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The Gospel of John, The Epilogue Part III, John 21:6-14 - Lesson 205
Read Verses John 21:1-5, After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise showed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
The question "Children, have ye any meat" was designed to bring the disciples to the knowledge that without Jesus Christ they could do nothing.
He knew they failed all the night long in getting meat but he wanted them to face their failure.
He had told them "Without me ye can do nothing!"
God wants us to come to the light of believing that without him we can do nothing.
For when we are weak we depend upon God! And that is the greatest place of strength!
Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
No meat Lord, for we have labored without you, for without you we can do nothing.
John 21:6, And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
These men had fished all their lives and yet that night they had taken nothing.
Jesus Christ is Lord of the sea.
Jesus Christ had given orders to the fish to stay away from the net of the disciples until he gave the word.
He intended to teach this morning.
Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find.
He intended to, by his word, draw the fishes into the net.
They were to put the net out but he was the one to draw the fishes into the net.
They were to lift him up, they were to obey his word and he would draw the fishes into the net.
They had their part; to obey his word, and he would do his part.
They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
They followed the stranger's instruction and cast the net on the right side.
John 21:7, Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
John was the disciple whom Jesus loved.
He is the most spiritually discerning and the most devoted of the disciples.
When the net filled with fishes after a night of barren fishing John knew that the stranger on the shore was the Lord.
He was the one who leaned on Jesus at the supper and the one to whom Jesus told of the betrayal by Judas.
He was the one nearest to the cross and the one who was to care for Mary.
He was the first of the eleven to perceive that Jesus had risen from the dead.
And now he is the first to recognize that the one on shore is the one responsible for the net full of fishes.
John was the first to recognize Christ but Peter was the first to act.
This is just like Peter and fully in keeping with his impetuous character.
He let John outrace him to the tomb on the morning of the resurrection but here he refuses to be second.
But he remembers to clothe himself and not appear before the Lord naked.
John 21:8,9 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
Apparently Peter's desire was granted and the other six disciples came after he had arrived on shore.
They stayed aboard the little ship and labored with the fishes.
Jesus had asked Children, have you any meat? and from their answer of "No" he has now prepared them meat.
He had breakfast prepared for them for John details the preparation in his account.
What a breakfast it must have been!
Jesus Christ the God of heaven full of compassion and knowing well the needs of his own.
No doubt this was done by miracle.
He produced the coals and the fire and the fishes and the bread as he had the day he produced the food for the multitudes.
He cares for his own, he brings success to their labors, he supplies their needs, he warms their hearts and feeds their souls.
He shows them that they are fully equipped to do the work that he has called them to do and he will always be asking, Children, do you have any meat?
That question is designed to keep us reminded that we are to go to the Lord for our supply.
The meat that the Lord provides is the kind of meat that we need if we are to be servants of the Lord.
John 21:10, Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
Draw up the net and see for yourselves how profitable it is to do what I tell you.
You labored all night and caught nothing.
I told you to cast your net on the right side in shallow water and now look at the draught of fishes.
And now look at my provision of fishes and bread for you.
You didn't have to catch fishes for yourself.
I have provided for you.
You do not have to depend upon the fishes you catch.
You are to depend upon me!
What a lesson for the servant of God.
You are not to depend upon the ministry you serve.
You are not to depend upon the fishes God gives you through personal witness, you are simply to depend upon Jesus Christ who will always satisfy your needs.
John 21:11, Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
At Christ's command Peter responds and brings of the fish they now caught.
He went up into the little ship and loosed the net from the ship and brought the great catch of fish to Jesus Christ.
Notice the parts each disciple played in bringing the fish to Christ.
First they all labored in the flesh but in the end they obeyed the word of Christ.
They cast the net in the place that he commanded at the time that he commanded.
The disciples brought them to the shore in the net and Peter finished the job by bringing them to Christ.
One man planteth, another man watereth.
Each obeying God and each sharing in the fruit of that obedience.
Not all will preach the word, not all will teach the word but all are to be obedient to the word.
And all who are obedient to the word will share in the fruit of the word.
John 21:12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
What a wonderful invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He prepared the breakfast.
Everything was at the ready.
The fish were perfectly cooked and the bread was Holy bread prepared by God Almighty.
The disciples knew that this was the Lord.
But, John by saying none of them dared to ask him Who art thou, indicates that the disciples were awed by his presence.
Jesus Christ was different to them.
They knew him but they didn't know him in the same way that they knew him before the resurrection.
I'm sure that there is a similar situation that takes place when a close friend becomes President of the United States.
That friend is no longer the same.
The disciples loved him but they could no longer be familiar with him.
But Jesus says to them: Come and dine.
John will write by the pen of the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit that guided him this day, "I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me."
Perhaps as he was inspired to write those words many years later in the book of the Revelation he pondered the events of this breakfast on the shore of the Galilee after that night of barren fishing.
That night that was concluded by the bountiful catch that was directed by the Lord.
What memories this night provided!
John 21:13,14 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
Another time Jesus had taken the loaves and the fishes and had distributed them to the 5000. It was recorded by John in:
John 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
John reported in the feeding of the 5000 that Jesus gave thanks to the Father before he distributed the food.
But here John tells us that he gave the disciples the bread and the fish without Jesus giving thanks.
What was the difference? Why no thanks now?
In the feeding of the 5000 he was displayed in his humanity but now he is displayed in his Deity.
He no longer does things according to a man.
He is now crowned with glory and honor.
He is God and God does not give thanks to God.
Yet he is still their Minister caring for his own.
This is the nature of God, to care for his own!
This is the same God of whom Luke wrote in:
Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
This is the same God of whom John wrote in: Rev 2:7 and 2:17 ... To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
.....To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna
This is the same God who is always at the ready to feed his people.
As Asaph wrote in Psa 81:10: I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
John writes: This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
By this verse John only confines himself to his own Gospel writing.
John recorded the first meeting with the disciples in the upper room on the resurrection day.
The second appearance was a week later in the same room to reveal himself to Thomas and now this is the third appearance recorded.
But the stage was now set for the Lord to minister to Peter's conscience.
Peter had gathered around another charcoal fire just a few days ago and now he gathers around this one prepared by the Lord. |