John 21,15.19. Misericordias Domini

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

John 21,15-19   2413

Miserikordias Domini (2. Sonntag nach Ostern)  037  weiß   

Tiburtius and Valerianus, Martyrs at Rome 229 

14. April 2013

1. O Almighty God, who has given Your only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace so that we may always most thankfully receive that His precious benefit, and also daily endeavor ourselves to follow the blessed steps of His most holy life (The Book of Common Prayer).  Amen. 

2. When the disciples 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. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.“ This He said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God. And after saying this He said to him: „Follow me.“   

3. On the night of His arrest, the Apostle Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times. His denial was caused by fear: Peter was afraid that if he confessed knowing Jesus, then the Jewish temple soldiers would arrest him as a corroborator with Jesus. Peter feared for his life, and in a moment of weakness said what he had earlier vowed he would not say: „I do not know this Jesus!“ In today’s Gospel Reading, Jesus gives the Apostle Peter three opportunities to profess His faithfulness to Him. Three times, once for each denial, Jesus asked Peter: „Do you love Me?“ and three times Peter confesses: „Yes, Jesus, I love You.“ Resurrection faith triumphs over the cross’ shadow. 

4. Jesus exhorted Peter to feed and tend His sheep. Here Jesus instituted das Predigtamt (the Preaching Office). Through this Office the Holy Spirit gives to the Church Christ’s gifts of the Word and the Sacraments. Our Lutheran Confessions speak of it this way: „To obtain faith, God has instituted the Preaching Office, giving the Gospel and the Sacraments, through these as through means, He gives the Holy Spirit who works faith, where and when He wills, in those who hear the gospel, which teaches that through Christ’s merit, not through our merit, we have a Gracious God, when we so believe“ (The Augsburg Confession 5,1-10). What Jesus tells Peter here in John 21, He tells all the apostles in Matthew 28: »Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you« (28,19-20). 

5. The Holy Spirit feeds and tends the Church through the Word and the Sacraments. By these He teaches the Church through the Holy Scriptures, exhorting her to cling to Christ and refuting all manner of false doctrines. By these He creates, preserves and strengthens faith in the crucified Christ. By these He proclaims our salvation and forgiveness merited by Christ Jesus our Lord. The apostles were sent to preach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments to the Church on her behalf. The apostles then ordained into office bishops and pastors to carry on this preaching and administering of the Word and the Sacraments. 

6. Jesus furthermore bade Peter: »Follow Me.« This command to follow Jesus was extended to each of the apostles, disciples, bishops and pastors. Today, the Preaching Office exhorts individual Christians to follow Jesus. This is a serious exhortation. Jesus told Peter that following Him would lead to suffering and crucifixion. These tribulations would glorify Jesus. Following Jesus in the 21. century is still full of tribulations. Christians who live in Muslim countries daily face persecution and martyrdom for being Christian instead of Muslim. Christians in America are routinely mocked and denigrated in society, film and on TV. Through the Word and the Sacraments, the Holy Spirit encourages us and strengthens our faith in the midst of such trials and tribulations. In the midst of tribulation, the Apostle Paul encourages us with these words: »Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written: „Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.“«

 [Deuteronomy 35,32] (Romans 12,12.14.19). 

7. Paul can write these words because the one who suffered for all the world and experienced the tribulation of crucifixion, is now the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ. This Christ who suffered is now our exalted, risen Christ. Christ has conquered, and He promises His Christian people the victory as well. He has experienced the depths of our human existence and He gives us hope, encouragement and the promise of eternal life with Him in pure heavenly bliss. 

8. To follow Christ is to follow Him upon the path of suffering and tribulation during this earthly life, but more importantly, to follow Christ is to follow Him to the cross, through the grave and into eternal life and triumph. The love of Christ sustains us along our earthly journey, and faith in Christ receives all His help and blessings His richly pours upon us in our time in both the good times and the bad. We love Christ who first loved us and redeemed us back to God the Father. We follow Christ who sought us out and returned us safely to His fold.  Amen. 

9. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, our Good Shepherd, send forth the Holy Spirit to our church and in our lives so that we know we are Your sheep and follow You in both faith and sanctified living.  Amen.

To God alone be the Glory 

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

All quotations from the Book of Concord are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using Die Bekenntnisschriften der evangelisch-lutherischen Kirche, 12th Edition © 1998 by Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. 

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern.