Jesus’ Words in Red Lesson in Failure

Jesus’ Words in Red

Lesson in Failure

"Friends, haven't you any fish?"

When you have failed to catch any fish

It is time for breakfast

Listen to the Lord and at His word let down your net

He will provide

From that provision take some of your catch

And add it to what Jesus is already cooking

Together you will feed and care for others

Lesson in Failure

Peter had gone back to fishing the place where

Jesus first found him some three years earlier.

In those days fishermen would fish at night

and the lanterns on the boat would draw the
fish and then the fishermen would net them.

It was a night of failure.

Failure has its lessons.

In this case the lesson of failure is

contrast with the lesson of success.

The lesson is simple.

God is our Provider.

In Peters early encounters with

Jesus, we find a similar story…

Fishing all night and no fish, but Jesus tells them to

let down the net and they caught a large number of fish.  

Luke 5

The lesson is more than a lesson on provision.

It is about the call of God.

Jesus tells Peter in Luke 5 and Matthew 4…

 That he is to be a fisher of people.

In John 21 Jesus has fixed breakfast

with some fish on the fire.

Jesus asked Peter to take some of the fish he

has caught and put them on the fire next to His.

Together Jesus and Peter fed the other disciples.

"Bring some of the fish you have just caught."

 

That breakfast was a lesson on working

together with God to feed others.

Our provision gives us

the ability to work with God.

You have probably heard the saying…

 “By hook or by crook”

The term hook has become the symbol of fishing

and the Shepherd’s staff is the symbol of the shepherd.

These two professions illustrate the call of God.  

 When Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him,

the two professions come together.

"Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

"Feed my lambs." 

"Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"

"Take care of my sheep." 

The call is to feed and care for the sheep.

Your profession, whatever it might

be, will have times of failure.

In your times of failure

Jesus is cooking breakfast.

He wants you to join Him,

but first we must say…

“But at your word I will let down the net”

Failure was common for Peter

and it is common to us as well.

There is no such thing as a self-made man.

When God provides He has a purpose.

  

The question is…

 Are we making breakfast with

Jesus to feed and care for others?

 

Scripture Reading

John 21 NIV

21:1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called 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.

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.   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 Simon Peter climbed aboard 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.

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." 

16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"

He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." 

17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."  19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" 

20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"

22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."  23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?" 

24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.