Scripture Reading - John 21

Today we'll be reading John 21 found on page 907 of the pew Bibles. Now in John 21, we have Jesus's third resurrection appearance to his disciples. Yeah, so we have Jesus's third appearance to his disciples.

And so what we see here is Peter and the other Apostles not really clear on what they should do with Christ having been Resurrected with him having died recently. And so they go back to what they're used to doing.

They just go back to fishing. Now that night they find that they take in no fish. They have absolutely no success. Until Christ comes from the shoreline and calls out to them Saying toss you net on the other side of the boat they obey him and what they do is they bring in a great bounty of fish and John upon seeing this miracle Identifies the man as Christ their Lord.

Peter very happily jumps out of the boat quickly to go meet his Lord. Once all the Apostles have gathered on the shoreline Christ is already prepared for them with a meal and he sits down in this intimate setting.

He he decides to restore Peter and to spend the time doing so. He provides Peter an opportunity to repent by asking him If he loves him three different times to undo allow him an opportunity to repent for his three different denials.

And every time that Peter responds that he does love him Christ gives him a charge to feed his sheep. See Peter and the other Apostles. They're given the same charge as one another to feed God's sheep through the preaching and teaching of the word to be fishers of men and It's the same charge from the to the Apostles that we get.

Ourselves, we don't have the same authority as the Apostles. We don't have the ability to perform miracles in Christ's name. But we are given the charge to Be fishers of men to preach and teach the word to preach and teach the gospel of saving faith to all men.

Let us read. After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter. Thomas called the twin Nathanael of Cana and Galilee the sons of Zebedee and two others of his disciples were together.

Simon Peter said to them. I am going fishing and they said to him we will go with you. They went out and got into the boat. But that night they caught nothing just as day was breaking. Jesus stood on the shore yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to them Children, do you have any fish? They answered him. No. He said to them cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. So they cast it and now they were not able to haul it in because of the quantity of fish.

That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter It is the Lord. When Simon Peter heard that was the Lord. He put on his outer garment for he was stripped for work and threw himself into the sea.

The other disciples came in the boat Dragging the net full of fish for they were not far from the land but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place with fish laid out on it and bread.

Jesus said to them bring some of the fish that you have just caught. So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore full of large fish 153 of them and although there were so many the net was not torn.

Jesus said to them come and have breakfast now. None of the disciples dared ask him. Who are you? They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and so with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

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 feed my lambs. He said to him 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 tend my sheep. 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 everything, you know that I love you. Jesus said to him feed my sheep. Truly truly I say to you when you were young you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted.

But when you are old you will stretch out your hands and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to Go this he said to show by what kind of death He was to glorify God and after saying this he said to him follow me.

Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them. The one who also had leaned it back against him during the supper and had said Lord Who is it that is going to betray you? When Peter saw him he said to Jesus Lord, what about this man?

Jesus said to him if it is my will that he remain until I come what is that to you you follow me? So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die.

But if it is my will that he remain until I come what is that to you? This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things and who has written these things and we know that his testimony is true.

Now there are also many other things that Jesus did were every one of them to be written. I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Amen.