John 21:1-17

21 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.^[a] It happened this way: ² Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus^[b]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. ³ “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

⁴ Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

⁵ He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

⁶ He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

⁷ Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. ⁸ The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.^[c] 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 

Hard to imagine -

Jesus had died, he'd been crucified, and as prophesied and as Jesus himself had said he would, he rose again.

Hard to imagine, but true.

The disciples were by the lake. “I’m going out to fish” said Peter, so they all went out.

At some point after a bereavement, we have to go back to work, life goes on whether we like it or not.

If you’ve ever lost someone close to you, you may know how they might have been feeling.

Can you imagine how they must’ve felt, losing him?

Confusion ... grief ... disbelief ... how? ... why?

The resurrection - emotions and confusion !

But there was something else going on for Peter. Something more.

Peter had failed him.

After all Jesus had done – he proved to be the Messiah, the one the whole of Israel had been waiting for, and Peter failed him.

Failed him when it mattered most. In Jesus’ hour of need.

And here we are. Nothing gets past Jesus. He knows it all, and before it even happens.

So Peter went out to fish and the other disciples went with him.

All night they fished, and they didn’t catch a thing. Not one fish. Imagine!

And in the morning, there was a man on the shore “Cast your nets on the right side of the boat, and you will find some fish.”

Well, I don’t know what compelled them to do what this stranger said, after already fishing all night long and catching nothing ...

Then John recognised him, “it is the Lord” he said, and straight away Peter grabbed his coat and jumped into the water to swim to him. Everyone followed in the boat.

Jesus had a fire burning and invited them to have breakfast with him.

Can you imagine such a reunion?

Conversation between Jesus and Peter ...

A third time he said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

And Peter was hurt that he asked a third time. “Lord you know all things: you know that I love you.”

“Feed my sheep” Jesus said.

It was as if, for every time Peter had denied Jesus, Jesus was forgiving him. 3 times denied. 3 times forgiven.

Sometimes we do terrible things, and these can leave us feeling terrible guilt and shame.

We reject the God who made us, by excluding him from our lives. We reject his son who he sent to die for us like we don’t need him.

We do all that, and yet, he still pursues us.

Just like with Peter, Jesus knows ...

There was nothing Peter could have done to make things right again, nothing he could do to undo or correct what he’d done. But there was also nothing he could do that would separate him from the love of God or his plan for his life.

GREAT NEWS!

There is nothing we can do that will separate us from the love of God and the plan he has for our lives in his kingdom

You are part of God’s creation. He created you. He loves you. And Jesus has come for you. He is here now by his holy spirit. He is providing for you. He is sustaining you ... forgiveness is yours.

What do you say? Yes, Jesus, I love you! You know I love you!

Lay down your pain, your guilt and your shame.

Forgiveness is yours, completed once and for all on the cross.

 We are included in his kingdom, his beautiful and glorious kingdom, the now and future kingdom?

That kingdom begins now. We can experience what it feels like to be free from the pain, the sorrow, the brokenness, the guilt and shame now. We can be free from the weight of it all now.

It blows my mind. And what a relief. How freeing.

If you have pain, guilt, shame in your life right now ... share it with a trusted friend who can pray with you.

Jesus loves you, he’s with you, and he has died and rose again so that you can have life and have it to the fullest.

There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God and his plan for our lives in his kingdom.