December 2, 2021In our Bible study on Zoom on Tuesday, we looked at the final chapter in the gospel of John and discovered how the Lord Jesus appeared to seven of His disciples at the Sea of Tiberias (also called the Lake of Gennesaret and the Sea of Galilee). He had told Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary”: “Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee and there they will see Me” (see Matthew 28:1-10). As always, the Lord Jesus kept His promise. In his Study Bible, Dr. David Jeremiah observes: “Jesus purposefully showed Himself to the disciples as they carried on with their daily lives. In an instance where they felt like failures, He taught them a lesson they would never forget.” Perhaps you are discouraged because you are struggling to obey God and serve Him. I would urge you to read John 21 and ask the Lord to help you see how much He loves you and how He longs to provide all that you need, just as He did for Peter and six other disciples who went fishing with him.
When I trusted Christ as my personal Saviour while I was in my first year of Cégep (college), I soon heard about a lawyer who had made an extraordinary discovery. Dr. Jeremiah writes about this in his Study Bible: “Dr. Frank Morrison, a lawyer who held the opinion that the Resurrection was nothing but a fairy-tale ending that spoiled the matchless story of Jesus, felt that he owed it to himself and others to write a book that would present the truth about Jesus and dispel the mythical story of the Resurrection. But once he studied the facts, the evidence compelled him to conclude that Jesus actually did rise from the dead. Morrison wrote his book – but not the one he had planned. His book is called Who Moved the Stone? The first chapter is called ‘The Book that Refused to Be Written.’
Anyone who really examines the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ will discover that the biblical record teaches the truth of the Resurrection beyond any reasonable doubt. There is no explanation for the empty tomb except that God raised Jesus from the dead.”
Have you ever been in court and given testimony? When I was much younger, I was pulled over by the police in Chateauguay and given a ticket because they claimed that I had crossed a solid line on a main street. I knew that I had not, so I decided to contest the infraction. I gave my defense before a judge in municipal court and was glad that his decision resulted in me not having to pay a fine. One day, every person will appear before the highest court: the Lord God who created the universe and all that is in it (for more about the judgment seat of Christ, please visit: https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/what-happens-when-you-die-all-appear-before-the-judgment-seat-of-christ). If you have asked God’s forgiveness for your sins and received His gift of salvation, you can rest in His promise to never leave you or forsake you.
Scripture for the weekend: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say:
‘The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?’”
Hebrews 13:5-6 (NKJV)
Thought for the weekend: “Why did Jesus call so many fishermen to follow Him? For one thing, fishermen are courageous, and Jesus needs brave people to follow Him. They are also dedicated to one thing and cannot easily be distracted. Fishermen do not quit! (We are thinking, of course, of professional fishermen, not people relaxing on vacation!) They know how to take orders, and they know how to work together.” – Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe (from “The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament” published by David C. Cook. Colorado Springs, CO)