This transcript was produced using AI and it may contain errors.

The Gospel of John chapter 21 the first 19 verses if you have your Bible you can open there and read along if you don't you can see it on the screen. Here now the Word of the Lord. After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberius and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter called Thomas. Simon Peter Thomas called the twin Nathaniel of Cana and Galilee the sons of Zebedee and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them I'm going fishing. They said to him we'll go with you and they went out and got into the boat but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking Jesus stood on the shore yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them children do you have any fish? They answered him no. He said to them cast on the right side of the boat and you will find some. So they cast and now they were not able to haul it in because of the quantity of the fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter it is the Lord. When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord he put on his outer garment for he was stripped for work and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat dragging the net full of fish for they were not far from the land but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land they saw a charcoal fire in place with fish laid on it and bread. Jesus said to them bring some of the fish that you've just caught. So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore full of large fish. A hundred and fifty three of them and although there were so many the net was not torn Jesus said to them come and have breakfast. Now none of the disciples dared to ask him who are you they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they'd finished breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon son of John do you love me more than these. He said to him yes Lord you know that I love you. He said to him feed my lambs. He said to him a second time Simon son of John do you love me. He said to him yes Lord you know that I love you. He said to him tend my sheep. He said to him a third time Simon son of John do you love me. Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time do you love me. And he said Lord you know everything. You know that I love you. Jesus said to him feed my sheep. Truly truly I say to you when you were young you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted but when you were old you will stretch out your hands and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go. This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God and after saying this he said to him follow me. Father in heaven as we come to your word we pray that you would add to the reading the blessing of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name Amen. Now when you've been in the ministry as long as I have which is going on 40 years please don't try to add it and figure out how old I am. You had many opportunities to talk on Easter Sunday morning to preach on Easter Sunday morning and so there's always a sort of a decision to make as to which passage I going to talk about because there's none of them that I haven't preached on and some of them that I've preached on here with you in the last 11 Easters. So today I want to talk to you about this passage we read. There are several things about this passage that strike me as I read it. The disciples are fishing and Jesus is on the shore and when they catch the fish and they're coming ashore it says when they got out on land they saw a charcoal fire in place with fish laid on it and bread. What's going on here? Jesus wasn't fishing they were fishing they caught 153 fish but Jesus already had fish he already had a fire he already had bread. How did that happen? The other thing about it is Jesus is eating. Now there's an account in Luke where Jesus shows up in Luke 24 beginning in verse 36 he shows up in the upper room with the disciples he says peace to you and they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit and he said to them why are you troubled and why do your doubts enter your heart see my hands and feet it is myself touch me and see for a spirit does not have flesh and bones that you see I have and he showed them his hands and feet and they were marveling he said then do you have anything to eat the game of peace of broiled fish and he took and ate it before them. So Jesus is in a spirit he's been raised in the same body that was crucified and yet he can show up on the shore unannounced and have a fire going with fish and bread. Where did he get it? Now this is a detail that if you're making up a story about something that didn't happen you wouldn't include it because it gives rise to too many questions the only reason that you would include it is if it happened and that's the first thing I want us to notice is the authenticity of the gospel accounts this passage is a great example of that the disciples didn't know it was Jesus now if you're making it up you wouldn't say that now you might say well fiction writers say things like that all the time in order to prove not to prove in order to make it sound authentic and they do but that form of fiction did not exist at the time of Jesus in fact it didn't exist for over a thousand years after Jesus so in order to believe that this detail was added so that it would sound more realistic sound more authentic you would have to believe that the gospel writers one time only use this form of prose and then nobody ever did it again for a thousand years it's not believable in verse 7 the disciple whom Jesus loves that it's the Lord and Simon Peter herded he put on his garment jumped in the sea and that's exactly the opposite of what you would expect to happen I mean most people take off garments to go swimming again why would you make this up verse 11 Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net full of large fish 153 of them now 153 is quite a detail and it's an unnecessary detail there's been all sorts of really silly speculations by theologians over the years exactly 153 meant but the most likely reason is that somebody counted and included it in the story none of the disciples dared ask him who are you it seems there's been a recognition problem they didn't immediately recognize Jesus Mary Magdalene at the tomb thought he was a gardener the disciples on the Mayest Road didn't recognize him at first and if you're writing an account trying to convince people that something happened that didn't happen it doesn't make sense to add doubt to the story but the gospels are full of incidents which make the adherence of this new religion look bad for example the disciples squabble over who is the greatest in fact the mother of James and John asked Jesus to make sure that James and John can sit on the right and left of him when he comes to his kingdom another is when Jesus feeds the 5,000 remember they take up 12 baskets of scraps when he feeds the 4,000 they take up seven baskets of scraps and yet on these occasions the disciples are still worried about where they're going to get lunch that's not very complimentary of the people that are supposedly starting this new religion they're unable to perform an exorcism they rebuke children from coming to see Jesus and Jesus tells them suffer the little children to come to me and forbid them not and at the very end although they promised they promised that they would never desert him they did even Peter denied him like a coward after his death or while he was imprisoned there are other examples of these things which don't make sense unless they happen Jesus inaugural miracle was at a wedding to help a couple avoid social embarrassment and during this it seems he was crossed with his mother Duke University professor the late Reynolds price said the story reeks of authenticity it's not only the Gospels but many of the Bible's main characters have flaws and failings for example you remember the story of Noah after after the flood and after they come safely ashore he gets drunk Abraham when his wife Sarah was unable to conceive had a baby with Sarah's maid Hagar two times Abraham when confronted when when visiting sojournings through other lands tried to pass off his sister as his wife I mean his wife as his sister twice his son Isaac does the same thing with Rebecca Jacob cheats his brother Esau Moses kills an Egyptian David commits adultery with one of his friend's wife and then has him killed then we have the disciples as I mentioned now so what's going on here so much of modern evangelicals try to hold up Bible characters as great examples of character but that misses the point entirely because the Bible is not about God's people at least not primarily they are not the heroes in the Bible God is the Bible is the story of his redemption of lost sinners through his son Jesus Christ and all of these people with all of their faults with all of their failings with all of their foibles they're saved by a merciful redeeming God so the story is authentic second thing is is there's a reminder much of Israel's religious worship revolved around remembering what God has done for us it almost always involves food Passover unleavened bread first fruits or harvest feast of the weeks feast of trumpets Rosh Hashanah the day of atonement Yom Kippur the feast of booths or tabernacles all of these are food related remembrances of what God has done for Christians we remember the atoning death of Christ on the cross and his propitiation for our sins when we celebrate the Lord's Supper and here in this passage Jesus calls the disciples once again to share a meal with him but it isn't just food it's a reminder of what he has done for them maybe you remember the story of the great catch of fish in Luke chapter 5 this is sort of a a bookend to Jesus ministry with Peter especially because Peter was a fisherman remember they were fishing but the lake of Ganesara Jesus was teaching on the shore he borrowed one of the boats and put it out into the lake when he sat down he taught the people and when he had finished he said put out of the deep and let your nets down for a catch and Simon said master we toiled all night and took nothing but at your word I will let down the nets I was going to try to do a Jewish accent but I changed my mind and when they had done this they enclosed a large number of fish and the nets were breaking this this is the same kind of thing that we just read about in John 21 here in Luke 5 at the beginning of Simon ministry with him or Jesus ministry with Simon the nets were breaking they signal to their partners in the other boat to come and help them but when Simon Peter saw it he fell down at Jesus knees and said depart for me for I am a sinful man Oh Lord for he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken so also were James and John sons of Zebedee who were partners with Simon and Jesus said to them said to Simon do not be afraid from now on you will be catching men when they had brought their boats to land they left everything and followed him now they've they've left everything and followed him and now Peter here maybe because he is still feeling guilt over his denial of Jesus he decides to go back to fishing and we don't know if it's a one-time thing or if they just decided they're gonna go back to fishing altogether but Jesus in this chapter is reminding them that their task is not to be fishers of fish their life's work is to be fishers of men to be evangelist to proclaim the good news to be missionaries by repeating this great catch of fish he's excuse me he's reminding them of who they are and what they're to be doing by including the bread and the breakfast he's reminding them of the feeding of the 5,000 and 4,000 when he provided so much food by multiplying the lows in the fishes he's reminding them by engaging all of their senses sight touch smell sound taste are all involved in the reminder of who he is what he's done who they are and what they're called to do and I think this is a reminder or a example of how we should remind ourselves of the same thing we gather on Sunday morning and we sing and pray together we hear the Bible taught together we talk and share food with each other afterwards we do these things we're reminded of the same things as the disciples who God is what he has done for us in his son Jesus we are to do we especially affirm these things when we eat and drink the Lord's supper together but we need to remind ourselves is where we remind ourselves of God's grace and mercy goodness to us how how do we do that I mean Jesus isn't going to show up on shore with breakfast for us at least he hasn't for me so how do we do this first of all you have to regularly read God's Word time for that let me remind you of God's Word through Moses in the book of Deuteronomy take to heart all the words which I am commanding you today that you may come and to your children that you may be careful to do all the words of this law for it is no empty word for you but your very life by this word you shall live long in the land you are going over the Jordan to possess it is no empty word another version says it's no idle word I don't know I can't know without asking each individual person how often you read your Bible how much of your Bible you read you do but it should be a daily thing because it isn't an idle word for you and this is how we are connected with the Lord this is how we spend time with Jesus scriptures are about the importance of knowing God the word of God trains us in Paul's second letter to Timothy he says all scriptures inspired by God and profitable for teaching for reproof for correction for training in righteousness the man of God may be adequate equipped for every good work the word of God directs us your lamp your word is a lamp to my feet and the light to my path Psalm 119 we're some meditate on God's Word the word of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you meditate on it day and night and be careful to do according to all that is written in it for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have success the word of God is our sword and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God and the Bible helps us to follow God's desires man shall not live by bread alone but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and finally the word of God guides us for whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction Paul writes in Romans 15 4 so that through perseverance and encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope are we seeking God with our whole heart are we holding his word close to us but this is not the only way to be reminded Hebrews says therefore brothers since we have confidence in the holy places by the blood of Jesus by the living in new way he opened for us through the curtain that is through his flesh since we have a great priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies wash with pure water let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who has promised his faithful and let us to consider how to stir one another up to love and good works not neglecting to meet together as the day is drawing near now I notice we have an especially full church today by comparison to the last several weeks and that's a good thing and I'm happy for it but I want to encourage you to make that the normal thing do not neglect coming to worship to be reminded of who God is and that you're part of a family now I mentioned that I love nature shows several times and if you've ever seen one where the the lions hunt what you'll notice is that they work together to try to separate a weak antelope or zebra from the rest of the herd a weak one or a young one so that they can catch it and kill it and eat it and that's exactly what Peter is saying when he says our adversary the devil is like a roaring lion he's trying to panic the flock with a versity or tempt the flock with negligence or lethargy or pride when the animals stay together and face the lions the lions give up and look for easier pickings worshiping together every week studying the Bible together praying together meeting and sharing meals together since we are called to be ambassadors inviting unbelievers to hear the good news God will provide what we need both here and an ultimate sense for all of us in eternity when Jesus asked Peter three times do you love me he was restoring him by giving him the opportunity to declare three times yes lord you know that I love you and while it grieves Peter in the moment I believe it was healing for him and as an example or proof of that I want us to look at two passages in the book of acts chapter two and chapter four chapter two verse 22 Peter is preaching now this is after the holy spirit has been given listen this is compare this to the man who was sitting around the fire while Jesus was imprisoned and a servant girl said to him you were with Jesus weren't you you were one of them I was not yes you were I think I saw you with him I'm paraphrasing no I wasn't sure you were I don't even know the man so that compared with this men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a man attested you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst as you know yourselves this Jesus delivered up according to the infinite plan and foreknowledge of God you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless people who were in the world and in the village of God you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men God raised him up loosing the pangs of death because it was not possible for him to be held by it think about that what he was unwilling to admit to a servant girl around a fire with a few other in open public that Jesus is the son of God that Jesus was crucified by them that Jesus is the savior of the world that he rose from the dead what changed what changed Jesus did rise from the dead Jesus met with him and restored him Jesus sent him and the others the Holy Spirit now then there's another passage in Acts chapter 4 and what has happened is Peter and John have healed somebody a crippled man and they got into trouble for it because they were saying it was done in the name of Jesus it says then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit in verse 8 rulers of the people and elders if we're being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man by what means this man has been healed let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified whom God raised from the dead by this man by by him this man is standing before you well Jesus is the stone rejected by you the builders which has become the cornerstone and there is salvation and no one else for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved now listen to what is next now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John again boldness now cowardice then they perceived that they were uneducated common men and they were astonished and they recognized that they had been with Jesus so the question for you the question for me the question for all of us is have you been with Jesus have you been with him so much that you recognize and your spirit has been filled by your you've been filled by the Holy Spirit you're so sure of who Jesus is and what he's done for you that you will not you cannot help tell others about him so listen to what they say next so they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus but Peter and John answered them whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God you must judge for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard I wish that was true of all of us I'm going to embarrass him now but all of us on Wednesday night Bible study are continually I don't know astounded impressed surprised that Chris is always telling a story about somebody that he just met that he's talking to about the gospel and people say I'd like to know how you do that well this is how you do it you open your mouth and you start talking that's how you do it and what comes out is that you've been with Jesus that you love Jesus that you believe that he rose from the dead and you confess with your mouth that he is Lord and that you know you're saved now maybe you're here this morning and you don't know all those things I'm encouraging you then to believe in Jesus to believe that he is the Son of God that he lived a sinless life on this earth in your place he lived the life you should have lived and then he died the death that you deserve to die and then he rose from the dead and sits at the right have God the father I'm encouraging you to be with Jesus now not everybody has to be as bold as Chris I'm not sure Chris has always been bold I was kind of like that when I was first a Christian I was couldn't shut me up but I'm not I know that's not everybody but you have opportunities let's pray father thank you for your work pray that we would be people who do take the opportunity to tell others about Christ in Jesus name amen please stand