Now What?

April 14

Read: John 21:1-14

Now What?

“Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” (v.3)

Can you imagine being the disciples those days immediately following the crucifixion? Imagine this past week. This past Sunday was Easter Sunday - now think of the last few days… (for us) these are the like thew days immediately following the resurrection. I don’t know who the first one was to say something … but sooner or later the disciples figured out that they couldn’t just stay locked in an upper room forever. (cf. John 20:19) They had to overcome their fear, doubt, and skepticism. They had to get out there some way … some how!

It is odd to me to think of just how Jesus reveals himself after the resurrection. I mean, we have him here in John speaking to Mary at the tomb, then appearing to the disciples w/o Thomas, and then finally again with Thomas. But Jesus doesn’t stay with them!?! Isn’t that weird? I mean he had spent the last three years with his disciples on a pretty regular basis. Now that he is risen from the grave, does he simply “pop in” for a minute and say “Hi” then leave again? There was still work top be done evidently. Even though Jesus had risen from the grave, it didn’t seem that things just went “back to normal” like the way they were the months before his dying on the cross.

Peter seems to be the one who eventually spoke up. What does he say?: “I am going fishing.” Peter basically says, “I am out of here. I am not sitting here locked in a room anymore. I am going back to what I know best… what I used to do every day for a living before I met Jesus… I am going to fish.” This wasn’t like a fishing pole, bobbers, and night crawlers here… this was not fishing as a “hobby” or pass-time. Peter was spooling up the commercial boat with its large nets and hitting the water.

It makes sense that this is what he would do. This is what we all have to figure out sooner or later, right? Once we come to the realization that Jesus is TRULY ALIVE, that he indeed did rise from the dead, and “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name”; we still need to figure out what to do next! (John 20:31) What does Monday look like after “Easter Sunday”? How do we move forward once we have experienced the risen King Jesus? There is a very practical lesson to be had here in Peter: We cannot simply remain “holed up” in fear and doubt. It makes sense to enter back into “normal” work in this world. Peter had to go out on the water and fish… and his leadership / courage / example prompted the rest of them to come along as well.

Peter and the disciples were on the cusp of learning what this new life in Christ was supposed to look like. This was a new paradigm they were entering into. This was following Jesus post-ressurection. It was going to take time and practice to grow in walking with the RISEN Jesus. They had spent a good bit of time walking with Jesus leading up to his crucifixion, but there was a new season of ministry ahead of them that Jesus was preparing them for. As we close out the book of John together, I want us to look at what it looks like to follow Jesus this side of the cross. I want us to think about how we “go back to work” experiencing Jesus as alive!

The first step in that journey is a simple one: you need to get back out there. It is the step of “going back to work”. It is the truth that normal life comes at you on every Monday that followers an “Easter Sunday”. The first step for Peter learning to walk in this new life that he was being called into involved leaving that upper room and getting out on the water. Isn’t it cool that that is where Jesus meets them all again? It isn’t in the upper room that Jesus is going to reveal himself again to them. They don’t just remain sitting around in fear. The next time the experience Jesus’ power and presence happens after they step out in faith and get to work. This is true for us as well. Jesus can and will meet us “on the shore” while we are out in the midst of doing our “familiar” work in this world. We are going to see many other ways that Jesus transforms our everyday lives… but this is the first step. I know this past week you all had to head back into the grind after celebrating Easter. I am thankful for the weekend that approaches and hopefully some time for you to rest again. I am excited to see how Jesus meets us in our work! More to come. Love you guys! - JDP