Learning to Wait on the Work of the Lord

The final chapter of John reveals a scene which has captured my attention recently. First of all, I can sympathize with the frustration of Peter, especially because he still has some unfinished business with Jesus (you know, the denial thing). Why he had not taken care of that business the first two times Jesus appeared to the disciples is anybody’s guess. My take on it was that either he was too ashamed of himself to bring it up or Jesus wanted to let him soak in it a while. Whatever the case, as his frustration builds, he reaches a point where he just can’t handle hanging around the house, or wherever they were, any longer. So, he says what any person who needs to get away from their stress would say, “I’m going fishing!”

Being good, supportive brothers, Thomas, Nathaniel, James, John and two others said, “We’re coming too!”

Let’s let John pick up the narrative in the middle of verse 3:

They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”

They answered Him, “No.”

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.

Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” 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. Then, as soon as they had come to 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.” – John 21:3-10

Where I grew up in the Powderhorn Valley of Colorado, we had about 2 miles of Cebolla Creek, which flowed through our ranch. That creek was prime fishing for rainbow, brown and brook trout and after the spring runoff finished it was crystal clear and ideal for fly fishing.  We had quite a few fishermen from late June to mid August who stayed in the local resorts and had come to the quiet, peaceful mountains to “get away from it all.” So, I, and many of you I suppose, can relate to Peter’s need to get away, but I want to speak to something more profound in this passage. Let’s break it down a bit.

They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.

No one could possibly put their feelings of frustration (or ours) in more concise words than Solomon did in Ecclesiastes:

“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity and grasping after the wind.”

Solomon repeats this statement throughout the book in which he examines the labor and striving of men. He continues to draw one conclusion from all of the work and toil that we do and that conclusion is that our work and labor is in vain. No doubt, the seven disciples had similar feelings before they went out to go fishing and their disappointment was only multiplied by the fact that they hadn’t caught any fish.

They had already seen the resurrected Jesus twice and they knew that they ought to do something, but they didn’t know what to do. Peter was burdened with his guilt over having denied Jesus three times. They were all, this is probably an understatement, overwhelmed. “All was vanity and grasping after the wind.”

Let's make a brief return to Solomon who came to a very concise conclusion in Ecclesiastes 12:13:

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.

The conclusion that Solomon came to was that only God was able to take that which is vain and give meaning to it. Exalting the Lord and following His commands brings purpose to our lives and without it we are frustrated. How would Solomon's conclusion help the frustrated disciples? Wouldn’t that add more to their frustrations? What happened in the story of our fishing disciples?

Jesus showed up.

Let’s read it again:

But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”

They answered Him, “No.”

And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”

As a child, I remember going down to the creek and bothering those fishermen who had come to visit our ranch. Having been along the creek fishing plenty of times, I knew the best places to catch fish and I would often try to direct adult fishermen in where to cast. I had more intimate knowledge of the creek than they had. That illustration pales in comparison to the command which Jesus gave to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat…”

What’s the difference between casting on the right side of the boat and the left side of the boat when there are no fish, right? Though they did not recognize Jesus as being the man on the shore, in the back of their minds was the memory of another time in which a similar command had been given (Luke 5). So, they did it.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

The truth of these words of Jesus from Matthew 11:28 brought new life to the disciples that day beside the Sea of Tiberius. And it happened in such a calm manner. Look what happened when they followed His command:

So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

As Christians we often find ourselves striving to do our work. We often find ourselves pushing the limits. We often find ourselves tweaking the gospel just a little bit in order to make it more appealing. We often find ourselves working harder and harder and harder to get people to believe; to get people to understand; to get people to come to salvation.

Vanity of vanities!

Jesus does the work! Jesus does the work! Jesus does the work! I could stop this post right here and say nothing more. Perhaps I should, but I want to lead you to look at the rest of the story, because it is further proof that Jesus does the work. Read what happened next:

Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” 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. 

If you have ever been to a track meet or a swim meet, you have witnessed that silent moment as those in the race are frozen in anticipation and waiting for the starter’s pistol or buzzer to sound. Everyone present seems to hold their breath and then the sound releases the swimmers or runners. Keep that image in your mind as you consider the story we are examining.

Visualize that moment when John said, “It is the Lord!” Peter was right on the verge of diving in and swimming just as he was, but he hesitated long enough to put on his outer garment. Why would he waste time to put on his outer garment? Peter was surely eager to get to Jesus, which is evident by the fact that he dove into the water and swam to shore, but putting on his outer garment was a sign of respect. You see, fearing the Lord, means honoring and respecting Him as much as it means trusting Him. Peter was rushing to a friend, but to a friend he respected; the King of Kings.

The next part of the story has some very profound meaning as well and it is something that you really need to pay attention to. Let’s continue:

Then, as soon as they had come to 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.”

If you have ever built a campfire on the beach, you know that it isn’t something that you can whip together in a few minutes, but notice that by the time the disciples got to shore, Jesus already had a fire going, was cooking fish and had bread ready. Not a surprise, right? He fed the 3,000 and the 5,000, he was crucified and risen from the dead, so this was a pretty simple miracle to perform, but why did He have breakfast already made? Remember His question when He approached them in the beginning of the story?

“Children, have you any food?”

Jesus had already made breakfast! Jesus does the work! Even the fish the disciples caught and hauled into shore were the result of Jesus’ work.

Many of you will recognize this familiar refrain from the Elvina M. Hallhymn: 

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

We sing hymns like that without heeding the message in them. If Jesus paid it all, if Jesus did the work in bringing about your salvation, then who will bring about the salvation of the other lost sheep who belong to Him? Jesus! And yet we strive, toil, labor, twist, demand, command, stomp our feet and push the limits in order to get people to hear, understand and believe. We spend so much time making church appealing and making the gospel appealing to non-believers that we exhaust ourselves. What we ought to be doing is resting and waiting on the Lord.

Brothers and sisters, I am weary of fighting and striving. Many of you are too. We grasp after the wind when we try to push and pull and wrestle people to Jesus. We forget that Jesus does the work. “Come to me,” He says… Let’s read it again in context with the surrounding verses:

“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” – Matthew 11:27-29 (emphasis added)

Jesus does the work! Jesus reveals Himself to whom He will. We bear testimony because we know Him, but it is Jesus who opens the eyes and ears of those who believe, not you and me!

The scriptures are inundated with passages which instruct us to humble ourselves, exalt the Lord and wait on the Lord. Why do you think that is? Let’s look at a few:

Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! – Psalm 27:14

But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31

It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord. – Lamentations 3:26

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies – Psalm 23:5

Did that last one bring you to a screeching halt? It is a fitting conclusion to our discussion. Why would the Good Shepherd prepare a table for you in the presence of your enemies? Shouldn't you be arming yourself and preparing to go into battle when the enemy arrives?

He prepares that table for the same reason He prepared breakfast for His disciples.

He has and will do the work. He will sweep our enemies out of the way. We only need to sit down with Him and feed upon what He provides.

As the illustration in John 15 says, we need to abide in the vine and from our abiding (not from our striving) we will bear fruit.

Are you resting in Jesus? Are you waiting upon the Lord? Are you abiding in His word? Are you committing yourself to daily communion with Him through reading His word and prayer? Are you trusting that Jesus will do the work in others as well as in you?

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33

Amen.