Day Sixty Eight - Predictable Patterns

Read John 21: 1-14

If I was John I would be tempted to finish my gospel at the end of chapter 20. Jesus has lived, died and risen, and how's this for an ending? 'Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you have life in his name'. It's an ending with real welly so why the need for chapter 21?

The disciples are living in a strange, confusing time between Jesus' resurrection and Pentecost. They have been through much change and a thousand questions must have swirled around their minds. "Are you going to keep randomly turning up Jesus?", "How do we relate to you now?" What I think Jesus does with the miraculous catch of fish and what John does in including the story, is reassure the disciples that many things are the same. When you've been through a bewildering time what you need are a few predictable patterns. I know I needed some routines during lockdown.

You can see these patterns in the four short things that Jesus says;

"Friends haven't you any fish?" - Think visually. Jesus is speaking across the water as the first rays of sunlight break through the darkness. There are echoes of John 1 and Genesis 1. This is about new creation. During his ministry whenever Jesus spoke new healing or new understanding emerged and a new kingdom broke through. Jesus still speaks to us. It is a pattern that hopefully we still recognise.

"Throw your nets on the other side of the boat" - Jesus acts like a spotter on the shore, guiding the disciples to bubbling shoals of fish that they cannot see in the darkness. Jesus in his ministry guided and provided for people (remember the feeding of the five thousand). It hard to believe that Jesus still guides and provides for us when we get our umpteenth knock-back or the money is tight but we trust that Jesus is trustworthy.

"Bring some of the fish you have just caught" - It is clear that Jesus already has a fire with some fish on it so why does he ask the disciples to bring what they've got? Jesus doesn't need our gifts (which are provided by God in the first place) instead Jesus wants to work in partnership with us to create the kingdom feast. Jesus has always delighted to work in partnership and it brings out the best in his hapless disciples. We all have gifts to bring Jesus and ways that we can partner with him. Naming those gifts is not showing off but an offering of worship.

"Come and have breakfast" - Jesus wants to simply be with us and sustain us. The goal is to commune with Christ and be in relationship with him. How often do we resist resting in his presence?

Can you detect the themes above throughout Scripture and in your own life? In all the changes we face are they a predictable pattern that provide security, consistency and hope?

Suzanne Nockels