The Blessings Of Fellowship With Jesus

If you ever seen a child who experienced traumatic separation from a parent, you have witnessed the relief and joy they have once they are reunited again.  Yesterday, my wife brought my grandson home from a doctors visit.  He’d been ill and she took him in to get examined and get him well again.  When he returned home he began crying and I couldn’t console him. But when his mother walked into the room, he practically leapt into her arms and was immediately consoled.  In this week’s lesson (John 21:1-14), the disciples are restless, still grieving the crucifixion and their separation from Jesus… until He calls to them from the shore of the sea of Galilee. And they are blessed as they reunite with Him once again.  I pray that this week you experience all the joy and blessings that come from being united in fellowship with Jesus.  Amen

Listen and experience the love that Jesus has for us expressed in the song “I’d Do It Again” by Tasha Cobbs Leonard

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “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. (John 21:1-3) Jesus had appeared to His disciples previously, but here John recorded a more intimate fellowship that would take place between the resurrected Jesus and several of His disciples.  Having gone to Galilee as instructed by Jesus, the disciples were almost certainly wondering about all they had been through with the crucifixion, the empty tomb and Jesus’ appearances, and were probably trying to figure out what was next and what was to become of them.  Peter decided amongst this uncertainty, to go do what he knew best how to do…fishing.  So he and the other disciples with him went out in a boat, into the darkness of night to fish, but they caught nothing.  When we go forth without the Lord, we go in the darkness and we are often unfruitful. 

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

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. (John 21:4-6) Having fished through the night, the disciples, spent and having caught nothing, were returning to shore.  In the early morning light, Jesus stood on the shore and called out to them, asking if they had caught any fish.  They told Him no.  Then, in a scene reminiscent of His first encounter of Peter, James and John (see Luke 5:4-11), Jesus told them to throw their net on the right side of the boat.  And when they did, they were unable to haul the net back into the boat because of the overabundance of fish they caught.  John makes it clear that the disciples went out into the dark night by themselves and caught nothing. But when Jesus came on the scene in the early morning, the disciples were blessed with an overabundant catch because they acted in obedience to Jesus, the One who brings light to darkness.  The Lord calls us out of darkness into His light. And when we are obedient to His direction to participate in unity with Him, we can receive our blessing. 

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. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 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. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. (John 21:7-14) “The disciple whom Jesus loved” is a reference to John (the author of this gospel), who is the first to recognize Jesus.  This lack of immediate recognition by the disciples was also a clue to us that Jesus’ resurrected appearance was different (further supported by John’s comment in v12 “none of the disciples dared asked Him, “who are you?””). While John was first to recognize Jesus, Peter was not to be outdone.  The word tells us that as soon as Peter heard John say “it is the Lord”, he left the others behind to jump into the water.  He wanted get to Jesus as fast as he could.  When Jesus has called to us, it should be our priority to come to Him as quickly as possible.  After all that they had been through, the disciples, being obedient to Jesus instructions to go to Galilee (see Matt. 28:10), were once again able to fellowship together with Jesus.  The Lord cares for you and desires to fellowship with you.  He will restore your spirit so that you can continue on in the journey. 

Lost and confused, dispirited and spent. When we try to do anything in our own power without the Lord, we often find ourselves experiencing those conditions.  Especially in the dark times in our lives, we need to seek the fellowship of Jesus, the marvelous light that can guide us to shore and into our blessing.  Through Him, we can find fellowship, be blessed and have our joy restored for the journey that He has called us to.  What Jesus’ disciples learned in Galilee that day, His disciples still find true today… there are blessings and fruitfulness that can only be found in our fellowship with Jesus. 

Blessings,

Rev. Glenn 

“weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” ~ Psalm 30:5

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  ~ John 15:5