Scripture
By Pam Jones
Scripture lesson text: John 21:1-14
Related scriptures: Luke 5:1-11, John 20:19-29, 21:15-25
John 20:19-29 tells us, Jesus shows the disciples His nailed hands and pierced side from when He was on the cross. Thomas, who was not there at the initial unveiling of Jesus’ scars, did not believe it when told by the other disciples, until he saw Jesus for himself. They were commissioned and sent by Jesus when he spoke to them and said, in verse 21-22, “…Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”
In our lesson text, John 21:1-14, we find when Jesus showed Himself to the disciples the third time after He was risen from the dead. The disciples had been fishing all night but caught no fish. Verse 4 tells us “But, when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.” However, in verse 6, when Jesus told them to “cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find,” and indeed they did find a multitude of fish, they realized that it was Him. Once they got to shore, they saw a fire, with fish and bread, which Jesus had prepared for them.
John 21: 15-17 enlightens us on how much Jesus wants to be sure that His followers are taken care of. Jesus presents Peter with the same question three times: “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” Each time Simon responds with “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.” Jesus then tells Peter “Feed my sheep.”
Synopsis
By Janice Hall
We can refer to Matthew 28: 5-10, to see when Jesus was first resurrected , as He passed along instructions for the disciples to meet Him in Galilee. He appeared to the group of disciples at least twice.( John 20: 19,26). We see the men eventually returned to Galilee and were waiting on Jesus. The “ Sea of Tiberias” refers to the body of water
( John 6:1), reserving the term Galilee for the region.( John 21:1).
Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, Zebedee’s sons and two other disciples were together fishing in the Sea of Galilee. They had returned to their former vocation and returned to shore with empty nets after hours of fishing. Jesus was waiting for the disciples at the shore, but they did not recognize him at first. Since they caught nothing, Jesus instructed them to go try again with specific instructions. Their nets were immediately filled to the breaking point with fish..( overflow..!!)
When the disciples returned to shore, Jesus invites them for a meal, still being a humble servant. These disciples recognized they were in the presence of the risen Lord. They refrained from posing any questions. We see a portrait of intimate fellowship as “ Jesus then came and took the bread (v.12)”. In John’s account, he stated this was the third time that Jesus had appeared to the disciples after the (v.14).
Practical Application
By Brittenne Boykin
We find in this week’s lesson followers of Christ not so different from us. They have wrestled with the reality of unmet expectations when Christ is crucified. There is fear in the aftermath, doubt at his appearance after the resurrection and now they await his appearance in Galilee. Peter, who was a fisherman by trade, has gone back to the familiarity of fishing. I can only imagine what must have been going through his mind as he sat there waiting for a harvest and even more so waiting for the Lord to appear and calm his unspoken fears.
The disciples remind us that even in times of uncertainty that Christ still calls out to us with direction and guidance. “Cast your net on the right side of the boat” (Vs. 6) They not only experienced full nets but full hearts as they realized He who was calling to them was Christ the risen Lord.
Perhaps they did not recognize Him at first because they were too far from shore or perhaps, they were preoccupied with the cares of the day. What a comfort it is to know that Christ leads and guides us even when life seems confusing. Christ provides a warm fire in our hearts and rest for our weary souls for those who trust and believe in Him. For truly ,He is who He says He is and will do just what He promised. May we find ourselves trusting and believing.
