The Floundering Fisherman
John 21:2 “ There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas ccalled Didymus, and dNathanael of eCana in Galilee, and fthe sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and tentered into a ship immediately; and gthat night they caught nothing.” [1]
I. Surrounded
A. Crowded
B. Confined
II. Secluded
A. Confident
B. Contented
III. Supplanted
A. Confused
B. Crushed
Introduction: Last week we learned from John’s gospel about Jesus’ second visit to the disciples in His glorified body. His first contact was with Mary Magdalene at the tomb when she thought that He was the gardener. She must have given Jesus some indication that she wanted to embrace Him but Jesus told her not to touch Him because He had not yet ascended to His Father in heaven.
The first time that Jesus met with a group of those who would later be apostles was in the locked room. Thomas was absent for that meeting. The next meeting with the apostles was in the locked room again and this time Thomas was invited to touch Jesus because Thomas said that he required positive physical touch as proof that Jesus was really Jesus.
Today we will consider events leading up to what John refers to as the third encounter with the group which happened by the shore. Last week we saw how Jesus paid special attention to Thomas. His faith was weakened until he saw Jesus and heard Him say those things that he wished he could take back.
Not much is said about Thomas during the time Jesus was being crucified. He was cynical about going back to Judea prior to the resurrection of Lazarus but not much is said about Thomas just before and during the crucifixion and resurrection. We know about Judas Iscariot and what he did to betray Jesus. We know about Simon Peter denying Jesus. Not much is said about Thomas until after Jesus’ appearance to those in the locked room but Thomas’ reputation after Jesus’ appearance is widely known. Thomas had a great opportunity to repent and he did.
Simon Peter and John had a footrace to the tomb after hearing that Jesus’ body was missing. When they got there Peter went in while John only looked. Peter was there for the meeting in the locked room but the encounter with Peter was generally as one of the group. The next time Peter was there again but it seems that Thomas got more attention. What do you suppose was going through Peter’s mind? He surely was going through torment waiting for the ball to drop.
Can you possibly put yourself in the place of Simon Peter? You might say that there is no way that you would deny knowing Jesus like Peter did. You would probably be wrong by the way. There is no way that anyone can know what they would have done in the same circumstance.
Peter was often the one with alone with Jesus. Peter and the sons of Zebedee, James and John, were the three mentioned most who were with Jesus. After Peter’s denial, Peter heard that John was to take care of Jesus’ mother. Peter had no way of knowing why John was chosen over James but Jesus knew that James would be the first apostle to be martyred. Peter only knew that John was trusted by Jesus to take care of Jesus’ mother. How would that make you feel? There seems a little hint of jealousy between John and Peter as you read the gospel accounts. Now John is trusted with Mary. What do you suppose Peter was thinking?
I can only speak for me. Sometimes when I don’t know what’s coming next I am anxious and apprehensive. It’s not good! Jesus warned about worry in two of the gospel accounts because Jesus knew that when we don’t know what’s coming next we do worry until we find faith.
Scripture: The scripture today is John 21:2-3. Please stand if you can for God’s written word.
Prayer: Please be seated.
Message: When John chapter twenty-one is exposed the verses that we will focus on today are often overlooked. Today we will look at the person of Peter and what might have been leading up to his encounter with Jesus when he was asked if he loved Jesus. We remember about Peter jumping out of the boat and swimming to Jesus. Maybe we even remember that fact mentioned of the number of fish that they caught in their nets after Jesus persuaded them to throw them on the other side. Why does the Bible make such a deal about the exact number of 153 fish?
It’s easy to get caught up in other things in this text, but what led Peter to go fishing in the first place? Why did the others go with him? Why didn’t Peter immediately recognize Jesus when He was standing on the shore? What is it that leads you to a closer faith with the Savior than you had before? Many times the events that bring you to the place of decision are so far out of your attention span that you overlook them. Today we will delve into the mind of Simon Peter.
John seems to make a point to refer to Peter here in verse two as Simon Peter. We see this pattern of Peter slipping back to his old self in other places such as when the temple tax collectors asked him about Jesus paying the temple tax. Peter answered for Jesus without thinking about the statement that he made earlier about Jesus being the Son of the Most High God. Matthew 17:24 “nAnd when they were come to Capernaum, they that received ||tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master opay ||tribute? 25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus pprevented him, saying, qWhat thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take rcustom or stribute? of their own children, or of strangers?” [2]
In verse two we find that special number seven again. Count up the disciples that were there. Simon Peter and Thomas, that’s two; Nathaniel and the sons of Zebedee, James and John, that five so far; and two other of His disciples, that’s seven. Isn’t it strange that Peter’s brother Andrew is not mentioned here?
So these seven including Peter are somewhere together and Peter decided to go fishing. He knew how to fish. That’s what he did before he followed Jesus. Sometimes when there is something on my mind and I am around a bunch of folks, even if I enjoy their company, it’s time to get my mind off what I am thinking about and onto something familiar and comfortable.
The language in the KJV seems strange here. “Simon Peter saith unto them, “I go a fishing.” He didn’t invite anyone to go with him. In fact it is like he insisted twice. First he said I go. Nothing about ya’ll want to go; I go! Then Peter added that “a” to emphasize not we. Not many fishermen but “a” fisherman. Peter might have felt a bit surrounded. Too crowded to think! Way too confined in that locked room waiting for something to happen. I go a fishing! Sounds good to me Pete! We go a fishing with you!
Somehow I get the idea reading this that Peter really didn’t want to be part of the pack just then. He wanted to go to a secluded place where he could reflect and probably pray. That’s what he saw Jesus do on many occasions. Sometimes we just need to get away. It doesn’t mean that we don’t like being with people that we love, it’s just that sometimes you need time to think things out and have your confidence restored that God is still really in control. There is nothing better than being alone with God’s creation and seeing everything still being under His control. It brings contentment to a world that seems to have lost contentment.
So now comes the crowd. Peter and the other six climb onto a ship. Have you ever gotten onto a really big boat with a bunch of folks and left to be out on the water all night long? If you are looking for a place to not be confined with a bunch of people you have picked the wrong place.
Instead of being on dry land where you might be able to walk away now you are on board a ship in the middle of the sea with nowhere to be alone. Constant conversations about things that have nothing to do with taking you to a quiet place with God is nowhere to find yourself. When Jesus found Himself on a boat with several other people He often fell asleep perhaps to get alone to Himself one way or the other but most people can’t find that type of security.
Peter knew how to fish! Don’t forget that! He knew how to catch fish. At that particular time in what was going on then Peter might have been confused but he knew how to catch fish.
Peter didn’t catch any fish. The nets were empty again. Sound like a rerun of an old movie.
All he wanted to do was to get alone by himself and do what he knew how to do that was familiar to him and now Peter’s idea had been supplanted again. No getting away. No alone time. No fish! Do you know the definition of crushed? When the weight of the world is on you and you cannot get away or share that weight with someone else it will crush you. Peter felt crushed; not to mention how confused He felt.
It’s little wonder that Peter didn’t recognize Jesus standing on the shore. It’s little wonder that John was referring to Peter as Simon Peter again. It’s little wonder that when things are not turning out as you had planned that you get confused but there is a way to get away from the weight of the world so that you do not get crushed.
We know the end of this story. Jesus was waiting for Peter. Jesus is waiting for me. Jesus is waiting for you. The world is full of things that can crush you if you don’t get away from them but Jesus is always there waiting for you to jump out of the thing that you think is keeping you from sinking. When you finally get through depending on the man-made vessel that is confining you to what you are doing and you are ready to trust Jesus by getting out and swimming to Him, then He will welcome you with all the provisions you need to continue the life that He has planned for you.
Prayer:
Invitation: Next week we will continue our consideration of Jesus’ time here in His glorified resurrected body. There will be times in this life when the decisions that you have made will seem to be crushing you. Maybe with all the apprehension in the world today even now you are looking for a quiet place to escape to.
Jesus will keep you in the place where He has you until He knows you are ready for the next step of faith. Do not lose faith. He will send that one or maybe He will send you to that one who needs to hear from you. That is how He keeps us together even sometimes when we think we don’t want to be. He knows what you need. You can find Jesus in a crowd or a closet.
The invitation today is to let Jesus come to you and for you to be ready when He does. Leaving to be alone is not what He expects from us. The hardest time that Jesus had was in His Gethsemane. Jesus was so upset being alone that He sweated what appeared to be droplets of blood.
He will bring us together with Him in the center as long as we trust Him. Let us consider as we sing…
c See ch. 11:16.
d See ch. 1:45.
e See ch. 2:1.
f Matt. 4:21. Luke 5:10.
t ch. 21:25.
g So Luke 5:5.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 21:2–3). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
n Mark 9:33.
|| Called in the original, didrachma, being in value fifteen pence.
o Ex. 30:13. & 38:26. See 2 Kin. 12:4.
|| Called in the original, didrachma, being in value fifteen pence.
p 2 Sam. 22:6, 19. Job 3:12. & 30:27. & 41:11. Ps. 17:13 marg. & 18:5, 18. & 21:3. & 59:10. & 79:8. & 88:13. & 119:147, 148. Isai. 21:14. Amos 9:10. 1 Thess. 4:15 (English).
q See ch. 18:12.
r 1 Macc. 10:31 (Gk.). So Rom. 13:7.
s ch. 22:17, 19. Mark 12:14.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mt 17:24–25). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
