John 21
S = 21:3-7 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going
fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into
the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Just as day
was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it
was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered
him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and
you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in,
because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said
to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put
on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the
sea.
O = Despite his protests (Matthew 26:33-35), Peter had
denied Jesus three times on the night Jesus was arrested. This betrayal was sealed
with the eye contact of Luke 22:60-62. Peter wept bitterly. But now that Jesus
was risen, how would Peter respond in light of his great failure—in conviction
or condemnation?
Would he give
in to the temptation to flee from his Lord and his calling like Jonah had done
centuries earlier or would he draw near and share breakfast with the risen
Jesus? Jonah had given up on God, but God hadn't given up on him...and restored
him to his office of prophet. Peter may have given up on Christ , but Christ
Jesus had not given up on Peter. Our sin does not disqualify us from coming to
Jesus. We have all sinned and need Jesus but the devil tries to use our past to
keep us from the future that Jesus has for us.
- Conviction comes from the Holy Spirit and
drives us to Jesus in confession and repentance.
- Condemnation comes from the devil and drives us away from Jesus in hopelessness and cynicism.
To which voice
are we listening? To what experience are we yielding? The answer is revealed by
the direction are we moving...towards Jesus, or away from Jesus.
Here on a
fishing trip Jesus meets Peter and restores him to his original calling (fisher
of men) with a miracle amazingly similar to the first (Luke 5:1-11). But
something has changed with Peter. He no longer tries to withdraw from Jesus
(Luke 5:8) but casts himself (ironically) into the water—like he would have
cast a net—in an effort to get to Jesus more quickly.
A = Do I think that Jesus needs to hang back from me because
of my weakness, failures, and even intentional sin of my past or do I hear his
voice of love calling me to come and share breakfast with him? My job is not to
clean myself, but having been cleaned and fed by Jesus I am—like Peter—to feed
Jesus sheep. I am saved by grace, and restored by the love of God poured out in
my heart by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). This week I need to do all I can to
spend time with my risen Lord!
P = O Lord, may I learn to follow your plan for my life
without debating what I will and will not do. You know me better than I know
myself and yet you love me still—I am humbled by the magnitude of your love. I
pray that the light of your love and acceptance dawn in my life each morning. May
I be strengthened to face the future as a faithful servant…even unto death
should that be the valley through which we will pass, for in your resurrection
I can see that there is life on the other side as long as I am with you! May your
resurrection power remake my life each day as I follow you! Amen.
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