John 21: the final post-resurrection account.
I don't think they were supposed to go back to fishing. The same goes for us. That life He called us out of, we aren't to go back there. There's nothing left there but the smell of death. Our life is found in following Jesus by faith, in spite of the fear and uncertainty of what lies ahead.
Weary from an all-night, fruitless endeavor, Jesus addresses them as friends. Then He blesses them with a tip on where they can catch some fish. Interesting side point: they did what He said to do and they were successful. They were obedient to His command and He blessed their efforts. What has He told you to do that you're not doing because of fear? Maybe it's time to breathe life into your faith and overcome this fear that has been holding you back from doing the very calling of God and receiving His blessings in due time?
Ah, too many fears have doused the fires of faith, even in my life. But He continues to pursue. He continues to invite. He continues to grace. He continues to reinstate. That's what He's really interested in. He really just wants us to be with Him for eternity. And He died to prove it.
John recognizes Jesus first. Peter jumps in the water first and compulsively swims towards the only One who can restore him. May we respond in the same way. Run to Him. Swim to Him. Whatever it takes, don't hesitate, just go.
You have to love the scene on the shoreline. Jesus already had a fire, with fish on it, and some bread. How'd He do that? It still makes me smile, reading about it today. I've had some very tough luck fishing. What a special moment that must've been. Again, He engages them around the activity of eating. It's intimate and inviting. It's a big deal to Him. It's family.
He even instructs them to bring some of the fish they just caught. John records the exact number of fish in the net. This isn't just some tall tale or big fish story. If it was, we would've seen a typical fisherman's response when He asked them if they had any luck all night! No, this is a remarkable event, where so many big fish didn't tear their meager net.
Notice, it is Jesus that feeds them. He took the bread and gave it to them. He, being the Bread of Life, feeds them. He is our source of input and sustenance. He is our life's source of energy and everything. Go to Him. Stop going to other places or people to receive such. All these other sources are but impostors and are addicting and harmful, not to mention contrary to our calling and purpose. He came that we would have life, not death. Let Him feed you all things about Himself.
Suddenly the mood changes. There's work to do. There's purpose to accomplish. We've already seen hints about this in the words of angels. It's a big deal to Jesus and the future of the church, not to mention our benefit of knowing what forgiveness looks like because we must go through the very same process. He is reinstating Peter. He is relighting his fire. Another side note: John mentions this is the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection. We've already talked about the series of three in the gospel accounts. Three times He said "Peace". Three times He appeared to them. Three times He questions and commands Peter in the reinstating.
"Do you love Me?", Jesus asks. Ouch. That is a burning question, my friends. That is a question I have wrestled with many a time and came out on the losing end. I cannot stand up against such an inquiry. I might say that I do, but I betray Him in thought, word, and action. Such is the human crisis and the sinful nature of man. Looking into the eyes of my Savior, I cannot imagine a more humbling situation than this. There I am, with hat in hand, where sin and shame abound, face to face with the Great I Am.
Now, I can't claim to understand the depths of this reinstatement, but three times He asks if Peter loves Him. Three times He commands him to care for His sheep. It's a shepherd's calling. It's a pastorship being installed. Peter will go to the Jews with this gospel story. Paul will go to the gentiles. The Lord is sending out His people to grow the church. He's getting His Word out to the world. In a sense, this is my only evidence in the history of mankind that supports the Big Bang Theory, where there indeed was an explosion of sorts, with Jesus dying, resurrecting, and sending out His disciples from the center of the explosion, to bring many people together in spiritual unity for His glory. That's as far as I can go with that, I suppose.
Take a long, hard look at verse 19. Let the exclamation point do its job to accentuate the power and passion of this imperative command from Jesus Christ. Let it find your center and rekindle the flames of faith. "Follow Me!" Let Him scream it into your very soul. Close your eyes and let it cauterize your heart. Let it disperse the other noise buzzing from the world. May this brand mark His Spirit within you with the very purpose of your created being. Follow Him. Period. Emphasize whichever word in whatever way you choose. Say it how you will. There's deep meaning in all of it. This ties directly into our study this year, focusing on the two greatest commandments of loving God and loving other people. That's what He's about. That's what He says is important. That's what He calls us to do and the kind of people He wants us to be. That's what this current command means, even today. Follow Him - not anyone or anything else.
And mind your own business! If He wants to do something different with other folk's lives, then let Him have His sovereign prerogative. He is God, after all, not you. That's what He clarifies there in verses 22-23 when Peter asked Jesus what would happen to John. Good boy, John! He was following Christ! I love it. We shouldn't make Jesus out to be so shallow as to think each Christian's life will look the same as the next person's. We are all different members of His Body with different purposes, many times. We should be free of comparing, analyzing, predicting, whining, or whatever, when it comes to how other folks have it or how we don't have it. He knows exactly the hand of cards to deal us to bring us close to Him and bring Him glory. In the slang version, verse 22 might say, "Noneya", as in "none of your business". In other words, "stop worrying about everyone else for you must follow Me!" This goes along with that transaction we discussed earlier where Jesus asked whom everyone thought He was. Then He got very specific and explained a most basic requirement every human being must reckon with, "who do you say I am?"
I'm reminded of an old Whitecross song I used to jam to in the '80's, "Who Will You Follow?" Satan or the Author of Life? Jesus paid the price. God made the sacrifice for you!
John testifies his writings contain only truth. He specifically chose a very few miracles to prove Jesus was the Son of God so that we would believe. "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." (v.25) Now, that's a big perspective, friends. That's someone that has heard the Savior's heartbeat by laying back onto His chest. That's someone that has been breathed upon to receive His Holy Spirit. That's someone remaining in proper awe and wonder at the hugeness of Christ and His kingdom. He has caught on to the amazing power and purpose of what Jesus accomplished on the Cross and what He is going to do in the coming future. He's on fire. His life will never be the same. He will follow Christ to the end. And remember some encouragement from our study of John, he was 95, imprisoned on the island of Patmos, when the vision of the Revelation of Jesus Christ came to him, so don't give up belief that you have significance in the kingdom, even in old age or injury or persecution or loss or weakness or whatever. Nothing is impossible with God and He will get His job done. You can count on it. Bring it, Lord. Use me. Live through me. Let me continually hear Your voice to follow You as my Shepherd. I'm just a stupid, dumb sheep, that continually needs reinstating after so many wanderings off. Forgive my unbelief, Lord. Relight the fire of that faith You first ignited. Restore to me Your joy. Reenergize me with Your purpose. Thank You, for so many blessings I truly don't deserve. Help me be gracious to your people in return. Teach me how to love and trust You. Show me Your ways. Guide me in truth. Help me to love other people, I pray. Help me catch on to what these eyewitnesses caught on to. Give me a fresh vision of Yourself and Your calling for me, personally. May Your Spirit help encourage and strengthen me to stay focused on You to the end. Let Your will be done with my life, Lord. And come quickly.
