We have been following Jesus, and have looked at various accounts on the Boat, and have gleaned understanding of what the Lord has been showing us.

Finally, we look at the final record of Jesus and the Boat in

John 21:1-14.

¹Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.^[a] It happened this way: ² Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus^[b]), 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.

⁴ Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

⁵ He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

⁶ He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

⁷ Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. ⁸ The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.^[c] 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

After Jesus was crucified, died, and buried in a tomb, he resurrected on the 3^rd day.  He appeared to his disciples and many other witness, and was no longer always with his disciples.  He was also preparing them for his ascension, his return to heaven.

（Picture from the Internet）

In this final account of Jesus and the Boat, I hope that you have found this account strangely familiar, like Déjà vu.

This is how God speaks to us with symbols and things from the past.

A very similar setting to how some of the disciples’ ministry had begun, when Jesus called them in Luke 5.  Their attention was drawn to him because of the miraculous catch of fish.

Now here in the gospel of John, written by the first-hand witness, John, one of the 3 fishermen called in Luke 5; he closes his account of Jesus, with a memorable appearance to them after his resurrection.

The manner which it occurred, brought them back to their call in Luke 5.

They were restless, lost and low in spirits despite the Lord’s resurrection, and had gone back to fish, their old trade.

This time Jesus is on the shore.

Again Jesus gets their attention with a miraculous catch of fish after a catchless night.

In Luke 5, they were cleaning and mending their nets.  Here, despite the huge catch, their net did not tear.

Then Jesus fed them bread and fish. They would have remembered the miraculous feeding of the 5000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, where from a situation of lack, they crossed over to a situation of excess, when they had basketfuls of leftover.

When they saw Jesus walking on the water, they had asked him who he was.

This time round, they did not ask, as they knew.

Dear friends, the entire journey with Jesus and the Boat had always ended with who is Jesus?

This time, after Jesus’ resurrection, they really knew the answer.

Jesus cared for them, a fire, and breakfast was prepared.

Jesus was there to restore them after the storm of His betrayal, crucifixion and absence.  Yes, Jesus had resurrected.  But  he is no longer always there with them. He appears, then disappears. He was preparing them for what must come.  His ascension.

He will be absent from them.  But he promised them something even better.  That every believer can receive the Holy Spirit!

We see a restoration of the disciples here.

And this passage continues to where we see Jesus reinstating Peter, who had denied knowing Jesus three times during Jesus’ arrest.

John was about to close his gospel at John 20.

（Picture from the Internet）

Here we see a deliberate inclusion of these incidents to close the Gospels in a full circle. From their call in Luke 5 to their restoration in John 21 before Jesus leaves.

As John looked at the gospel he had written, there must have been a strong prompting by the Spirit to include the accounts in this final chapter.  This restoration is so important.

As we journeyed with the disciples with Jesus and the Boat, we see so many parallels of their struggles with ours.

We would have failed many times as well.

Like Peter who sank while walking on the water, the business of faith will see many failures.  It points to our potential in Christ.  But our human weaknesses, pride and fears will cause us to stumble and fail. 

Jesus is not asking for perfection, but rather perseverance.

That is the beautiful picture of Jesus’ good news to us.

As we try we might fail at times.

But rather than thinking it is futile to pursue God, we must have the faith that Jesus is the way, and has made a way for us.  A way of restoration.

That whenever we fall, he has still gotten it all.

We should just keep getting up, and trying again.

Repentance is a lifestyle.  It is about checking our course, and shifting back on course when we are drifting.

That is the good news that the apostles preached, when they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38-40

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”

The people of God were deceived and pressured to not receive Jesus as the Messiah, the promised king, priest and prophet from God.

We thank God for his mercy and grace, and many peoples around the world who had searched for God earnestly, had come to a good understanding of what our good God is like.  We have a yearning in our heart for His king, who will rule impartially, with justice and righteousness. 

My friends, the ideal king from God has been given to us, to follow him in our hearts and in our lives.  He brings us into his family as we are adopted as God’s children.

If you share in his suffering, you will share in his glory.

Dear friend, if you have served the Lord before, and have received set-backs, the Lord sees your situation and will see to it.

Who is Jesus?

Will you still follow him?

（Picture from the Internet）

He will come: through the Body of Christ and through his Holy Spirit, to bring you rest and restoration, healing and a renewed trust in Him.

He will wait for you to repent, to reinstate your position.

It may not get easier, but you will become stronger.

At this point, we may also ask, Who is Jesus?

Right now, Jesus is sitting at the right hand of our heavenly Father.

He had given us the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Jesus, that we can also do what he has done, through faith.

Yes, all of us who believe in him, and follow him, make up the body of Christ.

Jesus is the head.

We pray to be Christ minded.

We pray to be like minded in Christ, and united in mind, spirit and love.

Yes.  To all the believers of Jesus Christ, we are the body of Christ,  We are the church.

When the Apostle Paul started off, he was called Saul and was persecuting the early believers of Christ, the Lord appeared to him, and asked him why he was persecuting him?  Not why Saul was persecuting his followers, but why Saul was persecuting him.  It was personal.

Yes, that is the meaning of being in the body of Christ.  If anyone touches you, to the Lord it is touching him.

In the same way, when anyone blesses you, he is similarly blessing the Lord, and his reward is certain.

So how should we treat one another in the body of Christ?

And as the body of Christ, how do we reach out to the broken, on His behalf?

How do we restore those amongst us who need restoration?

Who is Jesus?

Will you follow Jesus?

Will you do what Jesus had shown you in these accounts of Jesus and the Boat?

Will you go alongside, to encourage and restore those who have been disappointed?

Will you build up the Body of Christ?

We have come to the end of this series on Jesus and the Boat.

It has been a pleasure to have you sail with Jesus and me through these 7 sessions.

May the Lord bless you with a full knowledge of Him and His love, a great transformation in your mindset and your heart, and a breakthrough in every area of your life.

This is Luke, signing off.