December 17, 2024 • 10 mins
Have you ever considered how failure can morph into success, or how guilt can be exchanged for grace? Join us as we uncover the rich tapestry of John 21, where the disciples, weary and uncertain, are met with a miracle that changes everything. With a miraculous catch of 153 fish, Jesus exemplifies His boundless provision, urging us to reflect on the completeness and inclusivity of His message. As Peter leaps from the boat to reunite with Jesus, we witness a shoreline conversation that offers not only forgiveness but a renewed mission, challenging us to seek a closer relationship with Christ in our own lives.
As we wrap up our exploration of the Gospel of John, we invite you to embrace the themes of restoration and faithfulness. Discover how simple acts can illuminate your daily existence and reveal divine encounters in every moment. By living and loving like Jesus, we carry forward the lessons of abundance and grace into the ordinariness of life. So, as you continue through your week, let these teachings guide you in every interaction, becoming a light to others and drawing closer to God's presence.
As we wrap up our exploration of the Gospel of John, we invite you to embrace the themes of restoration and faithfulness. Discover how simple acts can illuminate your daily existence and reveal divine encounters in every moment. By living and loving like Jesus, we carry forward the lessons of abundance and grace into the ordinariness of life. So, as you continue through your week, let these teachings guide you in every interaction, becoming a light to others and drawing closer to God's presence.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to Beyond Sunday.
I'm Pastor Nick, and today wecome to a significant crossroad
in our journey through theGospel of John, as we delve into
its final chapter, john 21,.
We're not just ending a serieswe've been in for 37 weeks.
We're stepping into the ongoingstory of what it means to
follow Jesus after theresurrection.
Imagine the early morning mistover the Sea of Galilee this is
(00:21):
where this story begins thegentle slap of waves against the
boat, the murmur ofconversation among tired
fishermen.
This scene sets our stage today.
So let's dive and discover whatJesus has in store for us in
these closing moments and beyond.
So in this moment, they have areturn to the Sea of Galilee.
(00:42):
Just picture the disciples.
They're weary, they'reuncertain.
It's been a long couple ofweeks.
A lot has happened, a lot ofemotions, the ups and downs, the
death of the Savior, theresurrection.
But for this moment they'vedecided to return to the Sea of
Galilee, to return to fishing,their former livelihood, under a
starlit sky that blankets themin a familiarity, yet feels
(01:06):
empty without Jesus's physicalpresence.
I can imagine the conversationsthat they had throughout the
night as they continued to throwthat net in the water.
The wooden boat creaks undertheir weight.
The nets cast repeatedly withhope, yet return empty.
I can imagine those moments,because I've had them.
I've had those moments of beingon a fishing boat for hours and
(01:29):
catching nothing, thediscouragement, even though it's
fun to be together and you havethat camaraderie.
You went out there with apurpose and it's not happening.
It's a poignant reflection oftheir internal emptiness, a
physical manifestation of theirspiritual state post crucifixion
.
This return isn't just aretreat to comfort, but a step
(01:51):
back to rediscover their pathforward with Christ.
Now, as dawn creeps over thehorizon, painting the sky with
strokes of pink and orange, thenight's frustrations culminate
in a miraculous catch.
As they're fishing, they hear aman from the shore call out to
them and ask if they've caughtanything.
(02:12):
Yet they answer no in aprobably defeated tone, and this
man from shore calls out tothem and says hey, throw the net
on the other side of the boat.
Now that's probably one of themost ridiculous statements in
scripture, because they've beenfishing all night.
Fish go under the boat.
They could catch them on eitherside, but in this moment I
don't know if they're trying toprove this man wrong.
(02:34):
They didn't know who it was yet.
I don't know if they were justexhausted and thought we'll try
anything at this point.
And so they did.
They threw the net on the otherside of the boat and imagine
their nets, previously barren,now bursting with 153 lively
flipping fish an oddly specificnumber.
That signifies an overflow ofprovision.
(02:57):
Theologians for decades havetried to figure out.
What does that number mean, andthere's a lot of guesses of
what it is.
It might symbolize completeness, as some scholars suggest,
representing a gospel thatencompasses all nations.
It might just show theabundance that Christ has.
Imagine if they threw the neton the other side and they
caught one fish.
(03:17):
As exciting as that would havebeen for them because they
hadn't caught anything all night, it wouldn't have seemed
miraculous If they had caught 10fish.
I'm sure they had done thatbefore.
I'm sure they'd caught 15 fishin their net before, in order to
show abundance, in order toshow who he was.
The number's huge and it'sexciting.
I also had somebody ask, likehow did they get to that number?
(03:39):
And what they were asking iswhen they caught the fish, they
didn't count them.
Then they rode to shore andthen, when they got to shore,
they met with Jesus and they hadbreakfast.
When did they stop and say youknow what, we need to know how
many fish that we actuallycaught.
Well, we don't know the answerto that.
Maybe Jesus told them how manywere in there, or maybe, like
(04:02):
most people, you want to know,to be able to tell people what
actually happened.
And so, at some point, one ofthe disciples was like you know
what?
I'm going to count how manyfish are in here.
I want people to know,amazingly, how much God provided
.
It's an astonishing reminder ofhis provision in our lives.
I would have counted, I wouldhave wanted to know how many
fish were in there.
The disciples' astonishment ispalpable, a mix of joy and
(04:29):
bewilderment, and as theywitness firsthand that it was
Jesus, even their failures areturned into abundant successes.
Now, if you know the story, asJohn looked and realized it was
Jesus, he says hey, it's theLord.
Peter got excited, put on hisrobe and jumped out of the boat
and sw.
It was Jesus.
He says, hey, it's the Lord.
Peter got excited, put on hisrobe and jumped out of the boat
and swam to shore.
He wasn't even waiting for theboat to get there.
He wasn't waiting for Jesus tocome to him.
He had this desire when he sawJesus to be close to Jesus, and
(04:53):
I honestly love that part of thestory because I hope that's my
heart, I hope that's your heart.
I hope, when we haveopportunities to sit near Jesus
and you have that opportunity atevery moment, that's our desire
that we long to be with him,that we'll do whatever it takes
to spend time with Christ Now,on the gritty sand of the shore,
as the smell of cooked fishfills the air.
(05:13):
Jesus is there.
He's already lit a fire, he'salready cooking his own fish and
bread to feed these guys.
A critical conversation unfoldsbetween Jesus and Peter.
Jesus looks at Peter and saysdo you love me?
And each do you love me fromJesus pierces deeper into
Peter's heart a tender yetpainful reminder of his thrice
(05:37):
made denial of Jesus just a fewweeks before.
With each affirmation, peter'sguilt is met with grace.
His shame with a commission.
He had to feel the weight ofJesus' forgiveness, heavy yet
liberating.
And as Peter is restored, notjust as a disciple but as a
(05:59):
shepherd, to Christ's flock.
This is a moment of profoundpersonal transformation,
underscored by the tactilewarmth of a shared meal on a
cool morning by the sea.
Jesus doesn't just say Iforgive you.
Jesus says you've still gotwork to do.
I need you to take care of myflock, I need you to feed my
sheep.
I need you to watch my lambs.
I need you to do what I'vecalled you to do.
(06:21):
And I can imagine thisconversation happened because,
after Peter's denial he's human,like you and I he probably just
had this moment on repeat inhis head how he had failed Jesus
, how he no longer could be therock of the church as Jesus had
called him to be, and so he'sstruggling with all that is to
come, and so Jesus is saying no,I need you to focus, peter.
(06:41):
Get your head back in the gameNow.
As the meal concludes and thesun rises higher.
The ordinary elements of themorning the fish, the bread, the
fire.
They became sacred symbols ofJesus' presence in daily life.
Following Jesus, as he impliesin this chapter, isn't about
(07:02):
constant miracles or publicspectacles.
It's found in the quietcommitment to his teachings and
irregular interactions andchoices.
Imagine integrating the divinein daily tasks, seeing the
sacred of the ordinary andembodying faith in every small
act of kindness and decision ofintegrity.
I love part of the story wherePeter and Jesus are talking and
(07:25):
then Peter realizes John isfollowing him and, as Jesus is
telling Peter that your faith isgoing to lead to your death,
that's a heavy weight for him tofill.
All of a sudden, he says whatabout John?
What do you have for his story?
And I love this because you andI, we get in this comparison
trap.
If my story is going to be hard, I want his to be hard.
And Jesus says what is hisstory to you?
(07:46):
If I wanted him to stay aliveforever, that doesn't matter to
you.
You need to stay focused on me,follow me.
And that's the call for you andI that we would keep our eyes
focused on Jesus, forget thedistractions and live the life
that he's called you and I tolive Now, before we part.
Today, I'm thrilled to sharesome exciting developments with
you all.
First, my new book Be Free isset to launch in early January.
(08:16):
It's a journey into the depthsof spiritual freedom, aimed at
transforming how you live andbreathe your faith.
As we look forward into 2025, Iinvite you to join me in a year
dedicated to deep theologicalexploration, and so I'll send
out a link to a pre-order for mybook in the next couple weeks,
but you can also be a part ofthis journey that I'm going to
be on in 2025 to share sometheological insights, to dive
deep into why we believe what webelieve, to give you the
(08:37):
foundations of our faith.
You can be a part of thatenriching experience by signing
up for a weekly newsletter thatI have.
You can find it atnick-williamscom slash
newsletter.
That's nic-williamscom slashnewsletter.
Sign up for that there, and Iwould be glad and thrilled to
have you on this journey with mediving into theology.
(08:58):
Now, as we close this chapterand our in-depth look at John's
gospel, let's carry with us thelessons of restoration,
abundance and daily faithfulness.
Thank you for sharing thisjourney with me.
As you go about your week,remember that each moment holds
the potential for encounteringGod, for living out the gospel
in the simplest acts and forbeing a light in the ordinaries
(09:19):
of life.
Until next time, keep livingand loving like Jesus.
God bless.
Welcome back to Beyond Sunday.
I'm Pastor Nick, and today wecome to a significant crossroad
in our journey through theGospel of John, as we delve into
its final chapter, john 21,.
We're not just ending a serieswe've been in for 37 weeks.
We're stepping into the ongoingstory of what it means to
follow Jesus after theresurrection.
Imagine the early morning mistover the Sea of Galilee this is
(00:21):
where this story begins thegentle slap of waves against the
boat, the murmur ofconversation among tired
fishermen.
This scene sets our stage today.
So let's dive and discover whatJesus has in store for us in
these closing moments and beyond.
So in this moment, they have areturn to the Sea of Galilee.
(00:42):
Just picture the disciples.
They're weary, they'reuncertain.
It's been a long couple ofweeks.
A lot has happened, a lot ofemotions, the ups and downs, the
death of the Savior, theresurrection.
But for this moment they'vedecided to return to the Sea of
Galilee, to return to fishing,their former livelihood, under a
starlit sky that blankets themin a familiarity, yet feels
(01:06):
empty without Jesus's physicalpresence.
I can imagine the conversationsthat they had throughout the
night as they continued to throwthat net in the water.
The wooden boat creaks undertheir weight.
The nets cast repeatedly withhope, yet return empty.
I can imagine those moments,because I've had them.
I've had those moments of beingon a fishing boat for hours and
(01:29):
catching nothing, thediscouragement, even though it's
fun to be together and you havethat camaraderie.
You went out there with apurpose and it's not happening.
It's a poignant reflection oftheir internal emptiness, a
physical manifestation of theirspiritual state post crucifixion
.
This return isn't just aretreat to comfort, but a step
(01:51):
back to rediscover their pathforward with Christ.
Now, as dawn creeps over thehorizon, painting the sky with
strokes of pink and orange, thenight's frustrations culminate
in a miraculous catch.
As they're fishing, they hear aman from the shore call out to
them and ask if they've caughtanything.
(02:12):
Yet they answer no in aprobably defeated tone, and this
man from shore calls out tothem and says hey, throw the net
on the other side of the boat.
Now that's probably one of themost ridiculous statements in
scripture, because they've beenfishing all night.
Fish go under the boat.
They could catch them on eitherside, but in this moment I
don't know if they're trying toprove this man wrong.
(02:34):
They didn't know who it was yet.
I don't know if they were justexhausted and thought we'll try
anything at this point.
And so they did.
They threw the net on the otherside of the boat and imagine
their nets, previously barren,now bursting with 153 lively
flipping fish an oddly specificnumber.
That signifies an overflow ofprovision.
(02:57):
Theologians for decades havetried to figure out.
What does that number mean, andthere's a lot of guesses of
what it is.
It might symbolize completeness, as some scholars suggest,
representing a gospel thatencompasses all nations.
It might just show theabundance that Christ has.
Imagine if they threw the neton the other side and they
caught one fish.
(03:17):
As exciting as that would havebeen for them because they
hadn't caught anything all night, it wouldn't have seemed
miraculous If they had caught 10fish.
I'm sure they had done thatbefore.
I'm sure they'd caught 15 fishin their net before, in order to
show abundance, in order toshow who he was.
The number's huge and it'sexciting.
I also had somebody ask, likehow did they get to that number?
(03:39):
And what they were asking iswhen they caught the fish, they
didn't count them.
Then they rode to shore andthen, when they got to shore,
they met with Jesus and they hadbreakfast.
When did they stop and say youknow what, we need to know how
many fish that we actuallycaught.
Well, we don't know the answerto that.
Maybe Jesus told them how manywere in there, or maybe, like
(04:02):
most people, you want to know,to be able to tell people what
actually happened.
And so, at some point, one ofthe disciples was like you know
what?
I'm going to count how manyfish are in here.
I want people to know,amazingly, how much God provided
.
It's an astonishing reminder ofhis provision in our lives.
I would have counted, I wouldhave wanted to know how many
fish were in there.
The disciples' astonishment ispalpable, a mix of joy and
(04:29):
bewilderment, and as theywitness firsthand that it was
Jesus, even their failures areturned into abundant successes.
Now, if you know the story, asJohn looked and realized it was
Jesus, he says hey, it's theLord.
Peter got excited, put on hisrobe and jumped out of the boat
and sw.
It was Jesus.
He says, hey, it's the Lord.
Peter got excited, put on hisrobe and jumped out of the boat
and swam to shore.
He wasn't even waiting for theboat to get there.
He wasn't waiting for Jesus tocome to him.
He had this desire when he sawJesus to be close to Jesus, and
(04:53):
I honestly love that part of thestory because I hope that's my
heart, I hope that's your heart.
I hope, when we haveopportunities to sit near Jesus
and you have that opportunity atevery moment, that's our desire
that we long to be with him,that we'll do whatever it takes
to spend time with Christ Now,on the gritty sand of the shore,
as the smell of cooked fishfills the air.
(05:13):
Jesus is there.
He's already lit a fire, he'salready cooking his own fish and
bread to feed these guys.
A critical conversation unfoldsbetween Jesus and Peter.
Jesus looks at Peter and saysdo you love me?
And each do you love me fromJesus pierces deeper into
Peter's heart a tender yetpainful reminder of his thrice
(05:37):
made denial of Jesus just a fewweeks before.
With each affirmation, peter'sguilt is met with grace.
His shame with a commission.
He had to feel the weight ofJesus' forgiveness, heavy yet
liberating.
And as Peter is restored, notjust as a disciple but as a
(05:59):
shepherd, to Christ's flock.
This is a moment of profoundpersonal transformation,
underscored by the tactilewarmth of a shared meal on a
cool morning by the sea.
Jesus doesn't just say Iforgive you.
Jesus says you've still gotwork to do.
I need you to take care of myflock, I need you to feed my
sheep.
I need you to watch my lambs.
I need you to do what I'vecalled you to do.
(06:21):
And I can imagine thisconversation happened because,
after Peter's denial he's human,like you and I he probably just
had this moment on repeat inhis head how he had failed Jesus
, how he no longer could be therock of the church as Jesus had
called him to be, and so he'sstruggling with all that is to
come, and so Jesus is saying no,I need you to focus, peter.
(06:41):
Get your head back in the gameNow.
As the meal concludes and thesun rises higher.
The ordinary elements of themorning the fish, the bread, the
fire.
They became sacred symbols ofJesus' presence in daily life.
Following Jesus, as he impliesin this chapter, isn't about
(07:02):
constant miracles or publicspectacles.
It's found in the quietcommitment to his teachings and
irregular interactions andchoices.
Imagine integrating the divinein daily tasks, seeing the
sacred of the ordinary andembodying faith in every small
act of kindness and decision ofintegrity.
I love part of the story wherePeter and Jesus are talking and
(07:25):
then Peter realizes John isfollowing him and, as Jesus is
telling Peter that your faith isgoing to lead to your death,
that's a heavy weight for him tofill.
All of a sudden, he says whatabout John?
What do you have for his story?
And I love this because you andI, we get in this comparison
trap.
If my story is going to be hard, I want his to be hard.
And Jesus says what is hisstory to you?
(07:46):
If I wanted him to stay aliveforever, that doesn't matter to
you.
You need to stay focused on me,follow me.
And that's the call for you andI that we would keep our eyes
focused on Jesus, forget thedistractions and live the life
that he's called you and I tolive Now, before we part.
Today, I'm thrilled to sharesome exciting developments with
you all.
First, my new book Be Free isset to launch in early January.
(08:16):
It's a journey into the depthsof spiritual freedom, aimed at
transforming how you live andbreathe your faith.
As we look forward into 2025, Iinvite you to join me in a year
dedicated to deep theologicalexploration, and so I'll send
out a link to a pre-order for mybook in the next couple weeks,
but you can also be a part ofthis journey that I'm going to
be on in 2025 to share sometheological insights, to dive
deep into why we believe what webelieve, to give you the
(08:37):
foundations of our faith.
You can be a part of thatenriching experience by signing
up for a weekly newsletter thatI have.
You can find it atnick-williamscom slash
newsletter.
That's nic-williamscom slashnewsletter.
Sign up for that there, and Iwould be glad and thrilled to
have you on this journey with mediving into theology.
(08:58):
Now, as we close this chapterand our in-depth look at John's
gospel, let's carry with us thelessons of restoration,
abundance and daily faithfulness.
Thank you for sharing thisjourney with me.
As you go about your week,remember that each moment holds
the potential for encounteringGod, for living out the gospel
in the simplest acts and forbeing a light in the ordinaries
(09:19):
of life.
Until next time, keep livingand loving like Jesus.
God bless.
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