Whiteboard: More than a Fish Story

I love when I get to repurpose a Whiteboard drawing from one week to another!

As we continue our Easter journey, this Sunday we will celebrate another resurrection story from Scripture. Last week we talked about the Walk to Emmaus (with a Whiteboard image of a road sign pointing the way) and this week we'll talk about Jesus appearing to his Disciples when they are out on the water fishing (with a Whiteboard image that was ever so slightly tweaked to become a "Gone Fishin'" sign).

This is the part of the story that we typically skip past. You see, the next part of the story is the more familiar part: Jesus forgiving Peter three times (mirroring Peter denying Christ three times) by telling him "Feed my sheep." It is easy to read this week's passage as mere set-up for the more important story that comes next week. But I think we miss something when we do that. You see, scripture this week is telling us that Jesus has important things to say about how we live our lives. No really, that is what is at stake with our scripture this week, which is more than simple set-up for another story!

Come join us this Sunday and find out what mean.

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John 21:1-14 Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon 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.

Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you have no fish, have you?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ 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. That 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. But 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.

When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So 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. Jesus 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. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.