Second Chances

Introduction

1. (object lesson: Play a carnival type game where you get 2-3 chances to throw balls through a hula hoop.)

2. It’s nice to get more than one chance at things...

Some things, you don’t get another chance...

I love the NCAA Basketball Tournament...

This year was especially gratifying because the Gators won!!

But in the tournament...once you lose...you are out...

there is no second chance...

3. But, for most things, perhaps you can get another chance...

In the movie “City Slickers”...

Billy’s Crystal’s character says that “life is a do over”...

when kids are playing... they will say something like...

“Hey, you messed me up...do over...”

Interestingly, we find “do over’s” in the Bible...

We find second chances in the Bible...

and today, this first Sunday after Easter...

I would like for us to look at several...

Read Text: John 21:15-17

1. Peter got a second chance....

A. When Jesus died, the disciples lost all hope...

they had heard all Jesus’ teachings...

but when Jesus died...

His teachings seemed to die with Him...

they were lost...

like sheep without a shepherd...

B. I wonder how Peter felt...

You remember what happened...

Jesus had predicted that Peter would deny Him...

and Peter absolutely denied that he would ever deny Christ...

And then Peter did...

things had gotten crazy...

Jesus was about to be crucified...

the whole city was in an uproar...

and several people came to Peter and claimed that he was with Jesus...

Peter could see what was happening to Jesus...

and he didn’t want any of that...

so he denied it...

The rooster crowed...

and then, in Matthew 26:75, Scripture tells us that Peter went out and wept bitterly...

he was beside himself with misery...

he had blown it...

and then Jesus died.

C. I imagine that in the midst of Peter’s tears...

if he cried out to God in his pain...

“if only I could have another chance...

If only I could see Jesus again...

if only I could tell Him how sorry I am...

if only life was a do over...

But now, Jesus is dead...

and there is no second chance”...

D. But then on Easter morning,...Mary told him the tomb was empty...

he, Mary, and John ran to the tomb...

perhaps Peter dared to hope...

“if only I had it to do over again...

but there’s no second chances...are there?”

And he ran with all his heart to see what was going on at the tomb...

But he still isn’t sure...

But then, later, he sees Jesus face to face...

and Jesus gives Peter a 3-fold opportunity to express his love to Him...

to take away the pain of his 3-fold denial of Jesus...

To Peter...the resurrection of Jesus means that he got a do over...

He got a second chance...

2. Judas

A. Even Judas Iscariot got another chance...

he had sold his Savior for 30 pieces of silver...

later on...he felt so bad about it...

he tried to give it back...1

he tried to take a do over...

he tried to make it right...

But, the Chief Priests wouldn’t take his money...

and Judas snapped...

perhaps he couldn’t bear the thought of knowing what he had done...

and he went out and committed suicide...

B. No more chances for Judas...

if only he had repented to Jesus...

if only he could have thrown himself upon God’s mercy...

but he didn’t...

and he ruined his shot at a do over...

he blew it...

3. Thomas is another one who wanted another chance...

A. First, he said...

“No way...dead men do not come back to life...

I just don’t believe it...

I don’t care what you saw with your own eyes...

I didn’t see it for myself...

and unless I see it with my own eyes...

unless I see the nail prints in His hands...

I won’t believe it”...

B. And then, just 1 week later...

he got his second chance...he got his do over...

Jesus came and showed Thomas the proof he demanded...

Thomas was humiliated...

he could have run out in his embarrassment...

he could have taken the coward’s way out like Judas...

but instead, he makes that great affirmation of faith...

“My Lord and my God”!!

The resurrection of Jesus means that Thomas got a do over...

he got a second chance...

4. James and John, the sons of thunder got a second chance...

A. They selfishly desired places of honor...

they asked Jesus if they could sit in the places of honor on His right and left when Jesus came into His glory (Mark 10:37)...

Pretty arrogant...

Jesus told them... “you don’t know what you are asking”...

the other 10 disciples heard about it and they were furious...

it could have been the thing that drove this close knit group apart...