Two Campfires
John 18:18; John 21:9
Intro: In these
two verses, just a few chapters apart, we find a phrase that appears twice. In
both places, we find the phrase, “a fire of coals”. At these two campfires,
some things transpired that are quite revealing – both about the character of
the Apostle Peter, and the character of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In my opinion, the events at these two campfires are what
ultimately launched the Apostle Peter into the effective and dynamic ministry
that he had.
Several times throughout the Word of God, we learn that God
used a fire of coals right before He did something great in their life.
·
Abraham –
Gen. 22:6 And Abraham took the wood of
the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in
his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
·
Moses
- Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the LORD
appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked,
and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
·
Gideon
– Judges 6:21 we find Gideon presenting a gift of meat and unleavened bread to
the angel, and he burned it up
·
Elisha
– I Kings 19:21 when Elijah tossed his mantel onto Elisha, he “returned back
from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with
the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then
he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.”
·
Isaiah
– Isaiah 6:6 an angel took a live coal from off the altar and purged Isaiah’s
lips with it
·
The early
church – In Acts 2, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and tongues of
fire sat upon each of them
As we look at these two incidents in the life of Peter, I
want to point out three basic elements:
I. Let’s Notice
the Comparisons
A. Both campfires had the same
Characters – Peter and Jesus Christ are the key characters at both
campfires
It is interesting to me that in both cases, Jesus got there
first!
B. Both campfires had the same Commencement
– Peter was following from afar
·
Mark
14:54 And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high
priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.
·
John 21:3 Simon
Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing.
C. Both campfires had the same
Conditions – Peter was trying to hide his true identity
·
John
18:17 Then saith the damsel that kept
the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man’s disciples? He saith, I
am not.
·
John 21:7
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved
saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the
Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast
himself into the sea.
D. Both campfires had the same Conduct
– Peter was behaving like an unbeliever
·
Mark
14:71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom
ye speak.
·
John 21:7
Now when Simon Peter heard that it was
the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,)
E. Both campfires had the same
Conversation – Peter’s relationship with Jesus Christ
·
John
18:17 Then saith the damsel that kept
the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man’s disciples? He saith, I
am not.
·
John
21:15 So when they had dined, Jesus
saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He
saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.
F. Both campfires had the same Continual
Questioning
At the first fire, they asked
Peter THREE TIMES if he was a disciple; a follower of Jesus Christ.
At the second fire, Jesus asked
Peter THREE TIMES if he loved him.
G. Both campfires had the same
Components – a fire of coals
·
John
18:18 And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of
coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them,
and warmed himself.
·
John 21:9 As soon
then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid
thereon, and bread.
Thank God for a fire of coals when it’s cold!
Peter warmed himself by the first campfire because the Bible
says it was cold (vs. 18).
The second campfire, Peter was wet from his swim in the
lake. Just a few weeks later. No doubt it was still cold.
Amazing to me how that no matter how cold it gets, He’s
always got a fire for me.
Now what I do around that fire, or what I say around that
fire, or how I conduct myself around that fire is up to me, but He’s always –
and I mean ALWAYS had a fire for me when it was cold.
II. Let’s Notice
the Contrasts
NOTICE THE
CONTRAST OF CHRIST:
A. There
was the Contrast of Christ’s Position
At the first campfire, he was bound and on trial for
blasphemy.
At the second campfire, He was the resurrected Messiah that
had performed “many other signs” (John 20:30)
B. There
was the Contrast of Christ’ Prediction
Prior to the first campfire, Jesus had warned Peter that he
would deny the Lord three times.
At the second campfire, Jesus warned Peter that He would die
the death of a faithful martyr.
Prior to the first campfire, Jesus had warned Peter that he
would bring shame and reproach on the Lord.
At the second campfire, Jesus told Peter that one day he
would glorify God.
C. There
was the Contrast of Christ’s Provision
At the first campfire, there was no fellowship; no intimacy;
no food; this was a time of SIFTING and SUFFERING.
At the second campfire, there was an invitation to “come and
dine” and there was fish laid thereon, and bread.
This was a time of SETTLING AND STRENGHENING AND STABLISHING.
·
1 Peter
5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by
Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish,
strengthen, settle you.
D. There was the Contrast of
Christ’s Permission
At the first campfire, Jesus told Peter - John 13:36 Simon
Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I
go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
At the second campfire, Jesus told Peter – John 21:19 And
when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
NOTICE THE
CONTRAST OF PETER:
A. There
was the Contrast of Peter’s Answer
At the first campfire, Peter denied three times even knowing
the Lord Jesus Christ.
At one place, he insisted three times that He did indeed
love the Lord Jesus Christ.
B. There
was the Contrasts of Peter’s Attitude
At the first campfire, after the third time of being asked
the same question, he got angry and cursed and swore.
At the second campfire, after the third time of being asked
the same question, he “was grieved” – vs. 17
C. There
was the Contrast of Peter’s Admission
At the first campfire, being warned of Jesus that he would
deny him, Peter was adamant that he wouldn’t.
At the second campfire, he looked at Jesus and had to humbly
confess – “Thou knowest all things.”
III. Let’s Notice
the Conclusions
A. The
Mistakes of Christ’s Disciples
·
J.M.
Barrie said, “All of us are failures;
at least the best of us are.”
B. The
Mercy of Christ – you can’t get much more merciful than “come and dine”
after that awful night
Imagine his disciples, after being witnesses to His
Resurrection power on two other occasions (this was the third time); imagine
them having seen Him, and He had commissioned them (John 20:21; and breathed on
them vs. 22) and here they are fishing!!
He didn’t get angry. He didn’t chew them out. He didn’t
rebuke them. He called them “Children…” in verse 5.
Without a doubt- His mercies are new every morning. And on
this particular morning, His mercy was much needed.
C. The
Mandate of Christ – He REALLY wants His disciples to love him.
·
Matthew
22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind.
D. The
Ministry of Christ – He still wants to use us – no matter how many times we
fail Him.
Imagine being the disciple that all four Gospels plainly
names as the one that denied even knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as his greatest
hour of need, and now – you are the pastor of the First Baptist Church of
Jerusalem.
Imagine preaching, dealing with new converts, trying to
reclaim backsliders, win the lost – and you’ve got that on your track record.
Cursing and swearing and denying that you even know Christ,
and that you are one of His followers.
Jesus looked at Peter with eyes of love and compassion that
day at that campfire and said – FEED MY SHEEP!
He was saying, “I believe the events that have transpired
around these two campfires have prepared you to go now and do something for me.
This is the disciple that Acts 5:15 says “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.”
Conclusion: 1 Peter 1:7 That
the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory
at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
