Self-Effort or Spiritual Power

Introduction

This last chapter of the book of John is an epilogue that along with the prologue (1:1-18) bookends the main part of the Gospel of John.

Just because this is a prologue does not mean that it does nit have meaning.

It serves as a conclusion to the Gospel and answers a number of questions raised by in the minds of the readers.

1.) it answers shows who will care for the disciples after Jesus return to the Father.

2.) It brings closure to the story of Peter.

3.) It addresses a false rumor that John would not die before the Lords return

4.) It tells why John did not included the “many other signs and wonders” done by Jesus.

5.) It talks about the future of the disciples and if Jesus would still protect them from the world.

6.) It reinforces that John is the beloved disciple.

7.) By writing a prologue it gives the book a since of balance and form.

The biggest part of the prologue show that the disciples have to make a choice to chose to go back to their old ways before they met Jesus or continue down this new road He had put them on.

This choice had only 2 options:

1.) are we own our own (Human Ability)

2.) Do we follow Christ (Divine Ability)

Human Weakness and Failure vv 1-5

Its not known how much time has elapsed between chapter 20 and now but the disciples have left Jerusalem and went back to the the northern part of Galilee as Jesus had told them to.

If you read the Gospels as a whole story then when you read this passage then you begin to pick up on the fact that something here is wrong the disciples were not where they were suppose to be.

In the book of Matthew Jesus told them to go to a specific spot and wait for Him there. Matt 28:16

Matthew 28:16 ESV

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

They clearly got tired of waiting for Him and started to follow their own plan.

When you are doing something new it is often so easy to fall back to what you know and to what is easy rather than pushing yourself and following a new path.

Big surprise here Peter is the first one too go off plan and say “I’m going to do something I know how to do, I’m going fishing”

He was not suggesting that they do some recreational fishing to pass the time, but rather was declaring that he was returning to his former livelihood.

Three lines of evidence support that conclusion.

1.) In 16:32 Jesus had predicted that the disciples would abandon Him: “Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home.” The word “home” was added by the translators; the Greek text reads simply, “his own,” which encompasses one’s home, property, possessions, and affairs (cf. 1 Thess. 4:11 where the same Greek phrase is translated “your own business”). Christ’s prediction thus implies more than that the disciples would return to their own houses.

2.)The use of the definite article with the noun translated boat suggests a specific boat, probably one belonging to one of the disciples (or even Peter himself).

3.) The Lord’s challenge to Peter in verse 15, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” is best interpreted when “these” is seen as a reference to the boats, nets, and other paraphernalia associated with his fishing business.

The Lord was calling Peter to turn his back on his former livelihood and be totally committed to serving Him.

The Lord was trying to teach the disciples a lesion here that their lives were no longer about that.

They had a new calling and a new mission.

They were going to be fishers of Men.

Once again we see that unless Jesus reveled Himself to someone they did not recognize Him as the person they knew.

The disciples’ failure through that long night established their inability to give themselves successfully to any other enterprise than serving their Lord.

Not only had they dramatically been brought face-to-face with their own inability and divine sovereignty, but they were also next shown a miraculous creative act, demonstrating that Jesus would continue to provide their needs.

Divine Power and Success vv 6-14

Just think what it must have been like for the men in the boat that morning.

Not knowing why Jesus called them here.

Not knowing His full plan for their future

Going back to a craft that you had know our whole life and not being able to do that

Then all of a sudden someone from the shoreline starts telling you how to do something you have done your whole life.

This is the same thing that happened in Luke 5:1-7

Luke 5:1–7 ESV

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

It was at this point that John understood who the person was that was on the shore line telling them were to drop their nets.

This also once again shows the difference between John and Peter

John was the first to perceive

Peter was the first to act

Peters desire to be with Jesus was intense that he could not wait for the boat to come into shore he jumps and swims to meet Jesus.

Showing His compassionate care for the tired, hungry disciples, Jesus had prepared breakfast for them, perhaps miraculously creating the fish as He had done before (6:11–13).

Now the risen Lord showed that He would still serve the disciples who were faithful to Him by meeting their needs—which they had been unable in disobedience to meet themselves.

Just as their disobedience had resulted in failure, the disciples’ obedience brought overwhelming success.

The miraculous catch of fish and the meal He provided for them demonstrated to the disciples that Jesus could and would still meet their needs.

This story also reminds all believers that obedience always brings blessing

The point at the historical moment this event happened and the primary sense of the event was to overcome the disciples’ fear of failure and weakness that was causing them to drift back into their old ways.

What the Lord did here settled forever in the minds of the apostles that they were called to serve the Lord Jesus Christ for the rest of their lives.

The Lord, as always, uses weak and sinful people to advance His kingdom because there are no other kinds of people.

Benedictions 006 Benediction

006 BENEDICTION

May the Lord guide you always;

May you be like a well-watered garden,

Like a spring whose waters never fail.

When you cry for help, may the Lord always say,

‘Here am I’