Snapshots

Over a week had passed since the resurrection. Jesus had appeared to the disciples twice. They knew He was alive, but where was He? Why hadn’t they seen more of Him? As the days dragged by (“How long do we need to hide out?”), they began to grow restless.

Peter decided to go fishing. Was he bored? Or was there more? Was the shame of denying his Lord making him feel unworthy to be counted among the disciples? Was the uncertainty of “What’s next?” weighing heavy? Was Peter contemplating going back to a life and profession he knew and was good at?

“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. –John 21:3 (NIV)

Whatever was swirling in Peter’s mind, his friends, some of whom were definitely NOT fishermen, were not going to let him go off alone. And to Peter’s credit, he allowed them to come with. Unfortunately, the fish were not so quick to join in. Then things got interesting….

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. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” –John 21:6-7a (NIV)

Hold on a second – we’ve seen something like this before! Back when Jesus first called them. NOW would they get some new direction? They pulled the net in and rowed toward the shore. Peter was already gone, eager to make the short swim in before Jesus could disappear again. When he got there, he was greeted with two more familiar memories, one pleasant, one not so much.

When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. –John 21:9 (NIV)

Fish and bread that came from nowhere – now that was a special day, if an extremely long one. It was later that night when Jesus would take a stroll on this exact lake, and invite Peter to do the same. But that fire… the last time Peter had been this close to a fire like that was… he couldn’t stand the thought. Three denials around that fire, followed by direct eye contact with the One who sat across from him again now….

Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. –John 21:13 (NIV)

How many meals had these men shared, with Jesus blessing, breaking and serving the bread? Yet another snapshot to remind the disciples where they had been, what they had experienced together, and why they had chosen to follow Him in the first place. And now, some unfinished business.

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.” –John 21:17 (NIV)

Jesus didn’t ignore or minimize the denials. Painful though it was, He dealt with them. In doing so, He let Peter know he would not be defined by his failures, but by his redemptive relationship with his Lord. The story was far from over, and Peter would have an integral part in it. Sometimes, in order to move forward, we have to look back. Next time you’re feeling weary, confused, frightened, complacent – pull out some of those old snapshots and recall the who, the where, the when, and most importantly, the why. He’s been there all along.