Resurrection

Resurrection
John 21:1-14

1 After [meta] these things [tauta] Jesus [Iesous] shewed [phaneroo] himself [heautou] again [palin] to the disciples [mathetes] at [epi] the sea [thalassa] of Tiberias [Tiberias] ; and [de] on this wise [houto] shewed [phaneroo] he himself.
2 There were [en] together [homou] Simon [Simon] Peter [Petros] , and [kai] Thomas [Thomas] called [lego] Didymus [Didumos] , and [kai] Nathanael [Nathanael] of [apo] Cana [Kana] in Galilee [Galilaia] , and [kai] the sons [ho] of Zebedee [Zebedaios] , and [kai] two [duo] other [allos] of [ek] his [autos] disciples [mathetes] .
3 Simon [Simon] Peter [Petros] saith [lego] unto them [autos] , I go [hupago] a fishing [halieuo] . They say [lego] unto him [autos] , We [hemeis] also [kai] go [erchomai] with [sun] thee [soi] . They went forth [exerchomai] , and [kai] entered [anabaino] into [eis] a ship [ploion] immediately [euthus] ; and [kai] that [en] [ekeinos] night [nux] they caught [piazo] nothing [oudeis] .
4 But [de] when the morning [proia] was [ginomai] now [ede] come [ginomai] , Jesus [Iesous] stood [histemi] on [eis] the shore [aigialos] : but [mentoi] the disciples [mathetes] knew [eido] not [ou] that [hoti] it was [esti] Jesus [Iesous] .
5 Then [oun] Jesus [Iesous] saith [lego] unto them [autos] , Children [paidion] , have ye [echo] any [metis] meat [prosphagion] ? They answered [apokrinomai] him [autos] , No [ou] .
6 And [de] he said [epo] unto them [autos] , Cast [ballo] the net [diktuon] on [eis] the right [dexios] side [meros] of the ship [ploion] , and [kai] ye shall find [heurisko] . They cast [ballo] therefore [oun] , and [kai] now [ouketi] they were [ischuo] not [ouketi] able [ischuo] to draw [helkuo] it [autos] for [apo] the multitude [plethos] of fishes [ichthus] .
7 Therefore [oun] that [ekeinos] disciple [mathetes] whom [hos] Jesus [Iesous] loved [agapao] saith [lego] unto Peter [Petros] , It is [esti] the Lord [kurios] . Now [oun] when Simon [Simon] Peter [Petros] heard [akouo] that [hoti] it was [esti] the Lord [kurios] , he girt [diazonnumi] his fisher's coat [ependutes] unto him, (for [gar] he was [en] naked [gumnos] ,) and [kai] did cast [ballo] himself [heautou] into [eis] the sea [thalassa] .
8 And [de] the other [allos] disciples [mathetes] came [erchomai] in a little ship [ploiarion] ; (for [gar] they were [en] not [ou] far [makran] from [apo] land [ge] , but [alla] as it were [hos] [apo] two hundred [diakosioi] cubits [pechus] ,) dragging [suro] the net [diktuon] with fishes [ichthus] .
9 As soon [hos] then [oun] as they were come [apobaino] to [eis] land [ge] , they saw [blepo] a fire of coals [anthrakia] there, and [kai] fish [opsarion] laid [keimai] thereon [epikeimai] , and [kai] bread [artos] .
10 Jesus [Iesous] saith [lego] unto them [autos] , Bring [phero] of [apo] the fish [opsarion] which [hos] ye have [piazo] now [nun] caught [piazo] .
11 Simon [Simon] Peter [Petros] went up [anabaino] , and [kai] drew [helkuo] the net [diktuon] to [epi] land [ge] full [mestos] of great [megas] fishes [ichthus] , an hundred [hekaton] and fifty [pentekonta] and three [treis] : and [kai] for all there were so many [tosoutos] , yet was [on] not [ou] the net [diktuon] broken [schizo] .
12 Jesus [Iesous] saith [lego] unto them [autos] , Come [deute] and dine [aristao] . And [de] none [oudeis] of the disciples [mathetes] durst [tolmao] ask [exetazo] him [autos] , Who [tis] art [ei] thou [su] ? knowing [eido] that [hoti] it was [esti] the Lord [kurios] .
13 Jesus [Iesous] then [oun] cometh [erchomai] , and [kai] taketh [lambano] bread [artos] , and [kai] giveth [didomi] them [autos] , and [kai] fish [opsarion] likewise [homoios] .
14 This [touto] is [phaneroo] now [ede] the third time [tritos] that Jesus [Iesous] shewed himself [phaneroo] to his [autos] disciples [mathetes] , after that he was risen [egeiro] from [ek] the dead [nekros] . KJV-Interlinear

1 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, 'I am going fishing.' They said to him, 'We will also come with you.' They went out, and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus therefore said to them, 'Children, you do not have any fish, do you?' They answered Him, 'No.' 6 And He said to them, 'Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find a catch.' They cast therefore, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. 7 That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord.' And so when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. 9 And so when they got out upon the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid, and fish placed on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, 'Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.' 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.' None of the disciples ventured to question Him, 'Who are You?' knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread, and gave them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead. NASB

Tiberias is a city built by Herod Antipas. It is about half way down the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. The waters next to it go by the same name as the city. The city has a little history. It is a trading cross roads where both Jew and gentile traded their commerce. In 70 A.D., after Jerusalem had fallen, those of the Sanhedrin who were still alive and not caught, fled first to Sepphoris, in Galilee and then to Tiberias. Their presence remained there for several centuries.

Sometime prior to the year 220 A.D., under supervision of the famous Rabbi Jehuda ha-Nasi', 'Judah the Prince,' the civil and ritual laws, decrees, customs, etc., held to be of binding obligation, handed down by tradition, but not having Scriptural authority, were codified and written down, under the title of 'Mishna.'

The city finally fell to the Moslems in 637. It changed hands several times as between the Crusaders and the Saracens, and finally came under Moslem control around 1200 A.D.

No extra charge for this history. I had the information in my notes and thought you might as well know it too! You can note that despite the tremendous attacks on the policies of the Sanhedrin, what with the fall of Jerusalem and such, there were still some hold outs who wanted not only to perpetuate the laws and regulations of Judaism, but they had to reinvent their writings. This time they used no scriptures as their guide, but only traditions handed down from generation to generation. Their resistance to God and Christianity continued for a very long time. Actually it still remains in our current day. Resistance to God that is.

But then that applies to everyone who is negative, indifferent, or outright defiant toward God.

So what does that have to do with our lesson for today? Well, here we find the Apostles sitting beside the sea. On the beach if you will. Only a few days have passed since they have seen the resurrected Jesus, the past Sunday, in their 'hide out' in Jerusalem.

Recall that Jesus had issued them orders to go to Galilee and await Him there. Presumably that would have been to Capernaum where they spent much of their time with Jesus. But they have only gone half way up the coast.

Also, you recall that Jesus had given them some instructions. 'The Father sent Me. So now I am sending you.' Jesus also breathed the Holy Spirit on to them in order to give them some additional assistance in their mission. But what do we find?

Even earlier Jesus had given them instructions and certain powers, Matt. 10:1
1 And having summoned His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. NASB

But did they use them? No.

We find only seven of them present. We find them sitting on the shore with absolutely nothing to do. Not that they don't have something to do, but that they are sitting here bored and don't know what to do. Peter finally decides to go fishing. The rest follow. They go out and catch nothing. Then someone from the shore calls out to them asking as to their success. 'Zip,' is their response. They had been at it all night and must have been tired. Then some good advice comes from the stranger. 'Try the other side of the boat.'

Now every good fisherman knows that if the fish aren't biting on one side of the boat, then you try the other side of the boat. Right? No. It is a joke. A fishing joke. These men (they were indeed grown up men) have certainly heard all of the fishing jokes of the day. So what do they do? They take the advice of a stranger, a voice from shore. And they hit the jack pot.

John then recognized that it is Jesus Christ, and Peter jumps overboard and swims to shore. The rest follow pulling a net full of fish - 153 of them. The number means nothing. It simply represents a very good catch. Enough for everyone to take home and/or sell if they wish.

When they get to shore Jesus already had a fire going with fish already on it. He didn't go fishing but He has fish cooking already. He has bread too.

Now for our lesson. These guys have been with Jesus for over three years. I repeat this because it will one day sink in as to what it means. They have been at their studies for a long time, daily, repetitively. They have received their instructions. They have been given powers. They have witnessed the most remarkable things in history (the miracles of Jesus). They have witnessed his arrest, His crucifixion, and now His resurrection. Yet they are clueless as to what Jesus intended for them when He selected them and no one else?

Here they are on the beach with nothing to do. When they should have been out teaching what they know, and they do know a great deal. They also have genuine powers (even though the powers are temporary) but they don't use them. Their powers will not last for long as they will eventually lose them once they become recognized as genuine authorities in the gospel and in the scriptures.

Just as Jesus' miracles were not the primary purpose of His ministry, they were used in order to capture the attention of the people and then to get them to listen to the gospel and to scripture teaching. The powers and the miracles do not save you nor give you spiritual growth. It is the message which is important for faith and for spiritual growth. You have to learn first before you can use what you learn.

The other day I mentioned that one important thing you should be doing in your spiritual life is to memorize scripture. That serves to reinforce Gods Word within your soul. Sort of like working out with exercise machines to keep your body toned up. Memorized scripture does that for your soul.

How many people actually memorize Bible verses? And how many have ignored the suggestion? Well look at the apostles. They had greater opportunities than either you or I and yet they missed out on them through the laziness of their souls. Will you do the same?

We all have tremendous opportunities in this life. Opportunities which come from spiritual growth. But how many will pursue them?

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