Light And Life
”He is risen! He is risen indeed!”
John 21:2–19 (CSB)
2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 “I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them. “We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus. 5 “Friends,” Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you?” “No,” they answered. 6 “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he told them, “and you’ll find some.” So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish. 7 The disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer clothing around him (for he had taken it off) and plunged into the sea. 8 Since they were not far from land (about a hundred yards away), the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. 9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. 10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus told them. 11 So Simon Peter climbed up and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish—153 of them. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
12 “Come and have breakfast,” Jesus told them. None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Feed my lambs,” he told him. 16 A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Shepherd my sheep,” he told him.
17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” “Feed my sheep,” Jesus said. 18 “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”
Dawn
Do you remember the catch-cry of the reformers?
“Post Tenebras Lux — After Darkness Light”
Well, the night has passed, the dawn has come!
”He is risen! He is risen indeed!”
This account at the close of John’s gospel is now the third time Jesus has met with his disciples after the resurrection. Each time he has, he comes to them in specific ways with a specific focus. Now, here on the shore of the same sea he had first called them by, he come to them again.
The first time Jesus broke bread with his disciples was then he had walked with two of them to Emmaus, though they weren’t aware it was Jesus until he broke bread with them and prayed—but then disappeared.
Luke 24 records what happens next. The two disciples, startled and excited, rush back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples what had happened. As they were talking about it (Mark’s gospel tells us that this all happened as they were having a meal together), Jesus suddenly appears “in their midst”, showing them his hands and feet, proving he is the risen Jesus. Of course, they’re terrified, and it would seem they still aren’t sure if he’s real or some type of ghost. Then Jesus does the most normal, but extraordinary thing—he asks someone to pass the fish, please—his point? Ghosts don’t eat food.
In other words, Jesus is telling his friends, “The night is over. The dawn has come. Death is defeated. Life has won.”
So here we find ourselves again on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the sun is just about to break the horizon, a small fire is crackling on the sand, a man sits beside it checking a few fish grilling slowly, and about 90 meters off the bank is a simple fishing boat.
Reconciliation
As the first sun beams strike the face of the one who called that sun into existence, he stands and stretches, then calls with a voice that must have made the water dance as it recognised its Master.
“Friends …”
What a glorious word to spring from the lips of Jesus.
“Friends, you don’t have any fish, do you?”
Think about that question for a moment. Jesus isn’t accusing them, he isn’t mocking them, yet the one who had fish asks the ones who don’t. His question simultaneously revealed their lack, and his plenty. Yet graciously Jesus repeats a miracle, redirecting the fish of the sea to swim into nets that had been empty all night.
Can you imagine their faces? A straining net wasn’t their wonder this time, it was the man on the shore bathed in early morning light!
“It’s the Lord!”
That’s all it took and Peter was over the side and thrashing his way to pull himself dripping from the water at Jesus’ feet. I wonder if Jesus reached down his hand to grasp Peter’s, pulling him up as he had done once before as lightening split the sky above them, the night Peter had stepped over the side and walked out into the waves to meet Jesus, the night he’d taken his eyes from Jesus, the night he sank as he was overcome with fear? I wonder if Peter remembered what he had cried out to Jesus that night, “Lord, save me!”
But as Jesus met Peter on the shore that morning, I’m sure Peter was filled with grief and shame. He’s lost sight of Jesus once more, he had taken his eyes off his friend and fixed his attention on his fear. In the night, Peter had denied him.
But remember, the night is passed, the dawn is here, and Jesus is standing in front of us with a warm smile and generous invitation.
“Come and have breakfast.”
I think it’s the simple earthiness of this story I love, a few friends sharing breakfast on the banks of the sea. The fire crackling, the smell of fish cooked on an open fire, friends laughing together and licking sticky fingers while telling stories.
At some point, Jesus looks across the fire, throws his bones back into the fire, smiles gently at Peter that carried a silent invitation. Jesus stands. Peter stands. They go walk off together.
“Hi Peter.”
“…”
I wonder if Peter knew how to respond.
“Peter, do you love me?”
“Oh Jesus, I love you!”
Three times this conversation circled, a gracious echo of the three betrayals Peter made beside a fire in the dark of night.
“Peter, do you love me?”
“Oh Jesus, I love you!”
Jesus was gently reminding Peter, and he gently reminds us, “The night is gone and the dawn has come. Death has been defeated and new life is found in me.”
This quiet conversation maybe one of my favourite moments in the gospels. Because like Peter, I know what I’ve done in the dark, we all know what we’ve done in the dark. We all know the countless ways we’ve cursed and bristled and denied, all to cover our fears. We all know the countless ways we’ve sat in the comfort of our own fires and said, “I don’t know this man,” and watched anew as they mock and beat and kill our Saviour.
Life
But now Jesus invites us, along with Peter, to sit at his fire. Jesus invites us to eat with him, “Come and have breakfast,” he says, “The night is gone. The dawn has come.”
The death of Jesus tells us that the betrayal isn’t overlooked, but it is forgiven and paid for.
The resurrection of Jesus tells us that darkness and death has lost its grip, that new life and restored relationship is possible, that guilt and shame are absorbed in Christ.
Jesus eats breakfast with rebels and traitors, invites them to walk with him, and mends the broken friendship.
“Peter, do you love me?”
“Oh Jesus, I love you!”
“Follow me.”
Hope
This breakfast is the last time we read of Jesus eating with his followers, his friends. But the Bible does talk about another meal, a meal that is yet to happen. This meal won’t be a simple breakfast by the sea (although, to be honest, to share a quiet meal over a fire with Jesus is about as good as it gets in my mind), no, this coming meal will be a feast!
On a coming day, Jesus will come like a groom arriving to sweep away his bride. Maybe you feel like Peter must have, “How could I meet Jesus face-to-face? How could I look him in the eyes? I’m a rebel, a traitor.”
Good.
Rebels and traitors fill his invitation list.
Matthew 22:1–14 (CSB)
1 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to summon those invited to the banquet, but they didn’t want to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants and said, ‘Tell those who are invited: See, I’ve prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5 “But they paid no attention and went away, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged, and he sent out his troops, killed those murderers, and burned down their city.
8 “Then he told his servants, ‘The banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Go then to where the roads exit the city and invite everyone you find to the banquet.’ 10 So those servants went out on the roads and gathered everyone they found, both evil and good. The wedding banquet was filled with guests. 11 When the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed for a wedding. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Many years later, John, who was one of the disciples who sat around that early morning fire with Jesus, was given a glimpse into the things that are yet to come.
Revelation 19:6–8 (CSB)
6 Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying,
Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty, reigns! 7 Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself. 8 She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure.
She was given fine linen to wear…
Jesus has paid for your sin at the cross, the night has passed.
Jesus offers reconciliation, the dawn has come.
Hear the voice of Jesus inviting you today. Bring your sin, your rebellion, and your shame, and sit with Jesus a while. He longs to renew his relationship with you, and invites you, “Come, follow me. I have a feast prepared, and you’re invited.”
