The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – John 21 (day four)

God does not need us to do His work for Him, but He chooses to allow us to join Him in His work.  The disciples had been fishing all night, without success.  Jesus appears on the shore and tells them to cast their nets on the right-hand side of the boat.  What an amazing catch!  When the disciples arrived to shore though, Jesus already had fish on the fire for breakfast.  He did not need the disciples’ fish, but He invited them to bring some of their own.

In John 14:12, Jesus spoke of greater works that His disciples would do when He went to the Father.  Here in chapter 21, the disciples have many more fish than Jesus…but at His word!  They exceeded His work, but in His power!

There is work to be done in God’s kingdom.  We must join Him in His work.  When we work, in the power of Christ, we will have a great harvest for the kingdom.  Henry Blackaby has said, “find where God is at work, and join Him in it!”

Re:Verse passage – John 21 (day three)

“Come and have breakfast.”

The firstborn over all creation, the image of the invisible God, the Alpha and the Omega, Beginning and the End, the crucified and risen Messiah who conquered death and the grave—built a fire and cooked some fish for his hungry friends. This isn’t Undercover Boss, this isn’t the compassionate CEO standing in solidarity with his employees, this isn’t the politician chewing the fat in a small-town diner to wow the folks and rustle up some votes. This is Jesus living with the people he loves. And that’s the point of his salvific work. If sin and death will stop early morning cookouts on the shore—and they will most assuredly stop them—sin and death will stop everything. Life is rich because of these small hours, and the Lord has made sure those hours will never end.

Re:Verse passage – John 21 (day two) 

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written. vs. 25

John helps put in perspective the life and ministry of Jesus Christ in this last verse of his gospel account. Lest we think that we can read every word and miracle that Jesus uttered or performed. Scripture is indeed sufficient, but we can rest assured that Jesus was always about his father’s business. When others aren’t watching can that be said of you? At home, with family, at work, or worship the call is the same. We are here to proclaim Jesus until he returns.

1. The love of God is greater far
   Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
   It goes beyond the highest star,
   And reaches to the lowest hell;
   The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
   God gave His Son to win;
   His erring child He reconciled,
   And pardoned from his sin.
   • Refrain:
     Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
     How measureless and strong!
     It shall forevermore endure—
     The saints’ and angels’ song.
2. When hoary time shall pass away,
   And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
   When men who here refuse to pray,
   On rocks and hills and mountains call,
   God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
   All measureless and strong;
   Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
   The saints’ and angels’ song.
3. Could we with ink the ocean fill,
   And were the skies of parchment made,
   Were every stalk on earth a quill,
   And every man a scribe by trade;
   To write the love of God above
   Would drain the ocean dry;
   Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
   Though stretched from sky to sky.

Re:Verse passage – John 20:1-21 (day seven)

Twice in this week’s text Jesus speaks peace over His disciples (v.19, 21).  Peace was, and still is a personal greeting in the Middle East, but this was far more than a “hello”.  In this salutation Jesus’ creative voice calms fears and drives evil away just like His voice stilled the choppy waters on the Sea of Galilee.

Tucked away in a locked room the disciples were afraid of what was next, much like we fear our unknown futures or a perceived difficulty that lies in front of us.  However, whatever may be next for you, God is well aware of the hurdles ahead and remains the author of peace for those that are His.

Re:Verse passage – John 20:1-21 (day six)

No one expected this. No one. Not even after he told them so. Not after Jesus did the impossible in raising Lazarus, and Talitha, and a young man from Nane from the dead. Not to mention the countless miracles. Not in a million years did they expect Jesus to come out of that tomb.

The resurrection is the firstborn of an untold number of unexpected moments, i.e children of wrath becoming children of God. And yet to this day, we still struggle to belief He can bring dead things to life. He can and he does, like marriages or people you never thought could change.

The resurrection is why we cling to hope, even when there seems to be no way. He is the way. 

“Father, we believe, but help our unbelief!”

Re:Verse passage – John 20:1-21 (day five

And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

Believers often point to the empty tomb in celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  The empty tomb is not the biggest indicator of Jesus’ resurrection.  That is why Mary was so upset rather than elated or overcome with joy when she saw the empty tomb. Too many possibilities for an empty tomb. Resurrection was probably last on the list.

What really convinced Mary that Jesus was alive?  His voice- encouraging, penetrating, missionary, and relational.

It’s the same with us. What convicts and convinces us that Jesus is alive? It is His voice- personal, prophetic, powerful. He calls us by name and we are awakened to the reality and glory of a resurrected Savior

When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. John 10:4

Re:Verse passage – John 20:1-21 (day four)

We have the advantage over the disciples.  We get to see the picture of the resurrection after centuries of the story being told.  Verse 9 says, “For as yet they did not understand the Scriptures, that He must rise again from the dead.”  If we go back to Luke 24:45…after Jesus was meeting with the disciples, post-resurrection…it says, “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”  As believers, we also have the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us understand the Scriptures.

Imagine someone today who has no knowledge of Scripture at all…how strange it must sound to hear of a man who rose from the dead.  Without the Scripture being explained through a relationship with Christ, how can they understand? They cannot understand apart from faith or the drawing of the Holy Spirit.  It is a work only God can do.  When you see someone who understands that Jesus rose from the dead, you can know that God is at work.  Let’s join Him!

Re:Verse passage – John 20:1-21 (day three)

“They have taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where they have put him.”

Three years ago, these disciples were workaday peasants in an occupied corner of the sprawling Roman Empire—law abiding citizens existing in a politically and spiritually totalitarian state with little-to-no civil rights, trying their best to live at peace with however much of God their religious teachers deemed they were fit to understand. But that was then. Now they were intimately connected to a capital criminal branded an enemy of the state, summarily executed. But it was worse than that. They loved him. This empty tomb meant, apparently, that the state, with the cynical support of religious leaders, was now sealing the disciples’ doom by its power to extinguish all dignity and hope. Suddenly, Jesus, dead no more, shifted their understanding of history with one word: “Mary.”

Re:Verse passage – John 20:1-21 (day two)

The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first. vs.4

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” vs. 15a

The women were the first to arrive. Surely they had questions. How were they to get to the body of Jesus? What state would he be in? It never occurred to the them that he might not be there, and their first reaction was that his body had been stolen. They ran back and called for the disciples to come. Peter and John set out and eventually broke into a dead run. Why? If the body was gone what good would it have done to get there quickly? What were they expecting to find? What was their urgency?

Scripture does not reveal to us what exactly was in their hearts and minds at those moments, but we do see them meet Jesus and they did not recognize his face. In their surprise, they never thought that he would be the one speaking with them. Which begs the question, for whom were they searching? If he is standing in front of you, speaking with you, why should it matter that he doesn’t show up as you would expect. He is here, now, calling you. Don’t let your expectations get in the way of the Savior.