That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the lake. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

John 21:7-14

A friend of mine has been waging a fierce battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, and she recently asked me what would happen to her on the other side of her last breath. I told her about God’s promises about eternity, and she was comforted, as were her family members listening nearby. Looking at these dear people gathered around the bed, a thought occurred to me. What would happen to them? For nearly five years, every hour of their day had been focused on managing and easing her suffering. But in the not-too-distant future, she would be gone, and so would the hospital bed, the breathing apparatus, the wheelchair, and all the medical paraphernalia. For those who remain behind, what’s next when the focus of life is gone, when the bed is cold, and the house is quiet?

Jesus had been that kind of figure in the disciples’ lives. One day he was their center of gravity, and the next he was gone. What to do next? Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” He decided to go back to work. Six other disciples joined him. Aside from Jesus, it was the most familiar thing in their lives. You’ve probably read how their night of fishing yielded nothing but empty nets, and how at first light, a stranger appeared on the shore and gave them fishing instructions. When they couldn’t pull in the huge haul of fish, they realized the stranger was Jesus.

This was now the third time Jesus had appeared to them after his death. Previously, Peter had remained in the shadows because he was still haunted by his denial of Christ. This time when Peter saw Jesus on the beach, he held nothing back and swam to shore.

Peter had every reason to expect that he would get grilled about his past failure, but Jesus didn’t do that. Instead, he focused on what Peter had learned and on what he would do next time.

Whichever side of our last breath we’re on, our gracious Lord desires to release us from our past and offer to us a glorious future. All we have to do is go to him.

Questions for reflection:

When you go to Jesus, what part of your habits and behaviors are you most nervous to talk with him about? What have you learned from your failures? In what ways has Jesus surprised you the most?

Prayer:

Gracious God, thank you for being so much more concerned with my future than with my past. Help me to see what I need to confess and release so that I can move on and embrace the future you have for me. Amen.

Context:

John 21:1-19

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.  When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me."