"Follow Me!"

John 21:1-25 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible (link on links page)

Jesus Appears at the Sea of Galilee

21 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. ² Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. ³ Simon Peter *said to them, “I am going fishing.” They *said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

⁴ But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ So Jesus *said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” ⁶ And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. ⁷ Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved *said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. ⁸ But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.

⁹ So when they got out on the land, they *saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus *said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” ¹¹ Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Jesus Provides

¹² Jesus *said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus *came and *took the bread and *gave it to them, and the fish likewise. ¹⁴ This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

The Love Motivation

¹⁵ So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” ¹⁶ He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” ¹⁷ He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.

Our Times Are in His Hand

¹⁸ Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” ¹⁹ Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He *said to him, “Follow Me!”

²⁰ Peter, turning around, *saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” ²¹ So Peter seeing him *said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” ²² Jesus *said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” ²³ Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

²⁵ And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself *would not contain the books that *would be written.

Peter and these other men had been fishermen all their lives before Jesus called them to follow Him. So it's not hard to understand that in this time of uncertainty, in these days when they were unsure what their future held, that they would return to something that was familiar to them. The scripture doesn't tell us whether Peter was considering returning to his old life and trade or if he just sought to go back to something he knew. Perhaps the sea was his thinking and meditation place. We all have a tendency to go to a particular place where we find comfort and peace in times of trouble. It may be a certain chair in a quiet room or on the porch. It may be a park bench or a spot under a tree or by the riverside. There is something that is comforting within us that calls us back to the familar.

We see then in the text that God never stops seeking after us. Just as He sought Adam and Eve in the garden after they sinned, we see that God is faithful to continue to pursue and find us. Jeremiah 29:13 says:  You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.  But even when we are not seeking God, He is still seeking after us. In Psalm 139 the psalmist says: 

 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
¹⁰ Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
¹² Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You. 

We should learn that in times of uncertainty and trials it's always best to go to that familar place where we can find God. He says: "Am I a God who is near," declares the LORD, "And not a God far off?(Jeremiah 23:23)

In our text, Jesus returns to reveal Himself again to the disciples as the risen Lord. He finds them in this place of familiarity. He confirms who He is by guiding them to a tremendous catch after their own efforts had been fruitless. This is an affirmation of what Jesus had shared before His crucifixion, when He said:  I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.(John 15:5)   All that we do is endless striving if we do it without the Lord. Even if we have success in worldly things, if we do it without the Lord, in the end it will be as if our nets are empty.    For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? ³⁷ For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?(Mark 8:36-37) 

  Jesus returns to the disciples this time not just to comfort them, not just to assure them. He returns to them in this familiar place to reaffirm His call and commission to them.

 Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” ¹⁶ He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” ¹⁷ He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.     Jesus asks the question of Peter three times and each time with Peter's affirmation, Jesus affirms His call. Much has been written about why Jesus asked the question three times and the difference between Tending and Shepherding and between the sheep and the lambs. I am sure that we could spend days studying all that there is to find in these few verses. Yet I believe there is this simple and sure message of redemption also. Jesus asks the question of Peter three times, not because He was unsure of Peter's love or commitment, but because He wanted Peter to be sure. He asked three times to redeem each time that Peter had denied Jesus after His arrest. Jesus wanted Peter to be confident in his present and future call, never doubting or looking back with regret. 

Paul, who had formerly persecuted the church says in Philippians 3:12-14   

  I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Regardless of what difficulty or uncertainty you are facing in your life. God is not far off. He is watching closely over you. You can find Him in that familiar place. Regardless of whether you feel as though you may have failed and fallen as recently as today or you hold onto guilt and condemnation over a past familiar, know for certain that the forgiveness of God is never ending. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.(1 John 1:9) We are not only forgiven though, we are also redeemed. For each time we have failed Jesus has redeemed us and calls us not to look back, but rather to look forward, to press on and walk in the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. He says to us, "Follow Me!"

Thank You Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit, that You are not far off. You are near to me and even abide in me. Thank You that in my times of uncertainty You are there. Thank You for not only forgiving my failures but for redeeming me from them and affirming and confirming Your call on my life. I choose today, like Paul, to not look back at what is behind me, but to press on, to walk forward in the redemption and restoration You have provided, to walk in the upward call You've placed on my life. I choose to follow You!    Amen