Seems so strange to be writing within days of my last blog post…but I knew that I had to write this after reading in John this morning.
I think I expected reading the details of the crucifixion again would make me stop and stare at the ceiling as it always does…because I just can't imagine it. It's the story we've heard a THOUSAND TIMES, the gory details we all know, the movies we have seen over and over again portraying Jesus' death…BUT that wasn't what made me stop, this time.
It was the third time that Jesus appeared to His disciples.
"3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards[a] off."
There are SO many things that astound me about this story, but I will share what struck me the most this morning:
The stage is so perfectly set for Peter because he has returned to do the very thing where he met Jesus: fishing…and almost laughing to myself he was catching nothing at that, just like the first time.
Then, here comes Jesus on the shore, probably smiling to himself just at the site of them. And what's so funny to me is that the disciples have no idea who this man is on the shore calling to them "CHILDREN…" and then directing them where to cast their net. I mean who do they think this man is?
Then, what exploded my heart in absolute joy this morning was when they hauled their first net full of fish onto the boat Peter suddenly realizes who had called out to them, simply looks upward towards shore, and exclaims that it is the Lord! And THEN like a child in full excitement of seeing his parent after a long day away from them, he THROWS himself into the sea just to get to Jesus faster than the boat could.
Peter didn't care about the fish, he didn't CARE about being a grown man throwing himself overboard just to get to Jesus, he didn't care about ANYTHING but getting to his Savior.
What do they do next? They have breakfast. Can you imagine the scene: Jesus, his disciples, on the shore, having breakfast in the early dawn of the morning…I imagine that must have been a beautiful morning. Laughing, talking, enjoying each other's company, fellowshipping. GET ME THERE.
I want actively to be as Peter was when throws himself off a boat to get to his Lord, would run as fast as he could up the shore, drenched, exhausted, but with a huge smile on my face, happier than ever that he could just be in the arms of his Savior.
And I cannot wait to share this story around the world…
I cannot wait to see those who laugh and run into the arms of their Savior who awaits them on the shore.
