What’s the Difference
Notes
Transcript
Is there a difference between a wound and a scar? I have physical scars on my body - and everyone of them comes with a story. Some I remember better than others, you know sometimes it depends on whether I hit my head against something or just how long ago it happened. These are physical scars.
And there are other kinds of scars too that we carry around. Some of those are emotional scars from experiences - things we’ve seen, heard, gone through. I’m not going to invite you to call to mind the trauma you may have had. These things are the experiences that shaped us into the people we are.
Our bones - when you break a bone, and it heals it is unlikely that you will ever break that bone in the same spot because it literally is stronger now than it was before. It’s been reinforced with calcification.
Trauma - trauma effects us all, and everyone of us has been through some whether we’ve called it that or not. And, if we’ve tended to it, and worked toward healing, we are stronger because of it. Because we’ve been there we are often much stronger and able to help someone else as well.
Scars are not evidence our value is less they are witness to our experience and our transformation. Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, Spiritually we are different people because we are scarred. Each of those scars has a story - some silly, some scary, some funny, some incredibly sad - and each of them has helped transform us into the people we are today.
As the psalmist said, and my friend Dr. Paul Brand would often remind me, we are “Fearfully and wonderfully made.”
As we enter the post-resurrection narrative we’re looking at a bunch of sad, defeated, remorseful, emotionally crushed individuals. One week ago they were on top of the world and then seemingly everything went wrong. They’d put their trust and all their hope in one man to change everything; now everything has changed and He’s dead. Well, at least they thought He was. The tomb is empty, and there are some who claim to have seen Him.
And then He walks through the closed and locked door. Jesus showed the disciples (except Thomas wasn’t there) there His hands and His side. He blows on them and invites them to receive the Holy Spirit. He commissions them, sending them - we’re not told where.
Dropping down to verse 26, we read:
John 20:26 (ESV)
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again…”
They’d been commissioned, right? They’d been sent. Right? Yet, eight days later they were inside again which makes it sound like they were in the same place. Had they been out? We don’t know.
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
This sounds very familiar - the doors are locked, and once again Jesus stood among them and give His standard greeting, “Peace be with you. Then He turns to Thomas:
John 20:27 (ESV)
“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
And then something different happens. Others have called Jesus “Rabboni”, “Teacher”, “Lord”, but not one of them have yet spoken of Him as Thomas does here:
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
And this is the monotheistic God of the Jews, this is Creator God that Thomas is talking about. This brings John’s gospel full circle from when he wrote in 1:1:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jesus is the Word, Jesus is God. And Thomas is the one who first professes this to Jesus and the other disciples. Peter is there, and he hears this and perhaps it sparked in him something he once said. In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” and Peter responded
Matthew 16:16 (ESV)
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
This would have been comparable to Thomas’ profession. We remember what Jesus said after that. This is where Simon get’s the name Peter.
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
No doubt Peter and the other disciples following the crucifixion spent time reflecting on all that Jesus had taught and said to them.
1. Remembering our past launches us toward our future
1. Remembering our past launches us toward our future
Peter no doubt remembered this conversation with Jesus. As he remembered this one, no doubt he remembered others as well. Remember it was Peter who was out walking on the water with Jesus. Over the wind and waves who knows what the entire conversation was. We often see that as a failure, but wait - he was the only one who got out of the boat.
Fast forward through the Gospels we’ve been reading. Peter is often the center of the story asking questions, being bold.
No doubt during the past week, Peter has recounted many memories from the three years we see of Jesus ministry. Culminating with that pivotal night of the Passover just recently celebrated. It was there that Jesus washed the disciples feet and Peter tried not to have his master wash his feet. Jesus said, “If I do not wash you, you have no share in me.
One thing we know about Peter is he often is “all in”. John 13:9
Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
Peter reflects on his past and then what is going on now.
2. Our Present shows progress from our past
2. Our Present shows progress from our past
No matter what’s in your past, you’re not there any more - sometimes it’s difficult to see that. It was for Peter. Looking at some of his more recent interactions with Jesus what he sees are his failures.
He had promised that he would never deny Jesus. Even if all the other’s fall away he wouldn’t. And then…he fell asleep when he was supposed to be keeping watch in prayer with Jesus. He allowed Jesus to be taken. And of course, he denied Jesus three times.
He watched his friend, his teacher, his Lord, his Messiah, be crucified, die, and be buried. And then Peter saw Jesus walk through a door into the room and eat something! He’s alive.
But Jesus isn’t among them all the time as before. Now, 8 days later, Jesus appears again. Thomas now believes! So now what? For the past 8 days those stinking roosters have continued to crow.
Peter needs to take some time to reflect. So what does he do? He goes back to something familiar. He goes fishing. Sometimes returning to something we can almost by rote gives us the space to determine where we’re going.
Remember what Jesus said as he called his disciples? Mt 4:19
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Jesus meets him right where he is. And he shows Peter that’s not him anymore. Despite being out all night they hadn’t caught anything. Jesus tells them to cast their net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. and they do, so many they can’t haul it in.
3. Our progress reveals you’re not who you once were
3. Our progress reveals you’re not who you once were
Peter had a call on his life. A call that had not yet been fully realized because in many ways he was stuck because of what he felt was unforgivable.
Jesus had appeared to the disciples twice, and yet Peter looks to go back to his past. Note that in the next chapter, 21, Peter is with 6 other disciples: Thomas, Nathanael, James and John the sons of Zebedee, and two others. He says, “I’m going fishing.” and they said to him, “We will go with you.” Peter has caught them, he has influence that he didn’t know he had.
He’s stuck in that he thinks his past has defined him.
He doesn’t realize his past has shaped him.
He doesn’t realize his past has prepared him.
He doesn’t realize his past will launch him.
Timeless truth: A person’s past does not define who they are nor who they will be
Timeless truth: A person’s past does not define who they are nor who they will be
Jesus reissues his commission on him. As Peter comes to shore Jesus has a meal already for him. He invites Peter and the other disciples to bring some of the fish they have caught and to come and have breakfast.
I want to read this scene to you from John 21:15–17 “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”
Then Jesus reminds Peter of his calling, vs. 19 “Follow me.”
After we read through the Gospel of John, we get to the book of Acts. There we see Peter transformed. He’s addressing the men of Jerusalem, he’s quoting scripture, he’s recalling the works of Jesus. He describes how Jesus life fulfilled the prophets - he quotes the Scriptures. And listen to the people’s reaction:
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter gives them an answer: Acts 2:38-39
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
And what happens?
And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
They went from a band of a few to more than 3000 that day! Peter had been transformed.
All those previous wounds, scars had healed. God has called you.
Two more truths:
God expects you to fail far more than you expect.
God expects you to fail far more than you expect.
We want to think we can avoid failure. We can’t. We’re not perfect.
God expects you to succeed far more than you expect
God expects you to succeed far more than you expect
God sees in each one of us the person we were created to be, not the person others see. Not the person our friends or family might say we are. God sees us.
Our goal then should be to take God’s perspective of us - called, loved, forgiven and press on. God has called us, empowered us like He did Peter, to make a difference in God’s Kingdom. Our impact is far greater than we can imagine.
So, what difference does a resurrected Jesus make?
Look at Peter. The tomb is empty. It makes a difference, not just for Peter, but for you and me as well.