C, Easter 3 - John 21:19 "Summoned to Death"

John 21:19 This he (Jesus) said to show by what kind of death he (Peter) was to glorify God. And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

In the three readings today, Saint Paul, still as the Jewish “Sargent at Arms” Saul, is challenged by Jesus.  Saint John is also challenged as the hidden realm is uncovered to reveal the transcendent dominions of good and evil.  Likewise, Saint Peter too is challenged as Jesus reveals himself a third time to him and the disciples fishing on Lake Galilee.

These three men are challenged to glorify God in their deaths.  However, for us, it is important to know when their deaths occurred, and for what purpose?

We might presume that their deaths came at the end of life.  And in a very narrow context they do.  But death for them, and for us, is the process (or the event) of our existence in this world as we submit to God and his will for us. 

We may call this event, life or living, but the reality is, this existence is one of dying.  But only after our resurrection, or Christ’s return, death will cease to exist and then all will truly live.  That is living with God in glory and victory or living without him in eternal unfulfilled desire and darkness.

So let us hear more about the three examples we have before us in today’s readings.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus is revealed three times after his resurrection.  The first is during the evening after Jesus’ resurrection, Easter Sunday, when the disciples were locked away in hiding, so they wouldn’t be found by the Jews.  The second a week later when Thomas is present.  And in the Gospel reading before us today, while the disciples fished on the Sea of Tiberias or Lake Galilee.

When something happens three times in God’s Word, we are called to stop and pay extra attention to what God is saying to us.  Here at the end of John’s Gospel, Jesus is revealed to the disciples three times.   These are accompanied by three bestowals of peace, together with his breathing the Holy Spirit on them.  Then Peter is summoned three times to feed and tend Jesus’ sheep and lambs, after being asked three times if he loves Jesus.

Peter the archetypal disciple, who denies Jesus three times at his crucifixion is restored with three calls to love. 

Hear Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit and the threefold bestowal of peace he gives the disciples before the crucifixion, so that they might endure all the tribulations of his crucifixion.

Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:25–27 ESV)

“Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:32–33 ESV)

Now after the resurrection, after he had overcome the world, Jesus reinstates Peter in threefold peace and love.  The archetypal leader and blunderer is restored to be the archetypal administrator of Jesus’ love, and be the prototypical recipient of forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.  Peter is called to follow Jesus and pass on the peace of God.

The second of the three men in our readings today is Saul.  He too was challenged in a very physical way on the road to Damascus.  But, within the physical challenge of blindness, Jesus lays upon Saul a greater challenge. 

Saul persecuted the church after approvingly watching Stephen be stoned to death.  After this he went house to house dragging people off to prison.  He was going to Damascus, to do the same there, when Jesus confronted him.  But Jesus doesn’t strike Saul blind for persecuting others, rather Jesus says, “‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’  And Saul said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:4–5 ESV)

Jesus challenged Saul’s righteousness and ironically in his blindness revealed to Saul that he was the Son of God at the same time.  In his revelation on the road to Damascus, Jesus killed any faith Saul had in his ravaging assault on the believers of the resurrection.

In his letter to the Philippians, Saul now Paul, speaks of his death, saying, “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:  circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;  as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.  But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:4b–8 ESV)

Peter and Paul, both are summoned to die in Jesus’ resurrection and revelation. 

The third person in the text for today is John.  He was the last of the apostolic witnesses left alive.  He survived all the other witnesses of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension.  When they were martyred, John had to patiently endure with the knowledge of their deaths, of which his brother James was the first to die at the hand of Herod.

Years after witnessing the resurrection, Peter’s reinstatement, the Ascension, Pentecost, and waiting for Jesus’ return, John endured and led others through tribulations.  Like the last one to be picked on a school sporting team he waited and watched to be chosen next.

But different to Peter and Paul, John is allowed to see the revelation of what is to come, after he has suffered many deaths throughout his life.  Before he finally dies, he is given a glimpse of the heavenly victory to assist us and sustain us as we too are summoned to undergo the many deaths of self we suffer in this life.  And as we do, we glorify God in the many deaths he summons us to endure.

Like Peter, Paul, and John, you and I too are called to glorify God in the many deaths we face. 

Every time we forgive others who sin against us, we die and glorify God.  When we confess our sin, bringing it into the light of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we die to self and live to righteousness.  Learning about our sin leads to the death of pride, the death of privilege, and the death of vain pleasure.

Added to this, the death of health and self-confidence, are all deaths we endure so God can be glorified and worshiped above all.

From our existence in this world, we only see glimpses of the holy life to come.  We patiently endure tribulation in what we call this life, which is really an event of death. 

But just as the dawn of Jesus’ resurrection followed the darkness of night, we follow Jesus.  The darkness of our existence in this world of death is endured in the joy and hope of waiting to see for real what was revealed to John.  We now live eternally, despite death, knowing we will be raised to eternal life at the dawn of eternity, at the death of death. 

Through the work of the Holy Spirit, may Jesus glorify God the Father in your death and mine, in our baptism, in our existence, and in our resurrection.  Amen.