040 - The King Makes the Feast

You pick up your Bible and wonder, is there more here than meets the is there something here for me. I mean it's just words printed on paper right well it may look like just print on the page but it's more than eight. Join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on our own. As we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than a musket left out of the first realities as it was really that is God do that well for you if you don't know about that one look at that story today in John 21 million Dorothy absolutely must have your Bible open in your cup of coffee or your glass of water. Whatever you whatever you have in the morning and just look at the word with us is this is easy, Bible reading sort of what we see that but Bible reading. Yes, that one levels really easy, but another way is where family onset. I see this is not an academic right demanding right. However, you will find yourself getting in deeper than you ever imagined. Because we were going to actually tackle this entire chapter 1. Conversation and noise so you know do that. Let's not do that, starting in the last chapter John has, said when I finish a book because I'm just but you can always read. But this is such a good chapter because John is the only gospel that includes this particular episode yeah exactly. It's a really touching login if if remember we finished up at the end of John 20 last time you know you read it and it sounds like I'm saying what day you know and he says it says in the end of John 20 Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written this book.

But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ Messiah was like I told you all I have to tell you right right but now we have this wonderful kind of: PS Epilog Epilog is a wonderful epilogue because that previous ending could be enough.

But here John gives a view of the things again that only John gives so personal, it is so so nice, it's really nice so you know if you're if you're into reading the other gospels which really recommend that you do definitely in those other Gospels.

In that and Matthew, Mark, specifically the apostles are told to go to Galilee after the resurrection go to Galilee as was told was a central meeting there and I'll meet you there right and he tells them this before the resurrection going to Galilee and yet in and Matthew and Mark. They don't toss much of what was on Galilee: we get to John 21 we do all we know.

In the other Gospels is Matthew's gospel says they went to a mountain as directed him to go to but and it says that all 11 were there so we know they went to Galilee, but we did we know nothing from the other Gospels about what went on Galilee.

I mean really so, but we do today because of John 21 should be read as love this passage just brings us full circle in them anyway. I will talk about because that's actually where I spent some of my time and think about this conversation. Well, let's read do it. Yeah let's read the introductory part first four versus after this, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberius, and he revealed himself in this way.

Simon Peter, Thomas called the twin Nathaniel of canine Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and to others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, I'm going fishing and they said to him will go with you and they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Okay to stop this is the part that strikes me as full circle total right I want to first of all, why are only these guys named and the two others that are unnamed, but there back in Galilee there back in the very place where Jesus when he first was getting to know them and they were getting to know him.

He called them since that was Millie's yap and they were fishing when he called them, these guys in particular.

I just wonder in no wise Peter back here. He is like.

I like to do now but the resurrection they've seen Jesus they've seen Jesus. Why go to Galilee and there sitting around on computers. I'm going fishing and do something. I know my whole world is been yanked out from under. I don't know what to do anymore, exactly. It's a productive thing to do, and I've always thought to the fact that there's only only seven of we don't know by name or names. What made me think of two of them. Maybe our from the larger group. Don't know but but we do know that Matthew says all 11 went to Galilee, so the other guys are off somewhere doing something well, it wasn't fishermen right so he probably wasn't here, probably. And I really didn't remember or didn't look into the other guys but these are the fishermen who are here to see it dawns on me that since the previous two appearances of Jesus to deposit with them all gathered except for Thomas affair.

What you just read about this the third will toss in just a second. They're probably thinking if the other guys are gone right now like they went to the store, something I know nothing is going to happen because it's broad daylight, and you know we can do fielding and stuff like that and and so Jesus is not gathered, only seven of us, so I always wondered whether not they thought was just kind of do regular stuff. Nothing of his mind yet will will go fish.

Okay, so here's another thought from observation. John tells us specifically that Philip and Nathaniel well and Nathaniel was here and he his gospel is also the only one names Philip and Nathaniel at their calling. Yeah so you know they were important in John's mind so I think he's setting up this parallel between when Jesus first called them. In this event Galilee. If you go back and read the accounts in the other Gospels of Jesus first calling of these guys then those parallels will begin to emerge in Technicolor. Yeah.

So if you're a Bible study or this whole set up sounds really familiar not only affected were in Cana. Remember, we start off in John two and came right with the wedding stuff like that and so and calling the apostles was in Galilee so were were sort of you. If your Bible study are saying wait a second. This sounds familiar to go check this out and see what's been connected right here quite a big deal and it's been connected here in a real sense they are coming full circle back to the beginning to start a new beginning. So that's what's really fascinating and their fishing night.

John tells us, and they caught nothing.

All that happened at the very beginning where Jesus said you know I'll make you fishers of men. If you follow me right so you know, this is John Ken rounding up all the loose loose pegs in his mind will yeah get them in their right holes and you know we we see that Jesus calls. For instance, Andrew, Peter, James and John up there while the fishermen, but but there was that time when G is specifically look, it's much more specific calling of the right member Jesus teaching he hasn't called. Be a policy of this is in Luke five. By the way I have that passage (attracted my attention is you really gotta read this, Luke five passage to see what's going on so you want you want to read the five let's start wanting to have this in the back. Now it came about while the multitude was pressing around him and listen to the word of God.

He was standing by the lake of Dennis are at okay said like a good restaurant like Tiberius, those are all the seagulls and he saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake, but the fishermen and gotten out of the middle washing their nets. And he got into one of the boats which was Simons and ask him to put out a little way from the land and he sat down and began teaching the multitudes boat and we need for speaking. He said to Simon, put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch and Simon answered and said master. We worked hard all night and caught nothing but your bidding. I will let down the nets and when they done this then closed a great quantity of fish and their nets began to break and they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them and they came and filled both of the boat so that they began to sing but when Simon Peter saw he fell down at Jesus feet, saying, depart from me, for I am a sinful man part for amazement and seized him, because in all his companions because of the catch of fish which they taken and so also James and John, sons of Zebedee we were partners with Simon and Jesus said to Simon. Do not fear. From now on you will be catching man and when they brought their boats to land they left everything and followed him. Now that's a detail you don't get in the calling Matthew Mark Luke… Right right so Peter in his response to Jesus is to be conscious of his own sin and even his pride about hate, for we caught nothing. So you think you so we press on because I that's the back of Peter's mind. At the very beginning of this is when Peter is called by Jesus Christ. Following that was three years ago three years ago that whole event is wrong in Peter's mind and so that brings us to this okay except that well will read it second, but it's John who recognizes that it's Lord Peter get it so let me read it so so yeah I like to read. Sometimes I get excited. Remember the fish at night so he real resources just as they was breaking. Jesus stood on the store, sure yet the disciples didn't know that was Jesus. So Jesus said to them, children do you have any fish and answer them. No, so he said to them THAN on the right side of the boat and you'll find some so the casket and now they were not able to hold and because the quantity of fish in the disciple Jesus loved John therefore said to Peter, it's the Lord, and when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord. He put on his outer garment three was stripped for working through himself into the sea and the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net of fish, for they were not far from the land about 100 yards off the stop five passage about right, catching fish because he read the same thing just happened. They were unsuccessful then that whole night right and Jesus want to try you like over there and I think it Peter's mind waitressing, but why didn't he recognizes Jesus took John to Rick since John says it's the Lord. And when Peter heard the Lord so Peter was preoccupied with something right and that it just raises questions in my mind why did John recognize the Lord by his voice and by the circumstances.

But Peter didn't yeah I don't think will ever know. But here's the other question why did he throw himself into the water right. She was stripped for work so he puts his close separate email I sent was thinking maybe Peter was suddenly remembering when he was in the boat that dark night in the storm and they see Jesus coming. Oh yeah, and Peter says, Lord, if it's really you command me to come to you on the water gets out and Peter walks on the water and I I wonder if there isn't some connection to that here could be just as interesting to me that Peter throws himself into the water.

In his haste to get to where the Lord is yeah and I think that's I think it's compounded the idea that in his first calling in Luke five Jesus called them to follow and they left behind traces his way here of saying "Patrick got me the hell out of there like that of kind of like a hyper obedience. Well, I kept on coming to him, and I want to do it do it even with more vigor than I did that time three years ago when you first, so could be that Jesus tells them they are and you're going to catch a large catch of fish right he had said that to them. At the very beginning 55 and it was an event, you know, we John might have had some credibility here because John was also present at that event right he was. He and his brother James are probably the guys on the second boat and they work together.

It says so. So he didn't see that event unfold quite as personally as Peter disease was in Peter's boat in Luke five, but John saw the whole thing is to go to and we know from from the other Gospels. Among the Gospels.

John was a listener and he was always listening for Jesus heart and he's the one who was right next to him at the Last Supper, when Peter elbowed him and says hey ask you talking about you so close to you know John had a particular kind of a listening relationship with Jesus and as we talked about last week of the week before.

John is the one to whom Jesus entrusted his mother's care for us so there was a very special relationship between John and Jesus and different kind of relationship between Peter and Jesus yeah yeah so it's not unusual to have different everything I've heard some people say this is silly is the fact that that John and Peter were not the same age that means almost recognize University was older than John was probably John had the better eyes at the time John left a dragon.

Even still, I just think it's just remarkable that the John recognize and Peter in a heartbeat jumps in the water.

Such a human story really really is very human yeah while speaking the mystery let's let's get to the beach one day you so when they got out on the land they saw a charcoal fire in place with fish laid out on it, and bread. Okay, wait a minute, never dawned on me before reading this just yesterday that Peter had splashed his way to the shore and had been there alone with Jesus in his time. John tells us nothing about that ever thought about that when the rest of them get to the beach. Peter is already there with Jesus. The fire is in place.

The fish are laid out and bread never stand and 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 hundred and 53 of them and although there were so many the net was not. And Jesus said to them come and have breakfast now. None of the disciples dared ask Kim who you think 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 third time.

So this word revealed or as the new American Standard has manifested John tells us three times between verses one and 14 that Jesus was manifested. We feel this way. This way he was. He was made known by deliberate and what he said and did hearing yeah yeah I just so love the scene. One of my favorite artists from the 19th century Chuck to so because he's kind of almost photorealistic paintings has a painting of them sitting on the beach in the scene and the interesting thing is like you expected. Only seven guys sit there when I first saw a picture of a PT so you got the count we got it right or something, but you get in that Jesus sitting there is his back is slightly to a Safari. The apostle deposits are sitting in a circle around the fire and you see the faces of all of them but peters is most prominent is line and he's he has this weird look on his face that will explain sort of what comes next. Relook at next week but it's it's the whole scene is so touching to me as were my favorite pictures because not enough Jesus going to tell them beforehand go to Galilee and I meet you there he could he could arrange any kind of event you want. I mean anything you want to do, but he decides let's have a summer picnic on the beach. Well, breakfast.

I'm the prettiest after a long hard night. There's a beautiful book by Jane Ruby Ada called that very thing. Breakfast beach and so I encourage you particular women to take a look at that, but it is such is such a warm scene is a scene with friends, not with servants, and masters writing. It's just it's that's really the whole context is lovely, even while you sit there count fish 53 fascist right that's really an interesting detail On that very line is a lot of crazy regulations about. In reading that Luke passage doesn't tell us how many fish that were present was a very large.

John is saying this is an inside joke. You know what there was 153 vessel just like the first time.

I don't know I that's totally I just find it interesting takes a while to count 100 fish while Jesus is standing right next on their accounting for. I just don't know what that's all about but I find it very well.

Fishermen have to deal responsibly with their catchments rash well and it could be there. They are thinking of dividing it between them. I don't really know you know like okay we hundred 53 so you get this, but I don't.

We don't know. I just find the whole thing kind of a fascinating detail. We probably wonder about until we die. So maybe a Knesset possible. The point is, John says Jesus was making himself know.

Yes, this way in this dim light breakfast. After a hard dark night of nothing. Failure and he's inviting them to the beach. He tells them where the fish are. He tells says you know, bring the fish you caught because I told you where they were now come and have breakfast and he has already cooked fish that they didn't catch yeah and brings bread to the he's revealing himself in some really lovely ways. It's very warm. I guess I just I just love and were the bread come from.

By the way, of course, when the devil was tempting Jesus. He says you can turn these stones into bread, so maybe this is stones turning while the bread of life, provided the bread exactly. So it is not a request is just such a warm gathering of these guys I mean is really a warm gathering of these guys. I love the context I love the fact that Jesus is a set breakfast on the well, it strikes me as this is even though there's a lot of detail that the disciples this account is about Jesus.

It's about him still doing what he came to do, calling them, engaging them in his purpose and providing for them. He still asking them insightful questions he still feeding them still feeding them still see into the yeah and still making himself known to them.

I mean that's what John said his whole gospel is about the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, so we could know him and see his glory. Yeah. And I think without having to explain his comments three years before, but I'll make you fishers of men over the fact that Jesus instructed them how to fish here and it was it was successful beyond their wildest dream why I think this is putting a data point in their head as they leave this point from you for years after this in their catching men say how do we do this will remember that they were on the lake as his shoulders were up at the net so you will have to worry about yeah just castanet and he'll bring with it exactly that success, we just gotta get the net up there. Here we go.

So I think it's a wonderful report so Jesus doesn't have to expire. What he told him before. I think you put that together right here in the and they're getting it well just a few nights before. Maybe finding that weeks before at that last supper together. He had told them if you love me you will keep my word. You'll do what I tell you, you will treasure what I've said to you and so here he saying you know I'm going to make you fishers of men. Go fish when I tell you right right and I also like the fact that it's a meal because we know that we know that at the end of all time. There's a scream or hammer or call the supper got your find in Revelation 19.

But here's but it's like, here's here's the end of things in the beginning of things and there's a supper involved in the sauce. Down at the table together and and this is this is Jesus kind of common man approach to this gigantic feast that's coming. It's almost in a way, a common man prefiguring up with this. You have a place at the table. Yet a place on the seashore pull up a rock.

Let's have breakfast and the host takes the bread and he stands gives it to you exact servers that you yeah beautiful picture.

Actually, that phrase shows up a couple of significant times in Luke's gospel when he said that Jesus was identified. He took the bread and broke it and gave it, and they knew him and that moment so I love the context of meal is like the marriage supper when this is the feast that Jesus talks about so many times in parable of the wedding feast.

I mean, this is just a great thing.

It's a great sign.

If you have a place at the table. Even the most common people like these dirty fishermen you have a place at the table. I'm sure for years. They talked about this appeal for you and and I'm still still contemplating the fact that this was after an unpleasant night of self effort, even even in the light of the resurrection. They were back with started fishing and having no success. And here's the Lord standing on the beach watching him struggle yeah I think I'm already probably with the fire kindled you welcome them in after their failure could be a nice reassurance to them that his wife goes on to do things in your own strength.

You're just going to get you. But if you follow me, I will make you fishers of men will make you successful. What a great contrast night of frustration and a day of listening and he is the Tatian it is ready to be partaken of even as he's been watching us fail is that not a beautiful big disgrace standing on the beach like a loving father going. I knew this would happen here. You're hungry, tired, let me care for you. Let me feed you here with just a touching scene overrunning very short on time again, but I don't want you to miss this scene.

I think I think for many of the apostles as the years went on, if they see each other. They say, remember, remember that night we set with him up in the upper room and he broke the bread and then remember how after that we set on that beach and we gave them wasn't that wasn't that an extraordinary way, feast of feast in the what made it a feast as opposed to just a meal was that the king was wasn't that amazing and he was just there. He prepared it, yeah, and he served it, so have something to eat. This is this is a memory that for them.

Kind of fuel.

The whole rest of their life.

While it is for me now. Just as we talk about it. It takes the reality it's it's just a beautiful thing, jot, and thank you John for recording. This is such a great moment. This is this is a little bit of what happened in Galilee. There's probably a whole lot more than luck. John says that what you so wish we'd seen that but this was just very touching is this is enough that work the next time turn in the second half here and we turned return to a private conversation between Jesus and Peter.

Maybe because it's a touchy topic.

It could remotely and will and John will close out his entire gospel with this really touching conversation between Peter and Jesus and again it's a very famous passage and it's one that only John includes only John includes yes it will take a look at that next, and if you don't know what were talking about you connection read ahead in John 21 starts in verse 15 and it starts with the fact that that after they had faster access to this after he had said this little private, takes place almost see Jesus saying appear hey yeah exactly yeah so I hope your meeting the Lord in these pages, I am is great stuff. So with this in morning about the effect of relieving John that's good things ahead. Yes, let's do that. So anyway, thank you for joining us now again read with diverse 15.

I think you be surprised what you find. Don't know that passage already. Jesus deals Peter personally. So I'm Jim Dorothy and pray that God is using us time to draw to him because that's his intention here in his John says his intention is to prove to what you say is so we'll see you next week is more than mainstream church of Brigham city is solely responsible for its content.

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