breakfast with Jesus

Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

John 21:12

I love this resurrection appearance of Jesus as John records it. It is a call back to all the times Jesus spent with His disciples. They did life together. They are back in Galilee, by the lake, much like when many of them were first called to follow Him.

The guys had spent all night trying to catch fish (commercially… and unsuccessfully). Jesus calls out to them to cast the net one more time to the right of the boat. The net was so full that they had to close it up alongside the boat and drag it back to shoreline. And when the net did get emptied, they had quite a fish story to tell! 153 lunker fish caught in that one cast of the net. My guess is it was the biggest single haul any of these men had ever known. And after that astonishment, they ate breakfast on the shore, their fishermen’s pride quite satisfied.

Here is Jesus, resurrected Lord, Author of our Salvation, Destroyer of Death’s dominance, and He has built a fire and prepared for them a meal of grilled fish and bread. He is concerned with the physical needs of His disciples. He prepares and shares a meal for them. Jesus, King of the Universe, in simple hospitality and love for these men, stooped to serve once more. It is a beautiful picture. Jesus wants to serve His disciples, even as they must now learn to transition to living their entire lives for His gospel and will be literally giving their lives up for Him. Every man on that shoreline, laughing, breaking bread, and eating fish, amazed at a net full of fish, would eventually suffer martyrdom in bringing the gospel to their world. All, but John, who would survive several attempts at murder, only to be exiled to die alone on Patmos, but not before writing this gospel story down and communicating the vision that is the Book of Revelation. But in that shoreline freeze frame moment, there is Jesus, bread, fish, and the joy of companionship together knowing Jesus is risen just as He said.

The Lord Who calls us to serve Him with our lives will always stoop to be with us around our fires. He will provide for our daily bread (and fish). We know that He is the Lord, and as we serve Him, His grace will serve us and fill our nets in so many ways. We too are tenderly cared for each day of our lives by our Triumphant Savior!