When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread…. “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish… After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? ” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.”
John 21:9, 12-13, 15 NLT
There are so many fascinating aspects to this closing story in John’s Gospel.
This is the second miraculous catch of fish, both involving Peter. The first focused on Peter’s initial call as a disciple-maker, “fish for people.” The second focuses on Peter’s call as a leader, as a shepherd, “feed My sheep.“
Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times. Jesus asked Peter “do you love Me” three times. Jesus was restoring Peter.
Peter was a fisherman, but after his call in Luke 5, he laid down his nets and focused on fishing for people. After his failure, Peter picked up his net again. He figured he wasn’t qualified to fish for people anymore.
153 fish. That’s a very precise number. One friend has told me that at that time there were 153 species of fish in the Sea of Galilee, so it’s likely that the net amazingly had one of every kind. And more significantly, at that time there were 153 countries in the world, so this miraculous catch represented the disciples being used to take the gospel to the whole world. (I’ve never been able to verify the significance of the 153 fish, how many species of fish were present in the Sea of Galilee, or how many countries were present in the world at that time, but this explanation preaches well
One connection I hadn’t made in John 21 though was Jesus’ call for Peter to “feed My sheep” and what Jesus had literally just modeled for him.
Servant leadership.
Caring for the flock.
Jesus put on the towel and picked up the water basin to wash the disciples’ feet in the Upper Room at the last supper. Now, Jesus put on the apron, started a fire, grabbed a skillet, and cooked up a hot breakfast for His hungry disciples.
He fed them.
He served them.
He loved them.
This is the leadership Jesus modeled. This was the leadership Jesus asked of Peter. This is the leadership Jesus asks of me.
Servant leadership.
Whether it means picking up the towel and the water basin, or the apron and the skillet, humbly serve, putting the needs of others before your own.
This blogpost originally appeared at: Leading and Feeding Like Jesus – Sonlife and is based upon Sonlife’s study, Knowing Him / A 50 Day Study in the Life of Christ / Day 49