Sermon: Without Me, Nothing! (Part One)
John 21:1-14
#1649
Martin G. Collins
Given 23-Apr-22; 66 minutes
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transcript:
At first reading, the final chapter of John, chapter 21, seems the strangest in the gospel, most of all because it looks as if it has been added on to. Now, the verses at the end of chapter 20 seem to mark an end to the book, and the confession of Thomas, which comes immediately before them, is obviously a climactic point of John's account. What can be added after Thomas falls down and worships Jesus as "my Lord and my God"? It is such a profound statement and it gives me chills, and I am sure at times it gives you tears as well when it is read in the context there.
We might naturally assume that the only thing that could possibly be added is an account of Christ's final ascension to heaven. But John 21 does not contain that incident because, instead, it deals with a miraculous catch of fish in Galilee, followed by essential words of Jesus to His disciples on this occasion. The key to understanding chapter 21 of John's gospel is to see it as parallel to the first part of chapter 1.
In John 1:1-14 is a prologue in which the pre-incarnate existence and activity of Jesus Christ is summarized. John 21:1-25 are an epilogue. Its emphasis is on the post-resurrection and pre-ascension ministry of Christ, in which He leads God's church as the leader and directs its members in Christian growth and service. He establishes this right there and then with the disciples for that future moment at Pentecost. The last chapter of John's gospel is not only history—the events and conversations really did happen—but it is also symbolic history by which the essential principles concerning Christ's rule over the church during this age are strongly revealed.
After two post-resurrection appearances among His disciples, Jesus manifested himself to several of them at the Sea of Tiberius, also called the Sea of Galilee, and He had asked them to travel ahead of Him and meet Him in Galilee, and then chapter 21 begins.
Now the disciples had been scattering back to their custom hangouts and homes after the crucifixion and this has been true of some even after the resurrection. Yet here we find some of them in Galilee where everyone knew them and knew that they had gone off to follow Jesus. Not scattering as we might think they would, but rather holding together as if they were still a special group of men with a unique bond, which they definitely were and definitely did have. Jesus had risen from the dead which bound them to each other more deeply and His disciples held together after He was dead and presented a united front to the world. Additionally, it is not only significant that they were together but also important who were together.
John 21:1-2 After these things, Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.
The names of Peter and Thomas, which appear in the first and second positions, are obviously significant. Thomas was the exuberant doubter to whom Christ had appeared and whose story is told just verses before this. Peter is the denier who is to be recommissioned to service in the verses immediately following.
It is interesting that even initially the church is made up of those who were doubters, deniers, and sinners of many varieties, but who have been brought in faith by Christ and have had their sins forgiven. These are the ones who do Christian work. Normal people like you and I with all the failings that we are susceptible to, not fictitious characters of superhuman faith and fortitude. Again, it is not just Peter and Thomas who are mentioned. There is Nathanael, whose only other appearance in the gospel was in chapter 1. And this makes us think of chapter 1 and suspect that there may be a deliberate throwback to those opening accounts. Who took part in those accounts? Peter and Nathaniel were two. We have reason to believe that John himself was another, being the unnamed disciple who, with his friend Andrew, first followed Jesus.
The first principle of Christian service of these verses is that our diligent efforts must be done according to God's will. That is, directed by Jesus Christ. And when the disciples decided to go fishing, they were returning to the jobs for which they had been trained and able to make a living. They went back to what was most comfortable for them, something physical. And even though Jesus had died, they could not just sit around waiting for something to happen, and so Peter was waiting in Galilee and obviously filled in the time by fishing.
This should motivate us as Christians not to just wait for Christ to return without making the best of our lives in the meantime. We are not to just sit back, kick up our feet, and say, "I have faith in God" and let Him take care of everything. There is work to be done and the disciples and their examples certainly show that.
Now at least seven of the twelve disciples were probably fishermen. Why did Jesus call so many fishermen to follow Him? In one sense, the answer is quite obvious. For one thing, fishermen are courageous and Christ needs brave people to follow Him that will face the world head on. They are also dedicated to one thing and cannot be easily distracted. Professional fishermen do not quit. They know how to take orders and they know how to work together. They know how to catch a wide variety of types. So God knew what He was doing and who He was calling, and even had them trained in a physical way that would help them spiritually lead the church.
The second principle of Christian service of these verses is the sad possibility of attempting to serve Christ in the energy of the flesh, consequently accomplishing nothing. This is what the incident involving Peter indicates. Peter was impatient, as usual. So rather than waiting inactively for Christ's further appearance to him and the other disciples, Peter proposed to redeem the time by fishing. He chose the physical example or decision. The idea seemed good to the others so the disciples set out immediately and spent the night in hard labor fishing on the Sea of Galilee.
John 21:3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.
Absolutely nothing after all that hard labor.
These experienced men had fished all night and caught nothing, and even though it was a prime time of fishing, still, there was nothing to be had. So it was a foresight carefully arranged by the much wiser Christ who was preparing to teach them a lesson which could enrich them and the church forever. The failure caused them to pause for thought and focus on something other than their physical lives. Peter's leadership quality is evident in that six other disciples went with him, and their lack of success without Jesus' help and their great catch with His help, provided proper direction for their new spiritual lives.
The significance of the word caught in verse 3 is slightly different from that used in the first miraculous catch of fish described in Luke 5:5. Caught is from the Greek word piazo, meaning "to lay hold of" with the suggestion of firm pressure or force. The specific word appears in no other gospel, but it is used several times by John and it is the word he used of the seizure of Jesus by the authorities. The same word is used of the arrest of Peter in Acts 12:4, of Paul in II Corinthians 11:32, of the taking by the hand of the lame man in Acts 3:7, and the taking or seizing of the beast and false prophet in Revelation 19:20.
John 21:4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
So when Jesus did finally appear, He did not rebuke them for not understanding that it was Him. When He found them fishing, He did not rebuke them for going off and doing physical things either.
After His resurrection, He taught them the works which must be spiritually empowered and that no one could do on his own. And so as a sign, Christ had taught them the same lesson on the same lake before His resurrection back there in Luke. So please turn with me to Luke 5:5. I am going to read through this just as a comparison to the text that we are in John 21.
Biblically, fishing symbolizes what is generally called evangelism, which is spreading or preaching the gospel to entice others to respond with a personal commitment to Christ. So it is the first step when God starts calling people. Then when He starts calling people, He makes it available for them to find His words somewhere, somehow. I remember back in Worldwide, there was a story of a man in the Caribbean who was walking down the street. He was searching for God, and he was wondering what to do and what to believe. And a Plain Truth magazine blew up against his leg, and that is how he was introduced. There are many, many other stories of that type that are exciting and encouraging.
Luke 5:3-11 Then He [Jesus] got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless, at Your word, I will let down the net." And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." [It is important to remember that (from now on, you will catch men) because it is different than what it says in John 21.] So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
They gave it all up. Their past lives—their physical lives—and followed Him. But they still struggled with their physical lives and all the tendencies that human nature has and all of the obstacles that are in our way as we go through life in the world.
The first miracle of the disciples' large catch of fish here in Luke 5 had a different purpose when compared with the last miracle of the large catch of fish in John 21. In comparing the two miracles, we find that the first catch was at the beginning of Christ's ministry. The second catch was at the end of His visit on earth. A night of fruitless work brought Peter to the feet of his Master. At the first miracle, he was commissioned to be a fisher of men. In the second miracle, a shepherd of sheep.
The fisher of men in the first miracle, which was more broad and more to the world as a whole. And the second one was a commission directly to look after the church, a shepherd of sheep.
The first miracle convicted him of the lack of holiness, the second a lack of love. In the first miracle Christ manifested His glory and His disciples, not others, believed in Him. In the last miracle Christ manifested Himself according to His pleasure and they were bound in faith to Him for a special purpose in the near future regarding His church.
There are more comparisons (I did not actually count them), but the first catch was as much a parable as a miracle. It qualified the disciples for service as they continued with Christ and it also represents the visible church containing good and bad, so to speak. Often the net breaks and many escape. The second catch was a symbol of the disciples' future work that they were to provide after Christ left them and a witness to be maintained by the power of the Holy Spirit. This miracle symbolizes God's elect foreknown by Him. All in this net are good and will be brought to shore with the net unbroken. From that time on in the vocabulary of Jesus and His disciples, fish obviously suggest people and fishing symbolizes witnessing and gathering people to Christ.
So we find Peter fishing again in chapter 21 of John with similar results and he catches nothing until Jesus comes and directs his efforts. The point is clearly that our attempts to produce spiritual fruit are worthless unless Jesus Himself directs and blesses them.
There is a third principle of Christian service in the story. The disciples had been fishing all night and they had caught nothing. Therefore, having labored all night and accomplishing nothing, they were discouraged and not even thinking of the Lord, not even thinking of Jesus Christ at the time. If they were thinking of anything, it was probably how tired and hungry they were. If they were looking forward to anything, it was probably getting a bite to eat and going to bed to rest. But it was at that moment, when they were least thinking of Jesus, that the Lord appeared. They were not seeking Him, but He sought them.
Seeking refers to a search for something that is either lost or that is desired. It carries a sense of applied effort toward reaching a specific goal. The goal of seeking is finding. So sadly we must be commanded to seek the Lord while He may be found as Isaiah 55:6 admonishes us. "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near." Zephaniah 2:3 encourages us to, "Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger." And Hebrews 11:6 adds diligence to seeking. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." For he who comes to God is an indication that that is a person that has been called by Him and Christ has said to him, "Come."
Now, we do not seek Jesus of our own free will, unaided by the Holy spirit. If we do seek Him, it is only because He is there beforehand moving us to do it.
Jesus does three things to get the disciples' attention and teach them that they can accomplish nothing of any worth without receiving His guidance spiritually. Jesus Himself shows us by example to do nothing of ourselves. We should always be asking for God's guidance in all areas of life. Every day, every week, every year, back to every hour, and every time that we have a decision to make.
John 8:28-29 Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself, but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."
We have Christ's example there what we should be doing. First, Jesus asks the disciples a question.
John 21:5 Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food?" And they answered Him, "No."
It seems like a simple enough question and a simple enough answer, but there obviously is a principle behind that.
The term children here is not only one of affection but one of a man of action. Christ was a man of action. Such a display of omniscience and power revealed to John who the One was who made the great school of fish and catch possible. Literally in the Greek, Jesus was asking the disciples if they had anything to eat with bread. That is what that Greek word means. It actually connects it with bread and it especially refers to fish. So it is implied in their answer "no" to the question that He knew they had caught nothing, and the point of the question is to reveal to disciples their own need and failure.
Have you ever noticed as you have read through the Bible how God likes to ask questions? For example, when He asked Adam and Eve questions in the Garden of Eden after they had sinned. Well, let us take a look at that quickly.
Genesis 3:9-13 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree which I commanded you that you should not eat?" Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." And the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Everybody was passing the buck all the way down, and to this day human beings do the same thing in life.
God did not ask questions because He did not know the answers. He was not trying to figure out whether Adam was hiding in one or another of the trees. Later in the account of Cain and Abel when Cain was displeased that his offering was rejected, God asked him a series of questions.
Genesis 4:6-10 So the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" And He said, "What have you done?"
So in both those incidences God asked a lot of questions.
In II Samuel 12:9, God asked David through Nathan, "Why did you despise the word of the Lord?" by doing what is evil in His eyes. In Isaiah 6:8, God asked Isaiah, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" And in Matthew 16:15, the Lord asked, "Who do you say I am?" The apostle John recorded many of Christ's questions as well. God asks questions to get us to face the situation. He asks us, we have to answer, and whatever we answer better be the truth. And then even if we answer the truth, often we have condemned ourselves, but that is one of the main reasons God asks questions—to get us to face the situation ourselves to more deeply realize what we have done.
This is what Jesus asks us when we have been trying to go it on our own, "Have you been successful? Are you satisfied?" Questions like that. He asks these questions through His inspired written Word so that we might recognize our hunger, need, failure, and need to turn to Him.
Now, Jesus does a second thing to get the disciples' attention and teach them that they can accomplish nothing without His guidance. Because after having asked His question, Jesus next gives a command. This leads to the next step in the story and since the disciples had failed and were helpless, Jesus tells them what to do.
John 21:6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
Why the right side? Possibly because that was the side they were directed to by Jesus and if He had said the left side, there would have been fish there also. So they would have mass there from every part of the Sea of Galilee, anxious to be caught. So depending on which side God said, left or right, there would have been fish there. However, later in the sermon, I will give you an indication of why the right. The point is not where the work is to be done or how, it is whether it is being done under Christ's direction and in obedience to Him, or by our own wisdom and initiative.
Perhaps this is the point at which Christ is speaking to us. And as we read this chapter, we have been aware of our own emptiness and failure; and we have been trying to go it on our own and have been unsuccessful, as such attempts always are. We have all done it, gone off either half-cocked or gone off thinking we knew which way to go, but having not asked for God's counsel and advice on a major decision in our life. And sometimes we asked but we asked amiss, as James said.
The third thing Jesus does to get the disciples' attention and teach them that they can accomplish nothing without His guidance, is that the Lord sends blessings. He does, He sends blessings. First, He had asked a question, second, He had given a command, and now third, in response to their obedience to His command, Jesus sends a blessing of such a great catch of fish that they are unable to draw the catch into the net. The fish symbolized people caught for Christ, of course, and we will go on with that a little later.
In the earlier story in Luke 5, the net was broken. Here in John 21, it remains intact because none of those whom God has called and given to Jesus will be lost. Those whom we try to convert may well be lost. Those are not true conversions. But those whom God calls to Christ through us will never be lost. These are given to Jesus and are held secure by both Him and the Father.
Let us continue with the Christian service idea that I mentioned before with several points. The fourth principle of Christian service is: In the middle of the story, when Jesus first appeared on the shore and had called to the disciples, none of them recognized Him. But when they obeyed His instructions and so participated in the blessing of the great catch of fish, they made the discovery that it was the Lord. That fourth principle is that when we obey Christ's instructions, we discover the Lord, we see God.
John 21:7-8 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved [that is John] said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish.
So John said at first, "It is the Lord." The others undoubtedly also recognized it in that moment. And as soon as Peter heard John say, "It is the Lord," he impetuously plunged into the sea and swam to shore to be the first to honor Christ. John was the seer, the man of faithful thought, and Peter was the doer, the man of faithful action. That carried through in their personalities throughout the Scriptures.
John 21:9-11 Then, as soon as they had come to the land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have just caught." Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.
So the Lord served them, taking care of their basic need, and we are not told whether Christ Himself partook of that breakfast. In His resurrected body physical food was no longer necessary for sustenance. Christ is willing to provide abundance in His miracles, as much as is needed, but not in wasteful excess.
The manifestation of Jesus after His resurrection was very special. He had a body that could do such things as enter rooms without opening the doors, as we see there in John 20:19 and 26, and vanish instantly from people's sight, as we see in Luke 24:31. It was a body that was visible to others only by a distinct act of His will when He manifested Himself to them. And this manifestation of the resurrected Christ to others was never to unbelievers, it was only to believers. The unbelieving world never saw Jesus after His crucifixion. They would not believe in Him and unbelief cuts one off from the great blessings.
Christ was able to appear and disappear with mysterious suddenness because He was no longer subject to the laws of the physical order to which His earthly life was previously conformed. Also an indication of a mysterious change in Christ's appearance was when He was seen in John 21:4, as we just read, and yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. They did not recognize His voice and they did not recognize Him by sight. The supernatural change that took place in the manifestation of Jesus' presence was a change in everything. Even His question in John 21:5, "Children, have you any food?" failed to reveal His identity, which meant even His voice was different.
Why did Peter count the number of fish in the net? Why did the Lord supply exactly 153 fish? Well, being large enough to make the disciples concerned about not breaking the net indicates that this was not an ordinary catch of fish. One hundred and fifty-three is believed to be the number of different species of clean fish in the Sea of Galilee. One of every known kind of that sea was in the net. Christ made Peter count the fish in the net to show us that though we attempt to gather people into His church, the number of those called is to us a matter about which we know nothing.
Yet secretly and invisibly Christ has counted them even to the odd one. He knows exactly how many and who He is calling. He knows exactly how many the net of the Word of God will bring into His church. It is definite and down to the last one, making up not a large round number, but a smaller odd number of 153.
God knows exactly how many are in His invisible spiritual church and He has counted them, ordained their number, and established them. Is this proof of the fact that the number of the elect is fixed and preordained? Had it been the round number of 150, there would have been an absence of all certainty. But as it goes beyond and gives the three by which the 150 has exceeded it does seem to suggest and give us the impression that these fish may be a symbol of the saved. As definite as it may seem as far as an explanation of 153, it is still a suggestion.
These fish may be a symbol of the saved, an illustration and confirmation of Christ's words that are recorded in John 17:12 where He says, "Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost." And in John 6:39, "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me, I should lose nothing." Generally we think of that as being the disciples that were with Him, but this is about all His disciples. It is as true of God's people as it is of the stars. Psalm 147:4 says, "He counts the number of the stars, He calls them all by name." Isaiah 40:26 says, "Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out of their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing."
John's epilogue contains a fifth principle of Christian service, namely, Christ's provisions for His followers, suggested by the words,
John 21:12 Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast." Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?"—knowing that it was the Lord.
I would like to consider this gracious invitation, "Come and eat." in the context of four other of the word "come" scattered throughout the gospels. The first invitation is "Come and see."
John 1:39 He said to them, "Come and see."
John the Baptist had been standing by the Jordan River one day when Jesus walked by and John pointed to Jesus saying, "Behold! The Lamb of God." Two of the John's disciples heard this testimony and interpreted it as a command to follow Jesus. So they left John and followed Jesus, and when Jesus saw them following, He stopped and asked, "What do you want?" Another question. They answered, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" And He said, "Come and see."
There the word "come" connected with "see" is found as one of the gracious invitations. This invitation is far more than an encouragement to these two disciples to learn where Jesus was living. It is an invitation to come to Him for salvation, discovering that He is the Savior. And in this context, the words have the same meaning as the great invitation of Psalm 34, verse 8.
Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.
The disciples came, tasted, and saw and then they went to their relatives and friends to say in John 1:41, "We have found the Messiah." So come and see.
Of the five verses that we will consider this is the only one that is directed to absolutely everyone. It is true to those who are not among the elect, will not heed Christ's call, and will not come. But this does not alter the fact that the invitation is to them, as well as to all others.
When God calls people to faith, He is not mocking, He is issuing a genuine invitation which is at the same time a command. And if we do not come, it is not because we are not invited. It is because we were stubborn, sinful, and rebellious. In order that He might not violate human personality, Jesus graciously uses different methods to invite different people. We see that in John 1 but also throughout the book of John. When Andrew went to find Peter and brought him to Jesus and Jesus confronted him by making a play on his name. Peter (or Simon) which meant a little stone or pebble and the kind of thing that could easily be kicked about, as Peter could be. So, Jesus said,
John 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).
In this encounter, Jesus showed his knowledge of Peter's name and character even without being told about it. Also, He assumed the authority to change Peter's name, thus providing precisely the kind of leadership this vacillating disciple both needed and respected. He told him that he was going to turn Peter, in one sense, from a jellyfish into a giant leader of men. Later in John 1, we read that Jesus calls Philip. Philip goes to get his friend Nathaniel and Nathaniel is skeptical and says, "Can anything good come from out of Nazareth?" Then Peter invites him to, "Come and see" using the same invitation Jesus had used earlier. When Nathaniel does come, Jesus approaches him by showing His supernatural knowledge of what he had been doing even before Philip called him.
John 1:48 [He said] "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."
Apparently this was what Nathaniel needed because he responded with a testimony of faith in Jesus.
John 1:49 "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
God knows how to call people, the best way to make them desire to follow Him. He talks to the woman of Samaria on the level of her need as a sinner, in the terms of an image she could easily understand.
John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."
So she had visual picture there to be able to connect what He was saying with.
He meets the nobleman in chapter 4, the multitude of chapter 6, and the man born blind of chapter 9 on the level of their physical need so He may meet their spiritual need as well. But He begins with what they can see physically, so to speak, in their situation. At the end He teaches Mary by the utterance of her name, Mary, in John 20:16 and Thomas by the invitation to make an observed test of the reality of His resurrection. John 20:27 says, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side." So God works with us and at our individual level when He calls us. And it is very personal. He just does not do a blanket type of calling, at least to His elect.
Now the second invitation is come and learn, found in Matthew 11.
Matthew 11:28-29 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
That is a description of our need. There is a promise of two kinds of rest. A rest that is given corresponding to justification and a rest that is found corresponding to sanctification. But the part of the verse on which I would like to focus is the part that speaks of learning and it is the invitation to come and learn of Jesus Christ. This is the emphasis of the passage where these verses occur. Jesus had been preaching in His own area of the country, but most of those who lived there had not believed in Him. They had rejected John the Baptist, a prophetic figure, and they rejected Jesus who had come eating and drinking. But some had believed and Jesus was rejoicing in them.
Matthew 11:25-26 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight."
To follow up on these, He issued the invitation to come and learn of Him. Now here is a wonderful truth. No one needs to be an intellectual giant to understand the gospel and become wise in spiritual matters. On the contrary, although the wise are not excluded, God has chosen others.
I Corinthians 1:27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.
This happens when they come to Christ and learn from Him. If you will come, you will find that Jesus is a wonderful teacher and He is wise and kind and He is patient and He will teach what you most need to know. Besides, if you will come and allow Him to teach you, you will soon excel in that wisdom which is pleasing to God. That is His promise.
Psalm 119:99-100 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts.
So put that in perspective with what we have been taught over the years in God's church and how much more we know than the wise of the world, even more than the ancients, and more than all the teachers we have had in the world.
There are many Christians who are like that. They have never received formal academic degrees. Some do not even speak good English, but they are wise spiritually, because they have learned from Him who is wisdom itself through His written Word and His ministers.
A third invitation is to come and rest.
Mark 6:31 And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest for a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
The disciples were absolutely exhausted from all of the learning and teaching and crowds and all that they were doing with Jesus Christ. In this context the disciples had been on a training mission and it was busy and there had been so much learning and things to do, at that point Jesus knew that they needed a vacation.
Rest as trust in God's wisdom is symbolic of salvation itself. Isaiah quotes God as reprimanding His people for trusting in their own resources instead of accepting God's invitation.
Isaiah 30:15 For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: "In returning [that is repentance] and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength." But you would not.
They refused to listen to Him. They refused to repent and rest so that they could be saved because they did not have the time to even acknowledge the Lord. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus offers more than emotional rest when He offers the invitation. "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Come to Me is an invitation to trust Jesus personally. It is a personal invitation not merely to believe historical facts about Him.
Rest was built into the natural rhythms of life by the Creator, who rested on the 7th day of creation. An important part of the meaning of rest is suggested by the mystery of divine rest. It draws a boundary around work and exertion, and takes a legitimate pleasure in celebrating what has been accomplished without an urge to keep working. Once we have accomplished something, something important in any way, and that we have been working at for a long time and we are exhausted, we need rest. We cannot focus on our Creator if we are too tired to even think. So, He recommends rest and He shows it in several examples.
The rest of God even includes an element that is crucial for humans who rest, and that is refreshment. God also was refreshed by His rest on the Sabbath.
Exodus 31:17 "It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed."
He did not tire out physically because He is not physical. That was a spiritual resting and refreshing.
Similar pictures of rest as an end of work emerged from the life of Jesus. Despite his busyness, Jesus took the time for retreat, so to speak, from His active life. He prescribed a similar pattern for the disciples.
Those with the highest view of the sovereignty of God and salvation are the most conscientiously active, but at the same time know it is ultimately God who provides the empowerment for success. Why is that? It is because they know what a great privilege it is to be associated with God in His work and because they know that their labors will be blessed.
The fourth invitation is come and eat.
John 21:12 Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast." Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?"—knowing that it was the Lord.
The disciples had been fishing all night and were hungry, but when they came to land they found that Jesus had already prepared a fire of burning coals with fish on it, and He invited them to eat it.
John 21:13-14 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.
Even in His resurrection glory, He was not oblivious of the physical needs of His disciples and He was active in providing for them. He continues to do so today. And this truth enabled Paul to write, even while in prison, that God will provide our needs.
Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
So this invitation involves fellowship with Jesus and not merely physical provision. In the Bible eating always suggests fellowship. For us, eating is often a hurried thing, something we do on the run to some other activity. It is a way of life of the Babylonian society in which we live. It was not possible in Bible times to grab fast food, as you well know. Meals required preparation and they were more drawn-out affairs. Consequently, to eat with a person was to have fellowship with him or her, to really get to know the person, to really spend time with them, understanding their needs and concerns.
It is interesting that the Greek word koinonia is translated by two English words which have the same basic meaning. One is fellowship and the other is communion. Let us take a look at this word communion because when we think of communion, we think of the Catholic Church quite often or we think of some Protestant organization or the way that they define it and use it, the Communion every week and that type of thing. So I think it is important that we understand the true meaning behind the words communion and fellowship.
According to Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament and New Testament Words, the noun communion signifies "a having in common," such as "a partnership or fellowship." In other words, "the share which one has in anything, a participation, fellowship recognized and enjoyed; thus, it is used of the common experiences and interests of Christians."
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Acts 2:44-46 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.
So that is the connection between the next seven passages that I give you regarding the emphasis of participation and sharing.
I Corinthians 1:9 [communion or fellowship shows participation in the knowledge of the son of God.] God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord.
I Corinthians 10:16 [reveals sharing in the realization of the effects of the blood, that is, the death of Christ and the body of Christ as set forth by the symbols in the Passover service] The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
II Corinthians 13:14 [indicates participation in what is received through the Holy Spirit] The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
Philippians 2:1-2 [promotes sharing the Spirit] Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Sharing the spirit promotes unity.
Philippians 3:10 [expresses participation in the sufferings of Christ] That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.
I John 1:3 [shows our sharing in fellowship with other believers as a result of fellowship with the Father and the Son] That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
I John 1:6-7 [connects fellowship with walking in the light] If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
II Corinthians 6:14 [negatively exposes the impossibility of fellowship or communion being connected with darkness] Do not be in unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
Fellowship and communion mean basically the same thing, translated from the same Greek word, and this indicates that we are going to take fellowship, or that we invite the other person to fellowship with us.
What is the church but one great fellowship? It is a fellowship of Christians with the Lord and with one another, and Christ invites us to join that we might fellowship with Him and each other—in the Sabbath and the holy day services and in the daily exercise of our life together. Some Christians go to Sabbath services miserably. For some reason, miserably. Others go with joy in their hearts and on their face is gladness. What makes the difference between a miserable face and a glad face? The difference is that the latter have learned to come and eat with Jesus Christ and with each other. It is a shared life in which our joy is in Jesus and Jesus speaks to us from His Word and shows us the meaning of true Christian fellowship.
I Thessalonians 1:6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit.
What kind of servant do we have to be to receive the joy of the Lord spiritually? The answer is found in Matthew 25.
Matthew 25:23 "His Lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.'"
Very simply stated but very powerful principles.
Toward the end of Christ's sermon given on the Mount of Olives shortly before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus had been talking of the sheep and the goats and He described their separation into two groups, the sheep on the right and the goats on the left. Remember which side of the boat Christ told him to get the fish? He then continues with the next invitation.
The fifth invitation is come, inherit the kingdom.
Matthew 25:34-36 "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'"
Matthew 25:40 "And the King will answer and say to them [that is the righteous], 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"
To those who have known Him and have been changed by Him, the Lord says, "Come, inherit the kingdom prepared for you." We do not have much of a material inheritance now or if we do it is destined to pass away. All we have here now will pass away except the Word of God. But there was an inheritance laid up for us, there was a Kingdom laid up for us, and we will surely inherit both if we are living God's way of life. Paul writes of his hope of his inheritance; and the words come toward the end of his life. He has labored long through many hardships and he has been beaten, stoned, and imprisoned, and many other things.
II Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day.
So Paul has invested in Christ, he has laid up treasure where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. Now as he comes to the end of a demanding life, he knows that Jesus has not disappointed him and will never disappoint anyone who trusts Him.
As a recap, the five invitations are: Come and see; Come and learn; Come and rest; Come and eat; Come, inherit the kingdom. There is a progression there and we certainly appreciate the personal work that Christ has with each and every one of us. No doubt Christ's disciples would eventually deeply understand the true significance of this repeated sign from Him that over and over again Jesus invites us to come and enter into the joy of our Lord.
In His closing hours with them, He was preparing them and us to carry out His commission of going into all the world to spread and preach the redeeming good news of the coming Kingdom of God made possible by His death and resurrection. The event of the miraculous catch of fish showed the disciples in principle that by casting their net on the right side of the boat, the success of being fishers of new converts would be theirs. And so to this end they left their physical vocation of boats, nets, fishing, and of fish, to fish using spiritual bait and the Word of God.
So when God blesses us, it is primarily so we can serve Him better. Sadly, few seem to look at their blessings that way. People seldom recognize increase in pay, a bonus, or good crops or an inheritance or other similar blessing, as a means by which they can better serve God. Most people see these added blessings as a means by which they can indulge in more pleasures of the world.
But Peter and the other six disciples were much different. They responded well to Christ's request to give their miracle blessing to His service and they committed themselves in active service to His work from that point on. We especially see this positive response in Peter's action. He began heading for the shore when he knew Christ was there, but after Jesus asked for a contribution of the miracle catch, Peter went to help the others bring the net full of fish to shore. This was a noble action which reflected his affection for Christ and also his leadership. And I have to ask, are we this enthusiastic to come to Christ on the Sabbath, the holy days, and for the Feast of Tabernacles?
All of us should be as ready as Peter to dedicate ourselves and our blessings in the service of Christ. Failing to reciprocate blessings we receive from God deters our further blessings. Jesus asked for a share in all our labor, of all the time and strength that we have.
Truly, our fellowship must be with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
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