“Too Many Fish, Too Little Time!”

Scripture: John 21:5-19

Ever since Easter morning, the resurrected and living Jesus had been revealing himself to the faithful. They had seen the miracles he had brought to many lives, including the raising of several from the dead. But now he himself had been killed, and while they thought that because of his death that the miracles would now cease, the Lord had no intention of leaving them with this false impression.

Scripture tells us that many experienced his living presence (Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8), and each person was encouraged to not only rejoice in the new life of Christ, but to be strengthened and committed in sharing the message of hope in Jesus throughout the world. For the past five weeks, we have considered the impact that some of these sightings had on Jesus’ followers, and today we consider one more. By now, the disciples were all relatively certain that, first, their Lord had defeated the finality of the world’s death, and second, that he had something in store for them, even though they had yet to have it revealed to them. Their lives and ministries were on hold for the moment (Acts 1:4-5), but there was a sense of anticipation within them all. They had been told to wait patiently in Jerusalem for the most incredible gift they would ever receive – so when will it come, and what should they do in the meantime?

Read John 21:5-9

“Let’s go fishing!” Some might think that this decision is meant to relieve the boredom of waiting, but quite honestly, I think that it was to calm the great anticipation that was building within their spirits! What is the gift that the Father is going to send us? What will we be asked to do with it? Will it really enable us to do all that Jesus did, and even more (John 14:11-14)?

I’m not especially skilled at fishing, but my grandfather was. Whenever he had some free time, he would gather up his fishing pole, get some bait, prepare his boat, and off he would go – sometimes for the day, and sometimes for a week. Fishing was a time of relaxation and renewal for him, and he always seemed to come back with a respectable catch. But this night, the disciples didn’t seem to have as much luck.

They had spent all night out on the lake, with nothing to show for their efforts. Remember that they fished with nets, not poles and lures, so they were pretty tired by the time the stranger appeared on the shore to tell them that they were fishing on the wrong side of the boat! And he was right – with one cast of the net, the catch was incredible, even to the extent that 7 men couldn’t haul it in.

And then Jesus was recognized by John, and when he cries out in excitement, our friend, good old impetuous Peter, grabs his clothes, jumps out of the boat, and wades into shore, leaving the others to care for the bulging net. And when they arrive, Jesus is waiting for them, with preparation for a breakfast of fish and bread already underway.

But why did Jesus have to appear to them again – after all, they had already seen his living presence in the upper room. Did they need more assurance? Maybe, but there may be a couple of other, very specific reasons for this appearance.
First, these seven would be part of the core ministry of faith that was about to spread far beyond their own vision. They needed to know that God was going to not only be behind them in ministry, but that he was going to be working in and through them – that he would be providing for them through all that was about to begin.
Second, many would pooh-pooh the fact that Jesus was living, and would try to convince them that he was only “living” as an image in their anxious minds and hearts. They had to know for certain that their first encounter with the Living Christ was not a vision, was not some manifestation that their troubled minds had conjured up. Sharing fellowship and a meal together had a powerful significance for them, as they had known this part of Jesus throughout their time together, and they had to know that this would never change.

Read John 21:10-14

Even though there is already enough fish on the fire, Jesus tells the men to bring him some more. There are a lot of theological opinions as to the significance of the net and the number of fish, but I think that Jerome, a rather controversial priest and theologian of the mid-4th century, has about the best explanation.
He believed that the net represents the future Church, and that no matter how many come to Christ, there will always be a place for all. He also felt that the fish themselves were not only many in number, but include many different species of fish, also telling us that it isn’t just one group or nation that will be welcome, but that all will be invited in. Inclusion of the Gentiles hadn’t been accepted yet, but this was Jesus’ way of saying that not only would it happen, but that it was God’s Will that it would happen.
In addition, I think it is significant that Peter is the one who went to drag the bulging net up on shore. In a few more verses, Jesus would tell this disciple specifically that he would be charged with the care and feeding of the Church Universal. Peter would not only rise to lead the Council of Jerusalem, but he would also be one who would be shown specifically that the Gentiles, who the law of Moses would have us believe are unclean and unworthy, are just as worthy as he is.

Jesus’ teaching never ends – not for the followers of his day, and not for his followers of this day!

Read John 21:15-17

Jesus asks Peter three questions that appear to be identical, and at Peter’s reply, he offers an additional three nearly identical charges. Most theologians see the 3 questions as Jesus’ effort to bring Peter - who had denied him 3 times - back into the love of God. And this certainly has some relevance for us, but I believe that each question and each response are important in and of themselves.

The first question is “Do you love me more than these?” The beach, the boat, the net and fish, the other 6 disciples, and all of nature surrounds them, and I believe that the Lord is asking Peter if his love of the Lord is greater than his connection to the things of earth. In denying Christ, Peter was proclaiming his loyalty to worldly life, instead of spiritual life. Jesus wanted him to reaffirm his love for the way of God.
And when Peter says that he does, indeed, love the Lord, he receives the first command for his ministry – “Feed my lambs.” He is being called to nourish and teach the newest followers in the love of Christ, and that he must never exclude or discourage any who desire a relationship with the Lord.

The second and third questions are “Do you love me?” By asking the question twice, Jesus is telling Peter that a shallow and superficial love of him will never suffice. Loving Jesus must always be an “all in” type of love – if, that is, a life in him is to mean anything.
But the charge that Peter receives each time is slightly different. The first is to “Take care of my sheep”, and the second is to “Feed my sheep”. “Caring” is a call to protect, to sustain, to know their needs and to provide for them. And that would become a very important task for the new Church. Deacons would be appointed to do this very thing, especially for widows and orphans. (Acts 6:1-6) But “Feeding” is different – it is a call to nourish the flock spiritually with the best teaching, the teaching that has only come from Jesus. And it isn’t only new believers who need this attention – we all do. And the first apostles would find that this would be a constant struggle for them. False teaching would thrive as worldly thought and opposition would constantly come against the truth of Christ, and it had to be exposed for the lies it held.

The call that Christ places upon Peter’s shoulders is the same one that is given to every one of us. Committed and experienced believers are to make faith development for new believers a priority.
The Lord also calls us to “care” for all who enter the Church in search of relief from life’s burdens. Life is difficult enough, without having to struggle through it alone. When one comes under attack from the world – whether from the external forces of evil, or from the frailty of human existence - the Church must be the first line of support and defense to help each other through those times.
And the nourishing, the “feeding” within the Church must be tied to all that Jesus taught, and all that the Holy Spirit inspires. This also must include the rejection of all of the “poisoned food” of evil ways, the ones that are inspired by the false spirits of earth and Satan.

Read John 21:18-19

Following the way, the truth, the life of Jesus is not a decision to enter into lightly. The early apostles would discover this throughout the ministry they were called to. There would be hatred, lies, beatings, ridicule, rejection, and even death, and it all would be heaped upon those who simply offered the love of God to the people of earth. And the old saying “Somethings never change!” is especially true for all who call Jesus Christ Lord and Savior. But while the Christian life here on earth may not be easy, it is still far more satisfying, and eternally more rewarding, than anything that the world can offer. Peter would come to know that, and countless millions throughout the ages have claimed that truth, too.
Do our lives bring glory to God, as theirs have, or are we still missing the mark in our walk of faith? When Jesus and his life become our guiding light and principle, it is then that we can rejoice that he is ours, and that we are truly his.