Christ’s final ministry in the book of John was a ministry of reconciliation. He used a simple meal to restore broken relationships and to prepare these men.When we come into the presence of Christ he offers, reconciliation, purpose and hope through the invitation to follow him.

Christ’s return was not the end of his ministry it was the beginning of a much larger movement to take the truth of his life death and resurrection to the ends of the earth. Jesus did not return to rescue the disciples, indeed the mission he is sending them out on will result in greater and greater conflict with the world. He returned to equip them for a new and glorious chapter of ministry. He is commissioning them to be his ambassadors to a broken and hostile world. Each of these men and women will pour out their lives in service to this great commission.  But the commission to the disciples was not a one-time assignment given to a small group of special people. It is an ongoing assignment for all of Christs followers. Christ has equipped and commissioned each of us to be his emissaries to a broken hurting world.   

John wants his readers to understand that in death Jesus has fully accomplished his earthly mission to redeem mankind. As Christians we must never fall into the trap of taking the sacrifice of Jesus for granted. We are free but we must constantly remind ourselves that our freedom came at a terrible price. We are saved by grace and while grace is free it is not cheap!

A.   Jesus is not on trial; Pilot and the Jewish authorities are and the verdict for all time is guilty. These men however do not bear the guilt alone.  We are just as much to blame because we sent Christ to the cross, our sin, our rebellion all necessitated his sacrifice. When we reflect on the passion and death of Jesus we must always remember that we put him there.

There is no ruler too powerful to escape God’s plan. There is no system that is so broken or twisted that it can’t be used by him for his glory. We are agents of truth, and our testimony must not be silenced by the evil systems of a broken world. 

In the high Priests courtyard Peter was sifted, he was  weighed and measured and fount to be wanting. But in the kingdom of God even our failures are used by God for his glory. The painful reality is that our failures and Gods redemption that form the foundation of our life in Christ. 

The passion of Christ was crime and a tragedy but at no point in the entire sordid process was it outside of Gods plan or his direct control. God who is sovereign over the totality of human experience was never absent or silent.

God demands that his people honor him through authentic worship. Halfhearted insincere play acting does not glorify God it demonstrates our contempt for him. Bitterness and discontent are the enemies of authentic worship. Authentic worship comes from a grateful heart and brings glory to God.

Forgiveness and reconciliation come when we place others sins on Gods Account.  Each of us lives at the center of a web of broken or strained relationships and it is only through the hard work of reconciliation, repentance and forgiveness that these relationships will be heald. This is the real work of Christian community. 

The church is the Gospel made visible. Our lives within the church are a testimony to the people outside of the church.