Jesus Appears and Restores

Jesus Feeds the Hungry

CHAPTER 21 IS about discipleship and leadership. As its story unfolds, Peter remains in the spotlight (along with the Beloved Disciple, John), modeling for us what it means to shepherd the flock of Christ. The disciples have now not only witnessed the resurrection of Jesus, but they have experienced the Spirit. They know the truth and have experienced the Spirit of truth. One question remains: What will they do with it? Will they simply privatize these spiritual moments with Jesus or will these moments lead them somewhere significant?

Δεῦτε (DUH-TEH) ἀριστήσατε (AIR-UH-STAY-SA-TUH)

It's interesting that Tiberias was the place where Jesus fed the crowds in John 6:1. Here Jesus feeds them, not only physically, but with teaching to emulate, as well.

All Had Denied Jesus

All had denied Jesus in some manner

Peter

Thomas doubted

Nathanael

sons of Zebedee

other two disciples (?)

Jesus as Light Revealed (ἐφανέρωσεν)

The first verse tells us Jesus is going to appear again, but the Greek word for “appear” (phaneroo) is more than just to be visible. Some translations use the word “manifest”. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words tells us: to be manifested is to be revealed in one's true character. Keep in mind that this what is about to happen. We are about to see again the true character of Jesus as we saw Him when He washed the feet of the disciples (John 13:3-5).

Jesus as the light revealed in early morning?

Gave light in showing where the fish were or how to fish

Jesus also fills them with instruction on how to be fishers of men

Already Ahead of Them

Jesus was again incognito. It seems He is only recognized when He wants to be recognized. It may have been the dim light of early morning combined with the distance that caused them not to know, or it maybe He did not want them to know yet. He called out to them, “Hey kids, No fish huh?” That is a more literal translation. I love the set up. Jesus is being playful! He has conquered death and hell, redeemed His own, and now back in the old stomping grounds, and He is teasing His dear friends. He knows what is about to happen.

Jesus is about to do the coolest thing. You see, three years earlier He approached Peter on that same shore. Peter let Jesus use his boat as a pulpit. I would like to be more like Jesus. (I mean that I prefer a boat to a pulpit.) Then Jesus had Peter push out onto the lake to fish, to reimburse him for the use of the boat. Peter complained that he had fished all night and been skunked, “But alright, whatever You say.” The nets were suddenly bulging with fish. They had to get another boat to come help. Suddenly, Peter was overwhelmed with a sense of his sinfulness in the presence of Jesus’ holiness. He fell to his knees before Jesus and asked Jesus to go away from him (Luke 5:8). That was when Jesus called him to be a disciple. We are about to see history repeat itself in a most profound way.

This is an interesting vocative. It could be a term of rank as in "slave." It is a familial term but not to be taken literally here. Spiritual children, as in, those who are spiritual offspring of Christ's spiritual fathering. Term of possible endearment.

Notice John the Beloved(?) was the first to recognize it was the "Lord," Jesus.

However, it was Simon Peter who was the first into the lake to go to Jesus.

Now I do not know if John is hinting that Peter is a little slow to catch on to things, or if Peter was just so involved in dealing with the net, but when his mind caught up with the fact that it was Jesus, he threw his outer cloak on and dove in the water. A fisherman would take their outer cloak off to fish, as it would get in the way. Jews wore two layers as we saw when Jesus’ clothing was divided (John 19:24). Impetuous Peter could not wait and realized he really did not care about the fish anymore. To take the cloak meant he was ready to go with Jesus even if the others did not make it back in time, otherwise he would have left it in the boat, as it was easier to swim without it (John 13:37). It did not matter that they just scored two weeks wages; Jesus was on the shore!

They were able to drag in the net eventually.

They could not bring the net in the boat, but they dragged it to shore (due to heavy weight of fish).

Interesting that it was Peter WITH the other disciples that finally hauled the fish onto land.

Net was Full of Large Fish

Interesting, attract(?) as in new disciples(?)

to draw a person in the direction of values for inner life, draw, attract

Not just fish but BIG (μεγάλων) fish 153

John 21:11 mentions 153 fish.

Add the 10 Commandments (OT) to 7 Spiritual Graces (Rom. 12:6-8), the sum is 17. Notice 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10+11+12+13+14+15+16+17=153.

Not just fish but BIG fish 153

153 is the number for the words ‘the church of love’ in Hebrew, or of ‘the children of God’,

Only God can make it so that our large catch of disciples is not thwarted. Only he makes the net so strong.

Leon Morris quoted R. H. Strachan about the net not breaking by stating, “This would signify that the Church’s resource, with Christ in its midst, are never overstrained.”

With Christ in the midst directing the work the resources are never overstrained. Nothing, in a person or a group of persons, is beyond his power and grace. Serving Christ in our own strength, trying to do it our own way, is like trying to win an Auburn Baseball Game without a bat. But led and sustained by Christ’s strength, the net will never tear.

Come be filled! Yay! Jesus satisfies our needs in terms of spiritual satiety and surely God provides for our physical needs, as well.

They knew their Lord by physical resemblance, they also knew of His provision from Him in times past. The Lord and his disciples truly know one another at this point in their relationship. May we know our Lord as intimately as they disciples did.

Already ahead of them in terms of making food (fish) and bread

And also ahead of them as a spiritual teacher

Jesus provided the food they needed. Symbolism for spiritual as well as physical?

Notice Jesus "takes" and then "gives" or "grants" the bread and fish to the disciples. Spiritual food as well as new disciples (?)

Three meaning of completeness?

Threefold execution of an act makes it definitive; threefold utterance of a word, expression, or sentence, gives it full validity and power

Repeating a statement three times renders it legally binding; indeed, in a mnemonic culture this practice can virtually replace written contracts (J. B. Bauer, SacVb III, 911).

Jesus goes away and prays a third time (Matt 26:44) and finds the disciples sleeping (Mark 14:41).

Only after the third servant does the owner send his son (Luke 20:12).

Pilate questions the Jews three times to render their judgment legally binding (Luke 23:22).

Jesus appears a third time to his disciples (John 21:14).

Finally, breakfast was finished, and Jesus spoke. Peter’s heart must have skipped a beat when he heard the Lord’ s words as recorded in verse 15: “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” The Lord was asking, “Simon, do you truly love me? After all that has happened, and you know what I mean, can you truly say you love me? And do you love me more than these other disciples do?” John does not say what ran through Peter’s mind at these cutting words, but from our own experience we can imagine. His heart probably began to race, his stomach churned, his cheeks burned, and his eyes misted. This was a tense moment.

The threefold denial of Jesus by Peter (Mk. 14:30 and par.; 14:72 and par.) shows how fully he departs from a relation of obedience and loyalty to Jesus in this situation → I, 470, 11 ff. That the emphatic τρίτον in Jn. 21:17 alludes to the threefold denial is quite possible but is not suggested by the text itself.

What is plainly accentuated in the context is Jesus’ question as to Peter’s love for Him;45 this becomes a very penetrating question. Also emphasised by twofold repetition is Peter’s answer and his commissioning by Jesus. Both these are fully valid. Jn. 21:14 stresses the fact that in the incident of vv. 4–13 Jesus revealed Himself a third time to the disciples as the Risen Lord.

In this way vv. 4–13 are connected with 20:19–23, 24–29, and it is indicated that there is full certainty as to the fact of the resurrection, cf. ἤδη (v. 14).

Just as Jesus has feed the lambs and the sheep, He commands Peter to feed his lambs

Thus examples from the following period give evidence that there is always a sense of the metaphor when congregational leaders are called shepherds; the same is true of passages in which the verb ποιμαίνειν is used for the work of such leaders (1 Pt. 5:2; Ac. 20:28; Jn. 21:16) or the noun ποίμνιον is used for the congregation, → 501, 23 ff. These shepherds are the leaders of the local church (πρεσβύτεροι in 1 Pt. 5:1; Ac. 20:17; ἐπίσκοποι in Ac. 20:28), or the bishop in Ign. (Phld., 2, 1; R., 9, 1); only in Jn. 21:15–17, which describes the appointment of Peter as a shepherd by the Risen Lord, does the whole church seem to have been in view as the sphere of activity. The pastor’s task is to care for the congregation (Ac. 20:28; 1 Pt. 5:2–4; Ign. Phld., 2, 1; R., 9, 1), to seek the lost (Mt. 18:12–14; cf. 12:30 par. Lk. 11:23), and to combat heresy (Ac. 20:29 f.). The fulfilment of this task by the pastor is to be an example for the flock, 1 Pt. 5:3. The chief Shepherd (→ 494, 5 ff.) will recognise the ministry of the pastors on His appearing, v. 4.

To follow as a disciple of Jesus, to live as one with Jesus as Lord and as the head of the Church. To follow Jesus even in a way so similar to the way in which Christ was crucified. Self-giving love to Jesus, our Lord, that brings glory to God, brings in new disciples (by the power of God), and helps the Church leaders to nurture, protect, guide and spiritually feed the flock. Only Christ can ultimately provide that spiritual food, however.

It becomes clear that each shepherd of the flock of God, of Jesus’ sheep, of the church of God, is to mirror both authority and a certain brokenness that is utterly exemplary.

How do we make our love for Christ the highest priority in our lives? First, we must be absolutely honest about the level of our love. Secondly, we need to spend time with him, because the more time we spend with him, the more we will love him. How much time have we spent with him in the last month? We spend time with those we love.

I think this was the key to Mother Teresa’s life. When she was wiping the wounds of someone who would not be in this world much longer, she acted as though she was wiping Jesus’ wounds. When she scrubbed a floor, she was scrubbing Jesus’ floor.

We need to have a conscious sense that we are serving because we love him, so that when he says, “Do you love me?” we can say, “Lord, you know all things. You know I love you.”

On that shore we shall see Jesus fully revealed to us. On that shore we shall no longer see through a glass darkly. On that shore we shall be a part of the largest worshipping church that ever existed. On that shore we shall be in full communion with our brothers and sisters from every nation, including believers from Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Iraq.

On that shore we shall sit in uninterrupted company with our Lord, eternally enjoying the feast of his glorious presence.

In the meantime we crave his presence. Let us enter into a time of holy communion.