GONE FISHING
John 21:1-14
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INTRODUCTION:
1.) This morning, I want us to examine another of the post- resurrection appearances of Jesus to the Apostles.
A.) This account would have been quite soon after the resurrection, and is listed as the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples.
2.) As you recall, a number of the apostles were by trade fishermen.
A.) But for much of the past 3 ½ years they had left the fishing industry to be some of the closest
followers of Jesus.
3.) When we look at the scene this morning, they had already seen Jesus after His resurrection, but there was kind of an uncertainty as to what was ahead, or what their role would be.
A.) some have expressed thoughts on this passage that Peter was going back to the fishing industry, and leaving the ministry of Christ.
B.) I am not completely sure that this was the case, but at the end of the account, Jesus does ask Peter for his complete allegiance in following Him.
I. PETER AND SOME OF THE APOSTLES GO FISHING.
-- John 21:3
1.) Peter said: “I’m going fishing”.
A.) The sound and smell of the sea called them.
aa.) Certainly anyone who has the sea in their blood can relate to this.
ab.) When I head down towards home, one of the first things I do rather it is summer or winter is open the window of the car for a few minutes so I can breathe in the smell of the ocean.
B.) Finally Peter could resist no more.
ba.) The sea and fishing had been in his blood and a big part of who he was.
bb.) For a few years now he had for the most part left the fishing industry.
C.) After the resurrection Peter was just waiting around and felt the need to do something.
ca.) It was only natural for Peter that what he would seek was to get back out on the water.
D.) I think that Jesus understood the heart of Peter, and what was happening in his heart.
da.) Later on when they met Jesus on the beach, Jesus did not rebuke Peter for going back to the water, but only had Peter reaffirm the priority of Jesus Christ in His life.
2.) We’ll go with you.
A.) Our lives have an impact on others.
B.) These eleven men and Jesus had become very close over the previous 3 1/2 years.
C.) When Peter decided to go fishing it was not the entire group of the apostles that went, but 7 out of the group of eleven that went fishing.
D.) We do not know where the other four of the apostles were, but just that they were not here at this time.
E.) It might even be that some of the others were not too excited about the water, or being on a boat, or fishing.
3.) We neither live nor die to ourselves.
A.) Rom. 14:7
B.) Peter by his desires, and influence had caused others of the disciples to also follow him in a time of fishing.
II. THERE WERE NO FISH CAUGHT..
-- John 21:1-3
1.) They caught nothing.
A.) Certainly to have been out all night fishing, and to come back to shore with an empty boat was not an exhilarating experience for these men.
B.) I want you to see what a major thing this must have been.
ba.) Anytime when a fisherman leaves the wharf and spends an entire night on the water fishing only to come back to shore with nothing more than a tired body, and an empty boat it is never a great feeling.
bb.) But this was not like any regular time of fishing.
\ bba.) You see three and a half years earlier these men had put their boats and fishing gear up, and had gone ashore with Jesus.
bb.) In all likelihood, this was the first time in three and a half years these men had been working the sea, for a harvest.
bc.) Peter had dreamed of the sea;
bca.) I am sure he must have told many stories of his fishing with these men.
bcb.) Now they were all excited.
bcc.) These men who had heard Peter tell of the excitement when they would pull that net up from the sea full of fish, must have been so excited to wait for that net to come back on the boat full of fish.
bcd.) Well the big moment arrives. The men pull up the net. Can you imagine the feeling as the sun was rising over the water and they pulled in the nets expecting a big catch and there see perhaps only some seaweed, and maybe a few pieces of driftwood, but nothing of any value.
bd.) Something tells me that what these men experienced that night didn’t live up to the stories of fishing that Peter had told them about.
bda.) Perhaps these men were thinking maybe they would have been better off to have had a good night’s sleep in their own bed that to have wasted their time out here.
III. THE MASTER MEETS THEIR NEED WITH A MIRACULOUS CATCH OF FISH.
1.) Christ came to them when it was morning. (vs. 4)
A.) The Lord’s Question.
aa.) John 21:5
B.) “Friends” do you not have any fish?
ba.) They did not at this time realize it was Jesus.
bb.) It was not uncommon when the fishermen would come back to the shore to have people on the shore waiting to buy some fresh fish from them.
bc.) I suspect, that Peter and John just assumed this was someone looking to buy some of their catch from the previous night of fishing.
3.) They answer No.
A.) Instruction follows honesty with God.
aa.) John 21: 6a.
B.) It took a great deal of humility for these men to put aside the way they had always fished to listen to the words of Jesus.
ba.) Fishermen have a certain way of doing something, and do not like to be told to do it in a different way.
bb.) These men had been accustomed to fishing probably from the left or Port side of the boat.
bc.) Jesus told them to throw the nets over the Right or starboard side of the boat.
bca.) They were probably not excited about doing it different than they had been used to.
bca-1.) This was not how they did the fishing.
bcb.) Besides this it was now morning. bcb-1.) The time to fish was over. Now it was time to come back and clean their nets, and get everything ready for another time.
bd.) Even though at this point they were not aware that it was Jesus they listened and followed the directions from the shore.
4.) The miraculous catch
A.) John 21:6b.
B.) Jesus Christ richly blessed them in their fishing that trip.
ba.) The net full of fish was so large, the men could not haul it into the boat.
baa.) All they could do was to tow the net with them to shore.
bab.) Verse 11 tells us there were 153 large fish. This is one of those times, where it would have been nice if John had chosen to give us a bit more commentary on the catch.
bac.) Because of telling us that all the fish were large ones, and that the total catch was 153 was John’s way of telling us that the catch was far more than they would have usually have seen.
bad.) I would have liked to have known what a normal catch of fish would have been.
C.) John: “It is the Lord.”
ba.) John 21:7
bb.) I am surprised that the light didn’t come on earlier, but now John clued in that this was Jesus.
C.) Peter dives overboard and swims toward shore to meet Jesus.
ca.) Apparently since one of former episodes on the water Peter has learned how to swim. You will recall that earlier when he went to walk on the water, that when his eyes went off of Jesus, he began to sink.
caa.) It would seem at that time, he hadn’t learned to swim.
cb.) Poor John is left to try and row the boat ashore with the heavy load of fish.
5.) Breakfast is waiting.
A.) Jesus asks them to bring some fish.
aa.) John 21:11
6.) Jesus is revealed to them.
A.) john 21:12-14
IV.JESUS RESTORES THE FALLEN FISHERMAN.
1.) Notice Jesus’ question to Peter.
A.) John 21:15
B.) Jesus was asking Peter if he loved Him move than the things around him:
ba.) Peter do you love me more than the sea?
bb.) Do you love me more than your boat?
bc.) Do you love me more than fishing?
bd.) Do you love me more than your friends?
C.) Jesus was asking Peter if he was willing to put Jesus first in all areas of his life.
ca.) Some feel that when Peter had gone back to the boat, that he was considering his ministry with Christ done, and going back to fishing.
cb.)I don’t know if that was the case or not.
D.) Two more times Jesus asks Peter the same question, if he loves him more than the fishing?
da.) Each time he affirms that he does, and Jesus tells him to feed his sheep.
db.) Just as Peter had denied Jesus three times, Jesus reinstates him three times.
E.) I want you to see something else in this passage.
ea.) I want you to see the lack of confidence that Peter has.
eb.) When Jesus earlier predicted the disciples would all fall away because of him that night, Peter was very strong in what he said. He is no longer that way.
ec.) Peter had since come face to face with his own failure in serving and loving Jesus.
eca.) His heart had been heavy with the guilt of denying Jesus.
F.) I want you to see the word love in these questions and answers between Jesus and Peter.
fa.) It isn’t brought out in our English versions of Scripture, but in the Greek there are two different words for love that are being used.
fb.) The first two times Jesus asks this question, He says, Peter, do you love with the deepest love, an agape love like God has for you?
fba.) The first two times Peter answers
Yes Lord, you know that I love with as a friend.
fc.) The third time, Jesus uses the same word that Peter used, and said Peter do you even love me as a friend?
fca.) That is why Scripture states Peter was hurt. Not only had Jesus asked him this question the third time but now he had changed the word to the same one Peter was using.
2.) Jesus affirmed that in life and in death Peter would indeed glorify Him.
A.) John 21:18-19
CONCLUSION:
1.) As I close this message today, I want us to take a couple of lessons with us from this account today:
A.) The first lesson is that Jesus wants us to serve the Lord with our entire heart.
aa.) Jesus wants first place in our lives. He wants us to love Him…
aaa.) More than we love our possessions.
aab.) More than we love our jobs.
aac.) Jesus wants us to love Him more than we do anything else.
aad.) Jesus wants us to place His will, His work, and His desires above our own.
B.) The second lesson I want us to take from Peter, is that it doesn’t matter how many times we have failed Jesus before, or how badly, He will still restore us, forgive us, and allow us to serve Him even when we fail.
