Feed my Sheep
Good day to each of you reading this column on Jesus telling his disciple, Peter to feed my sheep.
Before we get into the column, let’s turn to some humor from https://southcountychurches.com/funnychurchhumorstories.html
Epitaph
Remember man, as you walk by,
As you are now, so once was I,
Remember this and follow me.
To which someone replied by writing on the tombstone:
To follow you I’ll not consent,
Until I know which way you went.God Will Provide
A young woman brought her fiancé home to meet her parents. After dinner, her mother told her father to find out about the young man.
The father invited the fiancé to his study for a talk.
“So what are your plans?” the father asked the young man.
“I am a biblical scholar,” he replied.
“A biblical scholar. Hmmm,” the father said. “Admirable, but what will you do to provide a nice house for my daughter to live in?”
“I will study,” the young man replied, “and God will provide for us.”
“And how will you buy her a beautiful engagement ring, such as she deserves?” asked the father.
“I will concentrate on my studies,” the young man replied. “God will provide for us.”
“And children?” asked the father. “How will you support children?”
“Don’t worry, sir. God will provide,” replied the fiancé.
The conversation proceeded like this, and each time the father questioned, the young idealist insisted that God would provide.
Later, the mother asked, “How did it go, honey?”
The father answered, “He has no job and no plans, and he thinks I’m God!”Bubba’s BBQ
Each Friday night after work, Bubba would fire up his outdoor grill and cook venison steak. But all of Bubba’s neighbors were Catholic, and since it was Lent, they were forbidden from eating red meat on Friday.
The delicious aroma from the grilled venison steaks was causing such a problem for the Catholic faithful that they finally talked to their priest.
The priest came to visit Bubba and suggested that he become a Catholic.
After several classes and much study, Bubba attended Mass. The priest sprinkled holy water over him and said, “You were born a Baptist and raised as a Baptist, but now you are Catholic.”
Bubba’s neighbors were greatly relieved, until Friday night arrived and the wonderful aroma of grilled venison filled the neighborhood. The priest was called immediately by the neighbors.
As the priest rushed into Bubba’s yard, clutching a rosary and prepared to scold him, he stopped and watched in amazement.
There stood Bubba, clutching a small bottle of holy water, which he carefully sprinkled over the grilling meat while chanting, “You wuz born a deer, you wuz raised a deer, but now you are a catfish.”Results
A minister dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is a guy who’s dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket, and jeans.
Saint Peter addresses this guy: “Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?”
The guy replies, “I’m Joe Cohen, taxi driver, of Noo Yawk City.”
St. Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to the taxi driver, “Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
The taxi driver goes into Heaven with his robe and staff, and it’s the minister’s turn. He stands erect and booms out, “I am Joseph Snow, pastor of Calvary Church for the last forty-three years.”
St. Peter consults his list.
He says to the minister, “Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
“Just a minute,” says the minister. “That man was a taxi driver, and he gets a silken robe and golden staff. How can this be?”
“Up here, we work by results,” says Saint Peter. “While you preached, people slept. While he drove, people prayed.”And, After the church service, a little boy told the pastor, “When I grow up, I’m going to give you some money.”
“Well, thank you,” the pastor replied, “but why?”
“Because my daddy says you’re one of the poorest preachers we’ve ever had.”
So, did any of these put a smile on your face and brighten your day? If, so then Halleluiah and be happy!
As I read the Bible daily and by the way, I just finished John, I am so thankful that God gave me eyes to see and the ability to discern.
I say this for I read multiple times of the trial, crucifixion, death and resurrection of Christ.
Now I ask you to go back in time and place yourself as one of the crowds where Christ stood. First off, aren’t you glad you’re not Peter who denied Christ three times after saying that would not happen.
Next, how about Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Christ and Satan entered into him before he gave Christ up. Would you have been one in the crowd shouting “Crucify Him, Crucify Him” or would you have been silent?
And don’t forget about Caiphas or Pilate who passed on the sentence of an innocent man because of our duty to Rome. Each could have pardoned Jesus but instead passed sentence to have this man crucified and a convicted murderer pardoned.
When you add all these variables, you see that Jesus paid the ultimate price for both you and me. Please take the time to read John carefully and place yourself back in the days leading up to the crucifixion.
Another interesting point, turn to John 19:25-27, (NIV) 25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, [a] here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
Jesus, on the cross, was concerned about his mother looking upon him as well as the two other Mary’s including Miss Magdalene, yes, the same one that Jesus had cast 7 demons out of and John, the disciple whom he loved and who took of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
It is so interesting that day of the week and while it was still dark that it was Mary Magdalene and none of the apostles who went to the tomb and saw the stone had been removed from the entrance. So, she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple (John) and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
As you fast forward where the two disciples reach the tomb with John reaching the tomb first, went inside and saw and believed for John remembered that Jesus had said in the scriptures that he would die, but that he would rise again.
The disciples leave the tomb and who is crying outside the tomb, but Mary and then Jesus appears where Mary thinks he is the gardener and the person who took Jesus away. Jesus said to her, “Mary.” I ‘m sure Mary was shocked beyond imagination, yet she was full of joy for Jesus told her not to hold to him. And why, because Jesus was to ascend to heaven so the Holy Spirit could come.
As you read, Jesus had not ascended into Heaven to return to the Father, so where was Jesus? Turn to Ephesians, 4:9-10 (NIV) 9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[a]? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
Matthew 12:40 says, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
And Acts 2:31 says, “He [David], foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.” (Acts 2:31)
Jesus spent three days and nights in the heart of the earth or the depths of the earth. Once I meet Jesus, that is a question I wish to ask as to where and who He met and if it was Hades?
Another question is why was Mary Magadalene the first-person Jesus met and it’s my thought that she never left the tomb. Jesus was very fond of her, and that he had a task for her which was to deliver the news to the disciples that she had seen the Lord and she was to tell the disciples what she had seen and heard.
In the following days, Jesus appears to the disciples three times after he was raised from the dead. Jesus first appears to the disciples behind locked doors where the disciples receive the Holy Spirit. But not all the disciples saw Jesus the first time for Thomas or “doubting Thomas” in the second appearance of Jesus sees Jesus, places his finger in Jesus hands and hand in his side.
Look at John 20:28-29 (NIV) 8 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Verse 29 is our foundation as a Christian for we are blessed even though we have not seen.
And the third time Jesus appears to the disciples while fishing. It does not say how many disciples or all the names of the disciples, but it does say when Jesus called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” And they replied No so Jesus told them to throw on the right side of the boat and then they caught 153 large fish and the net was not torn.
John, first recognized Jesus, and it was then Peter who said “It is the Lord,” who jumped into the water to meet Jesus.
Now with breakfast being prepared and then finished, Jesus said to Peter, do you love me more than these? Remember, Peter had earlier denied and disowned Jesus three times, so Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Jesus.
Three times Peter denied, then Peter repented, but up to this point, did Peter truly commit his life? Jesus turned Peter to an evangelist to feed his lambs, take care of his sheep and again feed his sheep and to be the “rock” to the other disciples.
Jesus said to Peter to feed my sheep and then Jesus told Peter that he too would be crucified as Jesus says in verse 19 to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God and then Jesus said “Follow me!”
It is interesting that Peter wanted to know how John was going to die and Jesus’ response in verse 22, 23 (NIV) 22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”
Here we are taught to focus for Jesus told Peter to feed his lambs and take care of his sheep and not to worry about the death of John.
There are so many lessons for us to comprehend from the days that led to the trial, crucifixion, death, resurrection and the three times that Jesus appeared to Mary and to the disciples.
So let us focus on feeding the sheep and taking care of the lambs for the Bible says in Matthew 6:33-34 (NIV) 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
