The Repeat Miracle: John 21:1-14

At the end of John’s gospel, we find an amazing event that echoes one of the first events that many of the disciples’ experience with Jesus. Following the resurrection, perhaps days or even a week or two later, John shares about an event that a little over half of Jesus’ remaining disciples were included in, and it happened back where Jesus found many of His first disciples.

From looking at the details John describes, both what is said and what is implied, following the crucifixion and resurrection weekend, the disciples all may have stayed in Jerusalem for a week or so. But then after an entire week had passed, we get the impression that some, if not all, of them may have slowly drifted back towards their previous lives and occupations. The previous three years they had spent with Jesus was amazing, but with their hopes of power and fame in an overthrown Roman empire gone with Jesus’ crucifixion, they weren’t sure really what to do. So it appears, according to John, that many of them return home to Galilee, with no clear mission for moving forward.

John’s last chapter, number 21, is entirely devoted to Jesus appearing again to these disciples and renewing their mission and faith in Him. Reading from the New International Version and starting in verse 1, John tells us that:

¹ Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: ² Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as 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 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat 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.

Let’s stop reading here because I want to draw out an interesting statement John includes in his description of this event. In verse 12, John says that “None of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord.”

It would seem odd for John to include this phrase because everything up to this point had already suggested, both subtly and obviously, that the stranger in front of them was Jesus. I wonder if Jesus’ physical appearance was noticeably different, but still similar enough with certain defining characteristics, like scars where He was nailed to the cross, and perhaps a similar impression when looking into His eyes. Part of me wonders if all the disciples who missed recognizing Jesus up to this point had simply failed to catch the small hints at who He was, and only after looking Jesus in the eye do they recognize that it is really Him.

This event echoes how Luke’s gospel describes Jesus inviting several of His first disciples after a unique daytime fishing trip that was surprisingly successful. In a similar, but different way, John ends His gospel describing another fishing miracle, but this time, it set the stage for a second invitation to follow Jesus.

On the night Jesus was arrested, all of His followers abandoned Him, and this was likely weighing on each of their minds. Each of Jesus’ disciples had failed Jesus when He would have needed them the most. When the fishermen disciples decide it is time to go fishing again, Jesus sees the opportunity to repeat His earlier miracle to get their attention. While it wasn’t done in exactly the same way, it was similar enough that none of the disciples missed the connection or significance.

Jesus’ repeat miracle is important for us to pay attention to as well. While I am not a fisherman, and most likely you aren’t either, what we see take place in this event is Jesus visibly forgiving many of His closest followers who feel as though they had failed Him. It is like Jesus says through the entire event in John chapter 21 that it is time for a fresh “restart” with Jesus. This restart is significant because it is built on the foundation that had been laid from the disciples earlier time with Jesus, but also it included the history of their failures.

This restart invitation told each of these fishermen that Jesus was willing to have them back if they were willing to come back, and it tells each of us living today that even though we mess up and make mistakes, God is always willing to take us back if/when we are willing to return to Him.

As we come to the end of another year of podcasting through the gospels, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

Be sure to continue seeking God first, and treat each day as a new day with God. Know that days in our past have included mistakes and failures, but also know that God is happy to work with us to build a new relationship even when we have failures checkered throughout our past. Past failures do not disqualify us from living for God moving forward. Jesus’ second fishing miracle helps show this truth to each of us.

As we treat each day as a new day with God, be sure to prayerfully study the Bible for yourself to intentionally grow your relationship with Him each day. If each day is treated as a new day, then each day should include time spent with God, and the best way to do this is in prayer and reading from the Bible. God desires a relationship with each of us and while a pastor or podcaster can inspire you with insights from his or her own experience, only by personally having a relationship with God can you grow into the life He created you to live.

And that brings us to the challenge that I always include in one way or another at the end of every set of challenges: Be sure to never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or deviate away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!