Wednesday in the Word...John 21:7-14...a shoreline breakfast

Here is a great shot from a Canadian fishing site with some satisfied customers.  It is those top notch fishing guide services that offer a shore side meal as a part of the package.  We will see this played out today with the chief cook being Jesus offering up some fresh fruit cooked over a charcoal fire and some warm bread.  This is the set up for a conversation that He, Jesus, wants to have with Peter.  

Today's Wednesday in the Word will be covering John chapter 21 and verse 7 through 14, which read,

v.7 - Therefore the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord."  So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea.

The guy on the shore giving the fishermen in the boat advice on how they should fish is Jesus.  John, known as the disciple whom Jesus loved in his gospel, has some good eyesight and points this out to the older Peter.  As soon as Peter gets confirmation, he puts back on his outer clothing and this seems odd if you are jumping into the water to swim because you tend to take clothing off.  It could be Peter is overwhelmed by the news and he abandons his boat, his buds, and his bass.  He is leaving it all again to be with Jesus.  Remember the first time?  Luke 5:11 says,

When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

v.8 - But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging a net full of fish.

"Hey Peter, where are you going?  We could really use your help here!"  It seems that they had a little boat with the big fishing boat, maybe like a life raft or dingy but probably used to help with the spreading out of the nets.  The other 6 pile into it and drag the full net to shore the span of a football field.  This lets you also know how good John's eyesight was to pick out Jesus from that far away.  But, 3 to 3 1/2 years with Jesus, he probably could tell by the way He walked or even the outline of His body.

v.9 - So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread.  

Bread and fish, does that remind you of any other meal that Jesus provided?  He fed the 5,000 and the 4,000 with bread and fish and now he has breakfast prepared for the 7 disciples who had fished all night with the same fare.  Some say that a shoreline meal of fish to a fisherman is the greatest meal ever and especially when it is just caught fish from the lake.  Apparently the Guy on the shore yelling out over the water 100 yards, advice for the fisherman knew what He was talking about.  

v.10-11 - Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have now caught."  Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Much is made about the number of fish caught, 153.  I would just point out what our eyewitness John gives us to verify what happened.  A fisherman knows that eating fresh fish is better than frozen fish and therefore Jesus asks for some fresh ones.  Fishermen are also concerned about the size of the fish and these were large fish so it was a great catch.  Fishermen are also concerned about their equipment and keeping it in working order.  The net was very valuable to them and seeing that the net had not been torn would have been something to tell other fishermen about.  Jesus told them that He would train them to be fishers of men and most likely they would be talking to actual fishermen who would have gone "wow" when they heard about this event.  Peter is mentioned here again and I think it is because he will be the center of conversation in the coming verses.

v.12-13 - Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast."  None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord.  Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 

"No talking at the dinner table!"  I don't think that was the rule here but there was a silence that was noted by John.  No one was in doubt about who was serving them up bread and fish this morning.  As we have mentioned before Jesus did this at the feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000 but also when He gave the disciples the bread and the cup at the Passover Meal, the Lord's Supper.  Jesus was the one providing and serving.  In a similar way, Jesus provided Himself to be the once and for all sacrifice for sin and He served Himself to us through the invitation of the gospel for us to partake of being a part of the family of God.  Jesus is the provider and Jesus is the server.  Jesus told His disciples after the washing of their feet to imitate Him in their service.  This would be another example to imitate Jesus.  We have the opportunity to provide for others and serve them so that some very meaningful and spiritual conversations might occur and one is coming next Wednesday in the Word.

v.14 - This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

John is keeping track.  The first is John 20:19-23.  The second is John 20:26-29.  Here we have the third and the "3" number will carry into the next conversation.  John is allowing his original audience and us to see the extent of his eyewitness of the risen Lord.  "I didn't just see Him once or twice but I saw Him three times."  Of course there would be more times that John would see Him prior to Jesus' ascension but he would also experience Jesus on the Lord's Day when he experienced what he wrote of in the book of Revelation.  I think it is good to be reminded that what we are reading comes from eyewitnesses and they give us details only eyewitnesses would know.  We will end it here this morning and tackle the conversation between Peter and Jesus next Wednesday.

Pastor Adam