John 21:1–14

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. ⁷That 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. ¹⁴This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Have you ever really blown it? Perhaps you have done something quite sinful and then realized it later and were very ashamed, even to confess it to God. Or perhaps you just made a bad decision? Or maybe you let someone down; failed someone; perhaps someone you love like your spouse or son or daughter. It makes you feel really bad. You are very disappointed and grieved that you have hurt someone you love. But it happens to all of us. No one is immune.

But then occasionally that someone you hurt gives you a second chance. You are elated and determined you will do better next time. You really try hard at it in fact. You go out of your way to make sure you won't let that person down again.

Well, that is somewhat how the disciples felt that morning. They had let Jesus down big-time. At times they had squabbled among themselves, shown how selfish they were, everyone wanting to be the most important among the disciples. Other times they did and said foolish things that only made them look stupid. Peter was especially prone to act or speak before thinking and often stuck his foot in his mouth and then looked like a fool afterward. Like the time he jumped out of the boat into the lake and after walking over to Jesus sank into the water.

But it wasn't just little benign things. They actually were guilty of some big-time sins. What about the time that someone was casting out demons and they tattled on him because they felt competition and didn't want someone else cutting in on their territory? The sin of pride. What about the time that they told the children to leave; they weren't welcome to see Jesus? The sin of prejudice. Or the time they told the Syrophoenician woman to get away from Jesus? The sin of racism. For any one of these sins Jesus could have sent them away; rejected them as disciples; and cast them into hell.

But they didn't stop there. That night in the garden, when Jesus was suffering and in great agony, instead of watching with him they fell asleep. Later that night when Jesus was arrested they all ran away. Then in the early morning hours Peter denied that he knew Jesus. Denying Jesus; abandoning Jesus. Looking out for their own self-interest instead of loving their neighbor. These are all sins; signs of unbelief and self-love.

Jesus had died and risen and by this time had appeared to them twice. But they were still feeling depressed. They had so much believed they were great disciples; models of what it meant to follow Jesus. They even thought they deserved to sit next to him and reign jointly with him in his kingdom. They had been proud to be his friends and felt a special bond between themselves and Jesus, but now they had blown it all; they had sinned against him. They didn't know what to do now; where to turn; where to go. They lost their hope of ever being involved in God's rescue mission of the world. One day while they just sat idly by wondering what to do with the rest of their lives, Peter had an idea: "let's go fishing," he said. The others agreed and decided to come along. "Not much else we can do but return to our old jobs and resume our former lives," they thought. After all, they had let Jesus down; failed him; sinned against him and God. Not much more they could do, this bunch of failed disciples; as followers of Christ, they were losers.

So like many people today, they go along well for a time, following Jesus, growing in faith, active in church, but then things go wrong. They "fall" as some say it. Or they slowly grow cold, start coming to church less and less until they finally stop altogether, or just come on Christmas and Easter. Perhaps they aren't living as holy lives as they should and begin to feel like failures. Perhaps they have a major problem in life, like a divorce, the death of a loved one, a major illness and their faith grows weak and cold.

Like Peter and the rest, they are broken disciples. Failures as Christians. The lousy night of fishing is a picture of their broken and failed attempt to be Jesus' followers; or to be the kind of Christians we want to be; or to be the kind of people we want to be; or the kind of husbands or wives or parents or sons or daughters we know we should be but just aren't making it.

We've all seen friends or family members going through life without a clue as to what's really important. They make a lot of money and think they're happy. They pretend life is satisfying. We know how that will end up. Or worse, we ourselves choose jobs, dates, and spouses without considering God's will. We chase our toys, our good times, our next raises with real eagerness, and we hear and study God's word with indifference.

We have blown it! We are sinners! We deserve to be cast out! We deserve to die! If it depended on us, we would have no hope of escaping God's eternal judgment in hell.

But the risen Lord appeared to Peter and the other six disciples with him once again. This was the third time they had seen him alive since his death. And what did Jesus do? He told them to cast out their nets. After fishing all night, they knew there were no fish in those waters. But they did what he said. And their nets were maxed out. Déjà vu! This same thing happened once before. Jesus blessed them with an abundant catch of fish. The work of men bears fruit only when the Lord blesses their efforts. "for without me you can do nothing," Jesus tells us. Whether it be fishing, or being a Christian, or being a good husband or wife, or being a good son or daughter, or a good pastor or teacher, without God's blessing and presence we cannot do anything. Without the blessing of Jesus we are broken people—failures. We are by nature sinful and unclean. We are by nature separated from God, dead to God, enemies of God and without understanding.

But Jesus still comes to us, as he did to the disciples. Jesus not only came to them, he prepared breakfast for them. He invited them to dine with him, sort of reminds us of communion when Jesus invites us, sinful, broken people to dine at his table. And not only dine with him, but he himself is the meal. What more can he do to show you his love; his forgiveness; his restoration? In spite of all the things we have done; in spite of our failures; in spite of how much we have sinned against him, against our neighbor, our spouse, our children, our parents, our friends. In spite of being failures at being Christians and followers of Jesus, he comes to us and invites us to dine at his table. That is what Jesus is all about: forgiving our sins. For God so loved the world, yes, this broken, hurting, fallen world, this world that so rejects him and despises him, that he sent his only Son into the world to die for us and give us eternal life. That is what Jesus is all about: forgiving our sins. Restoring our broken lives. Reconciling us to God and restoring peace between us and God. He shed his blood to purchase us for his Father. Your sins are forgiven because he shed his blood for you on the cross. Your failures are forgiven. Your shortcomings are forgiven. Your relationship with Jesus has been restored. Therefore, there is restoration of your relationships with other people that you have broken; the people you have let down; the loved ones you have failed. Jesus brings reconciliation, forgiveness, restoration of broken relationships, a new life.

Jesus did not just restore his friendship with them, but he restored them to the status of disciples. Remember the first time he told Peter to cast out his nets after an unsuccessful night fishing? On that occasion Jesus called them to follow him and he commissioned them to be "fishers of men." Now the second time Jesus performs the same miracle, it is similar. He now commissions them to "feed his sheep." He not only restores them to discipleship status, but he entrusts his saving mission to them. He gives them the gospel to proclaim and the power to forgive sins. Much like in the upper room on Easter evening, "Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so send I you. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven, and if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained." He sends them out with his forgiveness to give to the world. So too, he sends us out with his forgiveness to take his forgiveness and life to all people.

He restored them to their calling. He restores us to our calling, even though we too have fallen and continue to fall, he keeps coming to us and restoring us. The absolution we hear every Sunday keeps on working. We continue to sin over and over; Jesus continues to forgive us over and over.

And just as Jesus prepared a meal for the disciples, so he prepares a meal for us. Over and over again he keeps inviting us back to his table to eat and drink his very body and blood. Over and over in the Supper we receive he reinstates us to our calling as his disciples. Over and over he welcomes us again to follow him and tend his sheep.

Even though we, like Peter, at times have been embarrassed, slow, or afraid to admit before others that we are disciples of Jesus, the Lord is never embarrassed of those whom he calls disciples. Rather, he restores them through forgiveness and brings us back into fellowship with him. The risen Lord calls us broken disciples to come to him again and again and be filled with his Word so that we might go out into the world to bring his Word to others. Amen.