Who Said So
John 21:6 “And mhe said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7 Therefore that disciple nwhom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he ogirt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was pnaked,) and did cast himself into the sea.” [1]
I. Called
A. Announce
B. Action
II. Communicated
A. Alert
B. Aware
III. Caught
A. Awake
B. Answered
Introduction: Traditionally the forty day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter is what we know as Lent. It represents the forty day period of time when Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted by the devil. Forty years the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness. There is something significant about the number forty in the Bible and time. Forty days sometimes and forty years other times are times of learning.
Jesus was with us here for another forty day period of time following His resurrection and before His ascension. So by this tradition of observing Easter we are in that period of time that is Easter. This therefore is the fifth Sunday of Easter.
We are still in the traditional forty day period of time between Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension. Nearing the time of Jesus’ ascension six of the disciples decided to go fishing with Peter. That was not Peter’s plan that at all. There is an old saying, if you want to know how to make God laugh, tell Him your plan.
Peter learned when a person has been called by God, or elected, and that person agrees with God’s election to accept that call, from then on that call will not be rescinded. It’s hard to admit that and often it’s harder for the others around the one who is going through it. If you don’t believe that or understand that, ask Rachael. No, I’m not talking about Rachel who was one of Jacob’s wives. I’m talking about my wife Rachael.
Many years ago after my dad was gone Momma and I were talking about us all living together. It was a wonderful time yet there were some unpleasant things about it. Rachael and I knew that it was to be. Daddy and Momma and I had a long talk before Rachael came into my life. Momma and I were reflecting on decisions made then and we were having a pity party.
In my stupidity I asked why some people just seem to have things work out the way that they plan while my life seemed to be already decided for me. Momma was with me that day when I took to walk up the aisle. I was thirteen years old. I asked her to walk with me. She said through tears, “I can’t.” She was with us after Daddy’s massive stroke when we talked of what would be later. You’re the youngest and you’re here son. Pretty much, “tag, you’re it.” Momma was in church that day when I preached my first sermon. I was fourteen. It was after Daddy’s massive stroke that left him semi-paralyzed.
Rachael and I had picked out a lot and had looked at house plans. We figured that we would be living close enough in Deep River with our family to be here when that time came. God had a different idea. In my complaints though I knew we were blessed. I really expected Momma to say something profound like maybe, “I understand son.” She laughed at me!
When I ran away from church those many years ago Momma didn’t laugh; she cried. When I told Rachael that finally my running was over she didn’t laugh either; she cried. I know how Paul felt. Maybe you do too… There is not a more comfortable place than to be in God’s hands yet often it is scary for the one God is using and often worse on those who are close.
For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son. If God so gave His Son why would I think that He would expect less of me.
Scripture: The scripture today is John 21:6-7. Please stand if you can for God’s written word.
Prayer: Please be seated.
Message: Sometimes when we are inside the frame we cannot see the picture. Someone told me that many years ago in a rather dark period of my life. Peter was in perhaps the darkest period of His life. He had denied Christ three times and Jesus told him that it was going to happen. Now Peter had been in a locked room twice with Jesus in His glorified body and he was waiting for number three. What is the Master going to do with me? Judas Iscariot betrayed Him and now Judas Iscariot is gone. He took the coward’s way out but what about me?
They say the third time is the charm. When the third encounter with Jesus came Peter didn’t even recognize Him until somebody else told Peter that it was Jesus. Jesus called out! He made the same announcement that He had made earlier when Peter was unsuccessful with his nets. Try the other side! Why did Peter not remember? Sometimes we are so caught up in what we think might happen that we miss the action.
Sometimes people say things to us and we miss it. Of course that never happens to me. I always hear everything that everybody tells me. And I see many of you rolling your eyes.
Often we think because we have told someone something and they even seem to acknowledge that they have understood what we had communicated. Often though there had really been no communication. Commune is to be together. To send a message from one to somebody else or to simply say something to someone is not communication. If the message that was sent wasn’t received and understood by the one who hears or receives it, then again, communication failed.
Often the person who is to act on the message depends on someone else to hear it and explain it to them. Paul understood this dilemma. Paul was a Jew yet his audience was us, the non-Jews. In Paul’s letter to the Romans he explained that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile as far as salvation goes. Romans 10: 12 “For nthere is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for othe same Lord over all is prich unto all that call upon him. 13 For qwhosoever shall rcall upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear swithout a preacher?” [2]
We have the Bible! Now the Bible is written in so many revisions and even many languages. Anybody can read it and get to the truth. Why don’t they get it? Why is there such division now that is getting worse by the instant?
It is easy to read about Peter in the boat missing the message from The Risen Lord Jesus and wonder what was Peter thinking about. Why did someone else have to tell Peter that Jesus was on the shore? Yes; why do we so often miss-communicate?
Jesus called but the message was not fully communicated until John told Peter. The alert went out. They even dropped the net on the other side of the ship as they were instructed but the action didn’t happen until someone else spoke. Until John told Peter that it was the Lord, Peter was unaware. Right then his mind was on fishing; for fish. He heard the part about where to drop the net. It was all they could do to drag it back in but Peter didn’t really understand.
Finally when Peter heard from John, then Peter left what he was doing, to do that which Jesus wanted him to do. Come to me and I will make you a fisher of men Peter. That message was sent but the preacher had to preach it before Peter got it. When the right one interpreted it to the one to act on it Peter was aware of his greatest purpose of which he never denied again.
They must have done fishing with nets differently than what I’m used to. It says Peter was naked except that he had a fisher’s coat with him. Serving as a mate on a charter boat is nasty stuff when the fish are biting. Cutting bait and dumping fish gets your clothes so nasty that I have actually seen mates jump off the back of a charter boat in the middle of the shark infested Gulf Stream to rinse off. Perhaps that is why to have only a fisher’s coat maybe like a smock. That way they didn’t have to worry about nasty clothes.
Remember that they didn’t have any fish? When they dropped their nets on the side where Jesus had instructed them, they couldn’t pull the net back into the boat. In verse eight it says that the other disciples dragged the net full of fish to the shore in a smaller boat.
As soon as John explained the truth to Peter, he left. They caught fish but Jesus caught Peter.
There was nothing to get Peter nasty all that night before because they hadn’t caught anything. When they did get the fish into the net Peter left the fish behind for the rest of them to deal with. He wrapped his fisher’s coat around him and jumped out to swim to Jesus.
Being out at sea all night long without catching anything can be pretty boring. If Jesus had been with them He might have caught another nap. Surely they were ready to come to shore and sleep. Maybe they were even exhausted and that’s why they didn’t recognize Jesus in His resurrected body. If Jesus had intended for them all to have recognized Him they surely would have. It happened as it did so that Peter would know he could trust John with the truth.
Peter might have been groggy when Jesus again announced that they might try casting the net on the other side. Peter was probably ready to get off the boat with all those folks and find a quiet place as he first intended. When Peter finally received the truth, the truth did indeed set him free to find Jesus. Peter was wide awake and now his anxiety was about to find the answer that he had so longed for. What does it take to wake you up?
Prayer:
Invitation: 9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw ra fire of coals there, and sfish laid thereon, and bread. 10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the sfish which ye have now caught. 11 Simon Peter twent up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 12 Jesus saith unto them, uCome and xdine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 uJesus then cometh, and ytaketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14 This is now zthe third time that Jesus shewed himself zto his disciples, after [pause] that he was risen from the dead.[3]
Jesus is waiting on the shore just now for us to come and bring our catch and dine with Him. Will we net Him a large catch or are we casting in a place of our choosing without asking Him? How will He welcome us to His feast when we finally arrive? Consider as we sing…
m So Luke 5:4, 6, 7.
n ver. 20. See ch. 13:23.
o So ch. 13:4.
p See 1 Sam. 19:24.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 21:6–7). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
n See Matt. 8:11. & Acts 10:35. & ch. 1:16.
o Acts 10:36. ch. 3:29.
p See ch. 9:23.
q Cited from Joel 2:32. Cited also Acts 2:21.
r See Acts 9:14.
s So Tit. 1:3.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ro 10:12–14). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
r See ch. 18:18.
s See ch. 6:9.
s See ch. 6:9.
t Gk. as ver. 3.
u Acts 10:41.
x ver. 15. See Matt. 22:4.
u Acts 10:41.
y Luke 24:30, 43. Comp. Acts 1:4 marg.
z ch. 20:19, 26.
z ch. 20:19, 26.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 21:9–14). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. Note: [pause] added for clarity of reading
