John 21:1–19

¹After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. ²Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. ³Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. ⁴Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No." ⁶He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. ⁷ That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. ⁸The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. ⁹When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. ¹⁰Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." ¹¹So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹²Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. ¹⁵When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." ¹⁶He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." ¹⁷He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." ¹⁹(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me."

In the very moment of his greatest suffering; in his moment of greatest need, they ran from him, abandoned him, left him alone in the hands of his enemies. When he needed friends the most, they denied knowing him and were ashamed to call him friend and were afraid to be known as his associate. They persecuted him by arresting, trying, and killing those who were his followers. Never has anyone been so unjustly treated, accused, tortured and murdered than what we have done to Jesus. We are the disciples who run from him and turn our eyes away each time we see him suffering. We are the ones who close our hearts and do not pour out our love on Jesus when we see him in need, when we see him hungry but don't feed him, or thirsty and do not give him a drink, or sick and do not visit him, for whatever we do unto one of the least of these we do unto him. We are Saul who persecute him with our sins and self-righteous attitudes. We are Peter who deny him when we are afraid to tell of him, or speak up for him to our friends, are afraid our friends or family will reject us or ridicule us for being too religious.

But it is to us, to those who are ashamed of him, who deny knowing him, who are embarrassed by him that the risen Jesus appears and forgives us for the way we have treated him, persecuted him, and denied him. The risen Jesus restores friendship with us and even places in us the confidence and trust to make us his disciples and share with him in his work; to labor with him at his side; to be a fellow heir and co-worker. After all his suffering, ridicule, denial, and death at our hands, he forgave us and restored our friendship with him. He forgave all who made him suffer, and restored friendships with them. This was now the third time he appeared after the resurrection to show he was alive. The third time he showed his forgiveness. Why the third time? Because by law three witnesses were required in a capital case to establish the charges. This was legal proof or his resurrection and forgiveness. Proof that would hold up in a court of law. It is now established beyond any reasonable doubt that he was serious about this; that his forgiveness was real, that his friendship was sincere.

"Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some fish," he calls to his disciples. And they cast the nets into the water. You could hear the splash of the nets as they came down on the water, and gently sank down in. They had been fishing all night and did not catch a single fish. But at his word they cast out their nets once more. The nets are like God's word, the gospel being preached. You could hear their sound as they splashed on the water. You can hear the nets being cast out today whenever the name of Jesus is proclaimed; whenever the gospel of salvation is preached. This is truly the sound of Easter—the gospel being preached to all people. The story of God's salvation in Christ Jesus being broadcast to all nations. The call of Jesus, repent and believe and you shall be saved. It is a clarion call to all who are perishing that Jesus is their salvation. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the Savior from sin. He is the one who gives life. The sound of these words is the sound of Easter. The sound of nets being cast into the water. And that sound is hear all over the world.

Saul persecuted Jesus. He arrested and killed the followers of Jesus. He threatened and persecuted the believers of Christ. He was persecuting the church, the body of Christ. Still, after he rose from the dead Jesus appeared to Saul and forgave his sins. Jesus forgave all that Saul had done against him, all the persecutions. Then he chose Saul to be his instrument to carry his name to the Gentiles; the nations. Saul was his chosen instrument to carry out his mission, in spite of all that Saul had done to hurt and harm Jesus. What forgiveness! What love! In spite of all the harm he had done to Jesus, Jesus still loved him, forgave him, and made him his partner to work along with him in the spreading of the gospel to all the world. And Saul didn't wait one minute: "immediately he proclaimed Jesus..." He changed his name to Paul and set out to preach the name of Jesus. The sound of Paul's words are the sound of Easter—the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This sound of Paul's words still echoes around the world in all nations every time a Bible is opened and an epistle of Paul is read.

So too, he forgives us and sends us, we who have persecuted Jesus by our unfaithfulness, our sins, our rebellion, he sends into the world to make the sounds of Easter, to speak the words of the resurrected Jesus, words of peace and forgiveness. To proclaim the gospel, to save souls. This proclamation of the word is the sound the nets made when they struck the water.

Then the disciples dragged the net full of fish onto the shore. As they were pulled up into the boat and dragged onto the shore, they made the sound of splashing, thumping, and flopping around on the floor of the boat and on the shore of the sea. These disciples are the same ones who ran away when Jesus was arrested and fled in fear. The ones who would not stand up with him or comfort him with our presence. Those who would not give him strength of have compassion on him as he suffered the cruel tortures of the cross. We are those disciples who are afraid to stand up and be counted for Jesus. We are those disciples when we are ashamed of him; afraid for our own lives and reputations.

But to these disciples like us, who ran away in fear instead of being bold, he appears after the resurrection. He appears to comfort us, to tell us we are forgiven. He comes to place his confidence in us and give us the mission to take his forgiveness to the world. He comes and says, "Peace be unto you. If you forgive the sins of anyone, he is forgiven." He places his confidence in us and sends us to the world to make disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. His entrusts his mission to us. He calls and sends us, those who had once run from him, to bring people back to him. We make the sounds of Easter when we proclaim Jesus in all the world. The whole world hears the sounds of Easter when we shout out that Jesus is risen and takes away the sin of the world.

These too are sounds of Easter; the sound of the fish being draw upon the shore is the sound of the lost nations being drawn to Christ; the sound of people coming into the church. The sound of sinners repenting of their sins. The sound of praise and worship of believers as they gather in the church to worship the risen Jesus. This is the sound of joy and praise, the alleluias of Easter. The hymn of victory. The new song being sung in the heavens saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals. For you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." This song is the sound of fish who have been gathered into the nets of God's word, who believed the sound of the gospel words, and who are brought into the kingdom of God. This is the sound John heard in the Book of Revelation. The sound of living creatures and elders. The voice of many angels and of every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea saying "worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing...To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever." This sound of praise and worship is heard today around the world, in all the nations, and in heaven for all time and eternity. This is the sound of Easter.

Then the disciples hear another sound, the sound of Jesus' voice saying, "Come and have breakfast." This is the Easter sound of Jesus inviting us to a meal. Not just any meal, but a meal that he himself has prepared. He not only prepares the meal, he serves it to us. A meal that is Jesus himself, where his flesh is the food and his blood the drink.

Like Peter, we too have denied Jesus. When we are pressed by our friends or family members to admit that we are his disciples, we get timid, afraid to admit that we too are Jesus' followers. We are afraid of rejection, of scorn, of ridicule. We don't want to be known as "religious fanatics." So we deny that we know him. We are all Peters who denied Jesus.

But the risen Jesus appeared to Peter and forgave him for what he did. He restored the friendship with Peter and entrusted him to feed his people. "Feed my sheep," he tells Peter. So as Jesus invites us to a meal, he also sends us to feed his people. To feed them with his word. To feed them with his body and blood in the Sacrament. The risen Jesus comes to us and says, "I forgive you for denying me; for being ashamed of me. I still call you friend. Now, go, bring people to my meal and feed them." As so we make the sounds of Easter, the sound of our voice calling, "Come everyone who thirsts. Come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat!" The sound of the words, "Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden." The sound of the words, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." His words ring out, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him and he with me." He invites us to the meal, and though we have sinned, he has forgiven. So he invites us to his meal, and he sends us to feed others. Like the king who made a wedding banquet for his son and sent his servants out to invite the guests, so he sends us out into the highways and the byways to bring all who will come to the meal. Hear the Easter invitation: "Come and have breakfast." Amen.