Verse of the Day 6/13

Through the Bible - Ezra 6-8, Acts 1

Good morning,
For today's verse we'll return to John 21.
When Jesus chose His disciples he did so by calling them to "follow" him.
On two separtate occasions Peter received the call "follow me". It was the first and last word Jesus spoke to this disciple, Mark 1:17 and John 21:22 which is today's verse.
John 21:22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." NKJV

Peter had just asked Jesus what was going to happen to John. Basically, Jesus told him don't worry about the level of someone elses devotion, you follow me.
Both of these events happened by the lake of Gennesareth. The first time Peter walked away from his nets and followed. Now he leaves his nets to follow again.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes, "Between the two calls lay a whole life of discipleship in the following of Christ. Halfway between them comes Peter's confession, when he acknowledged Jesus as the Christ of God. Three times Peter hears the same proclomation that Christ is the Lord and God - at the beginning, at the end, and at Caesarea Philippi. Each time it is the grace of Christ which calls him in his confession of the Son of God. Three times on Peter's way did grace arrest him, the one grace proclaimed in three different ways."
Think of Peter's life, how he had followed, how he had fallen.
Think of the impact of this "second" call. Look at what Peter went on to face, he would stand before the same people that put Jesus to death declaring Jesus message without fear. He had learned grace, costly grace.
Bonhoeffer writes, "Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate."
"Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods..... Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life."
Have you responded to the call from Jesus to "follow me"? Have you received a second call as Peter did, no turning back?
What kind of grace that Bonhoeffer describes is present in our lives, cheap grace or costly grace.
Think about it as we head into the book of Acts in the daily reading. It's full of examples of "costly grace".
In Christ,
Mike
John 21:15-25
Jesus Restores Peter
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?"
He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."
He said to him, "Feed My lambs."
16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?"
He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."
He said to him, "Tend My sheep."
17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He 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. 18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where 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." 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
The Beloved Disciple and His Book
20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?"
22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me."
23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?"
24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.