The Miraculous Catch (A Bonus Sign of Harvest)

Appleton Gospel Church

The Miraculous Catch (A Bonus Sign of Harvest): Have you ever wondered why you are here? Have you ever wondered what meaning or purpose there might be for your life? In the story of the miraculous catch, Jesus revealed that we are invited to join his work in the world — and there will be a great harvest. He doesn't need us, but he wants us. And nothing could add more meaning or purpose to life. Recorded on Apr 14, 2024, on John 21:1-14 by Pastor David Parks. Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe. Sermon Transcript Since last July, we’ve been working through The Gospel According to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name, and today, we start the final chapter. As I mentioned last week, after John, we’re going to start the book of Ephesians because John was all about finding life in Jesus’ name. And the book of Ephesians is all about what this life looks like. But today, we’re going to consider the miraculous catch, which I see as something like a bonus sign of harvest. As one of the wings of the art gallery that is John’s gospel, John curated seven miraculous signs that Jesus performed, which revealed his glory and helped his disciples to believe that he was the Messiah and the Son of God. Of course, none of the seven (turning water into wine, feeding the five thousand, or walking on the water) compare to the greatest miracle, which was the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. But here, in the epilogue of chapter 21 (last week, I compared it to the gift shop at the end of the gallery), John gives us one more. A bonus sign. A sign that would point ahead to the mission of God and the work of the gospel in the age of the church. Have you ever wondered why you are here? Have you ever wondered what meaning/purpose there might be to your life? Everyone asks these questions at certain points in their lives. In our passage today, John reveals one of the Bible’s greatest answers to our questions of meaning and purpose. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 21:1. We’ll read through this and unpack it as we go. John 21:1–3 (NIV), “1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “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.” Ok, let’s pause here. So, our story takes place sometime after the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus had first appeared to Mary Magdalene, then to Peter and the other disciples (minus Thomas the twin), and then to Thomas a week later, which is what we considered last week. Now, scholars are divided about why Peter decided to go fishing here. On the night of the arrest of Jesus, Peter denied even knowing Jesus not once but three times, just as Jesus knew he would. So, after this terrible failure of faith, was Peter giving up? Had he decided to go back to his old job as a fisherman? I don’t think so. We know that Peter was a witness first to the empty tomb and then to the risen Jesus. And he’s still with the other disciples, with Thomas, who had confessed that Jesus was both Lord and God, Nathanael, James and John, the Sons of Zebedee, and the others. I don’t think Peter was giving up. He wasn’t walking away from Jesus.