Preached at Koinonia
14 November 2010
I. Introduction
-- turn in your Bibles to John 21
John 21:1-17 -- Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jesus Reinstates Peter
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
-- this passage is one of the most familiar passages in the Bible -- it occurs just a few days after Jesus and His disciples had shared the Last Supper together in the upper room -- as you probably remember, after Jesus and His disciples had finished their Passover meal together, they left the upper room and went to the Garden of Gethsemane, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, to pray
-- it was there in the Garden that Judas came with the temple guards and betrayed Jesus -- His disciples fled -- and Jesus was carried off and crucified -- three days later, He rose from the dead and, at the time this story takes place, He had appeared to the disciples two times
-- and now, here in this passage, Jesus appears to them for the third time -- this time in Galilee on the shores of the Sea of Galilee while they are out in a boat fishing
-- but that’s not really why this passage is so well known -- it’s not simply because it tells us about Jesus’ third appearance to the disciples after His resurrection -- no, most people know about this passage because it is here that Jesus comes to Peter and restores him after Peter’s denial of Jesus on the night that He was
-- but when I was reading this the other day, I stumbled across something in here that I had never seen before -- something I had never noticed -- and I realized that this passage is more than just a story about Peter -- it’s a call to us
-- let’s look at it a little closer and let me explain what I’m talking about
-- look back at verse 1
1. Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
-- now John tells us that 7 of the original 12 disciples had gathered there on the shore of the lake of Galilee -- and, if you look at their names -- Simon Peter -- Thomas -- Nathaniel -- James and John, the sons of Zebedee -- and two others, who I’m going to assume included Peter’s brother Andrew -- you’ll notice that these were the first disciples -- these were the men who had lived and worked there along the lake their whole life -- some of them, like Peter and Andrew and James and John, were fisherman -- while others, like Nathaniel and Thomas, lived in towns in Galilee near the lake
-- before Jesus called them, this is where they were -- this is where He found them -- and now, after the resurrection of Jesus -- after everything that had happened in Jerusalem over the past several days - we find them again at the place where they started
-- now we know that Jesus had sent them there -- when Jesus first rose, He told Mary Magdalene to send the disciples into Galilee, and that He would meet them there -- and now we find them gathered on the shores of the lake
-- so, why are they there? -- they’re waiting for Jesus -- and what do they do instead of patiently waiting where He told them? -- they go fishing
-- it makes sense -- this is what they have their whole life -- this is who they were when Jesus found them -- but stepping on that boat and picking up those nets was a decision point in their life that I think this entire passage is about
-- real quick, let me give you a short synopsis of the life of Peter so you can understand where I’m going here -- not long after Jesus had started His ministry -- after John has baptized Him in the Jordan River and He has been tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus was traveling around the region of Galilee preaching and teaching
-- one day, He had a large crowd following Him right there on the shore of Galilee and they were pressing in on Him -- so He stepped into a fisherman’s boat that was there on the shore and asked him to put out into the water just a little ways so that He could speak to the people -- when Jesus got done speaking, He told the fisherman to drop his net into the water and, even though they had caught nothing all night long, the fisherman’s net was filled to overflowing with fish -- Jesus looked at the fisherman and told him, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” -- and from that point on, his life was never the same again -- this fisherman was Peter
-- Peter left his nets -- and for the next three years he traveled with Jesus -- he watched Jesus heal the sick and minister to the needy -- he listened as Jesus preached and taught the people -- he watched as Jesus did miracle after miracle -- and one day, he even walked on water
-- it was Peter who gave the great confession early on and said that Jesus was the Messiah -- it was Peter who led the others -- it was Peter who went with Jesus to the Mount of Transfiguration -- it was Peter and his faith that was to be the rock that Jesus would build the church upon -- it was Peter who cut off the ear of the temple guard who came to arrest Jesus in the garden -- Peter was the one who always stood with Jesus -- Peter was the one that Jesus called “the Rock” -- Peter was the one who was always steadfast in his faith
-- but now, after Jesus has died -- after He has left the disciples and only appeared to them twice since his death -- Peter and six other disciples are right back where they started -- right back on the shore of Galilee where Jesus had told them to wait -- and what does he do? -- he goes fishing
-- let me read some more of this to you -- as I do so, pay attention to how many times we see the words “fish” or “fishing”
-- verse 4
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
-- now, keep in mind that John was a very concise writer -- John was not one to mince words -- he was not one to add fluff to his stories -- when John told you something in his gospel -- when he wrote something down -- he did so for a reason -- so, I’m convinced that all of these references to “fish” in this passage mean something -- I think this is getting us to the heart of the passage
-- a few moments ago I reminded you of the story of Peter -- I told you how Peter was the one who was the leader of the other disciples -- how Peter had steadfast faith -- how Peter followed Jesus through thick and thin -- but I left out one part of the story -- Peter was also the one who denied knowing Jesus on the night that Jesus was arrested -- and not just once, but denied knowing Him three times
-- Peter had a choice to make that night -- he had to choose between being faithful to Jesus and possibly losing his own life or turning away, following the world, and saving his own skin -- and that night, he had chosen the world instead of Jesus
-- what I think is going on in this passage is that Jesus is offering Peter the chance to make that choice again
-- now at this point, the damage has been done -- Peter’s rejection of Jesus separated him from fellowship with Jesus -- in other words, Peter and the other disciples gathered there on the shore of Galilee were far from Jesus in their hearts
-- we see that in verse 4 -- John tells us that Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize it was Jesus -- these were men who had lived with Jesus for three years -- these were men who had seen the risen Christ twice already -- and now, when Jesus has turned up right where He told them to wait for Him, they didn’t recognize Him
-- I don’t think John talking about physical recognition here -- I think he’s talking about their spirits -- I think he’s talking about their hearts -- they had left the place where Jesus was -- they were out on the Sea of Galilee away from Him -- and so they didn’t know Him
- but, thankfully, the story doesn’t end there
-- look down at verse 15 and let me bring all of this together
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
-- now here’s where I saw something the other day that I had never seen before -- here’s where I think that choice of Peter comes in
-- I had read verses 1-14 and had noticed just how many times that John mentioned fish -- over and over again -- and then I read verse 15 and when I pictured the scene in my mind’s eye, I noticed something
-- there they are -- all seven of the disciples -- Simon Peter and the others -- sitting with Jesus next to a camp fire on the beach -- and right there next to them was a net full of fish -- 153 fish, John tells us
-- and now that the meal is done, Jesus turns to Simon Peter -- the fisherman -- the man He told to follow Him and He would make him a fisher of men -- He looks at Peter and He asks him, “Peter, do you love me more than these?”
-- my whole life I had thought that Jesus was talking about the other disciples -- but, now I’m not so sure -- I think the “these” that Jesus was referring to was the net full of 153 fish -- I think Jesus looked Peter in the eye and pointed to the fish on the shore -- fish that represented Peter’s old life and asked him, “Peter, do you love me more than these?”
-- in other words, “Peter, do you love Me more than the world -- do you love Me more than your old ways of life -- do you love Me more than your old profession -- or are these fish more important to you than Me?”
-- those fish, laying in that net there on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, were more than just fish -- they represented everything that Peter had left to follow Jesus -- they represented another life -- another choice -- another path -- the same choice, in fact, that Peter had picked when he had denied Christ three times after Jesus’ arrest
-- Jesus is saying, “Peter, what is more important -- these or Me?”
-- and I think that’s a good question for all of us
-- what are the “these” in your life? -- what are you clinging to that is keeping you from following Jesus with all your heart and soul and mind and strength? -- what are your “these?”
-- Peter had a big old pile of fish lying there stinking in the rising sun that convicted him of the path that he had chosen -- what is it in your life that convicts you?
-- is it your job? -- your family? -- the things you own? -- the things that you want to own? -- is it a better house -- a nicer car -- a secure life? -- is it just safety? -- what is your “these?”
-- what takes up your time and your thoughts during the day? -- where do you spend your time and energy? -- what do you spend most of your resources on? -- I heard a speaker one time who said that if you want to know what you love more than Jesus, just look at your checkbook and your calendar -- and these will tell you
-- everyday, we are confronted with a choice just like Peter -- we have to choose between following Jesus or between following the “these” in our lives -- and that choice makes the difference as to whether we truly know Jesus and whether we recognize Him when He is near
-- let’s turn over to Matthew 16 and I want to close there -- Matthew 16:24-26
-- verse 24
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
-- here we see clearly what Jesus thinks about the “these” in our lives -- He tells us here that if we are going to follow Him, then we have to first deny ourselves and take up our cross
-- to deny ourselves means that we put our own wants and wishes and desires behind us -- we take all the “these” in our lives and we willingly lay them down at the foot of the cross and then, and only then, can we follow Jesus and know Him in a true and personal relationship
-- this call to Jesus to choose Him and to get rid of our “these” is not a suggestion -- He doesn’t say it’s a good idea -- He says this is the only way -- “Peter, if you want to follow Me, you have to get rid of those fish -- you have to leave your nets behind” -- He tells us the same thing -- “Greg, if you want to follow Me, then you have to deny yourself -- you have to put aside your “these” -- you have to pick up your cross -- and then you can follow Me”
-- Jesus asks, “What good will it be for you to have the “these” in your life if it separates you from Me? -- What good will it be for you gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul?” -- as Christians, we are not called to live for the “these” of this world -- we are not called to strive for good and happy lives here on this earth -- our vision should be greater -- our focus should be on eternity -- not what we can get now -- not on what we will do now -- but on what we will get and the relationship we will enjoy when Christ comes into His kingdom forever
-- let me close by sharing with you a story I read by George Washington Truett that I think speaks to the heart of this passage
-- Dr. Truett was a preacher in Dallas for 47 years -- one time he visited a wealthy West Texas rancher and had dinner with him in his huge ranch home -- after dinner, the rancher took Dr. Truett up to a veranda on top of his house and lit up a big cigar
-- the sun was setting, and if you've ever been to west Texas, you know you can see a long way out there -- the man pointed to the south toward some oil rigs and said, "I own everything in that direction as far as you can see"
-- he pointed east toward some cotton fields and said "and I own everything in that direction, too" -- he pointed north towards a huge herd of cattle and bragged, "and preacher, I own everything as far as you can see in that direction" -- finally, he turned to the west and said, "and I own everything you can see in that direction, except the sun, of course"
-- Dr. Truett turned to the man and pointed straight up to the sky and said, "and how much do you own in that direction"
-- that's a good question for all of us to think about and answer today -- everyday, we have a choice to make -- we can put our time and energy and resources into storing up the “these” of this life -- or we can put our time and energy and resources into following Jesus
-- the cost to follow Jesus is steep -- it cost Peter and most of the other disciples their lives -- it certainly cost them their way of life and all that they once thought dear -- but, you can certainly argue that it was well worth the price
-- so, as I close this morning, let me leave you with the same question that Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me more than these?”
-- let us pray
