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| A Study of John 21:1-22 | |
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| Introduction We are going to look at the portion of scripture where Jesus commissions Peter for the great apostolic ministry ahead. As we examine these verses, we will see how the words of Christ not only apply to Peter, but also to every minister of the gospel and to every church which wishes to reach others for Christ. We are all God’s ministers, and we have all been commissioned to perform God’s work in our community, in our family, and in our church. May we be obedient to our calling as Peter was to his. Verses 1-3 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tibe'ri-as; and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathan'a-el of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zeb'edee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing. We are not to condemn the disciples for going fishing, although some commentators do. In Matthew 26:31-32 Jesus plainly told his disciples, "...All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee." And again the angel told the women at the tomb in Matthew 28:7, "Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you." It seems apparent that Jesus intended to meet his disciples in Galilee. While they were there, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to me for them to spend time practicing the trade that they had spent their lives doing. What we can learn from this fishing trip is that the disciples in their own strength and own ability caught nothing even though they were experienced fishermen. If we try to do God’s work in our own strength and in our own ability, we will also come up empty. When my youngest son was growing up, he loved to put things together. So every time we would purchase something which required assembly, he was more than eager to take on the task. The problem is he would often go straight to work putting pieces together without first reading the directions. Then when he was half-way through, he would discover that he skipped a step. This is the way we sometimes get when doing work in the church. We forget to read the directions – the Bible, or we don’t bother consulting the Architect – with prayer. If we try to build the church in our own strength, we will be the like the disciples and come back to shore with empty nets. Verses 4-6 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, have you 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, for the quantity of fish. In the early morning darkness the disciples see a lone figure on the shore calling to them. They don’t immediately recognize him. Jesus calls to them: "children." The Greek word used here is paidia paidia which means literally little children. As Adam Clarke points out it is "a term of familiarity and affectionate kindness." Jesus cares about the disciples, and he teaches them an important lesson. All night they had fished in their own strength. Now in one simple moment of obedience to Christ, they will take in a huge and miraculous draught of fish. Too often we in the church are still trying to build God’s kingdom in our own strength. We are like the disciples – fishing all night and frustrated because our best efforts have produced nothing. Your best efforts and my best efforts will only give us one thing – nights of failure and frustration. But as soon as we listen to Christ’s instruction and learn to depend on his strength, we will discover an abundant catch. MacLeod writes, "A simple obedience to His word brings results beyond all expectation. ...the purpose of the miracle is to show the condition upon which alone the work of disciples as fishers of men is to be effected." Notice that verse 6 tells us that the catch was so large that they were not able to haul it in the boat. This was a true miracle. How many years have how many churches been fishing in the waters of Merced and wondering why they can’t seem to bring in any new fish? We must allow the Lord to be our guide. We must listen to his word and obey his command, and we will discover a net full of fish so great that the churches of Merced will not be able to contain it all. Christ was not teaching his disciples about fish. He was preparing them for their work in establishing his kingdom here on earth. These verses are not teaching us about fish. They are teaching us about filling this church with an abundant catch of souls if we listen to God’s voice and obey his instructions. Verses 7-11 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. But 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 there, with fish lying 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, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. John Chrysostom wrote in A. D. 390, "John first recognized Jesus, Peter first came to Him. For no ordinary signs were they which had taken place. What were they? First, that so many fish were caught; then, that the net did not break...." John was the first to recognize Jesus, but Peter was the first to go to him. Peter always wanted to be with Jesus. O that we would have that same longing and desire – to spend time in prayer and communion with our Savior. Many commentators have noted the similarities between this event when Jesus commissions Peter and previous events in the life of Peter. For example McGee writes, "It is quite interesting to note that Simon Peter, with the other disciples, had been called to the ministry – actually had been called into the apostleship – after a miraculous catch of fish." And Godet comments, "There is a remarkable resemblance between the present situation and that of the two scenes in the previous life of Peter with which it is related. He had been called to the ministry by Jesus after a miraculous draught of fishes; it is after a similar draught that the ministry is restored to him. He had lost his office by a denial beside a fire of coal; it is beside a fire of coal that he recovers it." Verses 12-14 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 that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. Jesus tells the disciples to come and have breakfast. He had prepared them a meal. Jesus has prepared a meal for us, and he wants us to come and dine with him. He will feed the hungry spirit and refresh the thirsty soul. He will satisfy the longing in our heart, and he will fill us with his goodness. Jesus was about to send the disciples on their great apostolic mission. But first he gave them nourishment. McGee comments, " ‘Come and Dine’ – what an invitation! Jesus did say, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel,’ but He would rather you would come and have breakfast with Him before you go. The lovely part is that the resurrected Lord, God Himself, feeds them. If only we would sit today and let Him feed us! He wants to feed His own." Notice that none of the disciples questioned Jesus. They knew they were in the presence of God.As Adam Clarke wrote in 1825, "Ever since the confession of Thomas, a proper awe of the deity of Christ had possessed their minds." Verse 15 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." In these next three verses Jesus commissions Peter to do three things – feed my lambs, tend my sheep, and feed my sheep. Now they may seem very similar. In fact the translators of the King James Version thought they were so close in meaning that they translated all three phrases similarly. But there are four different Greek words used for these six English words, and I think this indicates a threefold ministry which we will examine. The Greek word used here in verse 15 for lambs is avrni,a arnia which means little lambs. Jesus is about to give Peter, and us, a three-fold commission. Here is his first instruction – feed my lambs. Every church has little lambs. There are young children and there are new believers – both are lambs. We have young children that need to be ministered to. We need to care for these young lives as much as we do the adults. They are just as important in God’s sight as any adult that comes through these doors. When I was 8 years old, there was an old lady who used to come to our trailer park every Saturday morning. Her name was Miss Seay. Our trailer park was in the form of a horseshoe with all the trailers on the outside of the horseshoe. In the center of the horseshoe was a swimming pool, recreation center, and a large grassy area that all the children loved to play in. It was in this large grassy area that Miss Seay would faithfully come every week to minister to the children. It was there that my sister and I committed our lives to Christ. God cared enough about us little lambs that he sent Miss Seay to minister to us. God cares about the little lambs in this church too. But there are other lambs in God’s kingdom. There are those who are new in their commitment to Christ. The Bible calls them spiritual babes. We need to be willing to follow Jesus’ command to Peter and feed these lambs. Those who are new to Christ need special attention. They need to learn about God and about the Bible. We need to be willing to spend the time to spiritually nourish them and help them realize that they are an important part of God’s family. So the first instruction that Jesus gives us is to feed the little lambs – the children and the spiritual children. Concerning this verse Augustine wrote in 416 A. D. "Let it be the office of love to feed the Lord’s flock.... For what else means the words, ‘Lovest thou me? Feed my sheep,’ than if it were said, If thou lovest me, think not of feeding thyself, but feed my sheep as mine, and not as thine own; seek my glory in them, and not thine own; my dominion, and not thine; my gain and not thine...." Verse 16 A second time he said to him, "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." The second instruction by Jesus is to tend my sheep. The Greek word for tend is poima,nate poimanate. In 1887 Vincent wrote concerning this word, "the verb denotes all that is included in the office of a shepherd – guiding, guarding, folding...." The Lord tells us we must tend the sheep. Who are the sheep? Certainly it refers to those believers who are under our care. Phillip Keller was actually a shepherd. This is what he wrote about the shepherd’s responsibility of tending to his sheep, "He will go to no end of trouble and labor to supply them with the finest grazing, the richest pasturage, ample winter feed and clean water. He will spare himself no pains to provide shelter from storms, protection from ruthless enemies and the diseases and parasites to which sheep are so susceptible. ... From early dawn until late at night this utterly self-less shepherd is alert to the welfare of His flock. For the diligent sheepman rises early and goes out first thing every morning without fail to look over his flock. It is the initial, intimate contact of the day. With a practiced, searching, sympathetic eye he examines the sheep to see that they are fit and content and able to be on their feet. In an instant he can tell if they have been molested during the night – whether any are ill or if there are some which require special attention. Repeatedly throughout the day he casts his eye over the flock to make sure that all is well. Nor even at night is he oblivious to their needs. He sleeps as it were ‘with one eye and both ears open’ ready at the least sign of trouble to leap up and protect his own." So let us not neglect our responsibility in caring for the family of God. We must be willing to minister to hurts, to encourage the disheartened, to pray for those who are sick, to help the needy, and to reach out to those who are drifting away. Let us never neglect the job that the Lord has given us to tend the sheep. We must not only care about them, but we must also take care of them. Adam Clarke wrote, "...in John 21:16 he uses the word poimainoo, which signifies to tend a flock, not only to feed, but to take care of, guide, govern, defend, etc., by which he seems to intimate that it is not sufficient merely to offer the bread of life to the congregation of the Lord, but he must take care that the sheep be properly collected, attended to, regulated, guided, etc.; and it appears that Peter perfectly comprehended our Lord's meaning, and saw that it was a direction given not only to him, and to the rest of the disciples, but to all their successors in the Christian ministry; for himself says, 1 Peter 5:2: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight, not by constraint, but willingly...." Verse 17 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. This the third opportunity given Peter to affirm his love for Jesus. Remember, Peter had denied Christ three times at the palace of the High Priest. Now he is given a chance to affirm his love three times. Blum comments, "Jesus’ threefold question and threefold commission of apostolic mission contrast directly with Peter’s three denials. Three times Peter said he did not even know the Lord; now three times he said he loved the Lord. No matter how great a person is, he may fall. But God’s grace and forgiveness will restore the repentant." Now Jesus gives Peter a third command – feed my sheep. First he said to feed my lambs, then tend my sheep, and now feed my sheep. Too often churches tend to their flock but neglect to feed them. Many churches have fabulous programs to meet the needs of their members – programs for all ages, support groups, counseling groups, addictive behavior groups. They have times of fellowship and activities for the whole family. They tend their sheep well. But Jesus said we must also feed the sheep. We must be fed from God’s word. We must learn about God and his nature, his attributes, his personality. We must be taught how to rely on the Holy Spirit. We must go from the milk of a new believer to the meat of God’s word. As Paul wrote in Hebrews 5:12-14, "In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." How does this maturity come? It comes from being fed. As we learn from God’s word, we will grow in his grace. But how will the sheep grow if they are not being fed? That is our responsibility. We must be willing to not only tend the flock, but also feed it with spiritual food. Feed My Sheep
Verses 18-19 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go." (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, "Follow me." Here we have Jesus preparing Peter for his future ministry and his eventual martyrdom. He concludes these two verses with the instruction, Follow me. This is all Christ asks of us – to follow him. We may have to face death as the apostles did, but just follow him. We may have to face sickness or confusion – follow him. We may face financial trials – follow him. We may face spiritual battles – follow him. We may face discouragement – just follow Jesus. When we learn to follow Jesus, we will learn how to be a successful Christian. We will stop doing things our own way, and start doing things God’s way. We will discover we are a lot happier doing it this way. Blum remarks, "Obedience to Jesus’ command, Follow Me, is the key issue in every Christian’s life. As Jesus followed the Father’s will, so His disciples should follow their Lord whether the path leads to a cross or to some other difficult experience." Verses 20-22 Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his breast at 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? Follow me!" Peter got distracted. Jesus had just told him to "Follow me," and Peter starts worrying about John. Of course we do the same thing. MacDonald comments, "Many failures in Christian service arise from disciples’ being more occupied with one another than with the Lord Himself." We start comparing ourselves to other Christians. We compare our finances, our car, our house. We wonder why God is blessing someone more than he is us. We wonder why we have to go through some times of trouble when others don’t have to. We compare our church to other churches. We compare our pastor to other pastors. But Jesus here rebukes Peter. He said, what is that to you? In other words, that is not our concern. We should not be spending time worrying about how God is using other people. We need only concern ourselves with following Jesus. Blum remarks, "Some disciples can be easily distracted by unnecessary questions about God’s secret will; as a result they neglect God’s plainly revealed will. God’s plans for Christians vary and His reasons are not often made known. Peter was to commit himself to God’s plain commands to him." When we learn to follow Jesus, then we will not become distracted from the task he has given us. We will then see clearly to be able to minister to others. We will be able to feed the lambs, tend the sheep, and feed the sheep. Jesus commissioned Peter to do these things, but he has also commissioned us. Let us be willing to follow Christ and so fulfill the calling he has placed on our lives. Footnotes: This study on John 21:1-22 © 1997 by David
Humpal. All rights reserved. |
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