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After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberlas; and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 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. 4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any fish?" They answered him, "No." 6 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. 7 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. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, but about a hundred yards off. 9 they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." 11 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. 12 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. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Is this catch of fish on the Sea of Galilee a miracle or just a natural happening? William Barclay claims that it is not a miracle, for it "still frequently happens on the lake."

Is it not a miracle that a dead person is alive again to talk and serve?

Is it not a miracle that one catch should include all the known kinds of fish?

Is it not a miracle that the fishermen would recognize a stranger as the Lord?

Is it not a miracle that in spite of the huge number of large fish, the net did not break?

If it is a miracle, what was the reason for it? It was not to prove that Christ had risen, for Jesus had appeared to the disciples twice before this. It was not to demonstrate Jesus' power over nature, for he showed this when he stilled the storm and walked on water. It was not to indicate that he had not only a spiritual; but a physical body, for he previously told Thomas to put his hand into his side.

Was not the miracle to re-enlist the disciples as apostles and leaders in the church? Though it is considered an epilogue, the story of Jesus in John would not be complete without chapter 21. The disciples forsook Jesus and fled when he was arrested. Peter denied him thrice. After the resurrection they decided to go fishing, back to their former livelihood. The relationship with Jesus was broken by their unfaithfulness in this hour of greatest need. Some repair work needed to be done, relations re-established, and the men re-hired in the service of the kingdom. The miracle is not so much in the large catch of fish, but in the breakfast prepared and served by Jesus. As they participated in the breakfast, their wounds of estrangement were healed and they returned to their master.

It is a miracle when drop-outs are re-enlisted and come "home." It is a miracle needed in today's society, for many have fallen away. We are a people of drop-outs. There are school drop-outs. Twenty-five percent of pupils drop out; 800,000, ages 14-17, have dropped out of school. Marital dropouts; half of marriages end in divorce. Church drop-outs: mainline Protestant churches lost nine-and-one-half percent of their members in the past 10 years; 40 percent of church members are classified as "inactive;" in a poll of 400 Protestant ministers, 13 percent said they would quit the ministry of they could. Child drop-outs: every day in America, according to Ann Landers, 3,250 run away from home.

This miracle deals with a gargantuan problem that has permeated our entire society. Today society seems to be following Timothy O'Leary's slogan: "Tune in, turn on, and drop out."

Acclimation

The Situation
The location was the Sea of Galilee, known also as Tiberias. Peter and six other disciples were together. Peter announced, "I am going fishing." The others said, "We will go with you." They got in a boat and fished all night without catching a single fish. At dawn, just as the sun was coming up, a figure on the beach called to them, "Lads, have you caught anything?" They replied, "Not a thing!" Then the stranger suggested that they throw the net to the right side of the boat. They did and caught so many fish they had trouble pulling the net into the boat. John, the disciple Jesus loved, said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" At once Peter, who had taken off his clothes to work, put his clothes back on and jumped into the water and swam ashore where Jesus was. The others came to the shore in the boat. When on land, they noticed that Jesus had a fire going with fish and bread. Jesus asked them to bring some of the fish they caught. Peter went to the boat and dragged the net to shore with 153 kinds of fish. In spite of the weight, the net did not break. Then Jesus invited them to have breakfast: "Come and eat." None asked him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus took the bread and fish and distributed the food to the seven men.

The Setting
1. The Church Year. Easter is more than a one-Sunday festival of the church year. It is a season of seven Sundays leading to Pentecost. They are not Sundays after Easter, but Sundays of Easter. During the Easter season the theme is the risen, living Christ. Today's miracle is in the gospel for the third Sunday of Easter. The lessons deal with the appearances of the risen Lord. In lesson one the risen Christ appears to Paul on the Damascus road. Lesson two shows the risen Lord being worshiped in heaven. The gospel gives the story of Jesus' third-time appearance to the disciples at the Sea of Galilee. During the Easter season in series C the first lessons are taken from the Book of Acts, the second lessons from Revelation and the gospels from the Gospel of John. For seven weeks the church celebrates the glorious resurrection of her Master.

2. John's Epilogue. Today's miracle comes from John 21. Scholars consider this final chapter to be an epilogue. The book has a prologue - chapter one, and an epilogue in chapter 21. The gospel really ends on 20:31. Chapter 21 seems to be a later addition. However, except for the Syriac manuscript, chapter 21 has always appeared in the other manuscripts. Did the author of John write the chapter? If not, who wrote it? Various answers have been given.

Regardless of who wrote it, the chapter is necessary to complete the story of Jesus and his disciples. What happened to the rift between Jesus and the disciples caused by their unfaithfulness during Jesus' trial - Peter's denial and the fleeing of the others? There was need for a re-cementing of relationships. The disciples, led by Peter, returned to their former occupation, fishing. How could they be re-enlisted as followers and leaders of the coming church?

Chapter 21 tells us how the reconciliation and renewal of leadership took place. Jesus went to their place of employment, provided miraculously a huge amount of fish, and served them breakfast. By breaking bread and eating fish together, their relationship was renewed.

This episode is followed by a special confrontation between Jesus and Peter (21:15-23). Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved him. Three times Peter was told to feed and tend Jesus' sheep. As a result, Peter was re-installed as leader of the disciples, and the group as a whole was re-committed to Christ.

3. Related Passages
Luke 5:1-11 - Peter's call to discipleship.

Because of the similarities in the two accounts, Luke 5:1-11 and John 21:1-14, some scholars believe they are two versions of the same experience. Some of the similarities are: (1) same location - the Sea of Galilee, (2) fished all night and caught nothing, (3) Jesus tells them to put out their nets for a catch, (4) a large catch results, (5) Jesus is called Lord and (6) the men are called to follow.

In spite of these similarities, the lectionary gives them as separate occurrences, calling for preaching on both. In Luke, the story deals with one person; in John, it deals with a company. In Luke, Peter is called to discipleship; in John, he is re-called.

Matthew 13:47-50 - The kingdom of God is like a net filled with good and bad fish.

Luke 24:13-35 - The risen Lord is recognized in the breaking of bread.

1 Corinthians 15:5-8 - Other appearances of the risen Jesus.

Hebrews 6:4-8 - The impossibility of restoring lapsed Christians.

4. The Lectionary - Lesson 1 (Acts 9:1-20). Paul meets the risen Christ on his way to Damascus. Paul left Jerusalem as a persecutor of Christians, but entered Damascus as a Christian. On the way to Damascus, he had an experience with the risen Jesus that left him blind. After three days he received his sight and baptism. At once he began to preach that Jesus is the Son of God.

Lesson 2 (Revelation 5:11-14). The risen Christ is worshiped by all in heaven. The once earthly and crucified Jesus is now in heaven in the glory of God the Father. The whole company of heaven bows down before him in worship. The once humiliated Jesus is now the Christ of glory and power.

Gospel (John 21:1-14). The risen Jesus appeared to the disciples at the Sea of Galilee. Led by Peter, seven disciples went fishing. After a night of catching no fish, the risen Christ appeared on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. After directing them to let down their net for a catch, Jesus prepared and served them a breakfast of bread and fish. They did not ask who this stranger was, for they knew he was the Lord.

Psalm of the Day (Psalm 30:4-12). Thanks and praise to the Lord who brings joy out of sadness. It can be related to today's miracle: out of nothing Christ brings something - no fish to 153; out of death comes life - from cross to resurrection.

Prayer of the Day. We pray in this prayer that God who rescued us from the hopelessness of death will grant his faithful people a share of eternal joy - "weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5)."

Hymn of the Day ("Look, Now He Stands"). It is an Easter hymn that rejoices in the resurrection.

Explanation

Tiberias (v. 1) - In the latter half of the first century, "Tiberias" came into use for the Sea of Galilee. Tiberias was the Roman name; the popular name was Galilee. It received the name from the town of Tiberias located on the lake, founded about 20 A.D. and from a Roman emperor.

Again (v. 1) - Jesus revealed himself "again" to the disciples. This was the third time he came to the apostles. Each time it seems to have been for a purpose. The first time was to assure the men that he was alive. The second time was to convince Thomas that he was real. The third time was to reenlist the disciples, particularly Peter, in the leadership of the church. It is not enough for Jesus to come only once in our lives, as in baptism. Throughout out lives he needs to come again and again in a greater and fuller way.

Fishing (v. 3) - The disciples went fishing. They did not go, as many today, for recreation and pleasure. Some of the disciples were commercial fishermen (Peter, Andrew, James, John). It was their livelihood. They left this work to follow Jesus full time. Apparently they thought the cause was ended, even though Jesus rose from the dead. Probably he would be going to heaven and they were out of a leader and a job. They decided to quit fishing for "men" and fish for fish.

Children (v. 5) - This translation does not seem to be appropriate. It signifies a parental relationship, but Jesus was addressing grown men. Moreover, at this time the man who said this was an unknown stranger on the beach. "Children" is used colloquially for "young men (GNB)" or "friends (NIV)" or "boys (Living Bible)" or "lads (Philipps)."