Today we will look at three special disciples named Peter, James, and John who went a little farther into the garden of Gethsemane with Jesus. Last week we saw that 8 of the 12 disciples stayed at the edge of the garden by the gate, not willing to go on with Jesus. But pictured above sleeping, Peter, James, and John were special and even though they fell asleep, they didn't lay down long, but continued to follow Jesus, ignoring the persecutions christians experience from the world because they preach about Jesus. Let's be like Peter, James, and John and forever go on with Jesus, rejoicing through the persecutions of this world because we preach about Jesus.
Are you willing to go on with Jesus into the garden, rejoicing to be counted worthy to suffer persecution from this world because you preach about Jesus? 1 Peter 4:13 says But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified. James 1:2 says My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. 2 Timothy 1:12 says For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.
We should rejoice when the world persecutes us because we follow Jesus daily. I pray in Jesus name we can be like the apostles and rejoice to be counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus. I wish I could have seen and rejoiced with the apostles when they ran out of a house, leaping for joy because they were beaten for serving Jesus. Acts 5:40 says And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
Now note that when the people with Judas came to arrest Jesus, all the disciples fled including Peter, James, and John. But, Peter and John did not stay gone long, and began to follow Jesus. Proverbs 24:16 says For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. If you have failed the Lord in the past, rise up again and continue to follow Jesus, knowing that the blood of Jesus cleanses you from all sin. 1 John 1:7 says But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.
John quit running and turned around and went back and followed Jesus into the courthouse. John went to the palace where they tried Jesus. John went out and got Peter and brought Peter in to the palace because John knew the high priest, and the high priest knew John, and John was allowed to bring Peter in with him. Peter couldn't have gotten into the palace if John didn't go get him. This was about the worst thing that happened to Peter. Peter would have never heard that rooster crow if he never went inside that gate.
The bible speaks about John taking Peter into the palace where Jesus was tried. John 18:15 says And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple (this was John who was humble and did not mention his own name in the gospel of John): that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.
Jesus wanted Peter to enter the palace to fulfill a prophecy Jesus stated earlier at Mark 14:29: But Peter said unto Him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
The above picture shows us what happened to Peter after John brought him into the palace where Jesus was being tried. Note that the picture accurately shows the damsel in the palace, the maid on the porch, and Malchus (the soldier whose ear Peter injured that Jesus healed) all accusing Peter of being with Jesus, while Peter denied the Lord Jesus thrice after the rooster crowed twice.
Why do most preachers like chicken?
They're trying to get rid of that crowing rooster
A preacher's belt ain't nothing but a fence around a chicken's graveyard
John 18:17 says Then saith the damsel that kept the door (of the palace) unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not. Then the maid on the porch told Peter at Matthew 26:71 This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he (Peter) denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
Then Malchus recognized Peter at John 18:26 that says One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with Him? I'm sure Malchus remembered that Peter was the one who injured his ear. John 18:27 says Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew. Matthew 26:74 says Then began he (Peter) to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
Don't be like Peter who associated with evil companions by warming himself by the fading fires of this world enjoying the temporary pleasures of sin that end in misery. Luke 22:55 says And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. Peter warmed himself by the enemy's fire. Peter got his thrill the same way sinners in the world got their thrill.
Don't be like Peter and get your thrills the same way the world gets its thrills (warming yourself by the world's fire). In other words when you get your thrills the same way sinners in the world get their thrills (smoking pot, drinking beer, fornicating, cursing, and wasting all day texting on your cellphone and posting gossip on facebook) you're falling away from God. Remember James 4:4 says Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
It's easy to float downstream with the world's current. But decide today to live for Jesus and go upstream against the world's current. You know that you are growing with Jesus when you become less like the world. An old Japanese missionary used to say that the duty of every christian in any age is to discern the spirit of the age and then to go diametrically opposed to it.
Take time to read how my good friend Pastor Sonny Mull described how Peter denied Jesus. This is anointed, so read it and rejoice for joy. First, a damsel in the palace accused Peter of being a disciple that followed Jesus, and Peter said I am not, I don't know the man. And then a maid on the porch accused him and he denied it again. And then Malchus, the soldier whose ear Peter injured in the garden, He said, You are one of them, I saw you in the garden. I'm sure Malchus had a good memory of Peter as the man who attacked him in the garden.
And so in order for Peter to escape these accusations, Peter had to curse and swear that he did not know Jesus. Some of you boys down at your workplace will tell a dirty joke so your coworkers will leave you alone. You don't want to be too religious because your coworkers will pick on you. So you'll curse and swear like the rest of them so they'll think you're just another old joe that wants to be friends. Bless God friend, be a man on your job, willing to be persecuted for Jesus, and stand up for Jesus, stand up for Jesus.
By the time Peter got done cursing and swearing that he did not know Jesus, the rooster crowed Er, Er, Er, Er, Er and old Peter fell on his face and started squalling. We got a preachin' chicken and a chicken preacher face to face. But the fact is this friend, Peter, James, and John were three special disciples that went a little farther into the garden with Jesus. They might have fell down but they didn't stay down long. Peter wept bitterly and repented that he denied Jesus three times and became one of the greatest preachers that ever lived.
Now after Jesus was crucified and died, Peter and the disciples again got discouraged and decided to go fishing shown by the two pictures above, and Peter fished naked. Peter and the disciples got discouraged and decided to fish instead of preach about Jesus. After Jesus died, Peter said I go a fishing. 7 disciples (Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, James, John, and two other disciples) said We'll go with you.
When Jesus died, the disciples thought well it's all over, we might as well go back to fishing. You know that you're backsliding when you return to your former habits of this world before you got saved. Philippians 3:13 says Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
And they were out there in the boat fishing all night and hadn't caught a thing. And at daylight, Jesus was on the shore walking and the disciples didn't know who He was. And Jesus said, Hey boys Did you catch any fish? And the disciples realized it was the Lord and replied Not a bite. Then Jesus said Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Then John recognized Jesus and told Peter that Jesus was on the shore. Peter immediately covered his nakedness and girt his fisher's coat unto him, and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship; for they were not far from land, but as it were 200 cubits, dragging the net with fishes.
Why did Peter and the disciples catch 153 fish?
John 21:11 says Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, 153, and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Note that the Greek definition for 153 is an uncertain affinity or an infinite number. In other words Peter and the disciples were as the angels of God reapers in heaven who caught an infinite number of souls (153 fish) that were both good and bad fish.
To understand why Peter and the disciples caught 153 fish, one must understand the parable of the net that did not break that held the 153 fish stated at Matthew 13:47: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind. Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
The 153 fish did not break Peter's net because all sinners from the beginning of time can not escape God's judgment. God says at Amos 9:2 Though they (lost sinners) dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them.
All the saved saints will be as the angels of God that separate the good fish from the bad fish in the net of 153 infinite fish. Matthew 22:30 says For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 1 Corinthians 6:2 says Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world (at the great white throne judgment)? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels (the fallen angels that shall be cast into the lake of fire)? how much more things that pertain to this life?
Remember how important it is to witness Jesus to lost sinners everywhere. If we fail to witness Jesus when the Holy Ghost compels us to tell lost sinners about Jesus, choosing to please our selfish desires, we will have to judge these lost sinners we failed to witness to and weep while we cast them into the lake of fire. Therefore make sure you tell everyone before they die how to get saved. Then it's up to that person to decide about getting saved with the Lord Jesus.
God doesn't wipe away tears and the memory of lost loved ones and friends in the lake of fire until after 1000 years in the kingdom of God. Revelation 21:4 says And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. If God didn't erase the bad memories of lost sinners in the lake of fire, saved saints would weep for eternity. Thankfully, in the kingdom of God all bad thoughts and memories will be removed where there will be no devil. God says at Isaiah 65:17 For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Brother Bob refuses to weep for 1000 years and tells people how to get saved
Repent, decide to stop sinning,
Confess that Jesus is God, and believe the gospel
That Jesus died on the cross for you, was buried, and rose again
John 21:1 describes the above story. After these things Jesus shewed Himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed He Himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
John 21:4 goes on to say But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered Him, No. And He said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Notice that after Peter pictured above realized that Jesus was raised from the dead, Peter never quit or backed up again, and he never got naked again in public. Peter became a great man of God. Pictured above the bible says that once Peter got straightened out, Peter would walk down streets by the blind, deaf, dumb, halt, lame, and all crippled people who laid on the sidewalk, and when Peter walked by while the sun was shining, every time Peter's shadow fell on somebody, they jumped up healed. I encourage everyone reading this to be like Peter and continue to daily go on with Jesus realizing that the blood of Jesus removes our past mistakes making us worthy to preach the gospel to the nations, irregardless of our past mistakes.
The story about the picture above of Peter's shadow healing multitudes of people is at Acts 5:14: And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. No one ever walked away sick in the presence of Jesus or Peter's anointed shadow.
Revelations About John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son (Cost), that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish (Condition), but have everlasting life (Consequence). Behold the length: For God so loved the world. Behold the depth: That He gave His only begotten Son. Behold the breadth: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish. Behold the height: But have everlasting life.
For God (the greatest lover) so loved (the greatest degree) the world (the greatest number), that He gave (the greatest act) His only begotten Son (the greatest gift), that whosoever (the greatest invitation), believeth (the greatest simplicity) in Him (the greatest person), shall not perish (the greatest deliverance), but (the greatest difference) have (the greatest certainty) everlasting life (the greatest possession).
Note the following blessed revelations about John 3:16. Notice that in John 3:16 we can see the word gospel. John 3:16 says For G God so loved the world, that He gave His O only begotten S Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not P perish, but have E everlasting L life. Since the word valentine appears in John 3:16, you can preach about John 3:16 on Valentine's Day. John 3:16 has 25 words and the the center word is Son or Jesus with 12 words before Son and 12 words after Son.
I pray in Jesus name that this bible study blesses multitudes everywhere with great joy, peace, and strength. Feel free to email Brother Bob anytime at rz9tlm@gmail.com or write to Brother Bob Malkin, 2233 Pinetree Lane, Apt. N., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. (614) 746-7071. Till we all meet again soon to lift up our Lord Jesus, everyone have a blessed day in Jesus name.
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