Devotional Materials. Easter Sunday 17th April 2022
Call to Worship
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” Luke 24: 5, 6
“God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.” Acts 2:32
Today we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection from the dead.
Hymn.
“See what a morning” MP 1105
Stuart Townend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xM-fpXayUg
Prayer.
Lord Jesus, what have you not suffered? What have you not given for us? We can never comprehend you. But we can love you and wonder at the depth of the darkness which you entered on the cross, and the depth of the love which held you there.
But today we see clearly that death is swallowed up in victory. Lord Jesus Christ you are risen from the dead. And we are risen with you. Lord lead us this morning into a deepening appreciation of these truths. May our lives never deny this eternal life, this peace and hope and joy you bring- for you are risen and we are risen with you. Praise and glory to the God of life who is stronger than all kinds of death. Halleluiah. Amen.
Reading. John 20:1-9
201Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" 3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
Hymn (Guitar)
“Jesus, we celebrate your victory”
John Gibson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nug_dP8ubJ0
Intercessions
In joy and hope let us pray to the Father.
That our risen Saviour may fill us with the joy of his glorious and life-giving resurrection ... we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That isolated and persecuted churches may find fresh strength in the good news of Easter ... we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That God may grant us humility to be subject to one another in Christian love …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That He may provide for those who lack food, work or shelter …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That by His power war and famine may cease through all the world …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That He may reveal the light of his presence to the sick, the weak and the dying,
to comfort and strengthen them …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That, according to His promises, all who have died in the faith of the resurrection may be raised on the last day
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That He may send the fire of the Holy Spirit upon his people,
so that we may bear faithful witness to his resurrection,
we pray to the Father. Hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father,
You have delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of your Son: grant that, as his death has recalled us to life, so his continual presence in us may raise us to eternal joy through Christ our Lord.
Amen
Reading. John 21: 1-14
Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “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. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. 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. 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. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Hymn.
“Christ the Lord is risen today.” MP 76 (Piano)
Charles Wesley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVIKjE4uIFI
Sermon. “Jesus’ third resurrection appearance to His disciples”
Jesus had said “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. But after I have risen I will go ahead of you into Galilee” (Mt.26:31).
That’s what the Good Shepherd said to His sad and anxious followers on the night of His betrayal. Did they really understand what He meant by all this at the time? And even if they had taken it in, would they have remembered that Jesus had said that after His resurrection he was going to meet them at Galilee? I don’t think they would have remembered this future appointment if they just heard it once, but they weren’t allowed to forget it. When Mary Magdalene and another Mary went to the tomb, an angel said to the women: “He (that is Jesus) is not here; he has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him” (Matt.28:6, 7). And as they were going to carry out what the angel told them to do Jesus Himself met with them and said: “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me”. (Matt.28:10). They couldn’t return to Galilee straight away because they had to carry out further things required of them by the Passover, and while they stayed in Jerusalem Jesus made 2 resurrection appearances to His disciples. But as soon as it was possible the disciples returned to Galilee.
Jesus had spent much of His earlier ministry in Galilee. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why He wanted the disciples to meet Him there. It was certainly the case that Galilee was the place that had the greatest number of His followers. And this was where he would have the quietist and most secure opportunity to meet with the 500 believers at once (1 Corinthians 15:6) The disciples probably did not realise at this point that their return visit home to Galilee would actually be a farewell visit, and that within a few weeks they would return to Jerusalem and then to make their way to all nations.
When the disciples did return to Galilee, the disciples were at a loss to know what to do. What should they do next? Should they try and carry out ministry in Galilee as they had when Jesus had been with them there? That seemed impossible. Should they do nothing but wait? That was unwise because after all they were active people and they would need to make a living. Should they return to the occupation they knew so well- fishing. Is that what the Lord would want them to do. They hesitated.
But at some point the disciples saw their boats and their nets waiting for them, their old instincts returned, and Peter expressed what they were all feeling “I’m going out to fish” He didn’t see any harm in it. Jesus hadn’t forbidden them to do so. They didn’t feel they could be ministers or missionaries without Him. And if He returns to them as He said He would then He would find them as He had found them in the first place- mending their nets and fishing. Everyone agreed “We’ll go with you” (3).
In a few moments they had leapt into a boat and were preparing for their night’s work. It’s something they would have enjoyed before but probably got used to over many years, and now they would have felt the thrill again of what had first made them want to be fishermen. However, their enthusiasm would wane. They kept letting down the nets and then hauled them up again and again, and found that not a single fish had entered them. “They caught nothing” (3). Why this failure? The night was the best time to fish. They knew the lake well- this was the best part of it to fish in. They did their best, but they caught nothing” Why was this? Was it chance? Bad luck? No. Their lack of success was God’s Providence at work. This had been carefully arranged. It was disappointing to the disciples and would have annoyed them, but it was something God had arranged. The Lord is too wise to make mistakes, too good to be unkind, and who was prepared to teach them a lesson which would enrich them and, indeed, enrich the whole church forever.
Why this arranged failure? If the disciples had been very successful in their fishing then they may have been tempted to continue with that into the future. It would have been hard for them to give it up. But their lack of success made them more willing to give up fishing and instead concentrate on the evangelisation of the world.
Further Jesus wanted them to trust Him for their material sustenance. They had returned to fishing, instead of waiting on Jesus. Jesus had already taught them “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and these other things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). These “other things” of the promise were basic material necessities. If they went after these first then they were betraying the fact their faith was in Money rather than God. The fact they caught no fish was a reminder for them to put their trust in the Lord for His provision. The Lord wanted to teach them that if they were doing His work- whether waiting or active service- it was not necessary for them to be anxious about their material maintenance. They needn’t rush into the first means of livelihood they could find. He himself would see they had all they needed. He had already prepared a meal of fish and bread for them without their help.
Their failure was also designed by Jesus to teach them lessons about what was required to catch men and women in the net of the Gospel. And we will think on that later.
If you are a Christian then it is vitally important that you come to believe that all is ruled by the Lord who loves us with an infinite love, and who has all power and authority on earth and in heaven. That belief will be tested. But it’s more important than ever to hold to God’s good providence even in the great disappointments of life. It’s there, when you have ranted and raved about the unfairness, the hopelessness of all that has happened to you that you reflect quietly and prayerfully and hear these deeper lessons. Refinements that have come to shape your spirit and make you more like Christ. “I have waited through the night- can this be Christ’s will”, “I have worked so hard without a gleam of success- can this be Christ’s will” “I have done my very best in vain, can this be Christ’s will?” Yes it is Christ’s will. That doesn’t sit to well in a society that prides itself on achievement and appraisals and is used to measuring success through results and numbers. But you are a Christian and you are to no longer think in a worldly way, but rather with a renewed mind. It is His love which is arranging all in order to teach you sweet and deep lessons. There is not a cross, a loss, a disappointment, a case of failure in your life, which is not arranged and controlled by the love of Jesus Christ, and intended to teach some lesson which you otherwise would not gain.
The poem “The Weaver” makes the point well. “My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me / I cannot choose the colours He worketh steadily /Oft times He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride/Forget He sees the upper and I the underside./Not till the loom is silent and the shuttle ceased to fly/Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why/The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skilful hand/As the threads of gold and silver, in the pattern He has planned”
What good can failure do? It may stop us from pursing some end too eagerly. It may check our focus when we become too preoccupied with what is seen and what is passing away and instead give us an appetite for what is unseen and eternal. It may teach us our own helplessness and our need for Christ’s provision.
In the morning Jesus stood on the shore, but they didn’t recognise Him. It was customary for fish dealers to go to the lakes in the morning to buy fish from returning fishermen. Jesus puts the question in the way a merchant might put it: “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” It therefore didn’t occur to the disciples to think it was Jesus. Even after the miracle it was only Simon who realised it was the Lord. Often the Lord is near us and we don’t know it. He is there with you as you witness some scene of natural beauty by the sea or in a forest. He is standing there as you deal with that difficult customer or work to that deadline. He is standing there in the home- watching the sick, noting unkindness and rudeness, smiling on those servant acts of love- those things done for him often unnoticed by others. No one sees Him visibly but He is there.
By doing this Jesus was teaching His disciples the reality of His presence. He was preparing them for the new kind of life they were now going to lead. A life of faith rather than sense. Of spiritual rather than physical fellowship with Him. They were now going to have to learn to walk by faith rather than by sight. To trust Him who said He would always be with them- even though this would mean going to desolate far flung places and meeting opposition because they stood for Him- He wanted them to learn to walk by faith rather than sight, and with the knowledge He loved them just the same whatever their outward circumstance.
The disciples had toiled all night to no avail, but when Jesus instructed them to throw their nets on the right side of the boat, they were unable to haul the net in such was the large catch of fish. This abundant catch serves as a fore shadow of Christian mission in the world.
It’s not about the Lord blessing our lives according to our agenda. Rather He calls us to make His priorities our priorities. His plan for His disciples and us His church is found in the great commission: “Go make disciples of all nations…and remember I am with you always” (Matt.28:19, 20).
Jesus said to His disciples that they would catch people, and they certainly did. First to Jerusalem, then to Judea and Samaria and then beyond these to other countries (Acts 11:19). Acts also, of course, focuses on Paul and his missionary journeys. The command to go to the ends of the earth has met with astonishing success in recent centuries- particularly the twentieth century and up to today. In his book “The Church is bigger than you think”, Patrick Johnstone describes how by 1900 more than half the peoples of the world were still completely unreached. The dramatic change was in the latter part of the twentieth Century. Now out of the 13,000 distinct ethno linguistic peoples in the countries of the World only 3.5 thousand groups remain unreached. That is where the church is non-existent or still too small to impact their entire people without outside help. Johnstone concludes the fulfilment of the Great Commission- to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth, could take place in our generation.
The abundant catch then, foreshadows the success- the miraculous success of Christian mission, worldwide, through two thousand years and into the future.
But what about here in Britain, or in Europe? The Church is growing everywhere else1 But what about here? Well, this incident gives us encouragement. It reminds us that like those tired fishermen, we sometimes feel we are working hard in evangelism and there is little or nothing for our labours. Well, by faith we believe there will be a catch or a harvest in due course. Some of the agricultural imagery used by Jesus suggests the growth of the kingdom in a person’s life, or in response to the Gospel takes time- it almost goes unnoticed “First the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe then comes the harvest.” This has also been a common experience of missionaries elsewhere in the world. So we should not give up, but instead come out of our comfort zone and play our part in evangelism and the discipleship of others.
However, we cannot exclude our earlier thought that their failure to catch fish was arranged by the Lord in His Providence. Though they were experts in their field as fishermen- yet even here the Lord knows best. And how much more so when it comes to evangelism. The Lord knows best about fishing for men. Yes, we are to work hard and pray and wait, but our success depends wholly upon the Lord Himself. He will not give it to us until we can bear it, and we have learned the lesson of the night of fruitless toil. If we are to succeed it must be in His realised companionship, and in obedience to His Word
This marries very much with the strong sense of Christ’s provision in this passage. When they do not catch anything, it is He who has a meal waiting for them by the shore. And it is He who by miracle provides them with a great catch of fish. There is a challenge here to all who are in Christian service. If they are really called to the work, Christ, by His actions, seems to say: “Do the best you can for me, but do not in addition by your time and energy work all hours- that is into the night as well. Use the night to get rest” In other words He says “The longest night spent in unbelieving work- that feeling it all depends on you and your efforts- will not gain you anything, but, He says, “I in a single moment in the morning can more than make up to you for all you have spent”. Christ never lets us be in His debt. If we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness then He will make sure that everything else we need is given to us. If we give Him time in prayer- which is the language of faith and dependence- He will make up what we lost.
Gerald Kelly In his book “Intimate with the Ultimate” makes this strong connection between prayer and mission. He describes how he and the “Bless network” he established, look at places where mission is happening, they then stand alongside those local believers and add their prayers to those believers efforts to demonstrate God’s kingdom”. He adds “We have stopped believing that prayer is only useful if it flows into some missional activity. Prayer is useful because it calls into being the rule of God…Prayer is not merely an accompaniment to God’s purposes- the French fries to the burger of God’s business, the mayo on the side of mission. Prayer is mission. When we pray we are engaging in mission”
Kelly refers to Jesus command to Peter to let down his nets on the other side of the boat to reinforce the lesson that prayer is mission. Only then, he writes, do we see the sheer extravagance of God’s plans. “Without those lessons and those that followed later, when dreams and visions and the voice of the Spirit showed Peter just how far the other side might be, might he have held on to a smaller view of God? Might he have believed in a domesticated Jesus, reaching the Jews and a few select gentiles lurking at their fringes? Might Peter have been content to think small if Jesus and the Holy Spirit hadn’t challenged him? Had that been so, many things would be different in the world. We, to name just two, would not know Christ. And neither, we suspect, would you. Is your God too small, too local, too limited to your familiar pathways? Is the life of prayer He calls you to a life of expanding vision, of limitless scope, of global goals and planetary perspectives? Is it time for you to let your nets down on the other side?”
Prayer is mission and through prayer- dependence on Christ/speaking with and listening to Him- we are inspired by greater vision for mission. A vision that challenges us beyond our usual tried and trusted routines.
When we think of Christ’s provision here we think of His care:
The Lord knows the disciples are drenched with the spray of the sea water and feel the cold air. So He prepared a fire for them. So thoughtful about their needs. It’s worth noting the balance here when it comes to the use of miracle. He could if He had wanted create all the fish for the meal on His own. But although the catch of a 153 fish by the disciples is a miraculous catch, Jesus asks the disciples to bring some of the fish they had just caught. All the provision is of the Lord, but His disciples have their part to play- they don’t just sit back. And this has implications for evangelism and the nurture of new believers.
Jesus says to them “Come and have breakfast”
John says this was the third time that Jesus had shown Himself by resurrection appearance to the disciples as a group. The first time was in the evening of the resurrection day, the second, when Thomas was there with them, the third here.
We all need our times of learning, our times of rest our times of fellowship with Jesus. Jesus had said to the disciples earlier in His ministry “Come with me by yourself to a quiet place and rest” and eating symbolises close fellowship with the Lord. It’s important that we realise there are these times and seasons. Busyness can over run our spirits, squeeze out prayer. This little ditty puts the problem well “Mary had a little lamb/ T’was given her to keep/But then it joined the Baptist Church/And died for lack of sleep” It’s important to stop and have time with Jesus. Prayer. Intimate fellowship with Him. Time to meditate, pray and sit at His feet and learn from Him as Mary did. The language of retreat and private devotion. That dependency, nourishment and intimacy is captured well in Psalm 131:2 “I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me, put your hope in the Lord now and for ever” Jesus says to us “come and eat with me” It may be in the loneliness of nature or during a time of sickness. But if we spend time with Him, He will feed us with his living presence and word He says “I am the bread of life….”
One day the night of this cold world will be over for each of us. The morning of eternity will rise and warm us. As death comes upon you and you stand between this world and the next, you will realise that your work have not been so fruitless as you feared. Ahead of you Christ standing on the distant shore, and you will know that it is Him. Then it will be just one final plunge through the cold waters and you will partake of His provision, all the preparations which His love has made. He will say to you “Come and eat with me”.
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1The Washington Post ‘Think Christianity is dying? No, Christianity is shifting dramatically’ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/05/20/think-christianity-is-dying-no-christianity-is-shifting-dramatically/
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ymn
“Thine be the glory” MP 689 (Piano)
Edmond Budry
Blessing
May the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, rest upon us. May he give us the light to guide us, courage to support us and love to unite us, now and for evermore. Amen.
David Barnes 13/4/22
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