This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Lord’s Supper” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, April 2, 1995.
About this sermon
Similarities between John 6, John 21, and even John 2 show that when Christ tells Peter to ‘feed my sheep,’ he means something far beyond bread. What Peter is to give, like Christ himself, is his very life for the sheep.
Sermon transcript
This morning, for our scripture reading, we are turning to John chapter 21. First of all, John chapter 21. We are beginning at verse 15. Give your attention to the reading of God’s Holy Word. So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me more than these?
He said to him, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my lambs. He said to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me? He said to him, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep. He said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me? Peter was grieved because Jesus said to him the third time, Do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep.
Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked wherever you wished. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish. He said this, indicating by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, Follow me. Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, the same who had leaned on his breast at supper and had said, Lord, which one of us will betray you? Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, Lord, and what will this man do?
Jesus said to him, If I will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me. Then this saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him, He will not die, but, If I will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? This is the disciple who testifies of these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, and if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Then, turning back to John chapter 6, verse 11: And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples. And likewise the fish, as many as they would. When they were filled, he said to his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
Therefore, they gathered them together and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above those who had eaten. There is a sense in which John chapter 6 is crucial to our appreciation and our appropriation of this gospel from John in its entirety.
This chapter is what we might call a decisive chapter in John’s gospel. Just as this chapter presents in its closing verses the parting of the ways between those who would follow Jesus and those who truly follow him, you can note verse 66 in that regard. So this chapter as a whole serves as a dividing line for all in the Church when it comes to understanding the entirety of this gospel and its message.
Now, the importance of the sixth chapter of John along these lines is similar to the importance of the parable of the sower in another context. You might recall what Jesus says in Mark chapter 4, verse 13, as commentary on that parable. He tells his disciples that if they cannot understand the parable of the sower, then they will not understand any of his parables. Well, by the same token, if we do not understand the sixth chapter of John, how will we then understand anything that is communicated to us in this grand gospel? That this is, in fact, the case with respect to the sixth chapter of John seems clear from what we read throughout the gospel.
I say this, not simply because of the division that occurs within this chapter between the two groups of disciples—the would-be disciples and the true disciples—but because of the clear parallels between this chapter, the sixth chapter of John, and the final chapter of this gospel. We will not spend much time this morning making all the precise connections between these two chapters, but enough to support my claim that there is a meaningful link between them.
Note, for instance, that chapters 6 and 21 in John both take place at the Sea of Tiberias, also known as the Sea of Galilee. In fact, the Sea of Galilee is referred to as the Sea of Tiberias only in chapters 6 and 21 of John, and nowhere else in Scripture. You may notice that the opening verses of each of these chapters specifically mention the Sea of Tiberias.
Both chapters describe miracles that occur on the sea and on land. These events are connected. In both chapters, Jesus performs miracles involving the distribution of bread and fish to others. Both chapters use images related to shepherding. In John chapter 6, the people gathered for the feeding by Christ are described as being led to lie down in green pastures. This is a shepherd image. In John 21, there are also references to shepherding, as Jesus repeatedly tells Peter to tend or feed his sheep. Both passages speak about the disciples’ future ministries, and both chapters include direct interaction between Jesus and Peter.
It would seem, therefore, that with these obvious links between the two chapters, John chapter 6 serves as a doorway, a passage of entry into the final chapter of John, the concluding and conclusive chapter of the Gospel. It is as if John chapter 6 serves as a doorway for standing completely within the house of John’s Gospel. John chapter 21 is the point to which the Gospel as a whole is directed, with the sixth chapter being an indispensable part of that Gospel, so that the Gospel’s intention might be impressed upon its audience. What we have said is important for a number of reasons.
For one thing, it makes clear that John chapter 21 is not extraneous to the Gospel. John chapter 21 is not an appendage, nor an afterthought, as it has often been treated by interpreters and preachers. But neither is John chapter 21 a contrivance, an invention, or something tacked on to the end of John by someone other than the Gospel’s author.
This has been claimed by many liberal authors. John chapter 21 is as much a part of John’s Gospel as the sixth chapter. They are of a piece, they belong together, they work toward the same end, and they lead us to the same conclusions. Now, of course, it could be argued that the twenty-first chapter of John is the work of a very clever follower of the Gospel’s original author, who had read and studied the previous twenty chapters so well that he was able to imitate their style and mimic their content, all in the interest of adding his own interpretation to the Gospel in a concluding remark, for his own benefit within the community in which he lived.
But there is no evidence—absolutely no evidence whatsoever, as far as the manuscript history of John’s Gospel is concerned—that John 21 was ever separated from the text of this Gospel. It belongs to the Gospel. John chapter 21 is an integral part of the Gospel of John.
In fact, it serves as the mark at which John has been aiming all along in the writing of this Gospel. I take time to say this to you this morning, because every once in a while it is good for us to be strengthened in our confidence regarding the Scriptures as we have them. You may not be aware of all the arguments that have taken place over the years—arguments that seem to aim at tearing apart the Bible, removing entire chapters from the Scriptures, casting doubt on certain portions of Scripture, and causing the faithful to question whether they truly have God’s word before them. John chapter 21 is one of those chapters that has caused a great deal of controversy.
It is my contention this morning that John 21 is an integral part of the gospel as a whole, that it belongs, and that the gospel stands as a complete record from the servant whom Jesus chose to write it down. And it is deserving of your full confidence.
But the second reason that this observation about the link between John 21 and John 6 is important is because it suggests not just a door for entrance to the Gospel’s conclusion, but a key with which to unlock other passages in the Gospel. Since we are now holding to the importance of John 6 for understanding John’s Gospel as it leads us to the conclusion of the Gospel, it would not be surprising for us to find other passages in this Gospel that are particularly close to this chapter in direction, if not in content. Of note in this regard is John chapter 2 and the story of the wedding at Cana. This is interesting in itself, because as there is a link between John 6 and John 21, there also seems to be a link between John 6 and John 2. On the one hand, John 6 looks forward to the Gospel’s conclusion. On the other hand, it looks back to what has preceded. It seems to be set right in the middle of the narrative, bringing things together, as if it were a divinely placed center for the Gospel with respect to its message. Now, the relationship between John 2 and John 6 is quite interesting.
First of all, both passages are about feasts. The wedding at Cana and the feeding of the 5,000 are both about feasts. Secondly, both passages are placed near the Passover celebration. Shortly after the wedding at Cana, the Passover is mentioned. Chapter 2, verse 13. But note chapter 6, verse 4. Passover is also in view here. The events are happening at the same time, or shortly before, the feeding of the 5,000. But notice as well, both passages focus upon the inadequacy of provision for the feast. At Cana, the wine runs out. At the sea, for the feeding of the 5,000, there is hardly enough food.
Jesus steps into this situation as the resolution. If the wine running out means that the joy of the wedding feast has ended, Jesus has come to restore that joy. And if there is no provision for the people who have gathered to Jesus, Jesus will supply that provision from himself, through himself, and by himself, regardless of how many there are.
There is always sufficient provision found in him. But notice also, in this parallel between John 2 and John 6, there is no judgment passed upon the desire or the need of the people involved. The wine has run out at Cana, and Jesus does not judge the people for having drunk too much. Otherwise it would not have run out. There is no judgment rendered regarding the desires of the people as they have gathered to Christ, even when the crowd numbers five thousand.
Their needs and their desires are presented in the most favorable light, and Jesus responds to them as if their needs and desires are genuine. Later, Jesus will work upon their desires and their needs in order to reveal what true desire and true need truly are. But at this moment, their wants and desires, their needs, are not judged. They are presented in the most favorable light.
Furthermore, in both chapters 2 and 6, and in keeping with what we have said about Passover, both passages are connected to specific Jewish experiences. John 2 presents the Jewish custom of purification. Thus, in the sixth verse of that chapter, there is specific mention of the six stone water pots set there for the purpose of Jewish purification. But in John 6, the context is much broader. Here, the entire testimony of the Jewish people’s wanderings in the wilderness is brought before us—the very foundations of Jewish history—and the miraculous provision by God when he gave them manna from heaven.
You may recall how John 6 progresses as Jesus makes a specific reference to the true bread that comes down from heaven to feed his people. Finally, and this is of great importance, both passages—John 2 and John 6—focus on Jesus, who alone is able to supply not only what is needed and desired, but more than what is needed and desired.
It is better than you think. It is greater than you have imagined. Truly, it is more than you can comprehend. These are the things which God has prepared for those who love him. Consider John 2 in this regard. Do you remember how it goes? Jesus, as we have already noted, restores joy to the feast by turning water into wine. But note that he does so in abundance—approximately 220 to 280 gallons of wine. The feast is already nearing its end, and he provides a superabundance of wine. Not merely what is needed, but more than what is needed. Is the reserve of Christ ever exhausted? Does the supply of heaven ever run dry? In John 6, Jesus provides enough food that everyone has as much as they want.
They are satisfied. This captures the essence of what is happening in the feeding of the 5,000. They are satisfied. Can you imagine it? They are satisfied. Reflect on this fully. They are content. Yet in verse 13 of that same chapter, it is clear that there is even more than they needed, for twelve basketfuls of food are gathered after the feast is concluded. This connection between John 2 and John 6 helps to establish the general pattern of meaning throughout the entire Gospel of John.
Jesus is the perfect host. There is none better. He is the perfect host who has come to this world to fulfill and even to replace Israel’s feasts, even if it be Passover. Israel’s feasts and customs and history, which were only temporary and preparatory, were meant so that in him the true desires of humanity and humanity’s real needs might be satisfied—beginning now in our present circumstances and leading to a new feast, new customs, and a new history for the people of God. They are supplied by him and through him with eternal and inexhaustible provision from heaven. Such provision is found nowhere else but with him and in him, our living and reigning Lord.
This brings us to the third reason the link between John 6 and John 21 is so important. The relationship of these two chapters provides a way by which we can understand the true meaning of John 6 itself. We have something with which we can compare it. We can examine John 6 in light of John 21 and be even more confident about what is being stated. John 6 leads us toward John 21. It draws us toward the conclusion of the gospel. That conclusion is clearly laid out from verse 15 onward in chapter 21. That is why we read that section.
Here we have Jesus’ powerful questioning of Peter, in which our risen Lord asks Peter three times whether Peter loves him. Peter, with growing distress, responds each time that he does love Christ. Jesus then tells Peter three times, “Feed my sheep.” But how will Peter feed Christ’s sheep? The remainder of Jesus’ conversation with Peter makes this clear.
It will not be by giving the sheep bread and fish. Let me tell you, it will not be by giving the sheep bread and wine. Consider this: it will not be by giving the sheep bread of any kind. Now hear me out. I am not dismissing the sacraments, but you see what Jesus is doing at the end of John’s Gospel. He is calling you beyond the sacrament. The sacrament is important; the bread here is important; but you are being called to go beyond it.
Therefore, it will not be by giving the sheep bread. Rather, it will be by giving the sheep what the bread represents. Indeed, we are moving along significant lines, are we not? We are affirming and emphasizing the representative nature of the sacrament. The elements are symbols; they point to something else; they point to a greater reality. The sacrament in itself cannot satisfy. Peter will be compelled to feed Christ’s sheep by providing them with what that bread in the feast represents. That bread represents the life of Christ given. The life of Christ given.
But now you see, as John’s concluding chapter unfolds, Jesus tells Peter that Peter will have to give his own life. He prophesies to him about the kind of life, the kind of death he will have to endure because of his relationship to Christ. These are the words in verses 18 and 19 of chapter 21. In other words, Peter will feed the sheep with Christ, but in a way that mirrors Christ’s own feeding of the sheep—by laying down his own life for the sheep.
You will notice, then, that we move from the meal to ministry. We move from the meal to service. We move from the bread to obedience. This is what the meal itself proclaims. This means that the meal cannot stand alone. It certainly has symbolic power, as it leads us to reflect on Christ’s sacrifice; but it also calls us to embrace such sacrifice in our own lives. This very truth lies at the heart of the meal in John 6.
That meal, the feeding of the five thousand, symbolizes Christ’s death, but it also sets before us the subsequent and derived service that we are to render in Christ’s name. This subsequent service is represented in the twelve basketfuls of food collected by the disciples after the meal is concluded.
One for each of the disciples, yes? They are ordained, and there is here something to be said about the ordained servant of God and his responsibility, and the unique service that he is to render in feeding Christ’s flock. But the twelve baskets also represent the people of God. How many tribes of Israel were there? There were twelve. It is not just the disciples; it is the entirety of the people of God that are in view.
So now, with those twelve baskets, there is represented to us not just the apostolate, not just the disciples, not just the ordained, but the whole of the people of God as the new Israel, the Church of Christ. Those who have been fed by those who are called to feed them now offer themselves in giving their lives one for another.
A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another. The sacrament must go on to that. Otherwise, it is a silly meal, a foolish exercise, a mere ritual. We have here in the sacrament no bare meal for the self-centered satisfaction of our own desires. We have no bare meal that is an end in itself. Instead, we have a meal that preaches a message beyond itself, which actually and only reaches its goal not in that we are served, as we shall be shortly, but that we serve, even as Christ served and gave his life a ransom for men. Oh, that we would have the churches filled with ordained servants who are not just serving sacraments, but serving themselves as sacrifices for the sake of their people. And oh, that the churches were filled with sheep who, having been fed, are devoted to one another. Amen. As we come to the table this morning, we do so singing.
The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.