Dear Christian friends:

Last Sunday our church was full. Fifty-two deaf and friends heard the wonderful good news of Jesus' resurrection. Did that glad preaching change these people? Did they find it so wonderful that they wanted to come back again today and hear some more? You look around and decide yourself.

True God's Word always does some good, and we should not doubt the power of God's Word to change man. But it is also true that man can resist God's Word and Spirit and not change after hearing it. Easter ought to really change us and improve our faith and life. In our text we see how the risen Savior reclaimed His weak disciples that first Easter. We, too, need to be reclaimed and redirected again and again. So let us attend to our text and see how:

In our text we see how Peter, James and John and several other disciples left Jerusalem and went north to the Sea of Galilee. It was about three weeks after Jesus' resurrection. Peter said to the other disciples, "I go a fishing." So they all got into the boat and fished all night, but caught nothing. In the morning Jesus stood on the shore. From the boat they could see Him, but they didn't know Him. Jesus said, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and ye shall find." They did it and caught one-hundred-fifty-three fish. Then Peter knew it was Jesus so he jumped into the water and hurried to Him.

Jesus had made a fire and cooked fish and bread for them on the beach. So they all ate and then Jesus said to Peter: "Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me more than these? He said to Him, "Yes, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee." He saith unto him, "Feed My lambs." Three times Jesus asked Peter and three times Jesus said, "Feed My lambs .. My sheep."

By the "lambs" and the "sheep" Jesus meant the men and children who believe in Him. He calls them "My sheep -- "My lambs" They are His. Why? Because He died for their sins and rose again for their forgiveness. He is the Good Shepherd. He gave His life to save His sheep. (John 10:15) He bought them from sin and Satan with His own precious blood. That's what Paul means when he writes; "Ye are bought with a price."

You, too, you deaf who believe in Him. You are His. He paid for your sins on the cross and rose again on Easter morning for your forgiveness. You are His deaf sheep and He promises to give eternal life to you: "My sheep hear My voice and they follow Me and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish."

Christ came to Peter and said: "Lovest thou Me? And He asked him that three times because He had denied Jesus three times. By doing that Jesus forgave Peter and claimed Him as His own. So Jesus searches for you. You, too, have been cowardly and sinned against Him. He asks you: "Lovest thou Me?" Jesus loves you and wants you to be His sheep.

If you know that Jesus loves you even though you are sinful and not worthy of His love, that touches your heart and changes you. When you see His wonderful kindness and love, you , too want to answer with Peter, "Yes Lord, thou knowest that I love thee."

Our problem is that we easily and quickly forget Jesus' great love for us, and then we may fall into sin again. So Jesus keeps telling us about our sins and His loving forgiveness that is why Jesus told Peter, "Feed My Sheep" Feed them with My Word that brings love and forgiveness. So Jesus says to the ministers today: "Feed My Sheep." Preach and teach them of My death and resurrection for their forgiveness!"

Those sheep and lambs whom Jesus loves and who love Him are ready to hear His commandments. When Peter said to Jesus, "I love you," Jesus commanded Him to work. "Feed My Sheep." His life's work was not to be fishing, but preaching. Not a fisher of fish, but a fisher of men. And this work, Jesus tells him, will be hard and cost Him His life. In verse eighteen Jesus tells him he will get crucified by the enemies of Jesus. Now Peter is no longer a coward. Instead He boldly preached on Pentecost and before the same Jewish court which had condemned Jesus.

Also you and I, His disciples today, have commands from our Lord. He may not command all of us to be full time ministers and missionaries, but He still wants us to live for Him. Paul writes: "They which live should not live for self, but for Him who died for them and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:15)

To each one of us Jesus says, "Lovest thou Me? Feed My lambs, Feed My Sheep. This means teaching our children at home. It means Sunday Schools and Christian Day Schools. It means building and supporting nice church buildings. It means supporting our Pastor and our missions. It means evangelism Supper Training Meetings and visiting the non churched deaf.

Yes it takes some of your time and some of your money. But can you do Jesus' work without spending time and money? If you love Him, you will hear His command and "Feed His sheep." Do you love Him? He loves you!

Amen