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how Jesus loved Him. I was very confused about the Great
Commission. God has begun to open my eyes.
John 21 is the “how” of the great commission. It’s told in terms
of Peter’s restoration; coming back to the Lord. If you have that
chapter before you I want you to glance at verses 1-14. Don’t
read it. Just glance at it. Just scan it and run your eyes through
the text. You will notice that it’s about fishing. The Bible tells
us that seven disciples gathered at the Sea of Tiberius. The Lord
filled their nets with one hundred fifty three fish.
Alright, set that aside. Now look at the second half of the
chapter, 15-23. Verses 15, 16 and 17 say, “Feed my sheep, feed
my lambs, feed my sheep.” The second half of the chapter is
about shepherding. In John 21 you have a story; fishing and
shepherding. That’s the Great Commission. Fishing is winning
souls to Jesus. Shepherding is training people in the Lord.
That’s not my idea. In Matthew when Jesus called Peter, He
said, “I’ll make you fishers of men.”
Let me tell the story in my own words. Seven disciples gathered
together in Galilee. We have the names of five of them; Peter,
Nathanael, Thomas, James and John. There are two that are not
named. I know who they are. That’s you and me. So, they
gathered at Galilee.
When they arrived they were waiting for Jesus to show up.
Matthew 26:32, “But after I have been raised, I will go before
you to Galilee.” Matthew 28:7, “And go quickly and tell His
disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold He is
going before you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold,
I have told you.” Matthew 28:10, “Then Jesus said to them,
‘Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for
Galilee, and there they shall see Me.” Mark 16:7, “But go, tell
His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going before you into Galilee;
there you will see Him, just as He said to you.”