Disciples at the Sea
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Intro:
TS: John concludes his gospel with one more appearance of Jesus.
These aren’t all of His appearances. Paul summarized this time period between Jesus’ resurrection and accession in 1 Cor 15:3-7
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.
After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
The Sea of Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) John 6:1 is very much connected with the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ before and after His resurrection.
After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
This is an amazing group of men.
Here is Simon Peter, warm hearted, yet often impulsive.
Here is Thomas, that magnificent skeptic, who has a question mark for a brain.
Here is Nathanael, the wisecracker, who was also a doubter at the beginning.
Here are James and John, sons of thunder (Zebedee), and John is the writer of this Gospel.
And there are two other disciples here who are not named.
Perhaps this small group of men represents a cross section of society; perhaps this little group represents you and me.
It was springtime at the Sea of Tiberias, and the warm winds made ripples near the shore.
The surrounding hills were green and beautifully adorned with wild flowers.
The Fishermen and the Sea
The Fishermen and the Sea
Jesus had told the disciples He would see them Galilee. Mt 28:16
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.
That is likely why they had returned to Galilee. While there awaiting Jesus’ arrival, they decided to go fishing.
They had to wait on Jesus and did something to occupy their time. It is easy to return to old habits when waiting, and that is what they did.
(John 21:1–2
After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself:
Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.
Though they fish all night they catch nothing.
I like catching fish.... it is the long wait that looses me many times. I can feel their frustration!
These disciples knew how to fish, but that night of total failure was also in the plan and purpose of God.
AP: Times of waiting
Google’s AI overview describes Christian waiting this way:
In Christianity, waiting is a spiritual discipline that involves active dependence on God and obedience to him.
It's not a passive activity of waiting around for something to happen, but rather a process of becoming what God wants us to be.
Some Biblical wisdom on waiting:
1 Remember that God is in charge:
Consider the work of God; For who can make straight what He has made crooked?
In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.
2 Remember we are dependent on God
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
3 Seek the Lord in constant prayer
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Wait on the Lord.
Next, lets notice
The Fisher of Men on the Shore
The Fisher of Men on the Shore
The Outline Bible (Section Outline Twenty-One (John 21))
But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.”
And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.
But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish.
Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.
They didn’t recognize Him.
This seems to be common to encounters with the risen Lord
Standing there, unrecognized, Jesus calls out, asking if they have caught any fish. They reply that they have not.
He tells them to throw their net on the right-hand side of the boat.
This is a breach from normal protocol, but they listened and did as instructed
Immediately the net is filled with fish!
Peter may not have the discernment of John, but have you noticed that at every opportunity Peter gets as close as possible to his Lord?
John recognized it had to be Jesus because of His supernatural knowledge and power.
The other men sit in the boat and wait until they get to shore, but not Peter.
Peter can’t wait, and he cast himself into the sea to be close to his Lord.
When all the disciples arrive, they find fish frying over a fire and some bread.
Jesus created breakfast instead of waiting for the disciples to reach shore.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”
Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.
Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord.
Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.
This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.
There are 153 large fish in the net!
This detail is another indication that John was an eyewitness
Jesus now invites them to breakfast and personally serves them!
What a great visual reminder that Jesus provides all their needs.
They needed that reassurance after the events of His death and resurrection
They knew He was going away, and needed this lesson in His provision.
AP: We too need to be reminded of Christ’s provision
We all have needs. We also have desires
Telling them apart is often difficult.
We can rely on him to supply all our needs
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
A couple of thought on His provision:
1 Christ’s provision may be different than we expect.
This lesson has spoken to me over the years. Ask God to provide for you in whatever way he deems fit. Don’t grumble against God’s supernatural, unexpected ways.
Maybe you are at a job and doing work different than what you had expected or hoped for. Don’t always wish for something different. Don’t constantly dream about being somewhere else, doing something else. Be present. Give your all to your current job, and always be thankful. This doesn’t mean you can’t move towards the job of your dreams, but it might inspire the faith to stop complaining about the way God has provided for you in the current moment, and instead invest yourself fully wherever you are.
2 God provides more of Himself
He is what we need more than anything else. Often we get so consumed with our physical needs and desires, that we forget this.
Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
3 He already made provision for our Greatest need.
In Christ’s atonement and the gospel message we find provision for our greatest need.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Wait on the Lord well
Trust God to supply our needs.