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I was telling a Muslim I know why we were so sure Jesus was raised from the dead. The first thing I said was that 500 people witnessed his resurrection -- even though some doubted. Then I said that four of the eyewitnesses wrote books of the New Testament. Some who were witnesses died terrible deaths because of their testimony. (Why, I asked him, would any person die in agony to back up a story he knew was not true?) I showed him how many times Jesus appeared after his resurrection (as we read in this lesson). Then I asked him a dangerous question: "How many witnessed the angel talking to Mohammed?
Each time Jesus appeared it was still a surprise to his disciples. It took a few times for it to soak in that Jesus was really alive again!
It is interesting to notice in this passage that even after they saw Jesus raised from the dead, they still went back to work fishing! There they were in their boats, having little luck. Then Jesus gave them some advice, even though he was not a fisherman himself. It took another miracle for them to believe. To top it off, Jesus ate a fish with them. He was not just a ghost. He had showed them holes in his hands, which they could touch, and now he was eating with them. We are told that when we arrive in heaven, we can join a feast that has no end. It sounds like food will always be around!
It took three appearances before it finally dawned on the disciples that he had returned from the grave. When it finally convinced Peter, Jesus put him on the spot. He told him that he would have to quit fishing fish and start serving his Lord. He switched from fish to sheep. Now Peter could use all the training he had received when he walked with Jesus those few years before his crucifixion. The proof of Peter's love was that he changed his direction and served his Lord. Then Jesus hinted that serving him was going to cost Peter something more than just losing his fishing job. There is sometimes a great price to pay for serving our Lord. I discovered that on the mission field, where the indigenous pastors were thrown in jail and sometimes even executed! We need to ask ourselves: "If the Lord calls us to serve him, are we willing to stop what we are doing -- even quit our job? Are we willing to pay what price it may cost -- even jail or death?" History books are full of stories about those who served our Lord. They are still doing it today all over the world. Even I gave up my motion picture business to go to seminary to become a pastor. I met friends in seminary who also gave up everything to serve: some that I knew gave up careers in insurance, manufacturing, teaching, and farming. So the question for us is: "Are we ready to drop everything and follow him?"
Each time Jesus appeared it was still a surprise to his disciples. It took a few times for it to soak in that Jesus was really alive again!
It is interesting to notice in this passage that even after they saw Jesus raised from the dead, they still went back to work fishing! There they were in their boats, having little luck. Then Jesus gave them some advice, even though he was not a fisherman himself. It took another miracle for them to believe. To top it off, Jesus ate a fish with them. He was not just a ghost. He had showed them holes in his hands, which they could touch, and now he was eating with them. We are told that when we arrive in heaven, we can join a feast that has no end. It sounds like food will always be around!
It took three appearances before it finally dawned on the disciples that he had returned from the grave. When it finally convinced Peter, Jesus put him on the spot. He told him that he would have to quit fishing fish and start serving his Lord. He switched from fish to sheep. Now Peter could use all the training he had received when he walked with Jesus those few years before his crucifixion. The proof of Peter's love was that he changed his direction and served his Lord. Then Jesus hinted that serving him was going to cost Peter something more than just losing his fishing job. There is sometimes a great price to pay for serving our Lord. I discovered that on the mission field, where the indigenous pastors were thrown in jail and sometimes even executed! We need to ask ourselves: "If the Lord calls us to serve him, are we willing to stop what we are doing -- even quit our job? Are we willing to pay what price it may cost -- even jail or death?" History books are full of stories about those who served our Lord. They are still doing it today all over the world. Even I gave up my motion picture business to go to seminary to become a pastor. I met friends in seminary who also gave up everything to serve: some that I knew gave up careers in insurance, manufacturing, teaching, and farming. So the question for us is: "Are we ready to drop everything and follow him?"
