Just Do It!

𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐄 𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑   

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐀𝐜 𝟐𝟖:𝟏𝟔-𝟐𝟎, 𝟑𝟎-𝟑𝟏

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟏𝟏:𝟒, 𝟓 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟕 "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐚𝐳𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐎 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝."

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐉𝐍 𝟐𝟏:𝟐𝟎-𝟐𝟓 

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: "...𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆." (𝒗.27)

John ends his gospel saying that Jesus did many other things that not even the world itself would be big enough to hold if these were written down (𝐉𝐧 𝟐𝟎-𝟐𝟓). This reflects the infinite grace of Jesus Christ which point to the reality that no human mind can ever comprehend the splendor of Jesus Christ that ended with the greatest victory the world has ever seen - his triumph at the Cross and His Resurrection.

You may have come across some bible versions where there is a blank page at the end of the bible. There is a distinct symbolism for this, and the blank page refers to how we will fill it up with our own gospel story.

The scenario in today’s Gospel reading which is on the eve of Pentecost (𝐉𝐧 𝟐𝟏:𝟐𝟎-𝟐𝟓) comes as a fitting reminder of the kind of life that we as disciples are to live. Like Peter, we are also given the task to shepherd and bring the unbelievers, the doubters, the marginalized back into the sheep fold. The memory of Paul compels us to go to the ends of the earth and preach the gospel of salvation to all.

In John we shall find our own identity as a witness for Christ. The disciple whom Jesus loved lived long enough to tell the world: “𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆.” (𝒗.24)  In the same way, we as Christian disciples are clothed with this privilege yet unenviable task of standing before men and say “𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝.”

The Scriptures renders an account of the respective roles given by God to those whom He calls. These roles are specific to each of us, and it is our responsibility to discover the gifts that are given to us that we may use for the common good. But all are called to witness and testify as Peter, Paul and John did.

However, not all Christians are disciples. When Peter sinned, he did not lose his sonship, but he did fall away from his discipleship. Let me explain – sonship means one who is being saved, and discipleship is one who follows the Lord. What happened was despite Peter falling away as a disciple he did not lose his sonship and his being the leader of the group.

Jesus repeated his call to Peter – “𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆” and he also confronts Peter with the cross (𝒗.18) indicating that Peter would one day be crucified himself. And before we can follow Christ, we must take up the cross.

Again, in today’s Gospel reading we see Peter making a big mistake as he took his eyes away from Jesus and began to look at others – in this case John. If we are to follow Christ we must always keep our gaze at him alone (𝑯𝒆𝒃 12:1-2).

It is none of our business how Christ leads his other workers. Our business is to follow Jesus and obey him. John closes his Gospel by assuring us that the world itself cannot contain all the books that could be written about Christ. The four Gospels are not “lives of Christ,” but these are four different portraits of Jesus with a different emphasis. It would be impossible to record the life of Christ in its entirety.

Had not Peter met Christ in John 21 and, confessed his sin and, affirmed his love, we would not have read about Peter again in the Book of Acts 1. God was able to use Peter because he made things right with the Lord. Jesus Christ blesses and uses those who obey and follow him.

Generally, we also think of the disciple whom Jesus’ love as John but he has actually remained anonymous and is always referred to as just that. Why? Because just like the blank page at the end of the bible, that disciple whom Jesus loved is us. Thus, our calling is to follow Him and to love Him and be loved by Him. This love is what will move us to seek our own glory in the service of Christ in whatever capacity he has apportioned to us and in whatever situation we find ourselves in.

It is in that blank page and in the anonymous disciple that we can write our own story and make the anonymous disciple visible for everyone to see. Let our struggles and our triumphs as disciples define our identity. Our own transformation in mind, body and spirit is the testimony that others will see, and they will know that we have seen Jesus Christ and walked with Him.

It has been said that the dash between the day we are born and the day we die is important. It is because that dash represents how we lived our lives and what we did with the gifts of the Spirit that have been apportioned to us. Were the fruits of the Spirit visible in us? Did we love one another as Jesus loved us? Let us thus think of ourselves as a blank page in the bible that will reflect our testimony to God's loving presence in our lives. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘑𝘶𝘯𝘦 7, 2025)