RESURRECTION GROUND: A Believer’s Perspective Dr. Joel Albert, Aurangabad Every believer who lives in the current dispensation knows that had it not been for the great work of redemption done on the cross, we would have been on the path of destruction and eternal separation from the Lord! And when we consider the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, that day is the day of victory because of which our faith is strengthened and our hope becomes sure! Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Cor. 15:14, “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” Can we all just take a moment to think about what impact the resurrection of the Lord has made in my life as a believer? Are we just living our lives as time passes, being satisfied with the fact that we as believers are going to heaven? It’s high time that we need to change our perspective and understand how we can be victorious Christians. Many think of the birth, the death, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ as reasons to Celebrate. My dear ones, we instead need to contemplate on what the incarnation, life, sacrifice, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ mean to us! We need to understand that we need to glorify God instead. And how does a believer glorify God? It is through our lives, attitude, and service! If God could do something so wonderful for us, what are we doing in return? The answer to that can be seen in what can be considered one of the greatest practical chapters in the Bible, John chapter 21. Let’s just consider vv.1-14 and see how we ought to live in the good of the resurrection! There are 4 things that we notice here: THE REGRESSION THE RECOGNITION THE REVISION THE REJOICING 1. THE REGRESSION: Well, how much should the disciples have progressed in the three-and-a-half-odd years that they had spent with the Lord? But where do we see them? In v.3, we see Peter taking 6 of the disciples and going back to square one! How sad it is that after listening to the wonderful words of the Master Himself and having witnessed the wonders of his life, they still could go back to what they had left! It was as if the resurrection meant nothing to them. How about us? How often do we find ourselves forgetting the impact and the wonder of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? One of the greatest issues in the 21st century is spiritual stagnation and regression. Victorious Christian living is so rare to see these days because we have gone back to prioritizing the world and the things of the world over the Lord, and sadly, we all have our own excuses! What effect does it have in our lives? It eventually affects our recognition. 2. THE RECOGNITION: a. The lack of recognition (v4): When the Lord stood on the shore in the morning, none of the disciples recognized him. What a sad state! Those who spent time with the Lord night and day, especially Peter, James and John, could not initially identify Him. That is exactly what happens in our lives as well when we neglect our personal quiet time with the Lord, our family altar, and our assembly meetings, and we prioritize the cares of the world and neglect the Lord. Many of us would argue that we know the Lord. We would argue that our knowledge about the person of God and the doctrinal truths is unparalleled. But think of it this way. If we have spent the first 10 years of our lives with a friend who later got relocated for 10 long years, would we be able to recognize them easily? Would we be able to know their present likes and dislikes? Absolutely not! We knew that person but because of the prolonged separation, we gradually forgot them! This is exactly what many Christians today are experiencing! It is about time we set our priorities straight. b. The look of recognition (vv5-7): When the Lord called out to them and commanded them to cast the net on the right side of the ship, they complied! And when they caught the big catch of fishes, it caused John to exclaim “It is the Lord!” I strongly believe that we need more preachers and teachers who point us to Christ. We need to know that when we prioritize the Lord, the Word points to Christ! We’re reminded of the two travelling to Emmaus when they spent time with the Lord and heard what He said, they reminisced about the wonderful way in which the Lord revealed Himself through Moses and the prophets (The scriptures available at that time). We need to look toward Christ. He is guiding us and commanding us constantly, but we often give a deaf ear to Him and enjoy the figurative fishing of the world, which ironically does not give us any satisfaction at all! That look of recognition led the disciples to repentance, which in turn led to revival among the disciples because v.12 says, “Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast." Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?" — knowing that it was the Lord.” 3. THE REVISION When the disciples came to the shore, we see the Lord was ready with a fire of coals, some fish and bread as well. And now the focus turns to Peter. Just put yourself in Peter’s shoes for a moment. Imagine him sitting there, still a bit wet, sitting by the fire of coals and the fishes and bread. It may have brought some memories back to his heart. a. The fire of coals would have been a fresh yet bitter memory. The last time he was in front of such a fire, he had sworn, shouted, and betrayed the Lord. The Lord may have been reminding him of his failures and how he was brought back because of his repentance. Many times, we too think about our failures and understand how unworthy we are to be in the presence of the Lord but we are there only because of His death, burial and resurrection. b. The bread and the fish would have been a slightly distant yet sweet memory. In John chapter 6, many followed the Lord Jesus Christ for materialistic gains after experiencing the miracle He did with the 5 loaves and 2 fishes. They, however, eventually left Him when He said, “I am the bread of life”. In contrast, Peter said to the Lord in John 6:68, “Lord, to whom shall we go?You have the words of eternal life.” The Lord also reminds us of our victories from time to time, to encourage us to press on. 4. THE REJOICING Finally, we see the disciples sitting in fellowship with the Lord. And there we also see two reasons to rejoice: a. The Lord asks them to bring their catch of fishes (vv. 10-11) Did He really need that? Certainly not! Because He already had bread and fish prepared for them. But still, He asked them to bring the fish that He had helped them to catch, considering it their service to Him! It brings out the beautiful principle of being fellow-labourers with the Lord. The joy of serving the Lord with Him is indeed incomparable! And that is what they experienced here. When we serve him we too need to remember that it is He who helps us and gives the ministry; the means to do the ministry and even to reap the rewards. Oh, the joy of serving the Lord, with Him by our side! b. The Lord takes the bread and the fish and gives to them (vv. 12-13) This shows us the beauty of fellowship and communion with the Lord. Not only can we sit at His table and reap the blessings that we have received but we can also be sure of the fact that we are joint-heirs with Him (Rom. 8:17), reaping the benefit and blessings from Him! May the Lord help us to remember the resurrected Lord, rethink and restructure our priorities, repent of our follies, and return to Him with a heart of repentance so as to remember His goodness and rejoice with Him, reaping the benefits that He has in store for us!

Grace & Peace e-periodical Vol. 19 No. 3| March 2024  In this issue: - Perspective: The Death of Christ Outline: -1 Sufferings of Christ according to Peter Outline:-2   Results of the Resurrection Anecdote: Substitute Soldier  Practical: - 1 Appropriating the Death of Christ as a Believer Practical: -2  Resurrection Ground: A Believer’s Perspective Meditation: The Resurrection Power of Christ Exhortation: Resurrection: Practical implications Reflection: Why No Easter Celebration? Gospel:How to Escape Death?

22/02/24

---

More:- An index for all studies

You can reproduce this article in any medium, provided it is unedited, and retain the original author / copyright information and reference to this website. For details contact    gracepeaceu AT gmail.com

Home |  About Us  |  Meditations |  E-periodical |  Site Map |  Comments |   Audio|   Search|   Brethren|