This morning we’re gathered here to celebrate the most significant event in the history of mankind – the resurrection of Jesus. In fact, that event is so important that if it is not true, we are all wasting our time here today. Paul hits the nail on the head with these words from 1 Corinthians 15:
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
1 Corinthians 1517 (ESV)
If the resurrection of Jesus is not true, then our faith and our worship here this morning are indeed futile and we might as well just wrap things up right now, eat some breakfast and return to our day-to-day lives just like the resurrection never happened. And if we did that, we’d be in good company because that’s exactly what some of Jesus’ closest friends tried to do shortly after the resurrection. In just a moment, we’ll read that account and see what we can learn about Jesus’ unfailing, persistent love for us and how that ought to impact our lives.
Our challenge this morning is not so much to try and prove that the resurrection occurred, but rather to see how the reality of that event should impact the way that we live our lives on a daily basis.
A Harris poll taken in December 2009 found that 70% of all Americans believe in the resurrection of Jesus. And just the fact that you are here this morning makes it even more likely that you share in that belief. So I’m not going to spend our time, even though it would be quite easy to do, to present you with the evidence that would prove the resurrection of Jesus as historical fact. Instead, as is my normal custom each Easter, I’d like for us to explore together how that historical event impacted the lives of those who experienced the resurrection in person and how it ought to impact our lives nearly 2,000 years later.
This morning I’ll be reading from the gospel of John. Since John was the only one of the four gospel writers who was an eyewitness of the events that he records, his accounts are full of many details that are not present in the other gospels. We’ll see that this morning as I read the first 14 verses from John chapter 21:
1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 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.
4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on 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 of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
John 21:1-14 (ESV)
This event takes place some time after the resurrection of Jesus. This is now the third time Jesus has appeared to the disciples. The first time was on the evening of His resurrection. Then he had appeared to them eight days later, when Thomas was present. Both of those appearances had taken place in or near Jerusalem. This third appearance occurs at the Sea of Galilee, which is identified here by its Roman name of the Sea of Tiberias. The disciples had gone there because Jesus had commanded them to go to Galilee and wait for Him there. (Matthew 29:10, 16)
But apparently some time has now passed and the disciples are still waiting on Jesus. This had to be a really difficult time for them. Perhaps Peter had gone home to find Mrs. Peter standing at the doorway with her hands on her hips. “Peter”, she may have said, “How long are you going to wait around for Jesus? We’ve got bills to pay and we don’t even have any food in the house.” Perhaps the other disciples had similar experiences.
So Peter returns to what he knows best and decides to go fishing. In fact, although our English translations don’t capture the idea very well, the text implies that this isn’t just an overnight fishing trip with his buddies, but that he is intending to return permanently to his old trade.
He probably figured he could not only catch some fish to feed his family, but maybe he’d even catch enough to sell some down at the fish market in Capernaum and make a little money. And the six others that were with him decide to tag along. Three years earlier these men had left their boats and their nets to follow Jesus, but now that He is not physically present with them, they have a hard time trusting in His provision, so they returned to their old life.
And they fished all night, which was the normal way of fishing on the Sea of Galilee. But they didn’t catch a thing. As dawn began to break and they got ready to return to shore empty handed, Jesus appears on the beach, but the disciples didn’t recognize Him. And He shouts out to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” Once again, in English, we don’t get the full meaning of Jesus’ question. This isn’t like when I go up to the mountains to fish and I’m walking along the stream and run into another fisherman and ask, “Any luck?” The way Jesus asks the question implies that He is expecting the answer to be “No.” In English we might ask it this way: “Children, you don’t have any fish, do you?”
This had to be a frustrating and embarrassing situation for the seven disciples. Here they were, expert fishermen, and they had nothing to show for a whole night of fishing. Not only that, some guy they don’t recognize is on the shore trying to tell them how to fish. I think I know a bit how they must have felt. I’ve been fishing before when I’ve tried everything in my tackle box in every spot on the stream and come up empty. And then some kid comes along with a string on a stick with a piece of bubble gum on the hook and catches a fish right in front of me.
But by know the disciples are ready to try anything. And sure enough, they follow the directions of this stranger and their nets are filled with fish. John, who, as is his normal practice, refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” immediately knows that this has to be the work of Jesus, so he turns to Peter and says, “It is the Lord.” And why are we not surprised that Peter drops everything and heads for the shore immediately, leaving the other six to finish hauling the catch to shore?
And when they all arrive, they find that Jesus has already prepared breakfast for them. But even though Jesus has prepared an adequate amount of food for them, He invites them to bring some of their own catch to add to the meal. And as Peter immediately obeys Jesus and goes to haul the net ashore, he sees just how abundant the catch is. There were 153 large fish in the net, which certainly should have broken the net, yet the net was unbroken. A lot of commentators have tried to explain the significance of the number 153, and most of their explanations are pretty far out there. It seems to me that John, as an eyewitness of this event, is merely providing us with the kind of details that could only be known by someone who was present.
Although this event occurred nearly 2,000 years ago in a place halfway around the world, there is much that we can learn from this account that will help us respond appropriately to the resurrection of Jesus – not just this morning, but throughout the rest of our lives. There is a sense in which all of us either were at one time or are right now like those seven disciples. We know about the resurrection of Jesus. We even believe in it. But we’re waiting around trying to figure out what we’re supposed to do in order to make it real in our lives.
So let’s close our time together this morning by exploring how we can make the resurrection real in our lives. Let me share just three principles with you.
HOW TO MAKE THE RESURRECTION REAL IN MY LIFE
1. Let Jesus control my life
After they had finished eating breakfast together there on the beach that morning, Jesus pulled Peter aside and asked him a penetrating question:
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
John 21:15 (ESV)
There is some difference of opinion regarding what “these” refers to. Some think it is a reference to the other disciples, but that would be totally out of character for Jesus to ask one of His followers whether he loved Him more than the others did. So Jesus wasn’t asking “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these other disciples love me?”
And there would be no need for Jesus to ask Peter if he loved Him more than he loved the other disciples. So Jesus wasn’t asking, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more that you love these other disciples?”
Given the context, there is little doubt in my mind that Jesus is referring to Peter’s way of life as a fisherman. He looks around and points to the lake, the boat, and the nets and asks Peter, “Do you love me more than all these things that represent your old way of life? Are you willing to give all this up and let me be in charge of your life?”
There was nothing wrong with Peter and the others going fishing. The problem is that they did that based on what they wanted to do rather than on what Jesus had commanded them to do. Instead of waiting on Jesus to see what He wanted them to do, they just returned to the old way of life that they knew best. And as a result, they were robbing themselves of something much more fulfilling that Jesus had in store for them.
The good news is that Peter obviously learned that the only way he could make the resurrection real in his life was to put Jesus in control. And as far as we know, Peter never went back to fishing again. Instead, in a matter of weeks, he would stand before a group of about 120 people and preach probably the greatest sermon ever preached. And then he went on to be one of the pillars of the early church, being used by God to lead many to faith in Jesus.
Unfortunately, many of us tend to be like those seven men. Rather than waiting on Jesus and following what He wants for our lives, we get impatient and when that happens we have a tendency to return to our old way of life. But there is good news for us, too. It’s never too late for us to make that commitment and make the resurrection real in our lives.
For these men, who had been eyewitnesses of the risen Jesus, this was the third time that Jesus had revealed Himself to them. Even though they had physically seen Him, even observing Him invite Thomas to put his hands in His hands and side, they still didn’t get it. But Jesus never gave up on them, even when they had given up on Him.
Perhaps this morning, you know about the resurrection; you even believe it’s true. But you’ve never given Jesus control of your life. The good news is that it’s not too late to do that. Even if it’s been 200 hundred times rather than just two times that you’ve failed to respond to the resurrection, Jesus is giving you one more chance this morning. Please don’t reject Him one more time. Make sure this morning that you take that first step and let Jesus take control of your life.
2. Let Jesus provide for my needs
When Peter and the others attempted to provide for their needs on their own, they were unsuccessful. Although they were skilled fishermen, their skill alone was insufficient. But when they followed Jesus’ instructions, Jesus provided for their needs far more abundantly than they could have even imagined. And not only did Jesus provide for them, He even made sure that their nets wouldn’t break and cause them to lose what He had provided.
Now I’m certainly not suggesting that we just sit around and do nothing and wait for Jesus to provide for our needs. The Bible frequently warns against idleness. And so, throughout this passage, we find frequent pictures of the fact that we are God’s co-workers. Although He was certainly capable of doing it, Jesus didn’t just command all the fish to jump into the boat. Instead, he commanded His disciples to throw their net on the right side of the boat. And in order for the men to receive what Jesus had provided, they had to actually follow Jesus’ instructions.
But what is most interesting to me in this passage is what happens after the men get to shore and get ready to eat breakfast with Jesus. Even though Jesus had already prepared the meal, He instructs the men to go get some of their catch and add it to the meal. Although what Jesus had prepared is completely sufficient, He gives those seven men the great privilege of participating with Him in preparing the meal.
This is certainly not the first time that we see Jesus giving His followers the privilege of being His co-laborers. Even many of Jesus’ miracles involved human labor, beginning with the first miracle at the wedding in Cana. Jesus had the servants fill the six water jars with water as part of the process of turning water into wine. Jesus certainly didn’t need for the servants to do that, but he blessed them with the opportunity to be His co-workers in performing that miracle.
If I want the resurrection to be real in my life, then I must learn to allow Jesus to provide for my needs. And He has promised that if we’ll allow Him to do that, He will be faithful to supply our every need:
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 (ESV)
Notice that it says every need – material, emotional, and spiritual. As we’ve seen, in most cases, Jesus has given us the privilege of participating in the processes through which He meets those needs.
For our physical needs, that usually involves our jobs. But like we saw with Peter and his companions, we must choose to rely upon our own methods or choose to obey Jesus as we work in our jobs.
Many of our emotional needs are met by Jesus by our families. We can either operate within our families based on our own ways or we can be obedient to the ways that Jesus has prescribed for us.
Many of our spiritual needs are met in a body of fellow Christ-followers that we call the church. We can either participate in that body based on what we think is right or we can follow the commands of Jesus.
So if I want to make the resurrection real in my life, I have to let Jesus control my life and I have to let Him provide for my needs. There is one last step that we see here in our passage.
3. Let Jesus overcome my failures
I’ve already talked a bit about how frustrated that Peter and his fishing buddies must have been after failing to catch a single fish. Now for me, fishing is a means of relaxation, so even if I don’t catch any fish, I really enjoy the experience. But for these guys, they were professionals and I’m not sure they had ever experienced that kind of failure before.
But the great thing here is that these seven men didn’t let their failures keep them from moving ahead. It would have been very easy to just give up that morning and just ignore the words of Jesus. After all, they were professional fishermen. What could this guy on the shore know about fishing that they didn’t know? But they took a risk and put their failure into the hands of Jesus and let Him help them overcome that failure so they could move on with their lives of serving Him.
Several years later, one of Peter’s fellow servant of Jesus, who also knew a thing or two about failure, wrote these words:
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13, 14 (ESV)
The apostle Paul knew all about failure. Before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was actually persecuting Christians, even looking on with approval as Stephen was stoned to death right before him. But by allowing Jesus to help him overcome those failures, he was able to move beyond the failures of the past and get on with his life and serve Jesus in a mighty way.
How many times in your life have you expended significant resources and energy and gained nothing in return? Maybe that’s true in your job, or in your family, or even in your spiritual life. But the resurrection of Jesus is the proof that He has the power to help you overcome those failures, no matter how bad they might seem to you right know. But as we saw with the example of these seven disciples, Jesus can only do that when we are willing to submit our lives to Him and follow His commands. Which brings us right back to where we began a few moments ago – letting Jesus control my life.
Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus? If so, that’s a great first step. But the real heart of the matter is whether you’ve made that resurrection real in your own personal life by letting Jesus control your life, by letting Him provide for your needs and by letting Him overcome your failures.
I know that all of you have come here this morning for different reasons. Perhaps you live nearby and this was convenient. Maybe you’re here because you figured you could worship early and then have the rest of the day to yourself. Maybe you’re here because you’re truly seeking God and desire to know Him better. But regardless of why you think you’re here, I’m convinced that ultimately you’re here because that’s where God wanted you to be this morning. And if that’s the case, then I’m also convinced that God wanted to speak to you today in some way – maybe through the music or through the interaction you’ll have with others this morning, but most likely through His Word.
And if God is indeed trying to speak to you this morning, then it is also true that He is doing that because He is waiting for you to respond to Him in some way. And we would like to do anything that we can to help you follow through with your response to Him. Perhaps you still have a lot of questions about what it means to let Jesus control your life or let Him provide for your needs or let Him overcome your failures. We’d love to talk to you more about that and provide you with some practical help in making and keeping those commitments. So we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible to provide that help. On the flap of your bulletin you will find a “Care Card”. If you’ll fill out your contact information and then check the appropriate box and then tear off that flap and give it to me or one of our greeter or place it in the basket on the table after the service, I promise someone will contact you this week to set up a time to meet with you.
And obviously we’d like to invite you to come back next week to join our church family. I know that you will find a group of warm, loving people who are ready to assist you and encourage you in your spiritual journey with Jesus.
