MIRACLES OF JESUS: BY THE BAY
JOHN 1:1-19
INTRODUCTION Option 1… CSI Effect (www.sermoncentral.com illustration)
A crime scene investigator from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was dusting for fingerprints in a home that had been burglarized. The investigator was challenged by the homeowner with these words: "That’s not the way they do it on television." Captain Chris Beattie, who heads the L.A. County Science Services Bureau, also called the crime lab, calls this "the CSI effect." With 60 million viewers a week for the three CSI programs on CBS - CSI, CSI:Miami, and CSI: New York, there is a lot more interest these days on how crime scene investigations are done. Robert Hirshhorn, a jury consultant, cites a study that showed that 70% of a jury pool were viewers of CSI, or A&E’s Forensic Files, or NBC’s Law and Order.
These shows have helped make jurors more receptive to scientific evidence, and another positive outcome is the demand by jurors for better investigations. There are also downsides. The public now has unreasonable expectations that every crime can be solved quickly and conclusively like it happens on TV. Jurors have unrealistic notions of what science can deliver. Criminal science is not infallible and it cannot absolutely insure that the right criminal will always be caught.
The CSI Effect is an offshoot of our faith in science. From earliest schooling we are conditioned to believe that what is real is that which can be experienced with our five physical senses. What is real is that which can be measured, tested and verified through scientific experiment. The material world - space, time, energy and matter, is what is really real. We firmly believe that we can develop laws, theories, and best practices that are consistent, stable and dependable. Science teaches us to trust what we can observe, either with our naked eye, or through a microscope or telescope.
INTRODUCTION Option 2... Robotic Bees
I heard the other day on the radio (I think it was NPR), that scientists have discovered the language of bees. They have observed bees and concluded how they communicate. Scientists have constructed a small robotic bee that is able to communicate with other bees. Their first attempts were failures, but they succeeded in having the robotic bee communicate with real bees. It can tell them which fields need to be pollenated and where to build hives. It is truly amazing. Science can explain amazing things to us these days... but science cannot explain everything. Some things must be taken on faith.
This morning we turn to someone who stands outside our contemporary scene and is definitely someone we cannot test or measure. We will look at a miracle of Jesus Christ. This is a Person that has done countless miracles… and miracles are certainly something that go against the laws of science and reason. Miracles are part of the realm of belief and faith and the Divine. Let’s look at Jesus this morning in John 21.
In case you need a little help in placing John 21, John 21 takes place after the death of Jesus on the cross (John 19) and after Jesus rose from the dead three days later (John 20). John 21 takes place sometime between Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension back into Heaven (Acts 1). John 20 records for us the second visit of Jesus with His disciples in which Thomas sees the wounds on Jesus’ hands and His side. Jesus spends time with His disciples after His resurrection and this passage that we will read this morning details the third time that Jesus met with His disciples (John 21:14). Let’s read through John 21 this morning, make some observations, and then talk about the Truth God has for us.
READ JOHN 21:1-6
John 21:1-6: “Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. "I’m going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We’ll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, "Friends, haven’t you any fish?" "No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.”
Verse 1 begins by telling us that the disciples, at least a few of them, were hanging out by the Sea of Galilee. I can imagine the disciples still in sort of a daze. They have seen Jesus, He is alive, but He is different. He has visited with them and everything seems to be in limbo. Thomas has certainly seen Jesus and is blessed for his exclamation of faith (John 20:28-29). In this daze and limbo, Peter decides to go and fish. This is something familiar. It is comforting. It is something he is an expert and can give him some direction. The other disciples who are with Peter decide to go with him… and the passage tells us they caught nothing.
Jesus arrives on the scene and something miraculous happens. Actually, it is similar to another miracle that we have already seen. The disciples have caught nothing and Jesus tells them to do something odd (putting the net on the other side of the boat) and they catch tons of fish. Déjà vu should have set in on these fellas. This has happened before!
READ JOHN 21:7-14
John 21:7-14: “Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught." Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.”
The men caught a lot of fish. I have often wondered if John was the one who counted the fish given that he records they caught 153. That is such a random number… it must be the amount of fish they caught. Jesus instructs the men how to fish and they bring in a great catch. John says to Peter that he recognizes the person on the shore speaking with them. He tells him it is Jesus and we see Peter’s personality come out of him as never before. Peter did not wait for the boat to get to shore. He was too excited. He jumped in, dragged the net ashore himself, and got to Jesus.
Jesus had been busy and a fire was waiting to cook the men some breakfast. Let’s just assume that Jesus is a good cook and the men were hungry. The men were sharing a meal together. They talked. They fellowshipped and spent time with their Lord.
READ JOHN 21:15-19
John 21:15-19: “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!”
Now I think there came a point in the meal where Jesus looked at Peter and the whole point of their time together became clear. The men knew it was Jesus, but they did not know why He had come to see them on this day. The reason was now clear as Jesus looked at Peter. Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him. It makes sense. Peter had denied Jesus three times (John 18). Peter answers that he does indeed love Him. Peter says that Jesus knows all things and that He should know the devotion Peter has… and Jesus does know. Jesus cryptically speaks to Peter about the kind of death he will have and it will be because of the Gospel. Jesus says to Peter, “Follow me!” I believe that Jesus was making the relationship between them whole again and extending to Peter forgiveness. I do not know what Peter felt before his breakfast with Jesus, but I know what he should have felt after… forgiven.
I have one overarching question when it comes to this passage: where is the miracle that should grab our attention? Is the miracle…
… that Jesus appeared to the disciples? (no)
… that the men had caught nothing and Jesus helped them with the catch? (maybe)
… the interaction of Peter with Jesus? (I think so)
I see in John 21 a great miracle in the restoration and forgiveness of Peter. We have already seen Jesus instruct the disciples about fishing and seen a miracle similar to the catch of the 153 fish. It was a miracle and one that only God could do… but so is the restoration of Peter. You see, it is because of Jesus that Peter’s sins are forgiven and it is because of Jesus that our sins are forgiven as well.
* Romans 3:22-25: “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”
Romans 3 tells us that all of us sin and are in need of help to reach God
Romans 3 tells us that redemption ad justification come by way of Jesus Christ who is the atonement
Redemption means we are bought back from Satan and death
Justification means we are declared not guilty
Atonement means that Jesus’ blood covers our sins and pays for them
Romans 3 tells us that we must come to God in faith to access this righteousness from God
[Have congregation close their eyes]
Describe them walking along a beach
Describe coming upon a small campfire with fish cooking on the beach
Describe them coming and sitting down with Jesus
Jesus asks them, “Do you love me?”
What do you say?
Do you say yes for the first time?
Do you say yes again and recommit yourself to Him?
CONCLUSION
