Have you ever spent days or months preparing for something, only to feel a little down a few days after it’s over? All the excitement and hype are gone. You have to get busy doing something else to keep the adrenaline flowing. This is the common way Americans act and react to life. So what do you do when you feel this way? We tend to sink back to our common way of life. We go back to doing things that we do not have to think about. We go on autopilot. This is what the disciples did a few days later, after the resurrection of Jesus.
In John 21:1-14, we find the disciples going back to what they had left behind. They had witnessed the unimaginable: the crucifixion, the empty tomb, and the resurrected Christ. Yet, in the quiet aftermath of those monumental events, Peter announces in verse 3, “I am going fishing.” The others quickly join him. They return to the boats, the nets, and the Sea of Galilee. This was the exact life Jesus had called them out of years before. In verse 2, we find that there were two of them.
John 21:2 “There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.”
But after a long, grueling night on the water, their efforts yield absolutely nothing. Their nets are completely empty. Now what? Even their fishing was not the same as before. It must have been even more of a letdown when morning came, and there was nothing to show for it. This had been their occupation before Jesus’ call to follow Him.
As day breaks, a figure stands on the shore, watching them. In verse 5, this figure calls out a simple, humbling question: “Children, have you any food?” When they admit their failure, this person they do not yet recognize offers a strange command to experienced fishermen: “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” They obey, and suddenly, the net is so heavy with fish they can’t even haul it in. They obey, and in verse 11, we find there were 153 fish, and they were large ones!
Finally, in verse 7 it clicks with John in this moment of abundant provision John recognizes the truth. He looks across the water and declares, “It is the Lord!” Peter, as is Peter’s style, grabs his clothes, jumps into the water, and swims toward Jesus.
John 21:7 “Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.”
When they get closer, they find Jesus cooking breakfast. They drag their net to shore, and Jesus simply says, “Come and dine.” He does not scold them for going back to their old occupation. He feeds them and reminds them that their days of relying solely on their own strength are over.
John 21:12-14 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.”
This was only a few days after they had seen Him after the resurrection. In John 20:19-23, Jesus appeared to them in a locked room. This would have been the evening of the resurrection. Then, in John 20:26-29, He appeared to Thomas to remove his doubts. Why would they do this? The same reason we fall back into our old ways. They are comfortable fishing. We, like them, begin to think we must navigate life from our own strength. For instance, many have begun a journey of reading and studying their Bibles every day, but because they are undisciplined, they revert to old ways. They convince themselves they do not have time. They are too sleepy to get up earlier, and they give in before they give themselves time to master self-discipline. Self-reliance brings “empty nets.”
Jesus is standing on the shores of our lives, asking us to adjust how we are applying obedience to His small nudges and prompts. He wants to shift us from the mundane to the full life in Him. He wants to turn our feeling of emptiness into one of abundance. But this will only happen as we determine He is worth whatever effort it takes to spend time with Him and love Him more. If we bring what we have, our burdens, our exhaustion, our doubts and fears to Him, He will show grace and sustenance to us.
Some positives we can take from the disciples while they were drifting. First, they stayed together. They did not go back to old friends; they had each other. John, probably one of the wiser disciples, recognized Jesus when the others did not. Second, they saw their failure in their old occupation. They caught nothing! The realization of failure is important when we are drifting. You will only change to do what is right and depend on God when you are honest with yourself. Third, upon seeing Jesus, they returned to Him as fast as they could. Peter did not even wait for the boat to get near Jesus; he jumped in and started swimming! Fourth, their haste to get to Him showed their trust in His acceptance.
If you have drifted back to old habits or feel exhausted from striving in your own strength, look toward the shore. Jesus isn’t waiting to condemn you for your detour; He is standing by the fire, inviting you to come, rest, and be filled.
