JOHN 21:1-17
1Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “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.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”“No,” they answered.6 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. 7 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. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.
9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 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.
12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after He was raised from the dead.
15 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.”
16 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.”
17 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.
JOHN 21:1-17 JESUS LOVES
Springford Baptist Church: August 26, 2023.
Here is a reflection that I have adapted that gives us a very clear picture of the passing of time and the necessity of carefully considering and implementing what God calls us to do NOW:
Barely the day started and… it’s already six in the evening.
Barely arrived on Monday and it’s already Friday.
… and the month is already over.
… and the year is almost over.
… and already 40, 50 or 60 years of our lives have passed.
… and we realize that we said goodbye to family members and friends.
and we realize it’s too late to go back…
So what do we do with this understanding that the gift of time is so precious and so essential for loving?
Let’s try to eliminate the afters…
I’m doing it after…
I’ll say after…
I’ll think about it after…
We leave everything for later like ′′ after ′′ is ours.
Because what we don’t understand is that:
Afterwards, the coffee gets cold…
afterwards, priorities change…
afterwards, health passes…
Afterwards, the kids grow up…
Afterwards people get old…
Afterwards, promises are forgotten…
afterwards, the day becomes the night…
afterwards life ends…
The day is today… The moment is now…
What have we learned these last several weeks about becoming more like Jesus? This must be a deliberate process because as we well know time passes so quickly. Unless we are deliberate in living our lives for Jesus, the ways of doing this will have slipped through our fingers and people will have missed being loved because we have not stepped up to love as Jesus loves.
These summer months have given us the opportunity to ask the vital question, “WHAT WOULD JESUS DO”? and to sincerely seek to answer that question in the living of our lives.
In today’s Scripture from John 21, we find Jesus appearing to His disciples for the third time after He was raised from the dead. (John 21:14).
Jesus knows that His remaining time with his followers is very limited and so what He does and says here is Jesus’ way of establishing what matters.
There is a remarkable miracle of provision when the same men who have fished all night and caught nothing at Jesus’ suggestion throw the net on the other side of the boat. They do it differently than they had been and the result is a huge net full of fish. (John 21:6)
How willing are we to do things differently?
If we insist that we keep doing things the way we always have, we limit the possibilities of loving as Jesus loves.
Notice that Jesus prepares breakfast for His friends. It is a simple meal, but it coveys Jesus’ love for these individuals.
Jesus’ words, “Come have breakfast” (John 21:12) convey His concern that their tired bodies be nourished. Jesus prepares this simple meal of fish and bread cooked over a fire on the beach as an expression of His love for these individuals.
Sometimes we make loving so complicated. There are very simple ways of loving that speak a language that anyone can understand.
We move from this scene to Jesus’ personal conversation with Peter. This was a necessary conversation because Peter had denied that he even knew Jesus and needed to be reassured that his life still had purpose and that Jesus trusted him to live out that purpose.
This in itself is a strong indication of Jesus’ love. Jesus did not give up on Peter and leave him to stew in a soup of regret. Jesus made it clear that He was relying on Peter to be an ambassador of Jesus’ love for humanity.
Jesus has just fed His disciples and used this as a demonstration of His love for them.
Now Jesus asks Peter 3 times, “Do you love me”? and the way that love for Jesus is to be evidenced is by feeding and taking care of Jesus’ lambs.
Love for God is shown by loving those whom God loves. This is a very direct answer to the question of what Jesus would do. Jesus would love His sheep and Jesus would find ways to take care of his sheep.
It has occurred to me that Jesus was doing a very loving thing commissioning Peter to feed His sheep.
This was ensuring that Jesus’ lambs would be loved and cared for when Jesus returned to heaven.
When Jesus was gone, His love could still be received if His followers were loving as Jesus loves.
Doesn’t this elevate the compelling importance of us doing what Jesus would do and stepping into opportunities to love?
Jesus loves and longs for people to know the reality of His love for each of them. This does happen when we give ourselves to love. In these deliberate actions, people will encounter Jesus.
Time does pass quickly. The summer has gone and we thank God for the ways of loving that He has arranged that we have stepped into. We can also pray that we will continue to be ready and willing to love as Jesus loves by taking care of His sheep.
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? Jesus would love and so must we!!
Do we love Jesus? What will prove that this is true?