Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends on this Thursday,
Have you come this morning excited for ‘shoreline breakfast’ with Jesus? Yes, that’s Peter out there, splashing his way to shore! He’s swimming with hope that maybe, finally, he and Jesus can have a long-awaited private chat to resolve the shame and regret Peter carries since his denials.
John and his brother James, and four other disciples, are still out there pulling on their fishing nets filled with perhaps the largest catch they’ve ever hauled out of the Sea of Galilee. And resurrected Jesus stands here on the shoreline watching all this, preparing breakfast for His friends, who’ve worked hard at empty net fishing, all night!
May I invite you to freeze this scene in your mind as a picture of EVERY morning, for the rest of your life? Would you consider that while you and I sleep at night, Jesus is keeping us alive and looking forward to when you and I will awaken to begin a new day with Him. Would also consider that just as Jesus knew exactly how discouraged and hungry these 7 disciples were from all night fishing with no results, so Jesus knows exactly ALL that is going on in your life and mine, and Jesus is ready to begin a new day with us EVERY day, ready to give us guidance, purpose and answers!?
Pause… if that is true, let’s watch carefully to see what we can learn from what is about to happen here on this shoreline of the Sea of Galilee about 2000 years ago, as recorded in John 21.
Jesus greeted them as friends and invited them to bring some of the fresh fish, still flapping in their nets. It was such a large catch, John actually gives us the total number of fish, 153, and that tells me they were so overwhelmed by this miracle they never wanted to forget it! I love the fact that John tells us Jesus said to them “Come have breakfast”! (John 21:12)
As these guys came ashore, I wonder if each was thinking about what Jesus might say to them or what new teaching Jesus might want to give to all of them. Instead, Jesus met them at their greatest felt need… they were hungry and nobody can cook shoreline breakfast better than Jesus!
Watch that my friends. Jesus always knows our deepest needs, and He loves to meet us there! We so often distract Jesus to other things, don’t we? John says this was now the third time all these disciples had been together with resurrected Jesus! (John 21:14) Do you remember the other two times? Resurrection Sunday evening (John 20:19-21) and then again one week later when Thomas was with them. (John 20:24-29)
Hot bread and fresh cooked fish right out of the lake, wow! And maybe first century coffee, don’t you think so? I wonder who asked Jesus how He gathered 153 big fish right under their boat when they’d fished all night and caught nothing? Or maybe they asked Jesus to explain His resurrection? Or maybe they asked why He had been appearing and then suddenly disappearing without telling them when they’d see Him next? Or maybe they just ate and looked at Him, overwhelmed by what they were experiencing with their crucified friend alive again?
Finally, Jesus looked right at Peter and asked a penetrating question: “Simon, do you love Me more than these?” (John 21:15) Simon was his family’s given name. Jesus was going back to the beginning asking Simon Peter to be really honest about his soul…what he thought and what he felt, about Jesus, now. Jesus was asking Peter to think about how different his life was having spent the past many months with Jesus. But Jesus knew the shame burden Peter carried. All eyes turned to Peter.
Wisely, honestly, Peter answered “Yes Lord, you know that I love You.” But the word for “Love” which Peter used is the word for a friendship. But the word for ‘love’ that Jesus had used in His question was the deep love Jesus was referring to in the upper room when He challenged the disciples to love each other as HE loved them. (John 13:34,35) Jesus proved the depth of His love for these men especially by going all the way to the cross for them! Oh my, such an extreme love. (John 15:13)
Some deep soul searching was happening around the fire at this shoreline breakfast, and it wasn’t only Peter. Each man around that fire had so much to think about as they looked at resurrected Jesus. All of them except Peter and John had run into the night, abandoning Jesus, when Judas and the mob came to arrest Jesus. (Matt. 26:56)
All of them thought the women were speaking nonsense when they reported the tomb was empty! (Luke 24:11) All of them had heard John’s description of what he had seen at the cross. (John 19:25,26) None of them could fully understand what their future would be. So many questions. Pause, when is the last time you had a deep, soul-searching time with Jesus?
As Simon Peter offered his honest response to Jesus’ penetrating question, Jesus looked right at Peter and I think with a soft smile said, “Feed My lambs.” (John 21:15) While these were fishermen they all understood the world of sheep and shepherds who were everywhere in Israel. They especially understood how vulnerable little lambs are and how good shepherds give special attention to the care of their lambs.
Was Jesus asking Peter to prioritize caring for the most vulnerable of Jesus’ followers? In order for big, bold, brash Peter to do that, he’d have to stay humble, tender, compassionate, available.
But did you notice Peter had really skirted Jesus’ question? Jesus had asked a comparative question. ‘Do you love Me more than these?” Who or what are the ‘these’ in Jesus’ question? We don’t know. Maybe it was 153 flapping, fresh caught fish, and all those fish represented… Peter’s love for fishing, his financial security, his reputation around the Sea of Galilee?
Maybe it was 6 other disciples who had been with Jesus all those months, one of whom everyone knew loved Jesus so deeply he’d already put his life on the line by standing witness at the cross with Jesus’ mother? It’s a fair question for you and me, isn’t it my friends? What are the things you love, you value, you prioritize most, and where does Jesus fit into that list?
Of course, we all know it’s very easy to tell the values of a person. TIME is one of our most precious resources and we invest our time in that which we value most, right? So, how much TIME do you invest and enjoy with Jesus on a regular basis as compared to other things or people? We are most FULFILLED by those things we prioritize, am I right?
So, what fulfillment in life do you find with Jesus? And of course, we financially invest in those things we value most, right? So… how joyfully do you respond financially when Jesus leads you to invest in what’s important to Him?
Let’s not run away from this shoreline breakfast, my friends, and let’s not shy away from the penetrating questions Jesus is asking. In fact, the rest of our lives might be shaped by how earnestly we engage with resurrected Jesus and His breakfast questions. So, I’m going to leave you here around the fire to think and talk with Jesus.
Some important ‘lessons learned’ notes are at the link just below, and a great worship song to help us express our thanks to Jesus and I’ll meet you here again tomorrow for more, around the campfire!
Today’s Scripture: John 21:10-15.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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