I might say these are not the studies we gave a number of years ago in John's Gospel. John chapter twenty-one. After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and on this wise showed he himself. There were together Simon Peter and Thomas called Inamus and Nathaniel of Canaan Galilee and the sons of Zebedee. and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go fishing, they say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth and entered into a ship immediately, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, Have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall climb. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 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, but he was naked, and he cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship, for they were not far from land, but as it were, two hundred cubics or a hundred yards, dragging the net with fishes. As soon then, as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coal there, and fish laid thereon and bred. Jesus saith unto them, bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land full of great fishes and hundred and fifty and three. And for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and die. And none of the disciples durst asked him, Who art thou, knowing that it was the Lord? Jesus then cometh and taketh bread and giveth them and fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples after that he was risen from the dead. So when they had died, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these, saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou know'st that I love thee, saith unto him, Feed my lamb. He saith unto him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me. He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me. Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me. And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Be my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou was young, Thou girdest thyself and walkest whither thou wouldest. But when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hand, and another shalt gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he signifying by what death he should glorify God. When he hath spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. Then Peter, turning about, sheath the disciples whom Jesus loved following, which also leaned on his breast of suffering, and said, Lord, which is he that betray thee, Peter seeing him, that is John, saith to Jesus, Lord, what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren that that disciple should not die, yet Jesus said not unto him he shall not die. But if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? This is the disciple which testified of these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written, every one. I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. Our subject today is a true fish story. They toiled all night and caught nothing. There are other titles you might give to this subject, such as tender touches and gentle rebukes, or the cause and cure of failure. So you have a number of lines of thought in this remarkable chapter. You'll notice how this chapter or this book, Gospel by John, concludes, not as any of the other Gospels. This is the only one of the four Gospels that concludes, as this one does. How does it conclude? It says, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written, That is, of everything that the Lord Jesus Christ did while here on earth. Matthew's gospel is the gospel of the king. Mark's gospel is the gospel of the servant. Luke's gospel is the gospel of the perfect son of man. John's gospel is the gospel of the son of God, the one who came down from heaven. Now you could exhaust if you had enough confident authors, you could exhaust the subject of royalty. What a king is, his functions and so on. That's a subject that could be exhausted. You could also exhaust the subject of a servant. You could also exhaust the subject of a perfect man. But you cannot exhaust deity. It's absolutely impossible to exhaust deity. And that's why John's Gospel, which presents Christ as the Son of God, the one who came down from heaven, is absolutely impossible to exhaust that subject. Men trying to exhaust God, that cannot be. And Jesus was the Son of God. That's why John concludes his Gospels as he does. Why said if everything should be written, the world itself could not contain the books. You couldn't get enough authors. You couldn't get enough parchment or pens to exhaust Deity. God is inexhaustible. And how wonderful to see how this gospel ends. In reading this gospel, you'll notice quite a change between chapter twenty. and chapter twenty-one. We referred to it last week. John's Gospel could end with chapter twenty, and you wouldn't seemingly miss anything. For as we find at the end of chapter twenty, but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name. Now if this Gospel ended right there, you wouldn't feel as though there was anything amiss. That that was final. That was period. What is there to follow that? But then we have chapter twenty-one, and it's something entirely different. And I think if you look at it in this way, in the first twenty chapters of John, you have the Lord Jesus Christ doing something for you and in you. But in chapter twenty-one, the last chapter, he's doing something through you. Now that's remarkably brought out in the experience of the Apostle Paul. He speaks of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Now that's doing something for Paul. Then he speaks of Christ being in him. God revealed his Son in me. Then that I might preach him among the Gentiles. God doing something for Paul in Paul through Paul. And the first twenty chapters is what God does for you and in you. And the final chapter is God doing something through you. And I want to ask this question. What has the Lord Jesus Christ done for you? What has He done for me? Oh, He's done plenty. He came all the way from glory. He went to the cross. He laid down His life. He shed His blood. He bore your sin. He paid your debt. He faced God with all the totality of your guilt. Yes, He did much for you. He took your place. He became your substitute. He died in your stead. That's what Jesus Christ did for you and for me. Then He rose again the third day. He went back to heaven, and now He sits at God's right hand in the glory. That's what He did for all men. But has He done something in you? He's done something for you nineteen hundred years ago. But has He done something in you? Having done something for all the world, the whole human race is wonderful. But He's got to do something inside you before you're ever going to be in heaven. In other words, the work of the cross has got to be applied with power to your heart. When has he done something in you? Oh, you see, I joined the church. I'm not talking about that. There are millions of people who did that, and many of them on the way to hell and many already there, they joined the church. I'm not asking you that question. I'm not asking you about baptism. Baptism is perfectly all right. Church fellowship is wonderful. They both had their place, but there's something that's got to come before baptism and church affiliation. And that is the new birth, a spiritual experience in your heart. Christ in you, the hope of God. Now has Jesus Christ done something in you? Has he quickened you by his spirit? Has he implanted the new life in your heart? And can you refer to a happy experience when Jesus Christ came into your heart took up his abode within you. He's done something in you. He's made you a new creature in Christ Jesus. Old things have passed away. All things have become new. Doing something in you. Well, now, if that's true, and you're saved by grace divine, now he says, I want to do something through you. I want to use you. And, friend, he cannot use any man or any woman that he hasn't done something in. He's got to do something in you before he can do anything through you, before he can use you. This is a solemn thought to you. And so you have this thought in connection with the close of chapter twenty and the opening of chapter twenty-one. Now we get into our story. You know the Lord had called these men from the nets. He had called them from their task, their employment. Most of them were fishermen. And when he said to Peter, Give up your nets, James and John too, and follow me. They left their father, they left their boats, they left their nets, and they followed Jesus. He said, I'll give you something better to do, a far better enterprise, a finer task. Now you'll be fishes of men. I want you to catch men. I want you to catch men. Well, they followed him for three years, three and a half years, and then, as you know, he was crucified. He rose again, but these disciples, oh, the mistake, and Peter made it. Peter thought, oh, I don't know whether we'll ever see him again. I left the nets to follow him, but I don't know. I guess this is all over. The old tug, the old pull, I'm going back to my job. I am going back to the nets. I am going back to catch fish. And you'll notice the other six fellows that we also go with them immediately. If they had a little prayer meeting, they may not have done that. Watch out for quick decisions. Peter says, I'm going fishing. And without the others giving a moment's thought, they followed him. Peter was a leader, a real leader. Here you have an example. of one man going astray and the rest immediately following. The power of example. I don't think we realize that. Had Peter said, brethren, a lot of things happened and it's kind of mysterious to me. Oh, the wonderful days we had following the Lord Jesus, watching His miracles and preaching about. And now... He's dead. At least they say he's to be raised again. I believe somehow he will be. Let's have some prayer. Let's get out the Old Testament scriptures and study them. I believe yet we'll see him and still follow him and preach him. Had Peter done that? Why, he never would have toiled all night and caught nothing. But this quick decision. He said, I go fishing, and the others, they fall right in line. We go with thee. And what a waste of time. The power of example. You know, Peter likely being the eldest and the most talented, he was a dynamic personality. He was a good leader of men. A lot of responsibility rested upon him. He should have done the right thing. You know, there's a great responsibility resting upon older people. They say it's not the lambs that go astray, it's the sheep that the lambs follow. It's like the mother who said to her little boy, who's around eight-thirty, getting dark, she says, come on, Sonny, it's time for you to go to bed. The little chicks went to loose long ago. Yeah, but he said the old hen went up first. Yeah, they are quick, aren't they? These youngsters. They watch the older folks. They watch the older folks. How this applies in the things of God. I don't see the brother, a gentleman here in this meeting, this meeting this morning. I don't see his wife be all the same if they were. But he said to me a couple of years ago, he said, Brother Wilson, I want to join the Albany Gospel Chapel. I like preaching. I like the way you carry out the Bible over there, and I'd like to be one of it. Well, I said, and if I let his name out, all right, but I'll try not. Well, I said, I'll tell you one thing. We're not perfect over there. We are a bunch of Christians seeking to carry out the Word of God, but we do try and maintain a standard. We haven't reached perfection. but we're trying to carry out the teachings in the New Testament. We're trying to reach a standard. And if anyone comes into a fellowship there, we'd like them to help us to pull that standard and not drag it down. First of all, we'd like you to be born again, to know that you are. And he said, well, I'm sure of that. You are. Well, I'm going to say this. Only recently... I heard you can use some very bad language. You can cuss and sweat. How about that? He hung his head. He said, Mr. Wilson, that's true. But he said, something happened this past week that taught me my lesson. He said, I've got a little girl. At that time, she was about five. Pretty little girl. He said she was riding up and down the street on her tricycle. And he said, I was standing watching her. And she started zigzagging. And he said, her car came along, and she didn't know it was coming. And just as he was behind her, he let go of this horn. And so scared her, she swirled around and fell off and skinned her knee. And he says, she jumped up, and she cussed him up. And he says, well, so that's it. Where did she get those words from? He says, for me. He said, I think I learned my lesson. I think I learned my lesson. Watch those that live, their days. You parents have got to watch. Oh, just Peter, I'm going fishing. I've heard parents say, I wish my children were saved. How about you leading the way? I wish my children were just different. What about you setting the example? Peter says, I'm going fishing. The rest said, we're going with you, Peter. And they toil all night, and they caught nothing. And that's just about true with a lot of people. Two things out of fellowship with God, which was the case here. They caught nothing. You'll notice here who they were. We mentioned them last week, these various characters. There was Peter, and he was a boaster. There was Thomas, he was the doubter, and James and John, they were the shouters. How in the world do you ever expect to catch fish with a crowd like that? Boasters, doubters, and shouters, and the others. They caught nothing. Why? Hadn't Christ called them from the nets? He called them from the nets. I've got something better than he used to. Either put it in his hand with a plough and look at that. Ah, yes, not fit for the kingdom of heaven. These fellows went fishing. They weren't lost. They didn't lose their salvation because he called them children. When he saw them out there, he says, children, have you any meat? Isn't that so fair? Children, have you anything? Have you got something for me? They said no. I wonder at the end of the week that the Lord says to you, have you got something for me? Have you learned anything all week? Have you learned anything from the Bible? Have you caught a fish? That is a spiritual one. Have you influenced someone else to Christ? How many Christians can say, yes, Lord, I learned something this week. I've got something for you. And I want us all to Christ. Oh, how many Christians, and I say all over America, it's all over the world. If the Son of God were to say to you, Children, have you any meat? Have you got something for me? You'd have to hang your heads and say, No. I've neglected your word all week, and I haven't witnessed for you. I haven't a faith. Children, have you any? They answer no. Why did they fail? They didn't lack an ability. They were professional fishermen. That was their trade. They didn't lack an experience. They had a lot of experience. They didn't lack in leadership. They had good leadership in Peter. They didn't lack in unity. They were all united. Peter mentioned it. They all said we're going with you. There's unity. They didn't lack in effort, for it says they toiled all night. They didn't like in these days. They had a good boat. They had good equipment. It was the right time in that part of the world of fish, the night. They had good waters. They were fishing those waters. Well, then, how come? They got nothing. Yet experienced men, able men, they were all united. Excellent fishing equipment, boats, and the time was good, and the waters were good. Yet they toil all night, they caught nothing. With all that experience and gifted leadership, you know why? They lacked him. They lacked him. They were out of his will. He didn't want them doing that. He had called them to something better. They were out of his will, and that's why they toiled all night, and they caught nothing. I know it's true that failure sometimes accompanies the labors of some of the best of God's people. I think of some missionaries and how they work and labor and endure hardship and make great sacrifice and have little to show for it. They're faithful. It's true that failure can accompany the labors of some of the best. Men are in fellowship with God, but these who are not in fellowship. They were out of his way. That's why they toiled all night, and they caught nothing. But oh, how affectionately and considerately and advisedly he spoke to them on the morning. There he was watching. Finally the dark figures of the fishermen in the middle boat appeared through the haze of the early morning. They didn't know who he was. It wasn't clear. until John detected them. Love is always quick to identify its object. It was John who said it's the Lord. Love has keen sight, but if he's watching them out there in their drawing years, tell them, you've got something for me this morning. How considerably, how kindly he spoke to them. But you'll notice what he tells them. He says, cast the net on the right side of the ship, and you'll find it. cast a net on the right side of the ship and ye shall find as i mentioned last week this could have prompted a argument that seven of them could have got their heads together and said who is that and this was before john identified they could have said well whoever is that person telling us we've been combing these waters all night We've let these nets out. We've pulled them in. We've let them out. We've pulled them in, and that's no easy job. And here they are, piled high on their boat, wet and cold. They're cold and hungry, tired, weary, toiling all night. And here a man tells us to let these nets down on the right side of the ship, only eight feet from the other side, where we've just pulled them in. What is this? He says, left and left down on the right side. You know, there's always a right side, and there's always a wrong. And the width of the boat can be all the difference. Just about eight people. You know, you can miss the Lord's will by just a little. But you might as well be a mile off as be an inch off. If you're out of his will, you're out. If you're off the main highway, the king's highway, you're in the ditch. That's it. And so he says, let the net down on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. So he directs them. And the interesting thing about this is they immediately let the nets up. Here these great fishermen, they start unloading the nets, and that's not a very easy pass. The amazing thing is that they enclosed a great company of fishes. A hundred and fifty and three. Big fish, the Bible says. Big fish. A hundred and fifty-three, and that was a good catch. Now, how is it? Why couldn't they catch any before? And why is it now they've got such a haul because the Lord directs them. They carried out his will. Cast the net on the right side of the ship. You'll find. You'll catch them fish. He could predict. You know, you can hire a guide down Florida or anywhere else where there's a lot of fishing done. He said, we should get some. No guide can predict success. If there's a guide in Florida or Georgia who would say, listen, I guarantee you your catch and more if you want, he could make plenty of money. But no one can predict the catch. A good fisherman had a better chance than a bad fisherman. But no one can predict a catch by the Lord Jesus. He says, let the net down on the right side of the ship, and you shall find. And they caught a hundred and fifty and three big fish. It was then, you'll notice, that John said, it's the Lord. Now when John said it is the Lord, what did Peter do? Peter? Why, he died going in. And he made for shore. He must have been a good swimmer. Hundred yards. And he made for shore. I wonder if Peter looked back after he didn't hear any more splashes of the others diving in. I wonder if he looked back to see if they were coming. Isn't it strange? In the beginning when Peter says, I'm going fishing, he had company. When he dived in the swims of the Lord, he swam alone. Yes, if you do something against the will of God, you'll have company. But if you want to do something for the Lord, you'll likely do it single-handed. You don't have so many to accompany. Oh, yes, you say, let's go and play putt-putt. Ah, sure, you got a cut. Or let's do something else in the social realm. Something entertaining. Let's go for a car ride. Yeah, let's all go. Let's do it. Let's play bridge, playing a cup. Let's bowl, playing a cup. Let's have a prayer meeting. Oh, no, I got something else to do. Let's study the book. Let's have a little Bible study. Now, let's go and visit. Sister so-and-so, she's sick. You like to go alone. Doing something out of fellowship with God and in the flesh. You'll have plenty of company. Doing something for the Lord is something else. Sunday morning, remember the family says, well, let's go to church this morning. Oh, no, I've gone down and see Grandma. I haven't seen her in two weeks. That's the family says, sure, let's go see Grandma. How many say, let's go to church? Yes, like Peter says, I'm going fishing. They all said, we're cold. But when Peter dived in and made for the Lord in those cold icy waters, he went alone. He went alone. You know, it's remarkable. We're not told about this interview with the Lord on shore that morning. It must have been touching because, you know, the Lord hadn't seen Peter and Peter hadn't seen the Lord till now since before his death and resurrection. The last time Peter saw the Lord was when the Lord turned and looked at Peter when Peter denied it. Peter said to the maid, I know not the man. He denied the Lord a nose and curses. And the Lord turned and looked on Peter as he passed by coming out of Pilate's hall. What a look. Now, it was the last time Peter met his Lord. But when John said, that's the Lord. Peter didn't dive in the other side of the boat and make for the other side of the lake. He dived in, he made straight for the Lord. This is the one I deny. There must have been a touching interview when Peter pulled himself up on shore, and there's the Lord. And there's not a thing in the Bible telling us what took place and what the conversation is about. It must have been a touching conversation. Then you notice after that conversation what happened. Why here you find the disciples and they're struggling with that big catch of fish. You ever wonder why Peter was able to do single-handed. Notice in verse eleven. Simon Peter went up, this is after that interview with the Lord, and drew the net to land full of great fishes and hundred and fifteen trees. For all there were so many, it was not the net broken. But in verse six, what does it say? And he said, unto them, cast a net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find, they cast therefore, and now they, referring to them all, were not able to draw it for them one due to fish. And here's something that the six of them altogether can't do. And Peter now, in verse eleven, he goes up and he pulls the whole business in, single head. Why is that? He's been with the Lord. He had a little added strength, something supernatural. Let me tell you, Christian, you can do a whole lot more in fellowship with the Lord and with the Lord's health and presence than a half a dozen can do without. Peter did single end for all seven of them couldn't. Oh, how Peter, after restored to the Lord, because he'd been out of fellowship. Now is restored. He'd infallish it with this law. The sky is clear. My Peter has got strength now. Oh, Lord, he was a weakling. He'd quail before the maid, who accused him of being Apollo of the Nazareth. But now, Peter, oh, he's strong. You know, Christian, it's when you're infallish it with the Lord you're strong. Sin makes cowards and weaklings of us all. But the joy of the Lord is your strength. Peter's back in fellowship with the Lord now. And the joy of the Lord is his strength. Why, he can do it. He can do it. So it is, as the Apostle says, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Oh, if you have him, you can do so much. You can live with that cranky husband. You can live with that cranky wife. You can work in that office. You can do lots of things with a smile on your face. You can go through that hardship, that trial, that temptation triumphantly if you've got kids. But if you haven't, oh, how weak you are. You go down just like that for more attention. It's grand to know your intelligence as on this occasion. So, you'll notice, he directed them, he blessed them, he warmed them, and he fed them, for when, my, what a host, what a cook, for the Lord Jesus had fish and bread. Either way, it was toasted or not. But he had fish and bread right there on the bank when these seven big fishermen came in. He didn't have any of their hundred and fifteen-three either. He had these himself. He can be independent of it. And here he's cooked breakfast. Don't think the Lord is a good cook. He had cooked breakfast. Bread and fish. Bread speaking of his body that was broken on the cross. The fish speaking of his death and resurrection because the fish were in the waters and they had to be brought up out. Bread and fish figured it of his body and his death and his body was broken on the cross and his resurrection. like the fish being brought up out of the water. That's what he fed the disciples with on shore that morning. That's what he feeds you and me with, the fruits of his death and resurrection. What a feast it is. He fed them on shore that morning. The Lord, he said, connection with Peter, we're not told what happened. But the Lord now begins to pry at Peter's heart. We don't know what the conversation was when we first met the Lone. But now in the company of the others, the Lord says, Peter, I want to ask you a few questions. Do you love me? More than he, three times over, he says, do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Three times over. I wonder why. Three times. Why three times? Did that bring back memory? And now they count the fish? A hundred, oh, I wonder if Peter was in on this count. A hundred and fifty, a hundred and fifty-one, a hundred and fifty-two, hundred and fifty-three, and Peter starts scurrying on. Isn't it another one? Why stop on three? Three. That kind of jar, Peter. Three. He asked me three times. If I... Love them. One hundred and fifty. Three fish. What's this mean? Then the tenth of Acts. Peter, three men. Sheeped. Three men? Just three? Yes, just three. And their cock crew three times? That's right. And on the day of Pentecost when Peter was preaching and they began counting the convert, how many were saved? Three thousand! Oh, how often three turns up in Peter's afterlife. Why? The Lord says, Peter, you're going to deny me three times. And Peter never forgot that figure three. Turned up so often in afterlife. After he denied the Lord three times. The cock crew three times. Three times the Lord says, love us thou me. A hundred and fifty-three fish. Three thousand souls were saved, and three men seek thee. The sheep was let down three times and taken up again that we'll be preaching on tonight. Three. The point is this, Christian, wounds may heal, but scars remain. Three. Peter never forgot his denial of his Lord. I was having meetings in Sheboygan, Wisconsin about fifteen years ago. I was invited to have dinner with a man who was attending the meetings. His name was Mr. Engelbert. And as I was there, there were quite a crowd. I said, are these all your children? You have a large family, eh? His son, sons-in-law, daughters and daughters-in-law, a bunch of young, a houseless, full of Well, I said, Mr. Engelbert, I haven't seen any of these out to the meetings we've been having in the chapel. He dropped his hand. He said, Mr. Wilson, it's a sad story. Twenty years ago, I had an argument with another brother in the church, a bitter argument. And he said, I stayed away from church for twenty years. Of course, my children didn't go to Sunday school year. He said, a year ago, the Lord restored me to fellowship again. I'm happy to fellowship with the Lord with my brethren at the church. But he said, I can't get my children back. I can't get my children. Twenty years left its sad mark on his family. I hope God in grace will save some of his children. reached but mr. Engelbert would give his right arm if he could to try and repair the damage he did to his children his grandchildren by being twenty years of backslide Christian remember this you're inflicting damage on others if you're of a fellowship no man liveth himself and no man dieeth himself make no mistake about that Who was more qualified to feed the lambs than Peter? Peter had failed, but he learned his lesson, and the Lord says, Peter, you feed my lambs. Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep. How long? Until death. Until death. I want you to do this for the rest of your life, Peter. For when thou shalt be old, it refers to Peter's old age. It's a lifetime decision. Peter, what I want you to do, from now on, you've learned your lesson. I want you to love me. I want you to follow me. I want you to serve me. I want you to mind your own business. And I want you to look for my coming again. Because Peter turned around and he said, John, he said, Lord, what's this man going to do? What about John? The Lord says, Peter. If I will let John tarry till I come, for the Lord told Peter about his end, but he didn't say about John. He told Peter what to do, but he didn't tell John. Peter says, what's John going to do, Lord? What about him? Peter said to Peter, Peter, if I will that John live till I come again, what's that to you? You might do, Lord. You follow me. how much trouble we'd get out of it we did just that. And you know it's amazing that John was the one to whom the Lord gave the book of the Revelation to and the Isle of Patmos and John did live until he saw the Lord come in the apocalypse, the vision of the Revelation. If I will let John carry till I come and John didn't die till he was way past night, he lived the longest of any of the disciples and he saw the coming of Christ in the Patmos vision. So John did tarry until he saw the Lord come in Bishop. I will that John tarry till I come. What is that to be? Follow. Allow me. What are you going to do with Jesus Christ this morning? I've been speaking mostly to Christians. What about you who are not Christian? Oh, how waste and empty and vacant your life must be without Jesus Christ. Will you come to him this morning? Will you accept him? Will you trust him? Will you for all your weight, your confidence, your hope, for eternity in the precious blood he shed on Calvary? That vermilion fluid that flowed from his hands and deep in sight