshiped Him and some doubted.

This thing of doubt seems to be an inescapable hindrance

and here we find it mixed with faith and worship.

I think it is impossible to live a life free from doubt.

Even though there were disciples who doubted

they still went to the mountain to worship.

Jesus makes a bold statement,

“ALL authority in heaven

and on earth has been given unto Me.”

It is with that authority that He makes the next statement,

“GO” make disciples.

Many have thought this to mean make converts

but this would come up short of what Jesus said.

A disciple is a disciplined learner.

A disciple starts with the commitment to being baptized;

“spiritual experience that makes a public statement

of identifying with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.”

These disciples were to be taught to do everything Jesus commanded.

Jesus makes a promise to all disciples

that He will be with them till He comes again - the very end.

You and I can count on Jesus

being with us in the same way

He was with the 11 disciples.

Yes, there were times when they doubted

but they did “Go” and that is why you and I

have this wonderful message of hope.

It is now your turn and mine

to teach others and make disciples

but we will have to overcome doubt.

How about you?

Where does God want you to GO?

What does He want you to DO?

What doubts do you have to overcome

in order to GO and DO what God have for you?

Scripture Reading

Matthew 28:16-20 NIV

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

What is that to you?

40 Days After the Resurrection

What is that to you?

 

Ever envious of someone else’s life?

Or, glad you did not have it as bad as someone else.

Both of these thoughts can get you into trouble.

Find out why in today’s devotional.

After Jesus rose from the dead,

He appeared to Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, Joanna,

the two men on the way to Emmaus and the disciples.

For 40 days, He showed Himself,

as proof to His resurrection from the dead.

 On one occasion, Jesus appeared to

His disciples by the Sea of Tiberias.

It is at this time that Jesus and Peter

reconciled Peter reaffirms his love for Jesus.

Peter became hurt when Jesus asked him the third time,

“Do you love Me?” Peter knew that Jesus knew how much he loved Him.

I wonder if Jesus was not responding

to Peter’s impulsive nature.

Peter is the type of guy that would act and think later,

like the time he stepped out of the boat and walked on water.

Could it be that Jesus wanted Peter to think very

seriously about his love for Him because his love

would lead him through some challenging times.

Jesus went on to tell Peter the type

of death he would glorify God with.

After Jesus says these things,

He says to Peter, “Follow Me!”

These words were very familiar;

they are the words Jesus asked Peter

at the beginning of their relationship

and they are the same words

He asks each one of us.

Peter must have questioned the destiny Jesus chose for him.

As He looked around,

and saw the disciple Jesus loved

(John) sitting there, Peter asks,

What about John?

 Peter fell into the trap of comparing himself with others.

How often do we gage God’s love for us by

what we see happening in someone else’s life?

The call of God is different in each one of us

and it has nothing to do with more or less love;

it has to do with God’s purpose.

Jesus answered Peter and said,

“What is that to you?”

What if John lived until the coming of the Lord?

Jesus’ words at the beginning of the journey

are the same at the end, “Follow Me!”

You and I have only one thing to concern

ourselves with and that is following Jesus!

Your journey will be different than mine.

When we look at one another’s lives,

we should neither be envious or grateful.

(Note: I am not talking about not having a grateful life.)

Because what matters is being faithful to following Christ!

Scripture Reading 

John 21:15-23 NIV

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter,

"Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." 

16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"

He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." 

17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?"

He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself

and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands,

 and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 

19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.

Then he said to him, "Follow me!" 

20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them.

(This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said,

"Lord, who is going to betray you?")

21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"

22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?

You must follow me." 

23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said,

"If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?" 

Love, It’s a Choice!

40 Days after the Resurrection

 

Love

It’s a Choice!

“God demonstrates his own love for us in this:

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

 Romans 5:8 NIV

 Aren’t you glad He chose to love you

before you could give Him a reason to?

 

That is Agapa love!

 

 Christ has risen and appeared to the disciples.

We saw how Jesus removed the fear and doubt

when He on two occasions entered a locked room

and gave them peace.

It might have seemed harsh that Jesus rebuked their doubt,

but when you realize the hindrances that come through doubt,

no excuse is good.

You have to ask yourself the question,

“What do I know?”

The disciples must have felt

the pressure of the world not being the same.

Peter tries to go back to the life of fishing and 

talks a few of the other disciples into going with him.

As the night wears on,

and they catch no fish,

this question about life must have increased.

Jesus shows up in the morning and tells 

them to cast the net on the right side of 

the boat and they catch so many fish

they can’t pull the net into the boat.

That morning Jesus and the disciples

have breakfast on the beach.

After breakfast, Jesus and Peter have 

a talk about the night the cock crowed

and Peter denied Christ.

Jesus asks Peter three times

“Do you love Me?” 

One time for each denial.

You can image the picture going through Peter’s mind

each time Jesus asks, “Do you love Me”?

Jesus asks Peter the first two times,

“Do you ‘agapa’ Me?”

This type of love is a love without reason;

it is a choice not based on merits of the 

one you are going to love.

Peter answers with the word,

“Philo”

This type of love is a love because;

I love you because you did something 

for me that I appreciated.

When Jesus asks a third time,

He asks Peter,
“Do you ‘philo’ Me?”

Each time Peter answers

he is saying I have a reason to love you;

 “I owe you my love.”

Each time Jesus asks Peter to do something 

with his life based on that love:

“Feed and take care of my lambs and sheep.”

What if Jesus asked us the same question,

“Do you love Me?”

Do you feel the debt of love that causes you

to want to do something for Him?

Scripture Reading

John 21:1-18 NIV

21:1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias.

It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus),

Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee,

and two other disciples were together.

3 "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you."

So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore,

but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"

"No," they answered.

6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some."

When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"

As 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.

8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish,

for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.  

9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it,

and some bread.

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

11 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore.

It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.

12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast."

None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.

13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.

14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples

after he was raised from the dead.

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter,

"Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." 

16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"

He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." 

17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?"

He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." 

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.”