Peter Restored

Pastor Jose V. Velasco

Read John 21:15-15

 

Photo owned by Goodsalt.com:  Simon the Rock

   Jesus knew that Peter, in spite of his denying Him, has not completely given up on Him. Hearing the first word that Jesus’ body was missing at the tomb he and John immediately ran to the tomb to check what happened. This showed that the two still lovingly cared for their Lord. So Jesus gave Peter a chance to reaffirm his love and faith to Him. This happened at the Sea of Tiberias (V. 1).

   Three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” Jesus asked Peter this question because love is our primary link to Him. There are other secondary links like trust, commitment and obedience. But all of these are generated by our love to Christ. Some people think they are Christian because they were baptized, they regularly go to church, they make large contributions to the church and to other charities, they can recite the Lord’s Prayer and the creeds, and they do considerable sacrificial volunteering to the work of the church. But Paul says that all shows of religion are meaningless if they are devoid of love (1 Cor. 13:1-3). However, when these outward acts of religion are motivated by love to God and people they are truly virtuous and honorable. Why did Jesus repeat His question to Peter three times? Some explain that He did it to remind Peter of the triple denials and must truly repent. Another explanation is to get the thought of loving Jesus sink deeper into Peter’s mind and heart. This may happen to us too when we repeat pondering on a strikingly meaningful Bible passage. The impact of its truth on our thoughts and hearts intensifies. And its meaning gets clearer and richer.

   Jesus’ triple response to Peter’s pledge of love was to urge him to serve the needs of His flock or people. Genuine love is not just an emotion, but also an action. Because God loves humankind He gave His Son (Jn. 3:16). Because He loved the Hebrew people suffering in miserable slavery in Egypt God acted to deliver them through Moses and Aaron (Exodus 3:7-10). So Jesus asks us, do you love me? I believe more of us would say, yes I love you. By what actions would you then prove your love to Him?  When we lovingly serve the needy and poor we prove our love to Jesus. Loving and serving others is serving Jesus (Mt. 25:40, 45). We love Jesus by sharing His words with others. We love Jesus when we live an exemplary Christian life before people. We love Him when we support the work of His church by our prayers, gifts and volunteering services. We love Him when we obey His teachings and live like Him.

   All of us are like Peter who frequently stumble and fall spiritually and morally. We commit mistakes. But in humility we can come to God and sincerely ask His forgiveness. Absolutely, He is ever ready to forgive and cleanse us of all our shortcomings and to restore us to Himself (1 Jn. 1:9). This does not mean that we are free to just deliberately sin again because God is forgiving anyway. His forgiveness is not that cheap. After we repent and are forgiven, with His help, we must also do our best to avoid sin and live pure lives. Like what He said to the sinful woman, He also says to us, “Go and sin no more” (Jn.8:11).

Prayer: I am just a weak human being, Lord, and I commit sins in my thoughts, words and deeds. I am sorry and I ask your forgiveness. Help me to avoid things that you hate, and lead me to do things that only please and glorify you. In the Name of Christ our Savior we pray. Amen.

The Final Resurrection

Pastor Jose V. Velasco

Read 1 Corinthians 15:20-26

   In the preceding reflection we understood that Christians spiritually resurrect with Christ now the moment they truly believe. This is not a physical resurrection of the body. In the state in which they are alive with Christ now they will still die physically. Everyone, whether Christians or not, will one day die physical.

   But according to the Scripture reading above there is going to be a final resurrection. This is how Paul further describes that resurrection, “For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality” (1 Cor. 15:52-53). While the rising up with Christ that we experience now is spiritual, meaning the emergence of a new Christ-like mind, heart and character, the final resurrection shall include a new imperishable body replacing the decaying body in the grave. This is so because the material body cannot last in God’s eternal kingdom (1 Cor. 15:50). This will happen when Christ will come again as he promised, “I am going there to prepare a place for you. - I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (Jn. 14:2-3). Thus His own shall be with Him in eternity. As to when that happens no human being knows (Mt. 24:36; Acts 1:7)

   Let us carefully note that the Holy Scriptures give two destinies for people in the final resurrection. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (Jn. 3:36). Eternal life here means life with Christ in heaven, and God’s wrath is hell. “They (means the wicked) will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Mt. 25:46). All the 3 parables in Matthew 25 mention these two destinies. So not all will go to heaven. There are some who claim that those who go to hell will still have a chance to repent and be transferred to heaven eventually. I would personally be happy about that because I have some relatives and friends who never really cared about Christ in their earthly lives. But I would not recommend it because it is uncertain. In a parable of Jesus a rich man who went to hell requested Abraham to send a poor beggar who went to heaven to bring him drinking water to relieve his sufferings. Abraham said that it is impossible because there was an impassable chasm or gap between heaven and hell (Lk. 16:26). We do not know what that chasm exactly is. But while we are still in this earthly life it is better to make sure we go to heaven by believing in Jesus Christ now and living according to His words (2 Cor. 6:2).

   How would you picture that eternal life in heaven? There may not be much we can say regarding that. But we have some glimpses in the Bible. One of them is in Revelation 21:3-4: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away’. . .  He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”   What a great and wonderful life that shall be! Are you preparing for it?

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you for your grand plan for us in eternity. Guide and help us to truly believe in you and live by your will so we may be with you in your eternal home. In your Son’s holy name we pray. Amen