Breakfast by The Sea

John 21: 1-17

It is after the Resurrection and before Pentecost. The disciples seem to have some time on their hands. 7 of the disciples are together: Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John (Sons of Thunder-Mark 3:17) and two others (not named).

Peter jumps up and says, “I’m going fishing.” Peter can’t stand to sit still. He is like many of us; we must be busy. So the others follow and they spend the night fishing and talking on a calm sea. The thousands that would often line the shore to see Jesus are not there. The disciples are still young in the faith despite having spent over 3 years with Jesus.

In the light of the cool early morning, Jesus comes to visit them for the third time. He has been busy building a fire and getting the wood hot enough to turn them to coals. A perfect fire for cooking and warming cold hands and bodies. From the boat, Jesus is small in the distance, but John is able to recognize Him and tells Peter that it is the Lord! John has been the most intimate with Jesus. He would often lovingly lay his head on the warm chest of the Redeemer, so he is able to recognize the form and mannerisms of his Lord better than the others.

But, Peter (always the dramatic and impetuous one because of his intense feelings), jumped into the water in his underwear to swim to Jesus. The boat was too slow in reaching the shore. There Jesus had breakfast ready with fish and bread.

The Lord cares about his hunger and warmth. Jesus loves Peter and wants to encourage Him because He knows that one day Peter would give his life on a cross for Him. Instead of fighting and cutting off someone’s ear, he would let them take him away.

After a filling and satisfying breakfast, as the warm sun is coming up, they walk down the shore with the others just behind them. Jesus looks at Peter and asks him three times if he loves Him. Jesus knows Peter’s feelings, but He asks for Peter’s sake. The questions and the answers teach Peter a lesson of commitment to others. “Feed my sheep.”

The Lord still walks the shores wanting to have breakfast with us. There is something special about rising early to meet Jesus for breakfast, but can we recognize that He is there? Does someone who knows him intimately have to tell us?

Jesus may not be able to be seen or heard as in this story, but we can know that He is there by the knocking. Jesus said,

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

Revelation 3:20

Brothers and Sisters, I see no reason to think that this verse is a one time event at the beginning of our experience. Jesus knocks at my door often. How about you? It is He calling us away from the others to talk with us and encourage us.

Each morning, I hear the knocking. He is waiting to warm me and feed me. Thank you Lord. “You know all things; you know that I love you.”

“Feed My lambs.”

“The first work that Christ entrusted to Peter on restoring him to the ministry was to feed the lambs. This was a work in which Peter had little experience. It would require great care and tenderness, much patience and perseverance. It called him to minister to those who were young in the faith, to teach the ignorant, to open the Scriptures to them, and to educate them for usefulness in Christ’s service. Heretofore Peter had not been fitted to do this, or even to understand its importance. But this was the work which Jesus now called upon him to do. For this work his own experience of suffering and repentance had prepared him.” Desire of Ages, p 814