“Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord’…” John 21:7
I recently had a sister in Christ tell me that she had a struggling friend push her away because that friend didn't want to cause her to stumble. It was in that lost friendship that she became more dependent on the Lord. Could it be that even in rejection we draw closer to our Savior and Friend, Jesus? YES!
As we follow the Lord if anyone chooses to let us go, it should never pull us away from the LORD.
In John 6 after feeding five thousand and walking on water, Jesus tells the crowd He is the bread of life. It is a controversial and “hard teaching”. Many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him after this, and He asks His chosen twelve if they would like to leave also. Peter says, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” When we truly know King Jesus as our friend and Savior, it doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing, we will continue to follow Him. The Lord will help us release those in our lives that aren’t going where He is leading us.
I love the book of John because John knew he was the beloved disciple. He KNEW who he was to Christ! As they are on the boat fishing after Jesus’ resurrection, John is the one that recognizes it’s Jesus. Jesus asked them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” They told Him no. He then told them where to cast and when they did, they couldn’t even get the net in because it was so full of fish. It was at that point John said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” They trusted a “Man” they didn’t recognize, but when He did what only God can do, John knew it was his best Friend!
This is the kind of friend we need to be to each other…one that points each other to Jesus. Remember two weeks ago I wrote about how Jesus restored Peter after this fishing adventure. May we be the kind of Jesus follower that not only jumps out of the boat like Peter, but that also will point each other to Jesus so that our broken friends can jump out and be restored. I’d like to think John brought the boat in smiling, nodding His head, knowing that Jesus was about to make things right for Peter.
Father, help us to be that person for others. Help us be the kind of friend that points others to You! King Jesus we want to follow You no matter what anyone else is doing!
God bless you today, my friend.
Dig Deeper
John 6 | John 21