From Old to New or From New to Old

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

FROM OLD TO NEW

OR

FROM NEW TO OLD

John 21:1-14

21:1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5 He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. 6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. 7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.   9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."  11 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

NIV

We know that Peter and the two sons of Zebedee were indeed professional fishermen. This is what they did for a living. The sons of thunder, which is what James and John the two sons of Zebedee were called were in their boat preparing their nets when Jesus called them. So here are at least three men who fished for a living and they had been out all night without catching one single fish. We think something fishy is afloat. As they were heading into shore, and we are not told their mood, although we suspect they were a little disappointed they had caught nothing. Again, we are not sure why Peter had decided to go fishing in the first place. Jesus had called them into a new life. He poured his truth into them for three years, Peter was the one who when Jesus asked who they say he is, said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”. Peter was also was the one who vowed to never forsake Jesus and yet it turned out he denied him three times, not just too long ago. It seems although Peter had been called to this new life in Christ, he reverted back to his old life and dragged some of the other disciples with him. In addition, fishing is what Peter knew how to do, yet even this night failure met him and the others, as all too often it does when we return to and try to live our old life. When Peter and the others were relying on themselves, their skill sets, their abilities, they failed. Then there is Jesus, standing on the shore, fire burning, and fish cooking, and all ready to serve them a great breakfast. But he knew they had expected to make a good catch of fish, but had empty nets. So what they were not able to do on their own, Jesus tells them to cast the nets on the other side of the boat. Luke includes a little rebuke by Peter about having fished all night and nothing, but nevertheless, he will cast the net. They did not recognize it was Jesus yet. After casting the net it was full of fish, so much so, they could not get it into the boat. The old life of looking to self for provisions has been superseded by the new life where Jesus provides all our needs. Life in self, or life in Christ, the choice is ours. Sure we have to work for a living. That seems to be the way of life itself. But this is more about how we approach life in Christ, our new life, and how we live this new life out. The old life is more than about working for a living, it is about thinking we are the source of our provisions. We return to the old life when we think it is our skillset that we determined would be our method of attaining everything we want out of life. Christ calls us to a new life in him. This could and may well change everything in our lives. He may call us to a new task, as he did with Peter, John, James, Nathanael, Thomas, and others. He called them from being fishers of fish to fishers of men. He changed the course of their lives. Does he not do the same in our lives? Has he not changed the whole course of our lives? We have left that old life and are living our new life in Christ. Jesus is waiting to serve us a new breakfast, a new life.