The Gospel: John 21:1-19
At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
Jesus said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a 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.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
After the Gospel:
Simon Peter said: I am going fishing.”
They all said: “We’ll go with you.”
Have you ever noticed how – after a big failure, after something happens that we didn’t want or deserve, when we’re afraid to face the facts – how we tend to run away??
How we go back to something safe, comfortable, something familiar– to the way it was before?
How we revert to old patterns of behavior and thinking, even when they’re not good.
Even when we know better and don’t want to slide backwards.
That’s where the disciples were. They were fleeing their failure. They weren’t hanging around Jerusalem wondering what was coming next.
In their desolation, they had given up, gone back home to lick their wounds, gone back to their previous lives and jobs… to something they could succeed at: fishing.
Seven of them. Peter and six others had left Jerusalem, gone 80 miles back home to the Sea of Tiberias, trying to rub out all the painful things that happened.
Ironically, they were right back where it all began, back on the very same lake, on the same shoreline, where three years earlier, while they were fishing, they left everything to follow a man they thought could be the Messiah.
Over there, on that hill, Jesus spoke the Sermon on the Mount.
Out there, on the lake, they were in boats on the rough sea when Jesus calmed the storm,
when Jesus walked on the water, when they watched Peter walk on water out to Jesus.
Around these shores, Jesus healed people, ate with sinners, produced enough food for 5000 people.
Every time they looked around, some old memory resurfaced: Jesus turning water into wine, raising people from the dead, telling parable after parable, all the teaching they heard from Him through their three year journey together.
We can leave places – even people – but we can never escape from ourselves.
Wherever you go, you take yourself with you.
Peter may have left Jerusalem but he couldn’t get away from that Last Supper,
the arrest of Jesus in the Garden,
from his three shameful denials in the courtyard of the high priest,
from that crowing rooster.
Peter was fishing to forget, but it wasn’t working.
Once again, they dragged in the heavy wet net … once again, empty.
So they rowed to a new spot, and cast the net again.
All the while, Peter haunted by the same questions: Can I ever undo what I did?
What’s going to happen to me now – What will I do?
Suddenly, from a hundred yards away, a voice in the morning fog:
“Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
Recognizing how much they’re hurting, how much they need to be met with love,
he calls them his children, showing the depth of his love and the sense of protection he has over them.
They don’t recognize him, but it’s Jesus, here to restore Peter and the disciples.
“Cast your net over the right side of the boat,” he says.
Experienced fishermen though they were, exhausted after a full night’s work as they were, they still did as the stranger suggested.
Then the miracle!
They had been fishing on the wrong side of the boat.
They had been fishing on the Good Friday side of the boat, living in the pain of the past,
still living in Good Friday, so their net was empty… no fish, no answers, no way forward.
They had to move to the other side – the Resurrection side – of the boat.
The Resurrection is their restoration.
That’s when their emptiness finally gave way to the abundance of a net full of fish.
They finally see and are able to proclaim, “It is the Lord,”
Jesus has called them to move out of failure and discouragement and self-pity into trusting Him,
to move out of sin into forgiveness, out of death into life.
The darkness of night has given way to the crack of dawn, with its bright new light;
And in one further act of love, Jesus himself has prepared breakfast for them,
a hot charcoal fire to spread warmth and love in place of the cold ashes of their failure,
a meal of bread and fish offered with tenderness and compassion.
Grown men finally received what they needed: a fresh start with God,
the knowledge that they have received God’s love and that their lives are worth something.
There’s still time for Confessions of love to overpower guilt and fear.
Peter was burdened with three denials, so Jesus allows him to unburden, as He extends forgiveness three times.
Brothers and sisters, what Christ did for them, He wants to do for us.
To come to us, in our darkness, restore us, help us see that we can’t go back to the way it used to be,
that our fruitless night fishing is over.
He calls out: “Toss your net off the other side of the boat. Trust in me, have this meal with me, and tell me once more, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
If this is Easter, if Christ is truly alive,
then we have to allow Him to forgive us and bring us back to life.
We have to take the Bread he offers us with so much love, and let it change our lives.
We have to tell Jesus that only He can provide a true Easter ending to our life story.