Jesus Sightings
When Jesus appears we recognize him not by his visible appearance. But by what he does.
At first glance the bland beginning of John chapter 21 sounds a bit ho hum. Our Bibles say, “Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way …” But John’s original word order in the Greek language reads more like this: “Afterward he appeared – yes, again! Yes – Jesus himself! Yes – to his disciples, at the Sea of Tiberias!” John packs excitement into this headline because this is breaking news! Jesus, the one who by his resurrection proved to be the promised Messiah, has made another appearance to a group of his followers!
And even more significant is the place: Galilee. Significant because Jesus had made a promise to his disciples on the night he was betrayed, “After I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee” (Matthew 26:32). And then after Jesus rose he told the women who saw him, “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me” (Matthew 28:7). So this is it! John is telling us that on these shores of the Sea of Tiberias (also known as the Sea of Galilee) Jesus is making good on his promise and his disciples see him. Well, actually, at first they really weren’t sure who they saw.
After witnessing the simultaneously awful and awesome events of Holy Week, Simon Peter and six other disciples of Jesus try to put their lives back together back where they started – fishing in Galilee. “But that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.” Some say it could have been foggy, others say there just wasn’t quite enough daylight yet for the disciples to distinguish the figure on shore, others say that Jesus masqueraded his appearance. Whatever it is, we know that Jesus is now glorified; his exalted body really belongs to a world other than this one. And he doesn’t have a problem with the disciples not recognizing him by his visible appearance. As a matter of fact, it seems like part of his plan that he doesn’t want his disciples to recognize him by his visible appearance.
He hollers at them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat.” Normally fishermen are a bit too proud to take advice from someone screaming criticism at them from shore, but no one has any better ideas and something compels Peter, John, and the boys to do what this stranger says. Little do they know that this is Jesus and he has a lesson for them – and for us – that has more to do with recognizing his appearance than fishing. When Jesus appears we recognize him not by his visible appearance. But by what he does.
Yes, he appears – again! Yes – Jesus himself! Yes – to us disciples! You’ll recognize him not by his visible appearance but by what he does … his answers to prayer, his fulfilled promises in your life, the incredible abundance of large fish he loads into your net just when you think you’ve caught nothing, his words spoken from the pages of Scripture. You’ll obey him not by groaning and doing the best you can to crank up that weak body and weary spirit but by what he gives … strength to kill sinful desires and bring to life Godly obedience, the very strength he used to rise from the dead; will power to say “no” to temptation, the very will power he used to say “no” to Satan; love to take care of others who make it difficult to love them, the same love he used to care for his disciples.
“It is the Lord!” John tells us, using a title for Jesus to indicate that he is the Master – still in control, still all powerful, still able to perform miracles even after he’d been crucified, still the ruler of wind and wave and all nature and even death that tried to claim him, because the Lord is risen!
PRAYER: I’m looking for you, risen Lord. I’m looking for you to show up and help me and comfort me and lead me like you did your disciples. Keep me, I pray, from looking but not seeing. Let me recognize you not by some vague voice in my head or in some day dream vision but in what you do. In your promises come true in my life. Amen.