1. Back to square one

Life in the risen Christ

18 April 2010

John 21:1-19

The Risen Lord reveals himself to his disciples once again along the shores of Galilee. This not only fulfilled Jesus’ promise to meet his disciples there, but it also allowed them to remake their lives.

N T Wright draws out the distinctive nature of John 21. It is not just that it is set in the Galilee, as opposed to Jerusalem, but the fact that the resurrection accounts have extended dialogues and detailed characterisation, which we shall discover as we open it up together.

The final chapter of John takes the reader by surprise because, to all intents and purposes, the gospel appears to come to an end at the close of Chapter 20. But the final chapter shows the disciples returning to familiar places and habits. We recall that the disciples had already encountered the Risen Lord, but there was unfinished business… and the restoration of the disciples will prove critical to the long-term mission of the Christian community.

There are striking similarities between John 21 and Luke 5 and there appears to be some relationship between the two. Although it is described as the third appearance of Jesus, it gives the reader the impression that it is the first. Jesus’ earlier appearances to the disciples did not have the effect upon them that is soon to occur… Peter’s reinstatement is so significant and the fact that his martyrdom is predicted (v.18) reinforces the importance.

Occasionally, as we travel the country, people who we have never met before raise questions about our television ministry. I learnt from an old journalist that you never ask the question, ‘Do you like our paper?’ But I sometimes ask, ‘What is it you like about our program?’ I recall one of the answers I was given: ‘I like the fact that you remind us that people, irrespective of who they are, regardless of what they have done, are still loved by God.’

Fishing once again

As I pointed out at the Opera House on Easter Day, we often find ourselves returning to the familiar… and the disciples now bring a very different feel to the resurrection story. The gospel does not end with Thomas’ declaration of faith, but a confident statement of the mission of Jesus to the world.

Their original lifestyle

It is Peter who takes the lead and says, ‘I’m going out to fish.’ (v.3) and six other disciples choose to go with him. This makes it clear that Peter is the established leader from the earliest times and the way they refer to ‘the boat’ suggests they have used this boat before and the simplest conclusion is that it is their own boat. Have other members of the family been using it during their time of following Jesus in his ministry?

So, seven of the disciples have gone back to their well-known haunts to fish. Once again the Lake is given its Greek name, which reinforces the mission to the world. More often than not, it is referred to as the Sea of Galilee and that would be right at the time of Jesus. But the development of a new town on the west shore, named after Emperor Tiberius, meant it also had this other name which increasingly would be recognised across the Roman world.

The disciples had things to work through and you can only begin to imagine what the experience of the last fourteen days had been like for them. Their whole world had been shaken to the very foundations and they needed the security of the familiar.

Is fishing like riding a bike – something you never forget? Little would the disciples realise that this incident would serve as a parable of their calling. Jesus takes them back to the beginning where he met them in the first instance.

This would give them time to come to terms with themselves once again and begin to understand just what had happened to them. Only by doing this can they begin to contemplate rebuilding their lives.

John 21 is certainly distinctive and was probably added by John himself. It is, however, not an afterthought and has a clear purpose in itself. The whole chapter could be said to be about ‘unfinished business’ and whilst we can understand this in terms of Peter and his denial of Jesus, it has meaning for all the disciples. The mission is set forth in the familiar imagery of fishing and caring for sheep.

The chapter provides significant information about Peter and John and, most important of all, records Jesus’ directive to the disciples regarding the mission to which they had been called.

One writer wrote, ‘a Christian gospel ends properly, not with the appearance of the Risen Lord to his disciples, and their belief in him, but with a confident statement that his mission to the world, undertaken at his command and under his authority, will be the means by which many are saved.’

Their specific take on fishing

The setting of this appearance by the Sea of Tiberius has led some to be negative about the disciples. Some have even gone as far as to suggest that ‘this whole expedition is commonly interpreted as expressing the disciples’ disobedience and apostasy.’ The Baptist, Beasley-Murray, trenchantly stated, ‘Never has a fishing trip been so severely judged’.

There are very few bookshops that don’t have a section on angling, but experienced fishermen are not particularly noted for taking the advice of strangers. The first followers of Jesus were experienced fishermen and the failure to catch fish must have been disappointing to say the least.

Fishing for the disciples had not been a hobby or an occupation which filled empty hours … it had been their livelihood – and so the return to fishing conjures the thought that they may well be returning to fishing as a daily source of income.

The rediscovery of their calling

I find it important that the pastoral imagery of fishing and sheep in this context becomes the launching pad of a worldwide mission.

The disciples needed to rediscover their calling, for they had certainly been in the troughs of despair. Peter’s denial will be dealt with later in the chapter and James and John, the sons of Zebedee, would need to come to terms with the fact that though they had been ‘thunderous’ in their support of Jesus… they, like the rest, had denied him when it came to the crunch.

The fact that the disciples do not immediately recognise Jesus (v.4) communicates something in itself. Their return to fishing may well have something to do with:-

Their necessity to earn a daily living.
The concern not to be idle.
The Galilee vividly reminds them of their calling.

The lord of the ordinary

The disciples resumed their original lifestyle when they returned to fishing. It is certainly true that these disciples are far from ordinary in the way that they will set the course for the Christian community for the whole of its history… but, for the moment, they return to fishing.

Out of the ordinary comes the extraordinary. Gerard Sloyan comments, ‘The disciples are back at their old trade without any indication of how the Judean events have changed their lives and why they are back in Galilee.’

John’s gospel is the gospel of the ordinary – even though it is a gospel of signs. It is in this gospel that we see Jesus moved to tears at the death of his friend Lazarus; it is in this gospel that during the passion narrative Jesus is thirsty. So, it does not surprise me that the re-establishment of the disciples comes by the lakeside.

The whole story illustrates the reality of the resurrection and must be another major reason why we find it in our gospel account. This is no mere vision or some kind of spiritual manifestation. Fishing, charcoal fires on beaches and even cooking are tangible evidence of everyday things. Jesus was there on the beach and personally offered breakfast to the disciples (v.13).

The transformation of ordinary things into something extraordinary is the very nature of the gospel. This was what he talked about in his first sign at Cana, when mere insipid water was turned into sparkling wine (John 2).

The Last Supper to the Lord’s Supper

The place of food has taken on a whole new meaning with the establishment of the meal that sits at the heart of Christian worship and service. Here also food is important. When the disciples came ashore, they discovered the meal that Jesus has provided for them. As Jesus invites them to breakfast, there is a sense of awe and wonder which is picked up by the words, ‘None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.’ (v.12)

If the meal that follows reflects worship in any way, then worship is seen as a place where we are confronted with the penetrating question, ‘Do you love me?’ (v.v. 15-19) Perhaps we have over-dramatised the use of the different senses of love, because the question asked three times says enough in itself. Each affirmation is a call to care … and the way in which love is spoken of at the Last Supper and within each succeeding Lord’s Supper is a sign of the grace of God.

The Upper Room to the beachside encounter

The two settings of the Upper Room and the beachside could not be more contrasting: one was behind locked doors… and now the other is in the open space of Galilee. One is in a setting which is unfamiliar as they huddled together for comfort… the other is as they return to the familiar.

As the disciples embarked on their fishing expedition, their mission focus was growing dimmer. They had been captivated by Jesus and were conscious that God was leading them, but now a fruitless night of fishing surely defined how they felt. The darkness of the night and the emptiness of their nets symbolised their confusion.

It is in the dawn’s light that Jesus directs his disciples to cast their net on the right hand side of the boat. Throughout the whole gospel, light and darkness have been significant and symbolic in telling of God’s encounter with us.

The small band of disciples to a worldwide community of faith

Most commentators on this particular chapter talk about the worldwide mission to which the disciples are called. The astonishing catch, which is far beyond any expectations, is clearly stressed in the passage.

The scope of the mission is indicated by the huge catch of fish. People have made their attempts to understand the number 153. Jerome cited authorities which claimed there were 153 species of fish in the sea. Augustine had another ingenious explanation: that ten is the number of the law, seven is the number of grace… added together, that makes 17… and then if you add up all the figures – one, plus two, plus three, plus four, etc up to seventeen, you get the figure 153.

Well I ask you! Surely it really tells us in a vivid and yet subtle way that the catch of fish represents the universality of the mission of Jesus Christ to the whole world.

Henry Drummond, who wrote in an unforgettable way about love, said ‘the crowning wonder of God’s scheme is he entrusted it to people. It is the supreme story of humanity that the machinery for its redemption should have been placed within itself.’

Transformation in their lives

You cannot leave this particular part of John’s gospel without recognising the change that will come about in the lives of these disciples.

It was John who recognised the voice of Jesus – ‘It is the Lord.’ (v.7) this recognition caused a huge commotion within Peter, which led to him plunging into the water. If their conversation on the boat had been full of questions, it is certainly true that they are jolted back to consciousness and reality on hearing the voice of Jesus. They would be transformed by the One who met them on the beach.

This transformation would make sense as:-

Failure gives way to discovery

There is a stark contrast between the results of the disciples’ fishing expedition when they caught nothing (v.3)… and when they fished at the direction of Jesus.

After fishing all night – the best time for a good catch of fish – they are empty-handed. During the long, dismal and fruitless night, they would have plenty of opportunity to talk together. They might well ask:-

Where is he now?
What are the other four up to?

Did one of them remember the words of Jesus? It had its own application here… ‘Apart from me you can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)

Peter Drucker once reflected about leaders, ‘Strong people always have strong weaknesses too.’ Their failure as disciples would now be addressed by Jesus and his transformation will only fully make sense after Pentecost.

Futility gives way to purpose

For Peter there must have been a real sense of futility. His feeling of uselessness could not have been clearer to him. He had been the one who had led the way and said he would never deny the Lord… and yet, as the cock crowed, his denial was all too obvious. The breakfast on the beach leads to a confrontation with Peter. I find it interesting that it is in the presence of the other disciples, which may also have an important part to play in establishing Peter’s leadership.

Florence Nightingale’s journey to becoming a nurse involved many moments of deep despair. Four years before she went to the Crimea, she wrote in her diary, ‘O weary days, O weary evenings that never end! How many long years I have watched that drawing room clock and thought it would never reach ten!… In my thirty-first year I see nothing desirable but death.’ Thankfully her futility gave way to purpose.

Finality gives way to eternity

The experience of re-establishment and forgiveness is not just one of purpose for Peter and the early disciples – as Bruce Milne wrote, ‘He is also genuinely concerned for his fledgling church.’

So, as Jesus brings them back to where it all began – at the Galilee, they had in mind three years of energetic ministry, which had reached a climax in his death and resurrection. But now the greatest part lay ahead, as the implications of the ministry of Jesus begin to impact upon the whole world. Towards the end of the chapter, this begins to make sense, as:-

There are issues to be addressed – v.v. 15-17.
There are responsibilities to be accepted – v.v. 15-17.
The cross must be carried – v.v. 18-19.
The priority of love underpins everything – v.v. 21-22.

John’s last words in the gospel underline that there is no limit to the greatness of Jesus Christ. The gospel ends on a marvellous note of this limitless work (v.25).

The film The Blind Side was released at the end of November, just in time for Christmas 2009. It tells the true story of Michael Oher. For seventeen years he had been in foster care with different families. Every time he was sent to a new home, he ran away.

Eventually, through a friend’s father, he is enrolled into a Christian school and the father of his friend convinces the coach that this huge, black teenager is a natural athlete. The story could be considered a bit too ‘Hollywood’ and it certainly has a strong performance by Sandra Bullock, but the story is true and Briarcrest Christian School in the suburbs of Memphis, Tennessee, really did empower a young person… enabling him to see what was possible with his own life, however fragmented and fractured it might appear.

Someone once asked the question, ‘If you were asked to describe Easter without using any words, and only a punctuation mark, which punctuation mark would you choose?’

Perhaps Easter for you is a comma. It makes you stop, pause, think, and listen … but that’s about it.

Perhaps Easter for you is a question mark. Like those who asked, ‘Where is he?’ you find yourself perplexed. The angel’s words, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead?’ are just for you.

In reality, Easter is always an exclamation mark. That’s what Easter is all about… an exclamation of gratitude and of praise for the risen power of Jesus Christ that meets us at our lakesides, as we return to fishing – or whatever we do when we try to do something to divert our attention from the real story. A huge exclamation mark of faith!

Christian Life