Series: Peter & Jesus
From Fisherman to Evangelist
John 21:1-19
April 23, 2017 LFC
Have you ever broken something very valuable of someone close to you? You tell them you’re sorry and they forgive you, tell you that it’s okay but yet you’re not real sure. Or maybe you just mess up a situation really bad and again you say you’re sorry. They say its okay and you hope it is. Or you betray someone’s trust or let them down in a key situation. You admit your mistake and they say that it’s okay.
They may or may not mean it. Even if they truly do mean that its okay or that forgiveness has been extended your still feel bad about it. Every time you see them or are around them you are reminded of the error or mistake that you made against them. In this it is just easier to avoid them. You do what you can to limit your contact with them. I’m sure that you have all had instances like that.
As we meet up with Peter and the rest of the disciples they may have some of these kinds of feelings about Jesus. A lot has happened to them in the past couple of weeks. They have gone through the events of the Holy Week. They experienced Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem. They watched as Jesus drove the merchants out of the temple. They sat and ate the last supper with Jesus. Peter and all of them pledged their allegiance to Jesus. They watched Judas betray Jesus, the ensuing trial and crucifixion. Jesus had risen and had appeared to them a couple of times.
Today’s scripture will be the third time that Jesus appears to them. Let’s read together from John 21:1-19.
Peter and his fellow fisherman, James and John along with Thomas and Nathanael are back out on the boats. Andrew seems to be missing for some reason. They have been absent from their boats for the past three years that they have been following Jesus.
Even though Jesus has risen and has appeared to them, they have gone back to what they know best and that is fishing. They followed Jesus and had a great run with him but things didn’t seem to turn out the way they thought. Even though Jesus has risen from the dead they appear to not really know what to do with themselves and so it is back to the boats.
I had a guy in our church in Indiana who sold insurance and investments. I think he was good at what he did but something happened in the office he worked for and so he decided he was going to do something else. He decided he was going to be a teacher. He began his quest to do just that but he could never quite pass the test to get his license. So then he wanted to become a state trooper. So he set out to do just that. He just couldn’t ever get over the hump to become a cop. I’m not quite sure what the problem there was but after a lot of searching he returned to the profession he knew and one that he had success in. He is now selling insurance and investments and doing well.
This is what I see these guys doing. They tried. The followed Jesus but ultimately it was an experience that at this point seems to have failed. What were they to do now? They didn’t seem to have a purpose anymore. They had failed to get Jesus into a new kingdom. They hadn’t been able to protect him and so it is back to what they know. Let’s go fishing.
We look specifically at Peter here. Peter seems to be the most outspoken of the disciples. He was so got him into trouble but he still followed.
I covered this some last week in my portrayal of Peter. When you read about the Last Supper in Mark 14 Jesus tells the disciples that they will all fall away from him. This was the second time that night that Jesus had talked like this. Jesus is now quoting Zechariah 13:7 when he said, “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.”
Peter jumps in here and kind of throws the rest of the disciples under the bus in his response, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” Unknowingly Peter is really setting himself up here.
Jesus then tells him that he will deny him three times before the rooster crows.
Again defiantly, Peter responds, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same. But it was Peter who was the spokesperson. It was Peter that was trying to outdo his fellow disciples.
What happens? When Jesus is arrested they all scatter. They don’t speak up for him at his trial and Peter in fact denies that he even knows who Jesus is. They didn’t exactly follow through on their promise did they now?
I love the song that I had played at the end of the message last week. He’s Alive by Don Francisco and sung so awesomely by David Phelps and the Gaithers. The song is Peter’s to sing. Do you remember the lines?
Back inside the house again all the guilt and anguish came
Everything I’d promised him just added to my shame
When at last it came to choices – I denied I knew his name
And even if he was alive it would never be the same
Jesus was alive and I truly thing Peter was excited about that but I also think he was tormented by his failure to follow through. He had failed. So he goes fishing back to his old way of life.
The problem is that the first night back at it doesn’t go so well. They get skunked. They don’t catch a thing. That is when Jesus appears to them and tells them to cast their nets on the other side and they pull in a haul. Sound familiar??? Get an answer if possible. That’s where we started this series isn’t it. Jesus and Peter have done this once before. So why would Jesus put them through a similar experience? What was Peter’s response to Jesus the first time around? “Go away from me Lord for I am a sinful man.”
The first time he called them to follow him and he convinced them leave their profession of fisherman and to follow him. So what better way to jar their memories and help them to understand that he was still calling them to leave what they knew best? To leave the safety and comfort that they had once before and to continue to follow him.
Peter needed this more than ever. If Peter thought that he wasn’t worthy to follow Jesus the first time around he definitely has to be filled with doubts now. It’s not a stretch for us to believe that Peter felt like a failure on every level. He had let down his master in every way possible and so Jesus comes looking for Peter. He comes give Peter forgiveness and to renew his call.
Peter needs some encouragement and correction. While Peter answered Jesus call in the beginning to follow him it was still often a lot about Peter. I sometimes think Peter thought of himself more highly than the rest of the disciples. We see at times where he elevates himself above the others.
Remember last week when I said I think there is a bit of Peter in all of us. We as Christians can do this same thing as time. We start comparing our lives and walk to others and we begin to elevate ourselves. We start to say things like, “my church attendance is better than most everyone else, I give more than others do, I am more devoted than so and so. I know my Bible better. I am a better person, more holy than the rest. Some of you are squirming a bit because you know what I’m saying. This is a trap that I have to fight myself on from time to time. I may be the pastor here but Jesus doesn’t need me more than any one of you.
You see Peter acted like Jesus needed him in order to succeed. He was Jesus’ right hand man. His muscle, his confidant and so on. Jesus doesn’t need any of us. We need Jesus and we should be humbled to do his work.
In order to do this we are forced to take a look at our own sinfulness. Nobody wants to do that. Often when forced to look at ourselves we just try to bury that sin by actions. We try to do more good things, help more people, read the Bible more or go to church more. While all of these things are good if you are doing them just to try to offset your sins you are doing it for the wrong reasons. I think this was partly Peter and I know at times this is so me.
It’s possible that Peter was just trying to hide from Jesus. That is what some of us do as well. Like if we don’t talk about our sins or confess them to Jesus then maybe Jesus won’t know about them. When you say it like that it sounds so ludicrous but that is exactly what we do at times. Adam and Eve tried to hide from God when they sinned, like God wouldn’t notice.
God knows and he wants us to know too! Why? So he can rub our face in it! NO! So we can see the error of our way and understand our dependence on him. For us to understand that we need to be forgiven. We need to recognize the love and sacrifice of Jesus. We are to totally rely upon the Lord Jesus Christ and apart from him we are lost sinners but with him we are forgiven children of the King welcomed into kingdom of heaven.
Jesus sits down with his disciples. They know him and yet they don’t talk to him. I think this is a healthy fear of the Lord. When the Lord confronts us in our sinfulness we sometimes just don’t know what to say. We are scared and filled with shame. Look though, Jesus just wants to sit down and talk. This is what we are called to do. I will throw out to you that my door is always open. I will not judge or look down upon you. Sometimes we just need to talk. It’s not like I want to know all your junk for my benefit. No, God has called me here to be your Pastor and it is my priveldge to be invited into the joys and struggles in your life.
Jesus gets to Peter after he has helped him catch fish and now fed him. See Peter no hard feelings, I still love you.
What does Jesus ask Peter? Get the answer “Do you love me?” How many times does Jesus ask? Three times. What is Peter’s answer? “You know that I love you” And Jesus response? Then feed my lambs, feed my sheep and take care of my lambs.
Peter gets a little testy with Jesus but he hasn’t quite gotten it yet. When Jesus first asks him if he loves him more than these. What were “these”? It could have been a couple of things. Jesus could have been pointing to the fish and the boats.
Do you love me more than you love your profession? Do you love me more than you love your security? Do you love me more than your stuff? Do you love me enough to walk away from what you want in life? Do you?!?!?
He could have been talking about the other disciples. Do you love me more than your friends? Do you love me above your relationships? It was important that Jesus get to this because it brings us back around to part of Peter’s problem and a big part of our problem in following Jesus as well. It is not about us!
Peter if you love me then go out and feed my lambs. Feed those who are young and immature in their faith. Don’t worry about yourself, it’s about taking care of others and we are to do the same in the church.
Peter if you love me then take care of my sheep. Peter care for the flock. This passage speaks very large to me as a pastor and it should also encourage you as followers.
Peter if you love me then go feed my sheep. Feed the adults. Those who have grown in their faith. Those who are more mature. It’s not about you it’s about them.
Jesus doesn’t tell Peter to go to church more. He doesn’t tell him to read the Bible more. He doesn’t tell him to pray more. He doesn’t tell him to live a more righteous life. If should be a given, those are incredibly important and I would highly encourage all of them but the most important things here is love.
Jesus was never self serving. Jesus loved and so he gave. If we love Jesus then we should give out of that same love. The only way to give that love is to first receive it from Jesus and the only way to receive it is to confess our sins so we understand just how much Jesus sacrificed for us. So how are you giving? How are you feeding? Remember it’s not about you.
The transformation from fisherman to fisher of men was just about complete. Go and serve your risen Savior today. Amen
