By Gevan Spinney
HAUGHTON – With Easter just a couple weeks away, every Christian church is gearing up to herald the greatest message concerning the greatest event in human history: God Himself stepped out of Heaven, came to this rotten world, died on a Roman cross, was buried in a borrowed tomb and was raised alive to offer all sinful humanity grace rather than judgement.
The message of Easter is the message of God’s amazing grace offered to His creation.
GOD’S AMAZING SAVING GRACE
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind, but now I see.”
John Newton wrote these words in 1772 after receiving that grace. Newton was right – the grace of God is amazing!
Do you remember when you received the grace of God for salvation? I do.
I was a senior in high school and my life was as good as it could be from my perspective.
I was seventeen years old and living for every minute. I was raised in a home where both of my parents were very involved in my life.
We were a good, law-abiding, tax-paying family that was respected in our little town.
However, it often seemed as though something was missing in my life. Like many of my friends, I filled my life with things and people I felt would complete me.
I remember times of searching, usually in the stillness of a deer stand or in the quiet of my bedroom, and I would catch myself thinking, “There has got to be more to this.”
On a Wednesday night in November I found the answer to my searching. Sitting in a metal folding chair in the youth room (of the church I now pastor) I was introduced to Jesus. That night I was saved and I received the amazing grace that John Newton wrote about.
GOD’S AMAZING SUSTAINING GRACE
“Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come, ‘tis grace has brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.”
The grace of God not only saves us, but by his grace God sustains us.
The story of Peter’s denial is a vivid reminder of God’s sustaining grace.
After his arrest, Jesus is before the high priest and Peter is standing close by warming himself by a “fire of coals.”
In John 18:17, Peter is asked by a servant girl, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” and Peter said, “I am not”.
That evening Peter denied knowing Jesus two more times, and experienced one of the lowest points of his life.
Fast forward to John 21, where we learn that after the resurrection Peter decided to go fishing, and six other disciples went with him.
They fished all night and caught nothing. But as the sun rose the next morning Peter saw Jesus on the shore.
After a brisk swim to the beach Peter found himself in a “Twilight Zone” moment. John tells us in verse 9, “then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a ‘fire of coals’ there.”
The scene was set that morning to remind Peter of his moment of denial. The warmth of the morning sun, the smell of the smoke from the “fire of coals”.
This is it! This is what we’ve been waiting for — Jesus is about to blast Peter with shame for his walking out on Him.
We expect it, because that’s how we handle others when they wrong us.
Surely, He will begin His verbal assault with, “I can’t believe you of all people would do this” or maybe, “you really disappointed me”.
Wait for it, here it comes, we think.
But, instead, those red letters in verse 12, read, “Come and eat breakfast.”
Wow, his guilt trip is worse than we can even imagine. How could anyone have an appetite at a moment like this? This takes punishment to a whole new level. Jesus must be planning to serve Peter his dose of shame as dessert.
So, we think, “Here it comes in verse 15.”
But, we read, “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
Two more times He would ask Peter that question, wanting Peter to hear himself repeat, “Lord, You know I love You.”
Jesus asked Peter that question three times, one for each of the times Peter had verbally denied Him.
If that weren’t enough, the Lord follows those questions up with the statement, “Follow Me.”
You mean to tell me that Peter’s denial didn’t disqualify him from being used by Jesus?
No, and neither does mine, and neither does yours.
As we continue to think strategically about the Harvest evangelism initiative, Easter gives us a great opportunity to share with our neighbors and friends the message of God’s amazing grace.
Gevan Spinney is pastor of the First Baptist Church in Haughton, Louisiana, and serves as president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
