Oh How He Loves Us • John 21

Simon Peter announced, "I'm going fishing."

The rest of them replied, "We're going with you." 

They went out and got in the boat. 

They caught nothing that night.

 

John 21:2b-4

•

Peter and the rest of the guys probably weren't 

in a very good place at this point. 

They might have felt forgotten, unsure of the future, 

let down, confused, overwhelmed... 

depression may have been setting in for a few of them.... 

Yes, they saw that Jesus was alive. 

But now He was gone again. 

What was going on?

So, they returned to what they knew best... fishing. 

I see no profound spiritual implications from this, 

I just see them returning to what they know, 

what was comfortable in this time of confusion.

•

Jesus spoke to them: "Good morning! 

Did you catch anything for breakfast?"
They answered, "No."
He said, "Throw the net off the right side 

of the boat and see what happens."
They did what he said. 

All of a sudden there were so many fish 

in it, they weren't strong enough to pull it in.
Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, 

"It's the Master!" 

 

John 21:5-9

Jesus said, "Breakfast is ready." 

Not one of the disciples dared ask,

"Who are you?" They knew it was the Master.
Jesus then took the bread and gave it to them. 

He did the same with the fish. 

 

John 21:12-14
•

Then, in the midst of their 

confusion, depression, neediness, 

Jesus shows up. 

And He not only shows up, 

He meets their needs in 

very real and practical ways.

It probably would have been 

more than enough to clear away 

all confusion and doubt and depression 

just for them to see and 

recognize Him standing there on that beach.

"He came back! Jesus is here!"

But He loved them so much 

and so He met their other needs --

their very real physical needs too.

The Word mentions that this 

was the third time Jesus had appeared to them 

since His resurrection. I wonder why 

He didn't just spend 

the whole time with them? 

Why did He leave and come back?

Maybe He wanted them to learn to live 

without His physical presence with them. 

But by coming back and meeting their needs 

He was reassuring them that He will truly 

never leave them. He will always be with them 

and will always be meeting their needs. 

He will not leave them alone. 

He loves them.

Thank you, Jesus, for the very real ways

that You reveal Yourself to me and 

show Your love for me. 

Thank You for caring about my needs, 

physical, emotional, mental, spiritual. 

Thank You for never leaving me, 

never letting me go.