On this very day nearly 500 years ago, April 18, 1521, Martin Luther stood before the emperor and was asked if he would recant from that faith about which he had taught and written. Luther responded, "My conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant ... God help me. Amen."¹ It was a bold stand, and it could have cost him his life. But Luther was going to obey the Scripture whatever the cost.

But why did he have to do it? Why did Luther even have to take this stand? I think the answer is found some 1500 years prior that day. I think the answer is found in our text this morning.

In John 21, John records the third appearing of the resurrected Christ to his disciples. The disciples had decided to go fishing. Maybe because they just needed some food or maybe because they did not understand their mission at this point, the text simply doesn't say. But they fished throughout the night, nonetheless, and caught nothing (apparently we're to understand consistently that they weren't great fisherman).

Then, all of the sudden, a man appears on the seashore and yells, "Haven't you caught anything?" which is like yelling to someone, "Are you really that bad?" Yet, the disciples answered him, "No." Therefore he yells, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some" (21:6).

I remember playing a pretty intense tennis match one time while I was getting beat. The guy I was playing had a big serve and came to the net every time. It was all I could do to return the serve, let alone hit the ball by him. Yet, in the midst of my tennis match, some friends walked up to watch me play. And after observing for a few minutes they said, "You should just hit the ball past him when he runs to the net!" - as if I didn't want to do that. But, in an attempt to show them how hard it was I said, "I'll try." Sure enough, that time I hit the ball just right, the ball went by my opponent, and I won the point. And my friends said, "See?!"

That seems to be the situation here. The disciples are fisherman who have been trying to catch fish throughout the night, and now a man from the shore is telling them what they needed to do to catch fish. Maybe they (like me) were obeying his advice just to show how difficult the matter was and how foolish suggesting the ease of the situation was. Nonetheless, they did obey, and they caught so many fish they could not haul the net onto the boat.

It was at this point that John realized it must be Jesus. So he said to Peter, "It is the Lord" (21:7). After all, they had been through a similar incident once before (see Luke 5:1-11). And as quick as John was to recognize it was the Lord, Peter was that quick to jump into the water to swim to him. He arrived on the shore, the others followed behind dragging a net full of 153 fish; they saw Jesus had been cooking breakfast, and then a conversation began between Jesus and Peter.

And it is this conversation that really is the heart of this text. For in this conversation, Jesus teaches Peter, the other disciples, and us a lesson about his purpose and our mission.

Jesus makes clear in this conversation with Peter that he will build his church through his followers

As Peter arrives on shore to speak with Jesus, Jesus asks him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" and Peter answered, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you" (21:15). Peter had always boasted of being willing to die for his Lord, and he thought of himself, no doubt, as more loyal than the others. Thus, Jesus asks him if he loves Jesus more than the others, and he appeals to the Lord's knowledge so as to say, "You know all things. You know my heart. And you know that I love you."

And Jesus accepts his declaration and calls him to a mission, saying, "Feed my lambs" (21:15). This had to have been a great relief to Peter. For not only does it appear that he is forgiven for his denial, but he will also get to labor in Christ's mission. But this is not the end of the conversation, for Jesus asks him the same question three times. And each time Peter answers the same and hears the same charge. It's as if Jesus was bringing him to confess and be restored the same number of times he denied and ran away. But his forgiveness is clear. And each time Peter is charged to a mission - feeding Christ's sheep.

This hearkens back to Ezekiel and Jeremiah in which the Lord says his sheep are scattered, but he will gather them from all over the earth and be their shepherd. This is talking about the gathering and building up of Christ's church. And Jesus tells Peter that he is going to care for his sheep through him.

And the same thing falls to all of Christ's followers after Peter. We are all privileged to be able to labor in the gathering and the building up of Christ's church. We are all privileged to be able to evangelize and to labor in one another's lives until we (on that blessed day) will be conformed to his image. As unworthy as Peter was to get to be a part of this task, so are we.

Jesus did not rise from the dead just to say he did it. He rose from the dead to complete a mission of building his church. And we get to be a part of that mission. We are allowed to labor in the gathering and building of Christ's church.

Yet maybe some of you are thinking. Yeah, great, but that's not really what I'm interested in. I'm not really crazy about the church. Then, let me make the next point very clear.

Jesus makes clear in his conversation with Peter that if you love Christ you will labor in and for his church

Jesus doesn't just say to Peter, "Feed my sheep." Rather, he gets there by first asking, "Do you love me?" That is to say, if you love Jesus you will labor in the building up of his church. The call to love Christ is a call to his church.

It is impossible to be a Christian and not love the church. It is as impossible to do that as it is to say you love me and can't stand my wife.

Yes, I know we all have jobs and there are only a select few who are set aside and provided for financially by the church to put their full time into it. However, all of us are called to labor for the church. Such labor cannot be seen as an add-on to all the other things in your life. The church cannot be fifth on your list of priorities in life or else you're missing that the call to love Christ is a call to labor for his church.

And yet it is a challenging labor.

Jesus makes clear in his conversation with Peter that though the labor for his church is hard, his call is to follow his Lord

In our minds, it would seem that Jesus, after Peter confesses, might laugh, grab Peter in a headlock, and say, "There you go, buddy. You're still my boy. Let's eat some fish now that we got that over with." But he doesn't. He doesn't even say, "I'm alive. Isn't that cool? And now you get to be on top of the world as one of the people who got to witness me." No. He tells him, "You're called to feed my sheep. And as you obey that call, it will mean that you will die in that labor."

Specifically, after Jesus charges him the final time, saying, "Feed my sheep," he says, "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" (21:18). Then John adds, "This he said to show him by what kind of death he was to glorify God. And after saying this he said to him, 'Follow me.'" (21:19).

For Peter, following Christ and feeding his sheep (i.e. building up his church) meant he would be killed. And tradition tells us that Peter would go on to be crucified for his confession of Christ, most likely under the Roman emperor Nero. This wasn't a precious moments figurine set moment between teacher and disciple. This meeting on the shore was a call to Peter to give his life to follow Christ.

Why did Luther have to stand and risk his life in front of the emperor this very day almost 500 years ago? It is because Christ called him to follow him and labor for his church, and that's what it meant for Martin Luther. We might also ask, "Why did Luther get to live when 100 years earlier John Hus stood in the same situation and was burned at the stake?" The only answer is that that's what it meant to follow Christ and labor for his church in the life of Jon Hus.

Yet, Peter, seeing that nothing had been said of John, who was walking some distance behind, asked Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" (21:21). And Jesus answered, in essence, "It's none of your business. You just follow me."

In the same way, it is tempting in our day to look around and see men called to certain lots in life and compare ourselves to them. It might have been tempting for Luther to say, "Philip Melanchthon agrees with my theology and he's not being called to stand before the emperor and risk his life. Therefore, I'll walk the same road as Philip." But Luther was called to walk a different road, a harder road. So, Peter was called to walk a different road than John.

And it may be that you are called to walk a much harder road than another. It may be that all those around you look like privileged children and you like a withered and worn servant, undergoing challenges and ridicule on every side. However, you must remember that your call is not to follow others but to follow Christ. And whatever that means, whether suffering, giving of your time and labor, or even death, it is enough that you get to follow and obey the risen Christ. Dare we, as those whom the Lord has died for and whom he has given life, seek to do other than to follow him!

The call to all believers is to labor in the building up of Christ's church. If you love Christ, you will answer this call. And the call might be difficult indeed. It might even mean that you give your life in great agony while others around you live in apparent ease. But your call is to obey, wherever, whenever, and however Christ calls you.

So, we might ask, is there any comfort in all of this? Yes.

Finally, Jesus makes clear in his conversation with Peter that he is sovereign over the affairs of the world

As Peter asks about John, he doesn't just say, "Mind your own business" but he teaches Peter and us something. Specifically, he says, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!" (21:22).

I have spent time stressing the main point here, but there is another. Jesus makes clear that John's life and John's death is in his hands. That is to say, if Jesus willed that John lived for 150 years, John would live that long, and if he willed that John was killed the next day, then that would have happened.

Jesus was teaching Peter that he is in control, and that his will is perfect. And it seemed that Peter learned the lesson, for he later wrote in 1 Peter 4:19, "Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good" (emphasis added).

The comfort we can have is that God is not ignorant of our lot in life, our struggles, and our situation. He knows them. He knew Peter. And not only did he know Peter but he also had Peter's life and situation in his hand. So, it wasn't as if Peter had to walk around for the next three decades before he died thinking, "God, do you know the agony I'm going through in anticipation of this?" God knew. In fact, God had measured out his calling and assigned it to him. And God was in control. Nothing was going to happen to Peter that God didn't allow to happen. Peter's life, as is ours, was under God's providential control.

Therefore, this morning I want to challenge you to obey your Lord. Some of us may be sitting thinking Christ's church is simply an addition to all the things we do but not a calling for us. Well, the calling to all Christians is the call to labor in the building up of Christ's church. He who loves Christ will use his life for the building up of the church. And if you think it's a difficult calling, you might even be underestimating the difficulty. It meant that John Hus would be burned at the stake and Peter crucified. For you, it might mean that you labor with great time and effort in prayer, encouragement, and obedience that requires every ounce of your being and more. But you can remember two things. One, your life is not your own. Christ purchased you with his blood, and so it is enough that we get to follow him. And, two, he is sovereign over your situation and is measuring out every situation in your life that you might bring the utmost glory to your Father.

Therefore, as we come to the table this morning, might we remember our redemption and be thankful. Might we remember our commission and obey. And might we declare through the receiving of this bread and this cup that we have heard the Word this morning and are responding in saying, "Yes, Lord. I will obey your calling in my life."

By his grace. Amen.

¹ Heiko Oberman, Luther Man between God and the Devil, Trans. Eileen Walliser-Schwarzbare (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1989), 39.

BUILDING THE CHURCH AND FOLLOWING CHRIST