That disciple whom Jesus loved, therefore, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. – John 21:7
It is important to note, Peter and the rest of the disciples returned to fishing in the sea of Galilee, right where they were before Jesus had discipled them. At this point, Jesus had already appeared to them, so it is uncertain if this trip was just a day trip or if they had returned to fishing for work.
Jesus comes to the shore and yells to the disciples on the boat, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”, not recognizing him they answered “No”. Jesus then responds in John 21:6, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”, this is the exact same test of obedience he requested of Peter in Luke 5:4. However, this time the disciple reacts very differently. When he had first met Jesus, he responded in Luke 5:8-9 “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”. What was his response when Jesus came to the shore a second time?
You see, in the beginning, Peter felt he was not “good” enough to be in the presence of the Lord, but now the Lord was too GOOD to be out of His presence.
When he heard “It is the Lord!” he tied up his garments and leaped into the water, swimming a full 100 yards to Jesus. Peter left everything behind, he did not care about the boat or the fish they’d caught, he was only focused on Jesus. You see, when you are focused on the One who is infinite, finite things don’t seem to matter as much.
We have a tendency to take security in things of this world, you can feel good about yourself because you have a nice house or a nice car, maybe a fat bank account. But when you put your trust in Jesus and make him your rock and your security, these worldly things become worthless. There can be no security in these things because your foundation is so much greater.
How do you respond to the calling of Jesus? Do you cling to your possessions and ride the boat onto the shore or do you leap from the boat, focused on Jesus and rush the bank?
A Christian life is lived in pursuit of Jesus.
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Strong message! Thanks Jeff.