Month: November 2019

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”  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.

There appear to be several miraculous aspects to this particular catch of fish. First, they had fished all night and caught nothing. Then, on the word of the man on the beach they dropped the net in one more time and found it so full that they could not pull it back into the boat. Second, the fish they caught was not a mix of small, medium and a few large fish. They were all large fish. Third, the number of fish, 153 is recorded. A few days ago JEC suggested that this number is prophetic. It might be. Yet taken at face value it still represents a large number of large fish. So much so that the disciples thought to record the number.

So how big is a “large” fish? Five pounds? Ten pounds? More? It turns out that there are three general categories of commercially harvested fish in the Sea of Galilee. The largest is the “binny” or “barbel.” The medium-sized fish is called “Musht.” The Musht is a type of Talapia and is also known as “Saint Peter’s Fish.” The third type of fish is the tiny Kinneret sardine. Apparently, they had pickled herring in Jesus’ day, too.

If John literally meant “large fish” when he wrote his gospel, then he was probably talking about the largest of the three, the binny. According to a quick internet search, a large binny will run about 15 pounds. So ten pounds might be a bit conservative. Let’s live large and imagine that John’s large fish were large binny. That means 153 fish would have weighed 2,295 pounds. Over a ton of fish! No wonder they could not pull the net back into the boat. This also helps us understand the final miraculous aspect of this story: the net didn’t break!

Application: One take away I see in this story is that when God gives us a bountiful blessing of some kind, he also gives us the capacity to manage the blessing.

Food for Thought: Since there was already fish on the fire, why do you think Jesus asked the disciples to bring more?

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Continue reading “Big Fish – John 21: 10-11”

When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Have you ever wondered where the fire, fish, and bread came from? Did Jesus call them into being or did he find the wood and build his own fire? Had he been waiting a long time? Does it matter?

At the beginning of his ministry, when Jesus was tested in the wilderness for forty days without food,

The devil said to him, ”If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered, ”It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
(Luke 4: 3-4)

The devil knew who Jesus was, and he knew what Jesus was capable of. He knew that Jesus could turn rocks into bread. The reason Jesus refused to make the bread even though his body was near death from starvation was that it was God’s will that he master the flesh. Jesus passed that test. Now it is God’s will that Jesus is glorified in everything he does. If Jesus wanted to turn rocks into bread he was free to do so.

Application: Remembering that Jesus is God can be difficult. He is so human in appearance that it is hard to imagine him existing before anything had been created. (John 1: 1-3) Yet he is God. God can control the storm and walk on water. Turning rocks into bread is hardly a challenge for The Source of All That Exists.

Food for Thought: What part of the fire, fish, and bread would exist without Jesus? What about the beach? The water in the sea? The men in the boat?

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Continue reading “Bread – John 21: 9”

The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.

Yesterday, we talked about Peter’s reaction to discovering it was Jesus who had called to them from the beach. Peter doesn’t think, he reacts. We see this time and again with him. Sometimes his impulses are good and at other times they are not so good.

When Peter affirms that Jesus has that “words of eternal life,” (John 6: 68) that was good.

When Peter refused to let Jesus wash his feet (John 13:8) that was not so good.

When Peter says “I will lay down my life for you.” (John 13: 37) that was good.

Then Peter denies he even knows Jesus. (John 18: 15, 25, 27) Not so good.

Peter runs hot and cold.

The other disciples have different temperaments. Each is how God made him. Thomas made one little mistake and became known as “Doubting Thomas.” James was one of the three disciples who were closest to Jesus. John, the “disciple whom Jesus loved,” (John 13: 23) was himself on the boat fishing that night.

When Peter jumped into the water and started for shore, he left the others to finish up the task Jesus had given them.

Application: Following Jesus is not an excuse for abandoning our responsibilities. Jesus was not happy with the Pharisees who used religion to avoid taking care of their parents. (Mark 7: 9-13) Jesus himself had a responsibility to provide for his mother. When he was being crucified he passed this responsibility to John, not Peter. Submitting to our Lord often means submitting to the place, people and work that he has given us.

Food for Thought: What would the world be like if everyone were like Peter?

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Continue reading “Good and Not So Good – John 21: 8”

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.

In chapter 14 of his gospel Matthew tells the story of Jesus walking across the Sea of Galilee just before dawn. The wind was against the boat and strong. The waves were threatening. The sky must have been clear because there was enough light for them to see Jesus as he approached them. Peter, in his excitement at seeing Jesus walk on the water says, “… tell me to come to you on the water.”

Jesus, probably smiling to himself, says, “Come.” So Peter steps out of the boat and … walks on water! The experiment does not last very long. After a few steps, Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus and instead focuses on the waves and the water. At that moment, when his focus changed, he started to sink.

I am thinking of this because once again Jesus is outside the boat that Peter is in. This time Peter simply jumps in. The text goes on to say that they were not far from shore so maybe Peter was able to wade to the shore from where the boat was. Instead of walking on the water he walks through the water, something he knows he can do.

Application: Being close to Jesus can have a powerful effect on a person. Peter was inspired to walk on water and jump into it, whatever would get him close to his Savior. Being close to Jesus is a very good thing.

Food for Thought: What does it say about the other disciples that they stayed with the boat?

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Continue reading “Close Proximity – John 21: 7”

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.

What is going on here? Jesus, unrecognized by his disciples, calls out from the shore. He asks if they have any fish.” “No,” they holler back.

Putting this in context, if one sport fisherman says to another, “Caught anything yet,” the answer is usually a friendly yes or no. The kind of fishing that the disciples were doing was not sport. It was hard work. During the night when the fish were closer to the surface, they would cast a net out into the water. Then they would pull it back hoping to trap a few fish. It is dark and dangerous work. Pulling nets out of the water whether empty or full is hard work. Doing it all night long is very hard work.

They would usually catch something. Catching a few fish would not be enough to make a living but catching none was a complete waste of time. At least a few catches would keep them hoping for more.

When the voice of the man on the shore came over the water they were tired and worn out. Very likely they were discouraged, too. All that work and nothing to show for it. The man says, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat…” Who says that? Why the right side? What??

Why did the men obey the voice? Did Peter, as tired and discouraged as he was, sense a glimmer of deja vu? Did he feel the subconscious tug of an earlier memory? A time when a teacher had borrowed his boat to preach from and then commanded him to let down his nets? (Luke 5)

Whatever the reason, they did as the voice instructed. They cast a net on the right side of the boat. Instead of running from the shadow of the men and their net, the fish seemed to swim into the net. Not just any fish, but large fish. More fish than they could physically pull into the boat.

Application: As desolate and discouraging as the night of useless fishing was, the blessing of Jesus was exciting, rewarding and abundant. God’s blessings far exceed any suffering we might endure. His generosity overshadows any want we might have. Faith is continuing to believe during the night of our trials trusting in God’s generosity at the end of the day.

Food for Thought: What form does God’s generosity take in your life?

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Continue reading “Abundance – John 21: 6”

He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.

This point in John’s gospel is very different from the rest. At the beginning of his story, Jesus calls the disciples to follow him. He does not explain why he wants them to follow or what he expects them to do. He does not tell them that their lives will be changed forever in ways that they cannot even begin to understand. He simply calls them to himself.

They come to Jesus because of John’s testimony that Jesus is the Lamb of God, God’s “Chosen One.” (John 1: 29, 34, 36) They believe rightly that Jesus is the Messiah, the Anointed One. In the Old Testament writings anointing someone or something with oil was associated with God choosing a place or a person. The first example of this is in Genesis 28: 16-17 when Jacob pours oil on a pillar of stone to mark the place he experienced the LORD in a dream. Later, in Genesis 31: 13, God refers to this act as an anointing. Throughout history, anointing with oil has been used to consecrate the holy things of the temple, consecrate priests, and later to or show who God had chosen to be king.

When the disciples come to Jesus they understood him to be the “Anointed One” that Daniel writes about in Daniel 9: 25-26. They were likely expecting Jesus to rise up in earthly power as they had been taught. At some point, Jesus would unveil himself to be the king that would restore Israel to its rightful place as God’s chosen nation. Of course, it turned out that God had other ideas.

The Jesus they encountered was humble, not flaunting his authority. He served the people of Israel, healing the sick and feeding the hungry. He taught them amazing things and performed incredible signs of his Godhood. They had seen him walk on water and calm the storm. If he could command the raindrops, it shouldn’t surprise us that he can command fish, too.

When Jesus asked, “…haven’t you any fish?” he already knew the answer to the question. He had seen to it that they would not have any fish that night. Is there any other explanation for them not catching a fish and then catching 153 fish in one cast of the net?

Application: Jesus is watching. Even the fish are under his control. His authority is absolute. His eyes are everywhere.

Food for Thought: Whether we are fishermen or doing any other kind of work we face the same challenge. When the work doesn’t go as planned, is it God’s fault? If God is responsible, is there a reason for what is happening? If there is a reason, how do we discern it?

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Continue reading “Something’s Fishy – John 21: 5”

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

Back in the post titled, “Reunion Movie,” we explored what the scene might have looked like when Mary failed to recognize Jesus. In this passage, we find that something similar has happened. This time it is the disciples who do not recognize Jesus. Why?

The answer to “Why?” is that we don’t really know. John doesn’t tell us why. He only says that they did not recognize him. Still, it is not hard to imagine why.

Recognition is based on being able to discern enough detail so that our minds can “connect the dots” between what we know what we are looking for and what our eyes are actually seeing. Distance diminishes the detail. Perhaps the morning sun was glaring off of the water.

Application: Jesus doesn’t always show up in our lives with a neon sign that says, “I’m here!” Instead, he often comes quietly and unexpectedly. Be ready!

Food for Thought: What helps us to be more ready to recognize Jesus when he comes?

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Continue reading “Neon Welcome – John 21: 4”

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.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John (son of Zebedee), John (the author of this gospel) and one other disciple are hanging out together by the Sea of Galilee. If you remember, this means that they had traveled north of Jerusalem about eighty miles. Days or weeks might have passed since they saw Jesus on the first Easter.

In a sense, they have returned to the beginning. Peter had been fishing when he was first called to be a disciple. (Matthew 4: 18-20) Now he is standing on the shore staring at the sea. Perhaps it all felt like a dream. Three years of wandering with Jesus. Three years of amazement. Three years of walking with God. And now, Jesus was gone. Yes, he had been resurrected from the dead, but he was not to be found. What were they to do? Not knowing what else to do they climbed in a boat and went fishing.

Application: What were you doing when Jesus first found you? Have you gone back to doing what you were, or are you living for Christ?

Food for Thought: What else could they have done at the time they went fishing? Is there something else they should have been doing?

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Continue reading “Back to the Beginning – John 21: 1-3”

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

As I write these words, I am typing on a modern laptop computer. If I make a mistake the computer corrects it for me effortlessly. Years ago, while I was in college, I owned a portable electric typewriter. It was great for typing but it didn’t know beans about spelling and neither did I. The combination meant that typing was a real chore.

Back in the days before electric typewriters, mechanical typewriters were preferred. You could make duplicate copies as you typed by inserting carbon paper between two pieces of paper. They also had a funny way of getting stuck if you didn’t pace your timing on the keys just right. If you tried typing too fast the “keys” would jam up like a freeway traffic jamb. Then everything would stop. For the next few minutes, you would have to carefully try and back out each key from the jam.

Before typewriters, there were ballpoint pens. Before ballpoint pens, there were ink pens that had a rubber bladder inside and a tiny lever on the side of the pen. You dipped the pen in ink and moved the lever to fill the bladder with ink. Then you snapped the lever back into the side of the pen and you could write several sentences before you had to refill the ink again.

Back in John’s day he probably wrote on parchment or papyrus. His writing tool would have been a reed pen or something similar. You dip it in ink and write one or two letters. Then you dip the pen in ink again and write another letter or two. It was slow and laborious work. The work was complicated by the danger of spilling ink or smudging what had been written. Writing required both having something to say and the skill to record the words in writing.

The work involved in putting together John’s gospel is phenomenal. John’s gospel contains over eighteen thousand words. (English, KJV) The Greek word count should be similar. That is a lot of writing. John made the effort to record these words so that you and I might believe.

Application: John’s work in recording the story of Jesus Christ’s life on earth is priceless. Today, most people in America are within arm’s length reach of a Bible. Shouldn’t we spend a few minutes each day honoring God by reading His Word?

Food for Thought: If John had added more words to his gospel account, how would that have affected his message?

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Continue reading “The Reason Why – John 20: 30-31”

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.

Isn’t this an intriguing passage? John bluntly tells us that his gospel is but a brief peek into the world of following Jesus. How much more did the disciples see? Fortunately, we have other accounts of Jesus’ life in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. They offer more details about the things that Jesus said and did.

Imagine what life was like tagging along with God’s Son. The crowds wanting to be healed. The words that he spoke. The anger, frustration, and hate in the eyes of the Jewish leaders. Then imagine walking with Jesus every day. Watching him work. Listening to him teach. Seeing him heal all who came to him. What was that like?

It is important to let Jesus be Jesus. The danger in the written word is that we might worship the word instead of our God. The risk is that we limit our God to what we have read instead of letting him into our lives today.

Application: Allow time and place for God to enter into your life. Invite Him into your world and listen to Him all day, every day. Let go of what Jesus did two thousand years ago and embrace what he is doing today.

Food for Thought: What kind of signs does Jesus perform today?

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Continue reading “Signs (III) – John 20: 30”