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John 21

In all our lives we get tested and tried and the situation that we are in sometime seems hopeless or we are at a standstill.  It is as if we are not going anywhere and we even try to push ourselves ahead as we feel we are not going fast enough.  Even worse, we may feel that it’s best that we just go back to where we originally were.

Let’s look at the Apostle Peter.  Peter was a vibrant Apostle.  Peter was aggressive.  Peter was a great talker.  Looking at Peter’s life we see a man who loved the Lord and was even receiving revelations (Matt 16:13-19;).  Jesus called Peter blessed.  Although Jesus told Peter he would betray Him, when Peter was in the Garden and Jesus was arrested, the Bible says he drew a sword and cut off the ear of the High Priest servant.  Peter was a highly motivated and dedicated person.  He was going somewhere!

We know that something dramatic took place in Peter’s life, Peter denied Jesus and we know the story behind that.  Peter wept!  Following the resurrection Jesus appeared to the disciples twice in John 20, the evening after His resurrection (vs. 19) and eight days after when Thomas was present (vs. 26).  From this we know that Peter was assured that Jesus did not die in vain, He had risen from the dead and he had seen Him.  Even more, when Jesus appeared to the disciples in (John 20:22;), He breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit”.  They became New Creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17;).

As we move into Chapter 21 of John we see the Apostle Peter saying to the other disciples “I am going fishing”.  It is evident throughout scripture that Peter was a

born Leader.  The question is “after all that Peter had seen, heard and experienced, why would he decide to go back to fishing?  Peter had got to a place in his life where he felt there was nothing for him to do but to go back to doing what he knew how to do.

How many times do we find ourselves in situation where we feel that we need to just give up on what we are doing and go back to what we know?  When we look at the present situation in our lives it seems as if we are not going anywhere.  All the experiences and great things that we seemed to have conquered and overcome are nothing but a distant memory.  Things just do not seem right anymore.  We believe we need to go back to where we were.  Back to a place where we are familiar, where we feel comfortable.

Thank you Jesus, you are always there!  The Bible says that in verse 4 of John 21 Jesus stood at the shore and He called them and said “have you any fish?”  They said “No”.  We know that when Jesus came a miracle took place.  He provided not only fish, but bread for the disciples.

Many of us today can identify with Peter, when things get tough we want to go back to what we know.  We sometimes say “When I was in the world, I always had money because I knew how to hustle and make a dollar.  Things are tough now! I could sell some marijuana or drugs and make a quick dollar.  I know how to manipulate and make money.  It’s easy for me to lie and get my way.  What I know now is not working!  It was good for a time but now I’ve got to go back to reality – I am going back!”

The good news today is – Jesus is standing at the shore of our life and He is calling out to us and waiting to do a great miracle in our life.  He does not desire for us to go back.  We need not worry about what’s ahead – what we can’t see, BUT He is there.

When we look at (Isaiah 43:2;) it talks about going through water, river and fire.   Water can get very cold or very warm.  Water responds to its environment.  A river flows constantly.  It can sweep you away.  You get tossed to and fro.  There are very deep areas and sometimes you can’t tell until you are in it, but the Lord says, “they shall not overflow you”.  We definitely will walk through fire. Fire burns and its HOT!  Fire scorches.  Fire is never satisfied.  It never says “Enough” (Prov. 30:15-16;) but Jesus says you will not be burned.  Sometimes we feel the need to stop in the midst of difficult circumstances, in the midst of feeling dry, but Jesus is saying, “Go through, I am with you all the way.  I am at the shore calling out to you.  I have a vast amount to give to you.  Do not worry that you caught nothing. What I have is more than enough.  Don’t give up.  Don’t give in”

I look at Peter and when he said in verse 3 “I am going fishing”, the others followed.  We need to stand because others may follow.  God has set some of us as leaders and where we go others will follow.  When they went out they caught nothing.  What do we learn from this?  We are not to ever go back.  Jesus has called us to move forward. Whatever the circumstance, never go back, you will not survive as you did before you met Christ. Keep on going.  We are called to advance the kingdom of God, not diminish it.  We need to keep moving forward, never to go back.  There is nothing in our past life that we need to go back to.  What was great then is not good now.  As good as the past may seem we have a greater future.

In verse 15 we see Jesus restoring and commissioning Peter.  There is nowhere in scripture that says Peter ever went back fishing. When Jesus calls us and we respond we can never go back.  There is no place for us anymore to go back to.  It’s an endless and glorious future we have, inspite of what we see and feel.   We must keep going forward as He is always there with us.  When our dreams that God has given us seem to be lost, Jesus is ready to restore.  Jesus gave Peter a great ministry and He was there with Peter to ensure that the call and purpose were fulfilled.  Jesus is here to restore and cause us to fulfill every dream and every Word that He has put and spoken into our lives.  We need not look back. He is ready, present and able to fulfill them all.