“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name,” (John 20:30-31). That certainly sounds like the conclusion to John’s Gospel, but there was one more story left to tell. After his resurrection in Jerusalem and his appearances there, Jesus told his friends to meet him where it all began: in Galilee.
The Sea of Galilee is a blue gem surrounded by rolling hills. In the spring the hills are alive with wildflowers. The men walked along the familiar shore of their home. Past the new city of Tiberias to their village, Capernaum on the northern coast. There it was: the synagogue, their homes, their fishing boats pulled up on the beach.
Peter was married. We don’t know her name but its not hard to imagine their reunion. “Tell me all about it!” she must have insisted and he had so much to tell – the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, Jesus clearing the Temple, Jesus confronting the establishment, the Last Supper, Jesus crucified! But I wonder if Peter told everything? Did the “Big Fisherman” tell her he had denied Jesus three times?
Peter needed time to think, and so he told his friends, “I’m going out to fish,” (John 21:3). The seven men fished all night casting their nets and hauling them in, casting their nets and hauling them in. They caught nothing. How frustrating that must have felt. Peter had failed Jesus, and now he failed at the one thing he thought he was good at.
Dawn came. Muscles ached. Peter had worked hard. He had stripped for action, but his actions had been futile. “Nothing.” A failure again. They stretched and watched the sunrise. A hundred yards away a stranger on the shore had a little fire. They could smell the warm bread. It reminded them, they were hungry.
“Friends, haven’t you any fish?” the stranger called.
The question must have stung, and they curtly replied with a simple, “No.”
The stranger called back pointing, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”
“Great,” Peter must have thought. “I’ve been a fisherman all my life, and this guy is giving me advice.” Before he could say anything, the net sailed through the morning light trailing silver droplets. It sang as it unfolded one more time – one last time. The water boiled. Anxious hands grabbed the net. Every face exploded in joy. Fish began to leap foaming the dark water. Fourteen strong hands hauled with all their might. The nets were strained to the breaking point. There wasn’t room in the boat for the fantastic catch.
John was the first to realize this had happened once before. He looked to Peter, nodded toward the stranger and laughing said, “It is the Lord.” Forgetting the fish (all 153 of them!), Peter grabbed his clothes and threw himself into the sea.
All the way from Jerusalem, all the way home and all night long, Peter had been wrestling with his demons, his “unfinished business.” Now the one person who could set him free was standing on the beach cooking breakfast. Dripping wet, Peter crawled out of the water. Dripping wet, he looked at Jesus. What was in his eyes? What did Jesus see? “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” he said.
The boat landed, and Peter sprang on board. His mighty muscles flexed as he dragged the net onto the beach and then stood there eagerly waiting. His heart, his eyes, his face were shouting, “I love you, Lord! I will do anything for you. Let me prove it. Give me another chance.”
“Come and have some breakfast,” Jesus said. Warm bread. Fresh fish. A spring morning. What did they talk about? Did they laugh and tell stories the way men often do or was it awkward? Did they wait for the Lord to speak? There was so much Peter wanted to say, so much he wanted to ask. It was a burden that even his strong body couldn’t bear. Peter had denied Jesus three times and that when Jesus needed him most.
Finally, when breakfast was over, Jesus turned to him and asked, “Simon son of John do you truly love me more than these?” Even the phrasing of the question stung. Jesus had given him a new name – a Christian name – “Peter,” but now he called him “Simon.” It was as if they were starting over.
“Yes Lord, you know that I love you.”
Peter had denied Jesus three times, and so Jesus asked the same question three times.
“Lord you know all things,” Peter pleaded, “You know that I love you!” But love is proven by its fruit, and Jesus demands, “Follow me!”
Love is still proven by its fruit.