Jesus by the Lakeside
The world is in crises with the spread of the coronavirus which is the most infectious pandemic in a century. 160,000 people have died worldwide and numbers are rising exponentially. It has thrown the world economy into chaos with the loss of millions of jobs, especially hard-hit is is the tourist, restaurant and catering industry and many people are facing bankruptcy of their businesses. The dreams of many people have been shattered and the future is very uncertain. Many people are living in a state of fear over the virus and grieving over the loss of loved ones. Many people are completely broken by this situation.
The disciples of Jesus could understand these feelings. After the crucification of Jesus their dreams were shattered and everything seemed completely hopeless.
The future was very uncertain and they were living in fear for their lives. They were grieving their loss of their master and saviour Jesus. Peter was a broken man, he had betrayed his master by denying him three times and was feeling very guilty and a failure.
Life had changed and was never going to be the same again, however things were going to be different in the most dramatic way that the disciples least expected.
Jesus is in the business of restoring shattered dreams and replacing them with better dreams. He is the person who removes fear from peoples lives and gives people hope for the future. Jesus comforts the bereaved and gives them hope. Jesus is the most relevant person in our situation today as we face the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
Jesus restores those people who are broken and in one of His post-resurrection appearances, Jesus does that for Peter, who had failed miserably. Peter had boasted that even if all the other disciples ran away, he would lay down his life for Jesus no matter what. But after Jesus was arrested, Peter came into the door of the High Priest’s courtyard, and John’s Gospel records: The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?”
He said, “I am not.”
Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself… So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?”
He denied it and said, “I am not.”
One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.
Three times by a charcoal fire, Peter denied knowing the Lord. Now, three times by another charcoal fire, Jesus will restore Peter. He will restore their broken relationship, and He will restore Peter’s broken ability to serve successfully.
After the resurrection Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples returned to Galilee. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Peter figured that Jesus didn’t want Him anymore, so he goes back to his old job. He goes fishing, but he fails even at that. Peter can’t do anything right, but Jesus is not finished with Him. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. It was still dark.
Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.”
Oh, how that question must have hurt Peter. Here he is, an experienced, professional fisherman, and he has nothing to show for it.
Jesus said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn.
Fisherman must count their fish – 153 big fish! Perhaps the greatest catch they ever saw. It was a miracle catch! Peter had failed, but Christ caused him to flourish.
When Peter realised it was Jesus standing on the shore, Peter dove into the water and got to Jesus as quick as he could.
Jesus happily receives Peter and feeds him along with his friends.
Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
They were sharing a meal together; and around that meal, they were sharing their lives once again. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” i.e., more than the other disciples do. You see, Peter had bragged that even if all the other disciples fall away he would not. Now, Jesus questions whether his loyalty is greater than all the other disciples. How does Peter respond?
He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him 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, “Tend my sheep.” 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 everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Now, there is an interesting play on the word, “love,” here. Three (3) times, Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” And Three (3) times, Peter replies, “Yes, I love you.” Only Jesus and Peter are using a different word for “love.”
The first time Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me”, He uses the word agape, a word which speaks of a self-sacrificial, self-giving type of love. In other words, Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me enough to give your life for me?”
Peter responds by saying, “Lord, you know everything” – “You know that I love you.”
And Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” Jesus is saying to Peter, “I know that you love me, even though you have failed me, I know your heart, and I still want you to lead my church.” Jesus turns people like Peter who fail into successful people.
Roger Youderian was about to call it quits. He was a miserable failure as a missionary, or so he thought. He wrote in his journal, “I wouldn’t support a missionary such as I know myself to be, and I’m not going to ask anyone else to.”
Then, Nate Saint came to him one day and told him of “Operation Auca.” He asked Roger if he would be a part of the team. Roger said, “Yes,” and became one of the five young men who were martyred, trying to reach the Auca Indians. Rachel Saint, Nate's sister, continued the mission efforts to the Indians, which eventually came to fruition. This resulted in many of these natives becoming Christians, including those who had killed Saint and his 4 friends. Christ turns failures into faithful followers of Himself.
I like the way Vance Havner once put it years ago. He said, “God uses broken things. Broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever [before].”
God has restored the dispirited disciples in the most remarkable way possible through the resurrection.