Jesus Fishing - Lay Minister David Brauer
No recording of the semon - but it’s available for reading following the Gospel:
Gospel John 21:1-19
Afterward Jesus appeared again to His disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered.
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.
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. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 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. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.
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.” 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.”
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. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
Sermon - Jesus Fishing
This gospel shows us Christ from the time of the resurrection until his ascension to His Father. It begins with a third time that Jesus is manifested to the disciples. There are 12 post resurrection appearances of Christ.
1st: Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene at the tomb. Upon arriving at the tomb, she sees that the entrance to the tomb is open. She runs to find Peter and John who then return and verify that her story was true and they return then to their homes. Mary is back at the tomb and weeping when two angels appear to her when she turns around, she sees Jesus standing there. Mary then runs and tells the disciples to tell them what she had seen. (John 20:11-18)
2nd: He meets and greets a group of women returning from the tomb who then worship Him. (Luke 24:1-12)
3rd: Jesus appears to Simon Peter alone. (Luke 24:34)
4th: Jesus meets up with two disciples on the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-35)
5th: Jesus appears to disciples who were hiding together in the upper room. (Luke 24:35-43)
6th: Jesus appears again eight days later to all the disciples. (Mark 16:14-16)
7th: Jesus appears to 7 disciples fishing in the sea of Galilee. (John 21:1-1-23)
8th: Jesus appears to the 11 disciples on a mountain in Galilee and gives them the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:16-20)
9th: He appears to as many as 500 of His followers. (1 Cor 15:6)
10th: He appears to James. (1 Cor 15:7)
11th: Jesus appears to the apostles and other followers and is taken up into a cloud out of their sight. (Acts 1:4-11)
12th: He appears to Saul, the apostle Paul, on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9:1-6)
Even though He could be seen because He was alive physically, they did not recognize Him because His body was different. His glorified body was different. Mary Magdalene thought He was somebody else perhaps the gardener. The disciples on the road to Emmaus had no idea who He was.
After the death of Jesus, the disciples we're hiding not sure what they would do since the one they loved, and thought was the Messiah had died on the cross. He was there everything. He provided all they needed on every level in the upper room the night before His death. He had promised them that He would continue Provide what they needed. He told them that all of heaven's resources would be available to them.
They were now doubting whether that was the reality and were fearful about it. They were afraid that once He left, they would not know where he was or how to get there. They were very insecure about the relationship that they would have with Him in the future. This was compounded by the fact that they couldn't grasp that the Messiah was going to die.
We know that sometime between the 8th day when Jesus appeared to the apostles and the 40th day when He ascended into heaven, He appeared to them while they were fishing at the Sea of Galilee. The Romans renamed it the Sea of Tiberias in honor of Tiberias Caesar. Here again the disciples didn't know who He was because His glorified form is so different. He had to identify Himself.
Jesus had told the disciples to go to Galilee where they would see Him. They went to the mountain that was the designated meeting place. They were there for a while, we don't know how long, when Peter announces that he is going fishing. He has never demonstrated himself as a man of patience and he's loaded with self-doubt because of his failures. He's the one who kept denying, on three different occasions, his association with Jesus. It was he that Jesus said, “Get behind me Satan!”
The gospel narrative opens with seven of them at the lake. We are immediately confronted with their disobedience; they are not in a place where he told them to be. We do not know where the other four are. Perhaps they were at the mountain. The six that Jesus first called as His disciples first are in the group. Thomas is there so that he doesn't miss anything significant anymore. He goes wherever the leaders go.
They left the mountain got into a boat knowing that they were well skilled at catching fish. That night they caught nothing. So much for self-confidence. Three years prior they had gotten into Peter's boat, worked all night and caught nothing. Jesus told them to go back out and cast the nets again. They did, they caught so much their nets began to break. Now fast forward three years later Peter's in the mountain, impatient full of self-doubt, and decides to go back to his old career. Again, they caught nothing.
Then Jesus, who they don't recognize, on the shore yells to them to cast the net over the side one more time. This time they catch 153 fish. People struggle sometimes to find a significance in the number of fish. Saint Jerome said that there were 153 different types of fish identified at the time of Christ and so the number represents everything. That Jesus is casting the net to catch everyone.
They recognize Jesus and during breakfast He asked Peter three times whether he loves Him more than fishing or the trappings in his life. Peter tells Him three times, “Lord, I love you, Lord. I love you.” He is trying to convince the Lord that he loves Him when he hasn't demonstrated it because of his disobedience.
Here's the deal. If you step away from the calling Jesus has placed on your life and go in the opposite direction, if you go to the path of self will and self-effort, you may think you can accomplish a lot, but you might end up a failure. Disobedience leads to failure; it's a simple principle when God calls you and gives you and prepares you and places you and you turn your back and walk away from the path He has for you, you will fail. That's what happened here. The Lord does not reward disobedience
Since the boat is over 100 yards away Jesus is having to shout to them from shore. When He asked them if they have any fish, they responded that they don't. This is where their impatience, self-doubt, and disobedience led them, and they must acknowledge it. It's a pretty simple question. “You don’t have any fish?”
As you step into the work that He puts before you to do, whatever service it might be within His Kingdom, whatever it might involve, you will find that he empowers and provides for your success, and you enjoy the sweet intimacy of fellowship. You might be wasting all your energies on things that pass away and are temporal. If that's the case, it's time for you to get involved in any business of fishing for men, whatever that business is.
When you obey, the Lord empowers you. The Lord blesses, supplies what you need. Cast out your net. He didn't say to the fish jump into the boat. God does the work by His power through His people. The Lord is involved, but so are we. He always chooses means. God supplies our needs, but He also does it through our faithful work.
Jesus takes a very personal interest in meeting their needs even after His resurrection. He will meet yours.
God Loves You,
Christians are saved by Sola Gratia (Grace Alone), through Sola Fide (Faith Alone) in Sola Christus (Christ Alone), as revealed by Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone), by Soli Deo Gloria (To the Glory of God Alone).
Amen