"The Difference Jesus Makes" (Luke 5:1-11 & John 21:1-14)

Introduction

Does knowing Jesus make a difference to our everyday lives?? How?

I want to argue that, INDEED, Jesus makes a difference! Jesus changes everything!!

Not just for each of us personally, but for all of us together, and for everyone we meet.

Last week we looked at the uniqueness and greatness of Jesus, and how he is the one we should wholly focus on and commit to; and thus listen to his every word. God has reconnected with humanity through Jesus, and it is in getting to know Jesus, that we get to know God.

But why? Why get to know God? Why would we bother? What do we get out of it? Hang on! Does that sound right? It’s often the first question we ask – but is it the right question, considering that this is about a loving Creator seeking to re-engage with the people He lovingly created (yet have often gone astray)? Surely it sounds a little crude and ungrateful, to be asking what we might get out of it! We are already recipients of Divine love! So, there is something to be thinking about way bigger and more crucial than just what benefits we get personally out of knowing God.

In the Luke 5 passage, Peter does wonder for a moment whether putting out the nets again will be worth it. It would be natural to assess whether the effort matches the possible outcome. But this is NOT how Jesus wants us to assess matters. Often the outcome is outside our capacity to see – what is required of us is simply a step of faith. Thus, we need to learn NOT to doubt, or be defensive, or fearful, regarding any obstacles or risks or unknown outcomes, but rather be positive and adventurous.

These are steps of faith … that don’t necessarily connect directly to any personal gain! This wouldn’t necessarily stand up to any cost-benefit analysis. It’s more about the intangible leading of the Holy Spirit into broad-based mission come what may. Actually, it is often only when we give ourselves wholeheartedly into certain faith-based enterprises, stepping out of mundane comfort-zones, that we can really experience blessings of one kind or another!

So, therefore, it seems to be more a matter of first things first! It is when we give ourselves to something, that we are likely to be on the receiving end. It is actually when we have no thought of receiving, that we actually receive. It’s like when Jesus himself said, “… those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it” (Mark 8:35b).

Going fishing

If we give ourselves over to the possibility, Jesus makes tremendous differences … in our lives, and in the lives of those around us. These fishing incidents in Luke 5 and John 21 are remarkable for the outcomes that occur – once the disciples involved … are trusting and obedient! It’s not so much … what they will get out of it … that is the issue – it’s rather what Jesus will be able to bring to pass … through these disciples’ openness and readiness.

We can so often approach God, or prayer, or worship, with a view of what we want to get out of it. These passages show that it’s really about embracing new possibilities, and being open for what God wants to do through us. We gather together, we take the boat out, we get the nets ready, we follow the Spirit’s lead, and trust Jesus for the results. And what results!!

We have here two stories, about, first unsuccessful, and then highly successful fishing. These come about three years apart – Luke 5 … at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in the midst of calling his disciples – and John 21 … following the resurrection … Jesus seeking to encourage and refocus his disciples for the mission ahead of them. We know that Jesus had to continually keep reminding his disciples, as they went along, about what was most important. This also reminds us, that we need to keep focussed on the difference Jesus can make; for this, in the cut and thrust and challenges of life, can easily be forgotten – and we finish up going it alone.

This can all be forgotten through disappointment, or impatience, or just by losing our focus and being distracted. Following the disciples’ disappointment around Jesus’ crucifixion, and their confusion and doubt around Jesus’ resurrection, they needed to be reminded of what they had learnt in the beginning. They had to be reassured that the Jesus who could fill their boats with fish three years earlier, could fill their boats again … and again … and again! They just needed the right approach – a humble repentant open teachable worshipful attitude!

Luke 5 text

Jesus was teaching the gathered crowd from Simon Peter’s boat. You could imagine that Jesus was bringing some of those challenging teachings and themes we read in other places in the Gospels e.g. the ‘sermon on the mount’ in Matthew. And then Jesus would be keen to show how this teaching works out in everyday life.

So, we read in verse 4, that Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Put out into the deep water”. This is what following Jesus is going to be about! Jesus was putting it right out there … if you are going to follow me … if you are going to truly know God … then this involves movement and TRUST! Knowing Jesus is meant to lead to adventure; primarily adventures in mission. You might as well know this right up front. Following Jesus can never be passive.

I’m not sure what you were told when you were invited to follow Jesus – unfortunately for some … this was very much limited to receiving personal benefits, individual salvation, even the notion of an easier life (when the truth is actually the very opposite), and even ‘the pie in the sky when you die’ type line. The truth is … an invitation to follow Jesus, is actually about an all-encompassing life-long adventure of trust, transformation and mission!

In verse 5, we see Simon Peter querying Jesus. After all, Peter was the fishing expert! After all, there were clearly NO fish to be had. Peter was tired and past his best, having been out all night; and discouraged, having been so unsuccessful. And as well, morning was no time to catch fish … if there were none to be caught during the night, there would be none in the morning! This didn’t make sense.

Yet, listening to Jesus is important, even when something he says seems strange or out of left field. It just may be a test. Or, it just may be that we don’t see the big picture, or we just DON’T know everything after all; or this is just the only way to get us to where we need to be! To Simon Peter’s great credit, he very quickly responds (v 5b), “Yet, if you say so [Jesus] … I will let down the nets”! We, with Peter, have to learn to say, “Yet if you say so [Jesus]”!!

Peter grew that day. Having trusted Jesus, he experienced untold blessing of universal impact. This led to greater humility, honest feelings of unworthiness and a desire for mercy. Certainly he was in the presence of the Divine, and Peter was in awe. He became wholly aware of his limitations, and his huge need for Jesus to be in his life, and fell to his knees.

But, Peter didn’t quite understand yet the love and acceptance he was receiving, and couldn’t quite accept himself being so close to Jesus. Peter thus said those words of sad uncertainty, in verse 8: “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man”. However, this was not what God was after. Forgiveness was for relationship … forgiveness is meant to promote and open up relational outcomes!!

So, Jesus didn’t leave Peter with that sort of thought-process for too long! Jesus did NOT accept Peter’s advice about departing from him; rather Jesus called Peter into service … toward the greatest of mission adventures … ‘Follow me, and we’ll collect many others along the way’! The effect of Peter’s sincerity was immediate! The unworthy Peter … was now a forgiven disciple of Christ Jesus.

John 21 text

If feelings of unworthiness was the issue for Peter (three years earlier) in Luke 5, in John 21 the issue for Peter was failure. Following Jesus’ crucifixion, with his tail between his legs, Peter declared, “I am going fishing”. Rather than being a good example to his mates, Peter was actually leading them away from their mission (refer v 3). This was Peter effectively reversing his discipleship and going back to the old life he had left behind. Why?? Because of his sense of defeat.

Desperate disappointment … that Jesus had been crucified … something that he didn’t yet understand. Confusion … about what the last three years had been about. Failure … that at the time of his friend Jesus’ greatest need, Peter hadn’t just disappeared, but also denied repeatedly even knowing Jesus. What sort of person lets a friend down like this!?! Peter had been so confident that he would never do anything like this! But, in the heat of the moment, he did!

This feeling of failure in Peter, which is in effect a sense of ‘shame’, is displayed in verse 7. Fishermen of the day would often fish naked or with very little on. This would save at least getting their outer clothes wet. When Peter fully realised that this was Jesus here with them, he put on his clothes. This reminds us of what the naked Adam and Eve did when they felt shame for rebelling against God.

We read, like we did in Luke 5, that despite their fishing skill, they caught nothing! Of course they didn’t catch any fish – not this way – Peter and the other disciples weren’t supposed to be fishermen like this anymore! Things DON’T usually go well when you take a wrong turn. Due to this lapse in their faith, they needed to be turned around again. Whether it is feelings of guilt through sin, or feelings of shame through failure, Jesus can turn all this around. Let’s see!

Into the disciples’ disappointment, entered Jesus (v 4). We read that at this time, they did not know that it was Jesus. He may have been too far away to be recognised, and we know that the resurrected Jesus looked a little different and wasn’t easily recognised straight away. Yet, it’s so interesting [and you can discuss this over dinner] that when Jesus spoke they almost immediately responded with positivity. Jesus said (in verse 6), “Cast the net to the right side of the boat” … and these disciples just did so! It was as if they remembered what had happened three years earlier … unsuccessful fishing, and the encouragement to try again … and the remarkable outcome.

It was as if, even though they hadn’t recognised Jesus yet, something was happening where they just sort of knew it was him. There was just something about the way he spoke. The surety in him! It was as if they heard the words, ‘I am here now … just trust me again’. They recognised his voice! And you just sense that they were hoping for something to lift them beyond their current distress. Something was brewing. They knew Jesus’ voice … and down deep they trusted him. So, there was no second-guessing and no delay … the disciples just obeyed. And ultimately they recognised that this was the risen Jesus.

The blessings the disciples experienced that day were massive, as much if not more than the last time! But these were not personal blessings so much, but rather indicative of the disciples’ big-picture relationship with the world. Once again they were fishers of people, and their influence would be huge. What difference did Jesus make? Jesus was able to change a totally hopeless situation (no fish at all), into a situation of unprecedented success – all when the conditions were adverse … after daybreak … when such an outcome, to any sane fisherman, would be seen as impossible! Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, would ALWAYS provide the opportunities for care, friendship, service and ministry – such possibilities would be everywhere to see!

Repentance or Faith?

We might ask in all this … what comes first … the repentance or the blessing. It seems that Peter’s repentance in Luke 5, and his demonstration of regret in John 21 actually follow the fishing miracles, rather than precede them. Interesting! We see that it was actually the earlier willingness to go out into “the deep water” and try again in Luke 5, and throw the nets over to “the right side” in John 21, that opened up the possibility of Jesus working so magnificently. This then led to the expressions of contrition and regret.

It is as we are willing to respond to Jesus’ embrace … to draw closer to Jesus, to listen carefully, and walk in step with Jesus, that we are in the space where blessing can happen, both in us, and for others. It was that willingness to trust, that led to that much deeper experience of God toward the disciples’ later transformation! The invitation here, is to trust, take a step of faith, and see what Jesus does!! Jesus will then gently deal with us at our various points of need.

This then crosses over to the way in which we share the Gospel. And the age-old theological chicken and egg debate about what comes first … repentance or faith. How can you repent without some degree of faith? How can faith be real, without sincere repentance? The point is though, following Jesus’ example from the boat of Luke 5 and John 21, we should be first promoting the notion of faith, especially as we tell the stories of how faith has worked in our lives; and then God through the Holy Spirit will lead people to the repentance that is required. Let us speak about faith! [This is especially true in a post-Christian society, where the notion of sin is not understood, nor high on the dinner table discussion agenda.]

Conclusion

Ultimately, Jesus has dealt with all the problems of our unworthiness and failure. Dealt with it all! From the cross, it’s all forgiven. From the empty tomb it’s all transformed. We are a fully accepted card-carrying highly valued member of his family. Jesus calls us children of God. What a difference that makes. We can bring all our ongoing issues and occasional lapses into that reality … day in and day out … and be guided and forgiven!! We will notice that we are growing in discipleship, and more resembling the glory of Jesus.

We learn that it is only in giving ourselves to the greatest cause of all, i.e. bringing heaven to earth, the mission of God in the world, that the great questions of life, e.g. why am I here, are answered. Jesus makes a difference, supremely because, he makes sense of life. We are able to bring our feelings of unworthiness and uncleanness humbly to Jesus and receive complete forgiveness. As a result we are released to participate in bold blessing. In the same way, we are able to bring our feelings of failure and shame to Jesus, and receive complete forgiveness and transformation. In our nakedness, we are given knew clothes, and those clothes can resemble the dazzling white clothes that Jesus was seen wearing on the mountain of transfiguration.

And while experiencing the freedom that forgiveness brings, and wearing those new spiritual clothes, tremendous things happen around us. We experience, even participate in, signs of heaven coming to earth. Broken people find healing. Distraught people find encouragement. Hopelessness turns to hope. Love finds new expression. Warring parties are reconciled. The blind begin to see. Prisoners find release. People hear the good news … as actual good news! Blessings overflow the boats! It all starts with trust, and giving ourselves over to the person and cause of Jesus. Amen.