LESSON FOR THE JUNIOR CLASSES
STUDY SCRIPTURE:
MATTHEW 4:18-20 16:16-18 JOHN 21:15-18 2 PETER 3:14-18
Key Verse
“Jesus said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was hurt because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him. “Lord, You know all things: You know all things; You know that I love You”. Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep”.
John 21:17
INTRODUCTION
Everybody loves babies. Often they are so nice when they are just born. Then they only want milk from mother and they want to be hugged, massaged and their bodies gently rubbed. They loved being held close to their parents.
But then they grow up and they lose the desire to be held close by their father and mother. But they grow up and sometimes their growth takes them away from their loving parents and they slip into the destructive lifestyle of the Prodigal Son that Jesus described in His famous Parable of that name.
God the heavenly Father knows that birth is most important for that life opens the door for enjoyment of the good things God has provided to benefit human beings.
So to really appreciate the good things and avoid the not so good things God arranged the New Birth to bring human beings into fellowship with Him, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. There with them is fullness of life, the abundant life, and life with pleasures humans can hardly imagine.
The Bible therefore tells us that the New Birth is indispensable for salvation and the entry into eternal life.
Jesus came to people of His nation who lived in Galilee and who had mixed up themselves with the wrong crowd called pagans. He taught the 12 disciples, most of whom came from Galilee. Jesus did many miracles, raised the dead, died on the Cross to take the sins of people onto Himself, and then was resurrected to go back to Heaven and be a representative lawyer to protect them from the wrath of God the Father when they sinned and were disobedient. So the disciples should have learned who Jesus was but sometimes they slipped up. Esus had to forgive them for their failures.
Before that death and resurrection and ascension to Heaven, while He was on earth in close relationship with His disciples, the disciple Peter had a revelation. When Jesus asked the disciples who they thought He was and they gave Him the names of all kinds of great prophets that had tried to correct the sins of the nation of Israel Jesus asked them directly who they the disciples thought He was.
But then the disciple Peter under the inspiration of God said that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus congratulated him and then told him that on that truth He would build His Church. All those who believed in what Peter had said would be saved and become part of the family of God, destined to live with God in Paradise for all eternity.
So the Apostle encourages all of us to keep close to Jesus and not to be trapped by people who have a false image of Jesus the Messiah and Saviour. These people are smart and are skilful at hiding the truth about themselves. But they do not mean people any good. Their teachings and behaviour will take people away from God and that will destroy them.
So like the 11 disciples who stood by Jesus after making some mistakes, and the Apostle Paul and the many faithful people of Israel and other nations who have accepted Jesus as Saviour and taught the truth about Him, let us join in doing the work God wants up to do.
It will be well worth it.
Peter and many others have had some failures in life and had not always been faithful to Jesus. But Jesus knows everything that is going on. He loves His people. He lovingly confronts them, changes their minds, comforts them, cleanses them from the effects of their failures and their sins, and restores them to great faith. He did that to Peter and Peter turned out to be a good, faithful, and great worker for Jesus and the kingdom of God.
So let us remember the lessons from the Bible. Let us be faithful to the loving and faithful Jesus. Do not let our failures turn us away from serving Him. Let us be like Peter. Let us remember that Jesus loves us and wants to help to grow and mature and do what is right. He loves us and we should rightfully love Him.