When I was a child my Grandpa Kim used to take me fishing. The sights, smells and sounds of those trips are as vivid for me as when I was 8:
-The cool breeze over the lake;
-the fog hanging off the water;
-the aroma of my grandfather’s coffee;
-the smell of fish;
-the sound of the boat as it sloshed through the dark water;
-the birds beginning their morning song as the sun slowly rose in the east.

It is my earliest recollection of watching a sunrise.

These are the sights and sounds and smells that greet us as we gather on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. This is where Jesus 1st called his disciples saying, “Come and I will make you fish for people;” (Luke 5) it is where he calmed the stormy sea (Mathew 8) and walked on water (Mathew 14). And it is on these shores (post-resurrection) where John’s Gospel takes us this morning.
 
There are several post-resurrection appearances of Jesus recorded in the Gospels. The general sense I get reading the various scenarios is that Jesus is helping his disciples remember and reclaim their faith in him in preparation for his Great Commission (Go therefore and make disciples of all nations).

This morning’s story is one of these “faith reclaiming” appearances. Just as the disciples were once drawn from their nets and boats along the Sea of Galilee to discover who they are and whose they are, so now Jesus invites his disciples to remember and reclaim their Christian identity.

Our scripture reading comes from John 21:1-19. As you are able, please stand for the reading of the Gospel.

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 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. 4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you have no fish, have you?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ 6He said to them, ‘Cast the net to 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 there were so many fish. 7That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the lake. 8But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. 9When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish 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, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time that Jesus appeared 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.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ 16A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ 17He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt 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. 18Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.’ 19(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit. Fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth. Amen.

So what does this Christian identity we are to remember and reclaim look like?

1st, Those who Follow Jesus are to Fish!
 “Follow me”, said Jesus, “ and I will teach you to fish....”

As a child I was never a good angler. In fact quite frankly it kind of “freaked me out” to grab a live fish and hold it tightly enough by the throat to reach in with a pair of pliers and pluck out the hook embedded in its mouth!

Grandpa never commented on my aversion to this. He simply volunteered to fish the hook out for me. The fact that I rarely caught anything and when I did, it was never big enough to keep, probably made all this a non-issue. Still, Grandpa Kim took my fear and my poor fishing skills as a matter of course and just seemed glad to have his grandson with him. My grandfather was a great man! (He was a great fisherman too!)

One thing scripture tells us is Jesus too, is a great fisherman! What “professional” fishermen couldn’t do in a full night of fishing, Jesus does with a drop of a net.

V. 6, He said to them, "Cast the net to 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 there were so many fish.

The catch demonstrates just how good at fishing Jesus really is. That he walks away from that encounter with a different kind of catch (a group of dedicated people who drop everything to follow him), tells us his fishing skills aren’t limited to fish of the fresh water kind!

Follow me and I will teach you to fish….

Jesus’ use of an amazing catch of fish and his invitation to teach these anglers how to “really fish,” indicates just how familiar this lifestyle was to the Disciples. So it should be no surprise that after Jesus’ crucifixion, these Disciples return to the only honest work they know.

If Jesus’ resurrection is to be taken seriously, a return to a former way of life (however familiar it might be) is not an option. And of course, this is exactly where we find the Disciples; back on familiar shores, doing familiar labor, and having (at least in this case) familiar results. That Jesus meets them here demonstrates just how gratuitous God’s love really is!
 
An interesting side note; the verb “to haul” used to describe Peter’s action in drawing in the net, is the same verb in the original language Jesus uses to describe the action of God’s grace in two other places in John’s gospel.

6:44, “No one can come to me unless drawn (hauled in) by the Father who sent me.”
12:32, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw (haul) all people to myself.”

The Disciples are to join God in the work of drawing people to Jesus! Put another way: Whatever career path you may choose, it is not your life’s work. As Children of God, our life’s work is the family business! We fish for people!

We “lure” people to Jesus by:
-Living with compassion
-Loving recklessly
-By speaking and making peace
-By telling the stories of Jesus

The Amigos project our church is involved in this and next weekend is about drawing people to Jesus. And there’s still time to sign up!

Authentic Christianity always turns us out. We are those Jesus calls to Fish!
 
There’s another aspect to the Christian identity we are to remember and reclaim:
2ndly) As a Church we are those Jesus commands to Herd Sheep.

“If you love me, says Jesus, "Take care of my sheep.” V. 16

At this point in the Gospel narrative the scene shifts. The meal has been finished, the table cleared, and Peter (who often represents the Church in scripture) is in an intimate discussion with Jesus.

“Tend my sheep,” Jesus says. If authentic Christianity or “following Jesus” always turns us outward, then spiritual maturity turns us inward (to care for the community of faith).

Spiritual maturity requires a deeper level of commitment, then following Jesus. Following isn’t enough! You and I are supposed to lead.

Blind Composer Ken Medima put it this way, “ When the church is the church, it is nothing more or less or other than the presence of Christ through his people. A part of the meaning of grace is that Christ is in us for each other. We are called to be priests to each other. If we are the church, then I may come to you as I would come to Christ…just as I am, knowing that you will understand my tears, my anger, my sin, believing that somehow Christ will see me with your eyes, touch me with your hands, heal me with your love.”

I can’t think of any better description of what “sheep-tending” looks like!

“If you love me, take care of my sheep.” Did you catch what Jesus is saying? We’ve been promoted from “grazers,” to “herders!” And we have some pretty big sandals to fill! We’ve been grazing on these hills for a good time now and we’ve had it pretty good.
And Jesus is saying, “If you love me, really love me, tend my sheep (not eat them, tend them).” There’s passion implied in those words, concern that left unattended Jesus’ sheep are in real danger.

I think we are all aware of the shooting at Virginia Tech that left 33 dead. I can’t imagine what would possess someone to do such a horrible thing…He was truly a tortured soul and a victim of the spiritual forces of wickedness of the world.

We’ve placed 33 lit candles on our altar this morning to remember those who have died and to help us pray for their families as they grieve.

I’ve asked one of our members, Helma Gentry to lead us in prayer. Helma lost her father in the Oklahoma City bombing 12 years ago. If anyone knows the heartache and grief of these families; can speak to the depth of God’s healing love, and the need for forgiveness and grace, it’s Helma. And I deeply appreciate her willingness to do this for her pastor and church.

I found deeply disturbing images of the shooter televised on TV. But they reinforce my conviction that some of the most important ministry we do as a church is to the children and youth of our church and community!

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, says Jesus in John 10:10.  “I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

That’s our business! We offer life in the name of Jesus!

And the spiritual forces of wickedness? Greed, idolatry, hate, prejudice, extremism, terrorism, poverty, genocide and a host of human realities that steal, kill and destroy. The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to help us stand up to these evils, not to make us successful or feel good!

Jesus has taught and modeled and now it’s our turn. After all this is family business! “Do you love me?” asks Jesus…then:
-Fish for people
-Herd my sheep.

Prayer: Lord, We love you! We praise you! All that we have comes from you! We rejoice in your presence. Amen.