John 21:1-14 – Father’s Day Advice
Someone wrote these humorous words called, "The World According to Dad." These are words that most dads have said at some time or another to their children.
- This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.
- Bring back all the change.
- How should I know? Ask your mother.
- I’m not made out of money!
- When I was your age I walked 5 miles to and from school each day and it was uphill both ways.
- You are going and you will have fun!
- Who’s paying the bills around here, anyway?
- I wasn’t asleep. I was just resting my eyes.
- If you break your leg don’t come running to me.
- Don’t put your feet on the furniture. Your mother will kill you.
- Get down before you kill yourself. On second thought, go ahead.
- Quit playing with your food.
- Be quiet! Can’t you see I’m trying to think!
- Why? Because I said so!
- If you don’t quit that I’m going to call your mother.
- You better get that junk picked up before your mom gets home.
- Just wait till you have kids of your own.
Dads seem to give advice a fair amount, but do we take it well? Do we listen when someone tells us what to do or how to do it? Why are we so unteachable?
Today, Father’s Day, we will look at an interesting fishing story from John 21. As we wind down in our series on the words of Christ after the resurrection, today we will see how Jesus gives advice to a group of men. And perhaps, we will all get a glimpse of how to listen when Jesus speaks to us. Read v1-14.
This is the 7th appearance of Jesus after His resurrection, and v14 tells us the 3rd time appeared to the disciples as a group. The wording of v1 tells us that He not only just appeared, but He showed Himself. He showed who he was: His character, His love, His forgiveness. Jesus wants to show up in your life, and be more than a story – He wants to show Himself real to you.
Now, let’s picture what the disciples were thinking and feeling right about now. Jesus had risen from the dead, and had showed Himself. He had given them orders to make other disciples all around the world. But He obviously wasn’t with them 24 hours a day as He had been before His death. They probably felt a little lost. "Well, what do we do now? Where do we go from here?"
So they went back to what they knew, what they were familiar with, what they were comfortable with. Folks, in times of crisis or uncertainty, we all want to cling to safety nets. We all want to feel in control of our circumstances. We retreat into our safe places.
Another reason the 7 were out fishing was to earn a living again. While they were with Jesus, they survived on what people gave to Jesus’ ministry. Now that Jesus had gone, they had to support themselves and their families again. Fishing would do that.
Now, the desire to retreat when things got rough wasn’t totally wrong. The desire to eat and to provide for their families certainly wasn’t wrong. But these guys had been called not to fish for fish anymore, but for people. Jesus had given them a new purpose in life. They were not just running from uncertainty; they were running from obedience as well. They were called to trust Him for their emotional, physical and financial well-being.
Some of you today are running and hiding from what God wants for you. Maybe not a call to the ministry as the disciples got, but maybe so. Maybe your call refers to a ministry in this church or in town. Maybe your call involves some issue of faith or trust. Maybe your call refers to some issue in your life that you just don’t want to surrender. Whether you have good reasons or bad ones, Jesus is still asking you to step up to the plate and follow Him.
We can see a couple of threads of truth so far in this story. First of all, it’s wonderful to see Jesus show Himself to a bunch of disobedient witnesses. In v5, He calls them “children”. Not because they were child-like but childish. They were being immature. But Jesus showed up anyway. You know, as a pastor, I often struggle with this aspect. Loving people who should know better but don’t. Christians who are childish and immature. Yet we can see Jesus’ example: love them anyway.
But the second thought from this story so far is that running from Jesus’ call leads to frustration. V3 says they fished all night and caught nothing. These guys, most of them anyway, were experienced fishermen. To fish all night, throwing the nets into the water, tightening up the rope, drawing the net together, and pulling it up was hard work, and all the harder and annoying if there’s no fish in it.
Folks, if God is asking you to do something, like ask forgiveness, or give forgiveness, or commit yourself to Him daily, or turn from an action or attitude that is wrong, or do something out of love for someone, or come to prayer meetings, or just say, “Here I am. I am yours. All yours. Take me. Cleanse me. Show me. Use me.” – if God is asking you to do that, and you’re not doing it, your life will lead to frustration.
You will work and see no results. You will try and come up empty. You will search for fulfillment in your job and come up dry. You will lay your head on the pillow and ask if it all matters, if anybody will remember you in 100 years. No matter what your reasons, running from what God wants you to do will lead to empty nets.
As the morning broke, and the disciples were on their way back to shore, Jesus showed up. He called to them, “Lads, you haven’t caught anything, have you?” Almost a tease reminding them of how poorly they were doing. And then perhaps the greatest miracle in the whole Bible happens: fishermen tell the truth. "No." And they were sulking about it, too. No elaboration, no details, heads held down, and just a simple “no.” They didn’t recognize Him at first. It could be that their spiritual eyes weren’t open at that point, or could be that he was, after all, 300 feet away.
At any rate, He hollered out some advice to them. “Switch sides on the boat.” What a stupid suggestion. These guys were fishermen. They knew how to fish. They didn’t need some so-called “expert” from on shore telling them how to do their job. And besides, I can’t find anywhere in my studies that says switching sides of the boat would make fishing better or worse. Water is water. Switching sides was a silly suggestion.
But they did it anyway. And they began catching fish. Turns out they caught exactly 153 large fish. Why they counted, I don’t know. Maybe they just wanted to brag about it later. Why the number is in v11, I don’t know. Maybe John just wanted to pay attention to details to show that He was an eye-witness. Whatever the case, Jesus’ advice, despite sounding silly, worked. Listening to His words can turn frustration into fulfillment. Jesus will bless you even more than you already are, if you take His words to heart.
Sometimes following Jesus’ commands sounds odd. Sometimes what Jesus tells us to do doesn’t make sense. Marching around city walls to destroy them, putting singers first in a battle, turning the other cheek, loving those who hate us, saving the world through a man born a peasant with questionable parents… yet God often uses silly or foolish things to show us who He is. It’s not always about what seems the wisest or most powerful. Trusting Him in those things isn’t much of a challenge. But when He tells us to do things that seem foolish or difficult, well, that’s where we show if our faith is genuine or not.
Well, this whole thing reminded the disciples of something that happened 3 years earlier, as recorded in Luke 5, when Jesus had given a huge catch of fish.
So John clued in that it was Jesus, and then Peter acted on it. He wrapped his outer shirt around his waist, so that he would look presentable to Jesus the Lord, and hopped out of the boat. It was likely shallow water and Peter walked the way to shore. When they all landed, they saw Jesus with a fire and making breakfast for them: toast and fried fish.
Well, why did Jesus tell them in v10 to bring some of their fish, if He already had some for them? This was to be a lesson in trust, for them and for us. Where did He get the fish? Jesus showed Himself to be self-sufficient. He doesn’t need us. He doesn’t need us to provide for Him, to do things for Him. He does miracles, whether we help Him or not.
But He invites us to be part of His plan. Even if He doesn’t need what we can give him, He wants it. He can do anything without us, but He still wants to do it with us. He wants to save your loved ones, preferably with your help. He wants to make the world a better place, preferably with your help. He can do without you, but He wants to be with you.
And remember what I said earlier: the disciples were called to trust Him for their emotional, physical and financial well-being. Jesus showed to them that His way really is the best way. He told those experienced fishermen how to fish. He may tell you how to run your family, or work your job, or live your life. You may say, “I don’t need your help. I can do this myself.” And He just may let you fail. But if you heed His advice, He will bless you with fulfillment and success. Not necessarily financial blessings, but maybe. Either way, He will make it worth your while to trust Him. And He’ll say, “See how you trusted me in areas that you thought you could handle. You couldn’t, but I helped you. Won’t you trust me in all the areas of your life?”
Folks, if Jesus is leading you to do something that you are scared of, or if you are worried what will happen in your family or job or personal life if you do this, won’t you let Him show up in your life and take the frustration away? Won’t you throw your nets on the other side? Won’t you let Him guide you into more fulfillment and joy?
According to the “Almanac for Farmers & City Folk,” the largest number of collect calls is made on Father’s Day. Today, your Heavenly Father is calling out to you. He’s been trying to get through for some time. Long before you thought of Him, He thought of you. But He’s not calling collect. He already paid the charges owing. All you have to do is pick up. Let Him speak to you today.
