On Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to many, including several of the women who went to the tomb early in the morning. And then, Jesus appeared to his disciples and then to hundreds of people over the next forty days leading up to His ascension into heaven. The Apostle Paul gives us the sequence:

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;  then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

The appearances of Jesus after His resurrection confirmed to all who doubted the reality of the resurrection, that Jesus was not a ghost, but had flesh and bones, and yet was not confined by time or space. The last of the appearances prior to His ascension occurred along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Remember, Jesus told the disciples that He would meet them in Galilee, that is, after He met them in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. And, if you recall, Jesus had not yet “re-affirmed” Peter and his ministry after his humiliating denial of Jesus three times during His interrogation by the High Priest and the Sanhedrin.

At some time prior to His ascension, the disciples decided to return to what they knew best, and apparently, what they were most confident in doing – fishing! And so,

When the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.  So, Jesus said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So, they cast the net, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish (John 21:4-6). 

Of course, this echoes back to the very first day when Jesus called Peter and Andrew, along with James and John, to follow Him in order to “catch” people for the Kingdom. I’m certain that Jesus wanted the disciples to remember how their ministry began, and then to reflect upon the fact that the Lord would continue to provide for them as they traveled throughout the Roman Empire bearing spiritual fruit for the Kingdom. Seeing Jesus on the seashore, John spoke up and said to Peter,

“It is the Lord.” So, when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat …dragging the net full of fish (John 21:7-8).

Peter couldn’t wait to get to Jesus because he needed to confess his shame and guilt stemming from his 3-fold denial. Furthermore, he needed Jesus to forgive and embrace him and to restore him to ministry. In order to do this, Jesus did something intentional,  

So, when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread (John 21:9).

The Greek word for “charcoal fire” is anthrakia, and it is found in only one other place in the New Testament. Any guess as to where that might be? Well, it’s the same “charcoal fire” (anthrakia) at which Peter denied the Lord that fateful night in the courtyard (John 18:18). Once again, Jesus is taking Peter back to the night of his greatest defeat with the intention of restoring him to ministry. But Jesus still had more to say to the disciples,

“Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.”  Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn (John 21:10-11).

Theologians through the centuries have tried to determine the significance of 153 fish. Surely, there has to be some hidden meaning! But not really. I have a “tongue in cheek” hunch that the net they were using was rated by the Fish and Game Association in Galilee that such a net had a 100-fish limit, and if that number was exceeded, the net would surely break! But it didn’t. I believe that there is a spiritual lesson here in that as the disciples would go out “fishing” for souls, their “nets” would not break, that is, as they cast their ministry nets over the crowds of listeners, that spiritual net could hold as many as they could bring into the Kingdom.

But we are not quite done with Peter.

 So, when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him,  “Tend My lambs” (John 21:15).

Of course, Jesus was speaking of Peter loving Him more than he loves the fish, and even fishing. Also, “LOVE” is the key word used for Jesus’ question to Peter. Earlier in His ministry, Jesus told His disciples that unless they loved Him more than all other earthly affections, no one can be His disciple (see Matthew 10:37 and Luke 14:26). Jesus asked Peter about loving Him with agape (unconditional and sacrificial love), but Peter responded with phileo (brotherly love). Peter knew his failures, and just couldn’t bring himself to tell Jesus that he loved him with agape love. But Jesus wasn’t through with Peter,

He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep” (John 21:16).

The second time was a repeat of the first when it came to Jesus’ question. Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him with agape love, but once again, Peter could only offer phileo love. By this time, you might be thinking that Jesus had finally had it with Peter, saying “If you can’t love me with agape love, then I’m done with you!” But not so. Now comes the third question, matching the three denials of Peter by the “charcoal fire” in the High Priest’s courtyard,

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep (John 21:17).

Do you know what Jesus did? He “lowered the bar” for Peter and met him right where he was at. On the third occasion, Jesus did not ask him again if he had agape love for Him, but instead, asked if he had phileo love for Him, and Peter responded, in essence, “Lord, that’s all I can give you right now.”

The message is clear for each of us. Our gracious Lord meets us right where we are at, and by His compassionate and guiding hand, he leads us to where He wants us to be.

Now let’s fast forward about 35 years to AD 65 when Peter wrote his first epistle. Listen to what he had to say to the churches:

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,… (1 Peter 1:22).

Notice how Peter praised them for their sincere “love of the brethren,” (that is phileo, or “brotherly love”), but then exhorts his readers to “fervently love one another from the heart” (and that is agape love). I suspect that over the course of the next 35 years from the time Jesus challenged Peter to love Him with agape love, Peter learned to do just that, and as a result, he could challenge the church, and you and me, to do the same.

Friends, let’s remember that Jesus takes us right where we are and then leads us by the hand, directing us to what he wants us to become, and where He wants us to go. In short, He wants us to become more like Jesus and to following Him wherever He leads us.  

I challenge each of you to remember that God is not finished with you yet! And that’s my message for this Easter weekend. May God bless each one of you.