WEEKLY
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An
international Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday April 8, 2018
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156,000 readers worldwide
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THE
RISEN LORD APPEARS
(JESUS
appears to seven of HIS disciples)
(John
21:1-14)
In the epilogue to the
gospel account of the Apostle John, he seeks to show us how JESUS re-instated
Peter, following his latest bout with failure, namely, his blatant denial of
even knowing our LORD and SAVIOR, during HIS “passion” hours in Jerusalem.
JESUS had already promised to meet with HIS disciples in Galilee (Matthew
28:7), and so, here in the opening lines of this final chapter, John invites us
into this reunion scene at the Sea of Galilee, otherwise known as the Sea of
Tiberias.
Here in John 21, we find
that Peter had led many of the disciples back into the fishing trade from which
JESUS had called them some three years earlier. However, their lack of success
in their old profession stands as evidence as to why we should not try and
return to a place where the LORD has already removed us from. JESUS moves us so
that HE can better use us for HIS purpose, and HE doesn’t expect us to keep
looking back at the old places.
When JESUS calls us, not
only does that often call for a change of occupation, it also always calls for
us to change our ways and our thinking completely, so that we will no longer
feel any real satisfaction in the old lifestyle. Peter must have, no doubt,
been feeling pretty low about his denial of CHRIST JESUS, and was desperately
seeking to find acceptance back in his old fishing career. We should never
allow our sin to drive us away from the LORD, but rather, one should let their
sins stand as proof that we cannot live life correctly, apart from the LORD.
After Peter and the
other disciples had been out all night fishing without catching a single fish,
JESUS instructs them to cast their nets on the “right side” of the boat (v.6),
where they would catch plenty of fish. The disciples were obedient to that
suggestion by the LORD, and as a result, they were overwhelmed with success.
This incident prompted
the men to recognize that the LORD was still with them. HE had given them a
commission to obey, and their old style of fishing was not going to work for
them anymore. They were to now lay down their old nets that were used to catch
fish for physical food, and pick up their new “spiritual nets”, and become “fishers
of men”.
JESUS had shown them
during HIS three-year ministry, how to fish from the “right side” of the boat,
and now, it was time for them to implement those teachings, and the whole world
would serve as their new fishing waters, where their harvest would be exceedingly
great. Then in verse 7 the Apostle John recognizes that the man shouting to
them from the beach was actually JESUS, and he said to Peter, “It is the LORD!”
When Peter saw that it
really was the LORD, he hurriedly put on his tunic (for he had stripped himself
for work), jumped into the water and swam to the shore. The other disciples
stayed in the boat and pulled their heavy catch to the shore, which was only
about 300 feet away. When they arrived at the shore they saw that JESUS already
had a fire going which fish frying over it. HE also had plenty of bread.
JESUS instructed Peter
and the men to bring over some of the fish that they had caught and Peter ran
and grabbed the net and dragged it over. Inside the net there were 153 large
fish yet it did not break apart. JESUS invited them to come and have breakfast
with HIM and no one dared to ask HIM if HE was really the LORD, for in their
heart they knew that HE was. This was the third time that JESUS had appeared to
them following HIS crucifixion on the cross at Golgotha.
This 21st
chapter of the Gospel of John was added to clearly demonstrate the reality of
the resurrection of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. The appearance of CHRIST
to HIS apostles was not just a figment of their imagination, nor was it a ghost
or spirit, but rather, it was a real person in human flesh that they gazed upon
several times after HE had died on the cross and been raised from the dead by
GOD the FATHER.
As a real human being,
JESUS, in this chapter, instructs HIS faithful how to catch fish, after an
unsuccessful night on the waters of Galilee. It was a resurrected CHRIST who
set the fire on the shore, cooked, and invited them to come and eat with HIM
early that following morning. It was a risen CHRIST who still bore the scars of
HIS crucifixion, who, showed them HIS wounds, and then, invited them to feel
them for themselves. Yes! It was really a resurrected JESUS who had not only
overcome the gravitational pull of satan in this world, but had also conquered
death, and then, come back into the world, to prove what HE had done. And HE is
still alive today to show us in this 21st century, that we too, if
we follow HIS instructions, can do the same thing, here in our lifetime.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
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