Sunday April 18, 2010 John 21:1-19

Greetings, I hope your weekend was nice and you enjoyed the great warm weather. I was privileged to have the opportunity to listen to New Testament scholar Dr. Kenneth Bailey this weekend. He has done pioneering work with the interpretation of the parables in a Middle Eastern context. He was fascinating to listen to as his knowledge is expansive and personal. He lived and taught in the Middle East for 40 years. A personal high for me was Saturday morning during coffee and donuts when he came and sat next to me and I was able to ask questions of him about the previous night’s parable. He was very kind and expanded on his teachings explaining all kinds of things to me. It was a highlight for me as he didn’t have to spend time with a layperson since there were many other more important people (pastors) he could have talked with about more in depth matters. God gave me a gift that day. Our text again picks up where last Sunday left off. In other words the story continues.

V1 Jesus has appeared to the men in Jerusalem and now is up by the Sea of Galilee. Some scholars feel this is a later addition to the gospel of John. That doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, it is just an addition.

V2-3 Some of the disciples are gathered together up in Galilee and Peter decides to go fishing. They don’t know what to do so they return to their previous profession. They fish all night and catch nothing. They would fish at night as the nets were made of black thread and the fish could see them during the day.

V4 At daybreak someone is on the beach but the disciples don’t recognize him.

V5 This man yells to the disciples “you have no fish do you?” How does this guy know they have no fish and who does he think he is? They are professional fishermen.

V6 He yells for them to cast their nets to the other side of the boat. They are thinking “as if this would be much different than the side of the boat we had been using.” The boat isn’t that wide so why would this make a difference. They did it anyway and to their amazement they catch so many fish that they can’t haul the net in. This reflects Ezek. 47:10 that when Messiah comes there will be many fish in unexpected places. Apparently all the fish were unexpectedly on the other side of the boat.

V7 Someone suddenly recognizes the man on the beach. “It is the Lord!” Peter now swings into action and in his haste to reach Jesus he puts on his clothes and jumps out of the boat.

V8 The rest of the disciples are still struggling with the full net. They drag it in to shore. Note without Jesus they had caught no fish but with Jesus they have an abundance of fish.

V9 When they arrive at shore there is a fire already going with fish cooking on it and bread. He has made them a meal.

V10-11 Jesus requests some of the fish they had caught so Peter went aboard and attempted to carry the entire catch ashore. There were 153 fish but yet the net was not torn. Scholars speculate why the fish are numbered at 153. This may represent all the fish species in the world and reflect Ezek 47:1-12. That was an awful amount of weight for that net and for Peter to carry. Maybe Peter in his exuberance to see Jesus is kind of showing off a little? The word used for fish here is the same word Jesus used at the feeding of the 5000. Perhaps this is to remind them of his provision of fish and manna for them.

V12 Jesus invites them to eat a meal. Note he doesn’t use any of the fish they had caught. No one dares ask him “is it really you?” Because they know it is him but there must be something different about him for this question to surface.

V13 Jesus took the bread, broke it and gave it to them-a flash back to the feeding of the 5000 and the Lords Supper they had shared in the upper room. By providing a meal he is restoring them to fellowship with him-to share a meal was to declare we are family-and to declare we will not mention the past, that is done with and we are moving on in relationship. He didn’t rebuke them.

V14 This is his third appearance to them since the resurrection.

V15 Jesus then focuses on Peter. They have finished eating. Remember Peter denied he knew Jesus three times in the courtyard of the High Priest by a fire. Jesus is now going to restore Peter by a fire. He uses Peter’s original name-Simon-not the name he had given him-Peter. In effect this is to say let’s go back to the beginning. Here two forms of the word love in the Greek are used. Agape this a self giving supreme love, a one way love and philo which is a brotherly, fond of or friendly love. “Simon do you supremely love (agape) me more than these (others is implied)?” He responds “Yes, Lord; you know that I am fond (philo) of you.” Jesus says “feed my lambs.”

V16 A second time Jesus says “Simon, do you supremely (agape) love me. Simon replies “yes Lord you know that I am fond (philo) of you.” Jesus says “tend my sheep.”

V17 A third time Jesus says “Simon are you fond (philo) of me?” Jesus now uses the word Peter has been using. Peter is hurt because of the questioning. This is opening a wound for him, he has denied his love for Jesus and now Jesus keeps questioning him about the depth of his love. Peter replies “Lord you know (Greek=in an academic sense) everything; you know (Greek=experienced my failure by denial) that I am fond (philo) of you.” Peter can go no farther in his claim for his love for Jesus. In the past he has boasted mightily about his love and he failed at the time of trial. He is now humbled, no longer will he claim more than he can provide as he knows through testing this boasting will be revealed. Jesus responds “Feed my sheep.” Jesus understands Peter’s hesitation to claim more than he can provide so he uses the same word for love that Peter has been using. Jesus also knows that Peter’s love will grow for him through experience and be built on a firm foundation. Peter will never again deny Jesus and will eventually go to the cross himself because of this belief and supreme love. He gives Peter a mission, to feed and tend Jesus’ flock. Peter isn’t to return to fishing for fish but for men.

V18 Jesus tells Peter that when he was younger he did what he wished but as he grows older and more experienced in Jesus’ love he will go where Jesus directs him too and he will proclaim what Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, tells him too.

V19 For this Peter will be crucified. Jesus gives Peter his last directions “Follow me.” Peter is to care for and feed the lambs of Jesus, the people who are in Jesus’ community. He is to follow the teachings of Jesus and proclaim it to those lambs. He is to “fish and catch men” for Jesus’ flock. To follow means to travel with Jesus.

Are you a disciple of Jesus? Do you follow him? Since Jesus isn’t here to physically follow around do you read his teachings in the Bible in order to know him? To follow means to step out and go where you may not want to. Are you willing to do this?

In 64 AD Peter and his wife were crucified in Rome on crosses. His wife was crucified first and as she died he told her to” remember the Lord”. Peter felt unworthy to be crucified as Jesus had been so he requested to be crucified upside down.