Jesus is Lord

What has happened?

Jesus has died on the cross, and he has been raised from the dead, and he’s appeared to his disciples … first he appeared to Mary in the garden, he’s appeared to Cleopas and another on the road, he’s appeared to all of the disciples twice by entering into a locked room!

And all of that was either in or very close to Jerusalem, but this time he is appearing to them by the Sea of Galilee.

It’s a little bit interesting … why are they in a different place? They’ve gone back to their homes. They’re probably still a bit confused. And some of them have gone back to their old job of fishing - probably to get some food and make some money for their families.

What happens …

But they caught nothing … They were out all night, and they caught nothing.

These guys are old hands, they know how to fish, they’ve spent their lives learning how to do it. Maybe they feel like they’ve lost their touch!

But then this person from the shore asks if they’ve caught any fish and they say no, and he tells them to throw their net on the other side. I’m sure they’ve put the nets on every side by now … but this time they have such a huge catch of fish that it is too large to pull the net into the boat, so they have to drag it behind them.

Then … they realise that this is like the other miracles that Jesus always did … and they realise that it is him. ‘It is the Lord’ they say.

It reminds me of the time again on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus calms the storm … and they ask, ‘who is this that the winds and waves obey him?’ … This time it’s the sea and the fish who Jesus has authority over.

What does it mean to say that Jesus is Lord?

What is a Lord? …

I think they think of his as their Master … they one who they follow … for the last three years he’s been a teacher, he’s done miracles, he’s helped them and encouraged them and challenged them … he’s stood up to the authorities who have not been treating the people kindly … he’s loved the people on the fringe in particular, the people who get forgotten

But he is more than just a good and wise Master - a leader who they follow and choose to serve

He also died on a cross when he had done nothing wrong … he was wrongly accused … and then he was buried in a tomb. Then a few days later he was alive again … and now he appears to them and comforts them again and he has authority over creation and does miraculous things.

When they say that Jesus is Lord, they mean that he is God standing right before them … God who is with them … God who knows them … and they are choosing to follow him and do what he asks them to do.

A few verses before, Thomas, when he first sees the risen Jesus … when he sees the wounds from where Jesus was on the cross … he says ‘My Lord and my God’

Towards the end of the first century, around a similar time to when John was writing this Gospel account, the Roman emperor Domitian decided that he should be called ‘our Lord and God’. He decided that for himself and made other people say it about him.

But Jesus’ disciples choose to say it about Jesus for themselves … because of who he is and all that they have seen him do … they know that he is not just any leader or wise master, this is God who is with them and they are choosing to follow him.

When we say that Jesus is Lord … we say that he is before everyone and everything … he is our Lord and God who has plans and purposes for our lives … and we choose to follow him.