Filling up our senses ......

BARBACUE BREAKFAST ON THE BEACH


John, in writing his beautiful and most precious Gospel, invites us, the reader, to stand on the shore of the sea of Tiberius. It is also known in the Bible as the Sea of Galilee but in reality it is not a sea at all, but rather a large lake.   As we take in the great emotion-filled story John has written, he seeks to tell us how it happened.   The account had to be written by someone who knew the fishermen of the Sea of Galilee.   Of course John, the son of Zebedee, was a fisherman.
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“It happened this way,” John begins.  Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus (the twin) , 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.” Only a fisherman would know that night-time was the best time for fishing.   John invites us to be in the boat with them.
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In his book The Land and the Book, W. M. Thomson describes night fishing.  Again we are invited to enter into the story.   It is night and therefore it is dark.  Perhaps there is a moon.  The boats, with blazing torches gilds over the flashing sea.   One of the most beautiful sights here in Fredericton is to walk along the river-front on a calm summer’s evening and see all of the lights of the city being reflected in the water.   Can you see the burning torches being reflected back from the water to the men in their boats? And the great beam of the moon as it stretches across the lake ....
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As the fishermen stand at the sides of their boat, gazing keenly into the water until their prey is sighted, and when sighted, as quick as lightning they fling their nets into the water.  Often, as not, you would see tired fishermen bring their boats into harbour, in the early morning light, disappointed, having toiled all night, but their efforts were eventually in vain.
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Again, John gives us little details.   “It was early in the morning ....”   Remember John is telling us how it happened, "It happened this way ..."   So there is Simon Peter, Thomas, James and John, and Nathanael from Cana in Galilee.   Hmm ... I wonder if it was at Nathanael’s wedding that Jesus turned the water into wine?    It was Nathenael, you will perhaps recall when told about Jesus ask if any good thing could ever come from Nazareth.There were two other disciples there, unnamed.   I wonder who they were?  Anyway, they had fished all night and caught nothing.
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Next, John describes how Jesus was standing on the shore and shouts out to them ‘Friends, have you caught any fish?” Can you hear his voice?  I do The disciples didn’t realize at the time that it was Jesus.   They answered no to his question.   Jesus told them to throw their nets on the right side of the boat and they would catch some.   They did as Jesus instructed and they did catch fish .... lots of fish, squirming and wriggling as they got caught up in the net.

They caught so many fish, in fact, they were unable to haul in the net as it was so heavy.  They caught 153 fish John tells us.   it is amazing what commentators on this passage make of the 153 fish.  But that is not the end of the story.  When the disciples eventually get the fish ashore and themselves ashore there is a fire burning and some fish and bread cooking.    Jesus invited them to have breakfast.   He took bread and gave it to them ....  Can you feel the heat of the fire ...taste the bread ... smell the fish cooking?

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JOHN 21:1-25

Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as 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.

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.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat 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.




- Jesus Reinstates Peter -

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you 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 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. Very truly I tell you, 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!”

Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

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To do a study on Peter makes for a wonderful
and meaningful meditation on human nature.

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