Second Chance

Yesterday at church I learned this beautiful song named "Second Chance". It really touched my heart, especially when it came to the bridge. I hope to renew my relationship with Jesus Christ, not fill my heart with any other distraction and be dedicated to his will and his love.

The sermon also talked about "getting back in the game" after a failure. Well, I failed at a lot of things: relationships, family, work... but as Jesus said to Peter his disciple, "Feed my sheep", even after Peter had denied him 3x, Jesus is telling me once again to serve Him, no matter how imperfect I may be.

You see, the pastor explained that since Peter had denied knowing Jesus 3x before Jesus died on the cross, after Jesus' death he wanted to get his mind off things or trying to get back to his old self by going fishing. Jesus appeared in resurrected form to make a miracle of fish for them, since Peter and his friends had caught nothing that night. But the miracle of fish was just one of the reasons Jesus came to speak to Peter. Peter was probably ashamed, feeling guilty, sad and mad at himself for denying his Lord Jesus.

When he spread his hands over the coal fire (Jesus had made a coal fire to cook fish) after the miracle of fish, it probably gave him a flashback of when he was around a coal fire and people were asking "Do you know Jesus?" and he kept saying no.

Interestingly enough, Jesus asked Peter three times around this fish coal fire whether he loved him. Jesus asked the first two times with the word "love" in terms of a high spiritual devotion. But Peter answered I love you with only "love" for a friend. It probably hurt Peter a lot to have to admit that he only loved Jesus as a friend/brother, not as a most high God. Then the 3rd time, Jesus asked him if he loved him as a friend/brother. And Peter says, yes.

I think Jesus was trying to help Peter realize what he did, how much it hurt Jesus and himself, and really, help him not to bottle it all in. It's like me, I was denying my feelings but it was not good. Saturday I let it all out, acknowledged my feelings.

The pastor explained that Jesus is able to accomodate to our level. He doesn't expect us to be perfect and love him with a high spiritual love, although that would be nice. I hope you read John chapter 21 for yourself, it's so interesting... www.biblegateway.com has it, here I only put part of it down, and I used the Amplified Bible with more adjectives so you can get what I was trying to say...

John 21

¹⁴This was now the third time that Jesus revealed Himself (appeared, was manifest) to the disciples after He had risen from the dead.

¹⁵When they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these [others do--with reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion, as one loves the Father]? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You [that I have deep, instinctive, personal affection for You, as for a close friend]. He said to him, Feed My lambs.

¹⁶Again He said to him the second time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion, as one loves the Father]? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You [that I have a deep, instinctive, personal affection for You, as for a close friend]. He said to him, Shepherd (tend) My sheep.

¹⁷He said to him the third time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with a deep, instinctive, personal affection for Me, as for a close friend]? Peter was grieved (was saddened and hurt) that He should ask him the third time, Do you love Me? And he said to Him, Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You [that I have a deep, instinctive, personal affection for You, as for a close friend]. Jesus said to him, Feed My sheep.

¹⁸I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, when you were young you girded yourself [put on your own belt or girdle] and you walked about wherever you pleased to go. But when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will put a girdle around you and carry you where you do not wish to go.

¹⁹He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. And after this, He said to him, Follow Me!

²⁰But Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, following--the one who also had leaned back on His breast at the supper and had said, Lord, who is it that is going to betray You?

²¹When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man?

²²Jesus said to him, If I want him to stay (survive, live) until I come, what is that to you? [What concern is it of yours?] You follow Me!

²³So word went out among the brethren that this disciple was not going to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not going to die, but, If I want him to stay (survive, live) till I come, what is that to you?