I want to share from the Gospel of John on a very interesting topic – the third appearance of Jesus. It is not in vain that Scripture says that this appearance was the third. In this appearance, Jesus left a certain sealed secret.
We will touch on this mystery – why the Lord identifies it this way. I believe that the latter days prophets will reveal and unseal the mysteries of appearances.
After Jesus was resurrected, the disciples lost their understanding of what to do next. He didn’t leave them, He transited into another hypostasis, into another image, into a new season. And the disciples could not endure the pressure of expectation, the pressure of patience. They went and returned to their former affairs. It often happens with us as well: we don’t see miracles in Jesus, we don’t see movement in church, we return and thrust all our strength into business, family – we do everything the same as before. We return to our old life.
“Simon Peter said to them, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They said to him: “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night caught nothing.” (John 21:3).
The apostle who raised the dead, who was appointed as Cephas, speaks such terrible words. I’m going fishing, I’m going to earn money, I’m going to do business, I’m going to live worldly values, I’m going on vacation, I’m leaving – I’m tired of this service. And other terrible things like that. “I’m going fishing!”
“They say to him: “We are going with you also!” – see how people of authority can lead others: today, leaders who promote a “relaxed” gospel take people away with them.
We should not engage in some abstract worldly affairs because of failures in the spiritual field. That Peter didn’t succeed on a spiritual background resulted in his return to the worldly. We go about our worldly affairs, businesses – that is life. But we should not do this because of failures in the spiritual field.
Peter went there because of this rift. He literally rushed and hid himself there because of him not succeeding in the spiritual field. And many brothers and sisters today say the same words, which seem to be correct, the religious background is good, but their spirit is screaming, I can hear the voice of their spirit well – that they didn’t succeed in church, – so “I’ll go, maybe it will work out in the world”… Don’t do it this! This is precisely the flight of Jonah.
“They went out and immediately got into the boat, and did not catch anything that night,” – many have the same undertakings, but you need to penetrate into the essence of causes and effects.
“But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus” (John 21:4).
You see what it led to – they didn’t even recognize Jesus anymore. This is a very important point. I want to note that they kept stubborn until the morning. Disciples who dropped out of the ministry. But the Lord told them they should abide. He gave them an assignment. They had clear instructions on what they were to do. But they did not wait for His counsel – they quit it and returned to themselves.
As a result, they did not know that it was Jesus. But what exactly did they not know? That the One standing on the shore was Jesus? Or did they not know why they didn’t catch anything?
Many of us can’t catch anything. They live, but they can’t “catch”. Catch there, catch here. It’s like chasing butterflies. This is a chaotic business – you can’t purposefully get to the goal. Running after a business – where to earn some money, what to earn – there is an ad, here is a network, I threw it there, here, and here is such a product, and there another. And, in fact, the blessing of the Lord doesn’t come like that. The blessing of God can be obtained without even moving from a place, if you know where you are going.
The deep reason lay not in bad luck – it lay not in their not getting to a school of fish, they were experienced fishermen and knew how to fish at night. But nothing was caught.
What didn’t they know? I think that they did not know these two things: Jesus standing on the shore and why they did not catch anything.
“Jesus says to them: “Children! Have you any food? They answered Him, “No” (John 21:5)
I sometimes even meet pastors who have no food. I meet spiritual leaders with whom we can’t talk about God. We talk about the church, about works, about some events, but there is no strength to talk about God. And when we can’t talk about God Himself as of the highest value – we have no food. If you have a beautiful, wonderful sapphire or ruby, you will talk about it as much as you like, study it from all sides, because it is your treasure. But sometimes we can’t talk about God, because there is no strength.
And so they answer Jesus: “No.” This is the state of people who have departed from the Lord. There is no food.
And He said to them: “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish ”(John 21: 6).
When the Lord blesses your life, He blesses your deeds too. He not only blesses you, He can bless your works too.
We personally know one brother who became a businessman because he lost everything, he literally had no money for public transport. And the Lord came to him and said: “Transit to another level of relationship with Me. If you transit, I will give you a business.” That is, he then decided to fully enter into a covenant with the Lord, into a covenant relationship: he was so deeply immersed in a relationship with Christ that he completely transited himself in a way that he had never before communicated with God. He began to hear God’s voice. The result of his renewed relationship was that the voice of the Lord began to speak to him. He began to hear Him clearly. The Lord led him to deal with one product. Now at many airports in the world you can find it. This is one of the elite consumer products, of the highest quality both the product itself and the packaging. All this the Lord began to speak to him in detail. And he served the Lord all the time, worshiped and prayed, and simply did in business what the Lord told him to do. And then God gave him a direction – He pointed out a place in the mountains where one rare flower grew, which needed to be added to an already existing brand. This was surprising, because before that he had not heard anything about this flower. And he did as the Lord said.
I saw this brother, he shocked me, I was stunned by his testimony. And he was a prophet, and such prophet that I still remember his prophecy – he pierced my heart: he immediately said who I was in the eyes of the Lord, and I knew that only the Father knows it; he said a few more things that were also the voice of the Father. At that time this brother was on a long fast. Why should a millionaire fast? – But because one has to remain faithful to the Lord. He is a brother, a preacher, a reverent, humble man.
This is what I’m talking about today. Cast on the right side of the net and catch it!
“And they were not able to draw the nets in because of the multitude of fish.” The blessing of God enriches and doesn’t bring sorrow. And when there is no blessing, you “rush about” and no matter how hard you try – there is no food. And they went fishing with all professional equipment, everything was the way it should be – took courses, received certificates, but nothing happened. A little bit there, then here, rushing around – what to do in order to earn extra money…
We need to return to deep roots, to the Lord. And perhaps the boat we are sitting in, it is not “drawing” us to the blessing. We need to change the boat.
“Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord” (John 21:7).
What did he mean? – All! It is not only that the One Who stands on the shore is the Lord, neither it’s that we have not caught it, it is the Lord, neither it’s that we have now caught so much that we cannot pull it out, it is Lord. It’s all the Lord! Brothers and sisters, the Lord is around your life! And even if you have nothing, there is also a reason – it is the Lord!
So today I want you to see your whole life and say: “This is the Lord!”
When the Lord blesses your life and works, you will see it. You will feel and see it. Today I am not a teacher of prosperity, but I believe in the blessing of the Lord, which enriches and doesn’t bring sorrow.
It is the Lord standing on the shore, it is the Lord who has blessed him, it is the Lord who has taken away the fish from you, it is the Lord who is doing both – this is the Lord! Do you know where and when the Lord manifests and has already manifested in your life?
“Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he had removed it, and plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits, dragging the net with fish ”(John 21: 7-8).
See, some people need to hear from a man. “When he heard that it is the Lord!”
And there we are going to Jesus all in different ways: some are swimming, others in a boat, some are in a hurry and plunge into the water, they come wet, tired, while others sail in comfort with fish and dry legs, but it is very important to go , go to the Lord! The Lord has given each of us a different level of difficulty in life. Someone may sit in a very beautiful apartment while another is in poverty, in the street. It doesn’t matter. It is important to go to Jesus. In what clothes you go – it doesn’t matter, it is important whether you go. Whether you’re driving a good car or a bad one, whether you’re walking because you don’t have a car, or in some other way, go! Do not look around, who and how… Because we would get confused.
I like this: Peter by swimming wants to overtake this boat, be the first to come – wet and suffering, while others are sailing. But it is important whether we go to Him or not – that’s what matters. And now the brothers are sailing in a boat, dragging the nets, counting the fish, how many pieces, everyone has already calculated in their heads how much it is in money … It doesn’t matter – the important thing is that they came to Jesus.
“Then, as soon as they had come to the land, they saw a fire of coals there and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish, which you have just caught.” Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him: “Who are You?” – knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. This is now the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples after He was raised from the dead” (John 21:9-14).
And now we have come to the climax. I want to ask you: where did Jesus get the fish and bread? After all, the raw fish was in the net! And they went ashore and saw cooked fish and the bread! – It’s heavenly food! When the Lord broke the bread and distributed the fish, it was the same fish and the same bread. When the boy brought him two fish and five loaves of bread, Jesus broke it, and new fish appeared, they were not raw, they were edible; and the bread, after Jesus broke and distributed it, there were still twelve full baskets left, this is the heavenly food that we will eat when we come to Jesus. We will always have food. And when Jesus asks: “Do you have any food?”, then we will answer: “Lord, we have!”
They took this fish… I imagine these men with their ears turned red – it’s a shame, they didn’t recognize Jesus – Peter sits wet, they eat, they drink tears down, escapees, businessmen, they fled from their calling to catch fish. And again, even to catch fish those professionals needed Jesus, do you understand? Businessmen, you need Jesus!
Jesus gave them the fish and the bread. Not the fish that they caught, and different bread, not the one that lay in their basket.
The net will not break with so many fish caught. We can manage more resources, more blessings, if we are close to Jesus.
The net of your life, the circle of life, will not break. You need to keep yourself whole. Because for some, twelve fish are enough to lose themselves. And there one hundred and fifty-three – and the net did not break. Imagine it’s money – but the soul did not break, he remained a brother – good, kind, faithful, simple, humble.
What would become of you? These are all important things. But the Lord will not feed His disciples with this fish. This is not food, things that we do. Different food! Jesus gave them different fish, this is important to understand. He gave them that fish, which is supernatural, that food that comes from heaven – man shall live by it.
“Jesus says to them, ‘Come, have breakfast.’ None of the disciples dared ask Him: “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord.” – Jesus comes and takes the bread and gives them, also the fish.” Why did they now know that it was the Lord? Because once they had already seen how this fish multiplied and broken. They have already eaten this fish. They already distributed the same fish to five thousand people. They ate this bread. And they saw again the manifestation of Christ, the Lord of glory.
Yes, Jesus already gave them the fish, but not fish from their business, which they got without Him. But the kind that He Himself prepared for them, and now they knew it was the Lord.
“This is the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.” Each time Jesus appeared to the disciples in a new way. Even in the history of mankind, the churches – I’m sure the prophets will see this as a hidden mystery. I call the prophets today, I give you a challenge to investigate this topic – about the third, about the second, about the first appearance of Christ to His disciples. It says here that this is the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples. This is about you and me. The Bible doesn’t just say anything.
Why was Jesus’ third appearance after His resurrection from the dead like this? What is unusual about it? What message does it bring to us? Maybe we’re fishing without Him, maybe we’re eating the wrong fish. You need to know where Jesus is, find Him, return to Him. You need to come to His fire, because He appeared with fire. Not like the previous time. They had to come to the fire, where He cooked the food. Jesus was not alone, He was with food. Some times He asked for food, He didn’t bring it, but this time He did, and this time He came with fire. He was by the fire. Perhaps, today you need to know, come to His fire and eat not your own, but His food!
Let’s all of us direct our boats, be it swimming or not, from the point where we are now, move to another level – to Him, and get urgent. Swimming or boating, with or without a car, in an apartment or in a hostel, whether you are young or old, single or married – it doesn’t matter! We are all children of God, brothers and sisters! All of us today must aspire to this light in this doorway, so that we all experience this third appearance of Jesus in our lives!