Fishers of Men - 4/7/2024

After Jesus rose from the dead, He continued to appear to His disciples over the next forty days. The disciples remained in Jerusalem for at least eight days after the resurrection (Jn 20:26) and then traveled north to the Galilee region, just as Jesus and the angels had instructed them to do (Mt 26:32; 28:7, 10; Mk 16:7). They stayed in Galilee for an undisclosed amount of time and returned to Jerusalem at least ten days before Pentecost (Ac 1:3-4). Perhaps Jesus sent them north for their safety or simply just to be with family before the explosive growth of the church began (Ac 2:41; 4:4; 5:14). It was during this time in Galilee that John takes us to another appearance of Jesus. Chapter 21 begins with Jesus revealing Himself to a group of His disciples, which carried a symbolic miracle of provision and calling. They had gone back to fishing; after all, it was what they were good at, and it provided for their families. Jesus shows up on the shore with a familiar promise. Jesus provides and seeks intimacy even when we lack direction.