Breakfast by the Sea
TRANSLATION
(1) After this Jesus appeared again to his disciples by the sea of Galilee, and he revealed himself this way. (2) Simon Peter, Thomas called “the twin,” Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. (3) Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going out to fish.” They said to him, “We’ll also go with you.” They went out in their boat; but that night they caught nothing. (4) At daybreak, (they saw) Jesus standing on the beach, but the disciples didn’t know that it was Jesus. (5) Jesus then called to them, “Friends, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” (6) He said to them, “Let down the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” When they did this, they were unable to haul it in because of the quantity of fish. (7) Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment which he had taken off for work and jumped into the water. (8) The other disciples came in the boat dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, just about a hundred yards.
(9) When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire with fish laid on it and some bread. (10) Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have caught.” (11) So Simon Peter climbed back in the boat and helped pull the net full of large fish to shore, 153 in all. But even with so many, the net was not torn. (12) Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. (13) Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and likewise the fish. (14) This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he had risen from the dead.
OBSERVATIONS
Jesus’ appearances to the disciples after his resurrection were both infrequent and unexpected. The early morning meeting by the Sea of Galilee found his men back in their familiar roles as fisherman for lack of anything better to do while they waited for him to direct their future. Repetitions in this narrative again help us grasp its significance. Three names predominated: “Jesus” nine times (vss. 1, 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, 13, & 14) along with “the Lord” (twice in vs. 7 and once in vs. 12) and “Simon Peter” five times (vss. 2, 3, 7, & 11). “Disciple(s)” occurred six times (vss. 1, 4, 7, 8, 12, & 14), “fish/fishing” eight times (vss. 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, & 13), “revealed” three times (vss. 1 & 14), and “net” (four times in vss. 6, 8, & 11).
OUTLINE
I. When Peter and several other disciples went fishing again, they caught nothing. (1-3)
II. When a stranger on the shore told them to lower their net again, they caught 153 fish. (4-6)
III. John recognized the risen Lord, and Peter jumped out of the boat to swim to shore. (7 & 8)
IV. Together they landed their huge catch and then ate the breakfast Jesus had prepared. (9-14)
IDEA STATEMENT
Without Christ our efforts are worthless, but under his leadership we will be overwhelmingly productive.
APPLICATION
After a night of catching nothing, the disciples heard a stranger on the shore tell them to let down their net on the other side of the boat. The huge catch they pulled in let them know that it was the risen Lord who stood on the shore. Peter impulsively jumped into the water and swam to where Jesus was standing. Once they had landed the huge catch of fish, the Lord invited them to eat the breakfast he had prepared for them.
The most important lesson these men learned from this experience was their need to depend on the Lord for everything. Their lack of success while fishing all night and his ability to provide an overwhelming catch when they had given up demonstrated his sovereignty over their lives and their need to submit themselves to his authority. Earlier he had told them that he would change their occupation from fishers of fish to fishers of men (Mt. 4:19). The way things turned out on what was possibly their last day of fishing on the Sea of Galilee served to reinforce Jesus’ earlier call to serve him without looking back.