Extracts from a Lecture by C. H. M., given at Kennington, 22nd Feb. 1868.
(John 21:1-191After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise showed he himself. 2There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. 4But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. 8And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. 9As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 11Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 12Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. 15So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 18Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. (John 21:1‑19)).
THE secret of all true power is found in the occupation of the heart with the Person of Christ. The Lord has given much truth to brethren, and we should have a just sense and value of the same. What I want to press is the practical consequences of the truth communicated. Is there any measure of adequate response? Has it had its weight in all the circumstances of our lives? Is it carried out?
My own thorough deep conviction of the state of things amongst us is (and I believe that every upright mind and earnest heart will admit it), that there is not the practical result there should be, and if you ask, Why? I answer, Because our hearts have got away from the Person of Christ, and from those personal manifestations mentioned in John 14:21, 2321He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23).
Now that is something peculiar, something especial. Allow me to ask, Do you understand and habitually enjoy these manifestations?
Some may object and say, “You are going to preach experience,” but I say no, you cannot get on without these manifestations. Abstract truth will not feed the soul nor the heart. Unquestionably I would not put abstract truth against devotional, nor devotional against abstract — neither would I put didactic truth against what is experimental, nor what is experimental against what is didactic, but I would have your souls hold all truth in connection with the Person of Christ Himself. I want you to feel that there is something about acquaintance with the Person of Christ without which you cannot get on. Why do we find some all correctness in views, doctrines, and knowledge of Church position, and yet with no savor of Christ when you meet them? In John 21. we see the effect of the realized presence of Christ, and the absence of it. Why were the disciples gone back to their fishing again? Because they had lost the sense of the presence of Jesus! Here also, as with the disciples at Emmaus, the moment their hearts get back again, they go and say to the others, We have seen the Lord!
I would press two things upon any soul present, that knows what backsliding in heart is — though by grace preserved from outward fall — viz., restoration and consecration. We have shown us in Peter’s case two kinds of restoration, that of the conscience and that of the heart. The moment Peter hears from his more spiritual brother, “It is the Lord,” he goes beyond him in energetic action. In John we see the calm spirit; the discerning heart, the practiced eye. Alas, how often He speaks and we don’t understand, He is near and we don’t perceive! In Peter we find not only energy and boldness, but unshaken confidence in the heart of Christ. “He girt his fisher’s coat about him,” &c. Surely his conscience was purged, or he would have said to John, “You had better go first.” Not a trace of that: he would be the first, just as if he had said, “Not one has failed as I have, so I must be the first to get to the feet of my risen Lord.” He reckoned on the love and confided in the heart of Christ.
The more deeply I prize the presence of Christ, the more keenly I feel His absence, the more miserable I shall be under it. Who would understand so well the parent’s averted face as the child that has walked in the sunshine of the parent’s smile. I do not know anything more deplorable than to be satisfied with the mercies of His hand without a sense of His presence.... A soul cannot be fresh or happy away from Jesus. Ostensible position is one thing, our practical position is another. It is a personal question, how far we are daily realizing communion with the Lord Himself.
The confidence of Peter’s heart was grateful to the heart of Jesus; no matter how backsliding the disciple, His heart is still the same. Oh the restoring grace of Jesus!
“Still sweet ‘tis to discover
If clouds have dimmed my sight,
When passed, Eternal Lover,
Towards me, as e’er, Thou’rt bright.”
Wherever you are who have slidden away, get back to Him, don’t let Satan shake your confidence in Jesus, or succeed in making you question His love, or tempt you to keep longer away; get to His feet, and you will find not a single cloud on His brow.
And when “they were come to land,” what found they there? (vs. 9). The Lord had been thinking of them, looking after their wants, making Himself the servant of their necessities, as much as to say, Could you not trust Me for a dinner? There is not a single thought or care that the heart of Jesus is not interested in for us. Not a scrap of food you have, but you may take it from the hand that was nailed to the cross. What a heaven on earth we might know did we realize that Jesus has thus done all for us, spread our table, made our bed, &c. Was there ever such a dinner party? Jesus the host and a restored conscience feeding in the presence of Infinite, Everlasting Love! In that presence “none durst ask,” &c. Each heart there as well as John’s knew “it was the Lord.”
Where do you see moral glory as in Jesus? Wiping the tear off the widow’s cheek, stooping to spread and prepare a table. In all the tender touches of His life down here you see a moral glory; come and trust it. Oh, there’s a charm about the heart that’s formed by such thoughts of Jesus — it must be devotional, while the heart that’s formed merely by doctrinal statements will remain an icicle.
“When they had dined,” and not till then, He draws Peter apart. He had a question to settle with Peter’s heart. He will apply the knife to the roots; it is not enough to have the soil removed from the conscience, the heart must be reached, the root must be touched. Take off the tops of the weeds in your fields, and they will sprout again. Partial restorations will not suffice; from such we have those awkward and defective restorations, as in conversions we have awkward and defective conversions, work so shallow and defective as to leave no permanent result in life. A soil on the conscience is the effect of what is working in the heart. What was working in Peter’s heart? Self-confidence. “Though all forsake Thee,” &c. (John 13:3636Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. (John 13:36)).
Self-knowledge is the death-blow to self-confidence. If you know yourself, you will never trust yourself. The more you know Christ the more you will trust in Him. We are apt to sigh for “first love”; why should not the love tried and proved be deeper and sweeter?
“Lovest thou Me?” In this question the Lord uses the deepest and strongest form language is capable of. Peter’s answer is in a much lower form: “I have affection for Thee.” The Lord uses the same term as at first, the second time. The third time He takes up Peter’s word, “Hast thou affection for Me?” Then the roots were reached, Peter’s heart was now broken, and he says, “Because Thou knowest all things I can say to Thee, I have affection for Thee.” Christ then gives the most touching expression of His confidence, “Feed My lambs, shepherd My sheep.” (Feed has two meanings, one to supply food, the other to give pastoral care.) “Follow Me.” The Lord Jesus Christ presents in these words the high and holy privilege of following Him down His martyr path. Christ was a victim under the hand of God, a martyr under the hand of man. The first suffering we cannot know. He bore it all that we might never. The second suffering we must know if we follow in separation a rejected Christ. Can you say, I long to have fellowship with Jesus in the martyr path? I would urge upon you the following with undivided love and firm attachment a martyred Jesus, not with easy-going profession, but a living conformable to His death. What was the first injunction to Israel on entering Canaan? Make you sharp knives — roll away the reproach, &c. May none of us traffic in unfelt truth.