God’s Glory Through Jesus’ Disciples

John 21, John 6:61-69, John 14:12-14, Acts 1:6-8,

John 21 is such a sweet story of God’s love and intimate pursuit of his people. Could you imagine the mixed emotions Peter had upon seeing Jesus? Peter spends three years with Jesus shoulder to shoulder living, only to deny him three times and be left hopeless as the death of the one in whom he had put hope. 

Yet, Jesus asks Peter three times, “do you love me?” never bringing his denial up but redeeming Peter. Reinstating him into the work of building up his church. Don’t we love that God uses the very moments, little details that could trigger our shame but instead uses them to bring redemption? How wonderful is our God?! Not only that, but he chooses to use us, fresh out of the grave followers, to be the vessels of his glory!

Jesus commissions his disciples, and here I want to really look at what he is saying to Peter. “Tend my lambs,” “Shepherd my sheep,” and “Tend my sheep” can be so easily read over without the weight they actually carry, what Jesus is actually asking us to do when he tells us to make disciples. Tending the sheep means caring for his people. To shepherd them means to guide them. My mind goes immediately to Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd,

I will not be in need.

He lets me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters.

He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

For the sake of His name.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You have anointed my head with oil;

My cup overflows.

Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life,

And my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.

Jesus isn’t giving us an easy command, but for his glory (the weight of who he is), we are to care for one another and be the disciples that his glory extends to the ends of the earth with. That means we fight for one another, we help each other when in need, we comfort each other, and we seek out righteousness for the sake of the name of Jesus. We remind each other of God - that his glory is our greatest delight and treasure, and we don’t let one another fall away. We lead like a united body of sheep following the voice of Jesus, our Good Shepherd. 

Wonder:

Where do you tend to let your feelings or selfishness diminish the task of tending to other sheep?

How are you prone to lighten the weight of disciple-making?

Where do you need to repent of not taking the mission seriously?

How can you remember to make disciples for God’s glory and not your own?