After my last post, I thought my reflections on the book of John were complete. But as I was wrapping up my reading, I saw another interesting thing that caught my attention in the last chapter of John.
In this chapter, Jesus had already died, risen, and was spending His final moments physically on earth before ascending to heaven. By then, He had appeared to some of the disciples to reveal Himself, but on this particular day, He chose a different approach—He met them while they were fishing. This moment reminds me of the beginning of His ministry, when He first called them as disciples while fishing as well.
Peter and several of the others had returned to fishing after Jesus’ crucifixion. Peter had denied Jesus, the others ran away, and they were all as sheep without a shepherd. So, they went back to what they knew—fishing. Yet, as they cast their nets, they caught nothing, just as it had been when Jesus first encountered them.
Then, Jesus arrived. He told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. And suddenly, their nets overflowed with fish! John immediately knew it was Jesus.
Peter’s reaction captivated me as I read on. He had returned to fishing, probably believing he was unworthy of anything more. But he heard it was the Lord. The Lord who had called him at first. The Lord whom he had walked with for three years. The Lord who had provided for him. The Lord who had prayed for him. The Lord whom he had betrayed yet loved him regardless. The Lord of all. The Bible records that Peter removed his clothes, jumped into the sea and headed towards Jesus (John 21:7). I want to believe he swam to meet Jesus.
This time, Peter didn’t beg Jesus to “depart from him, for he was a sinful man” as he did when Jesus first met him. Instead, he ran with full awareness of Jesus’ unending love. The One who had called Peter at the beginning of His ministry had come for him again.
Reading this, I smiled, reminded of Jesus’ love—not just for Peter, but for everyone who walks with Him. Even if circumstances have stalled your walk with Him, you can run back to Jesus, just as Peter did. You can drop your nets, dive into the river, and reach for Him—He’s there, waiting. Run back to Him, for He is faithful and will satisfy the deepest longings of your soul.
Run to Him today!
Love,
Ayobambo