April 16, 2006 - Easter Sunday
Rev. Rich Knight
John 20 & 21
Our scripture lesson this morning comes from the Gospel of Judas! (just kidding!)
The Gospel of Judas that National Geographic has been promoting is what’s known as one of the Gnostic Gospels.
Dan Brown also makes a big deal of these writings.
I studied at Princeton Theological Seminary with the top New Testament scholar in the English speaking world,
Bruce Metzger. He was the editor for the Bible in our pews this morning and he wrote the introduction.
He’s written extensively about The Gnostic “Gospels” that did not make it into the New Testament for several reasons:
1. Written Much Later. - By the end of the 1st Century - authoritative
Most scholars believe that the Gnostic Gospels were not even around when these four gospels were canonized.
2. They Were Not Widely Read. - The early church looked for books that were recognized and accepted
throughout christendom. The gnostics didn’t fit that.
3. The Gnostic Gospels Have A Different Theology From What Is Found In The New Testament.
The Biggest Difference - no Cross or Resurrection.
In Matthew, Mark, Luke & John - about 40% of the Gospels are taken up with Holy Week - that’s how important the
early church thought the Cross & Resurrection were.
In the Gnostic writings salvation comes from “secret knowledge.”
Our scriptures are filled with secret revelations about God - the character of God, the incarnation of God, the
Trinity, 2nd coming - secrets revealed.
But the power of our faith is not in these secrets.
I can prove it - You are here this morning - not because of those secret teachings, doctrines & truths.
Churches will be packed to overflowing today for one reason and one reason only - The Lord is Risen!
The Gnostic writers set that aside.
Classic Christianity, from the day that these events happened, was founded on the Cross & Resurrection.
Let’s take a look:
Read John 20:1-18
The Resurrection of Jesus -
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the
stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them,
‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb.
The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there,
but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head,
not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for
as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
Jesus Appears to Mary MagdaleneBut Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting
where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord,
and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman,
why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and
I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have
not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced
to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
And Read John 21:1-14
Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples -
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called
the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will
go with you.’ They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you have no fish, have you?’ They answered him, ‘No.’
He said to them, ‘Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That
disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the lake. But the other
disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter
went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have
breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.
This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
I don’t know where you’re going to have your Easter brunch today, or who you’ll be eating with, but can you imagine having Easter Breakfast with Jesus Christ?
- the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, who triumphed over the grave.
That would be quite a breakfast, wouldn’t it?
- especially if Jesus was doing the cooking, like here.
It would also be a life-altering, life-shaping experience.
That’s what happened to those first disciples during their Easter Breakfast with Jesus.
They always called him “Rabbi,” which means Teacher.
He was constantly teaching them spiritual truths to help them become faithful God-followers. This breakfast would be no exception.
The disciples had been fishing all through the night.
“Just after daybreak” it says, Jesus stood on the beach.
Perhaps it was poor visibility, or perhaps it was the fact that Jesus looked different following his resurrection, but the disciples did not recognize him.
“Children” he says - the phrase can also be translated “Boys” “Lads.” (Jesus was probably 10 years older than the disciples.)
“Boys, have you caught any fish?”
Now it says, “They answered him ‘No.’”
I suspect they answered him “No, why you’d have to ask!”
No one likes to have their shortcomings pointed out to them in front of others, especially if you’ve been up all night trying to catch fish. “Any fish?” “No!”
We rather not talk about our failures.
It’s no fun to have them pointed out to us, especially when we’re already painfully aware as the disciples were.
But it seems that sometimes God wants us to look at our empty nets.
“Adam, where are you?” - said God to the first human.
Sometimes life forces us to look at our empty nets - our disappointments, our mistakes, our failures, our best efforts that have come up short.
Of course other times the boat can be filled with fish but it still feels like our nets are empty.
Tony Campolo calls this the “Peggy Lee Syndrome,” named after her famous song, “It That All There Is?”
“I thought there would be more to life. I thought life would be more fulfilling, more exciting, more meaningful.”
Have you any fish?
There’s a scene in that old movie “The Graduate” where Dustin Hoffman is talking with the infamous Mrs. Robinson. He’s trying to
engage her in meaningful conversation, and he’s telling her about all the great painters & artists he learned about in college.
But she is completely bored with it all.
Finally he asks her, “What did you major in, Mrs. Robinson?’ She replies, “Art.”
Her net, like her soul, was empty.
“Have you caught any fish?” says Jesus.
No.
“Throw your nets on the other side of the boat,” he says to them.
And by golly they did it!
That’s amazing to me.
These men - Men’s Men- listen to a perfect stranger, one who had just pointed out the fact that they had not caught any fish.
These were rugged First Century men, taking instructions and obeying the instant the instructions were given.
This is seldom seen in the male of the species!
This is the real reason why we don’t stop to ask for directions - because we’d have to actually listen to someone giving us instructions - why would we want to do that?
“Throw your nets on the other side of the boat.”
I think deep down they recognized his voice.
The Good Shepherd of the Sheep, the One they had heard speak for three years, the Voice that first called them on a beach while they were tending their fishing nets.
They followed that Voice for 3 years.
So here they don’t know that it’s Jesus, but instinctively they trust the voice they hear.
Eugene Peterson wrote a Christian book on faith entitled, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.
Do you know the advantage of living out “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction” when it comes to faith in God? - You begin to recognize God’s voice.
You hear the still small voice of God calling to you, even when you can’t see him.
There’s a nudge, a yearning, a vision, a scripture, a word through someone else - and through the years you begin to learn how Jesus calls out to you.
“I think I need to do this.”
“I think I’m called to do this.”
“Throw your nets on the other side of the boat.”
‘Yes, Lord.”
And of course when they do their nets become filled with so many fish, 153 to be exact, that they can’t even haul them all in.
Well, John, Jesus’ best friend, realizes who it is on the beach who has been speaking to them.
“It is the Lord!”
Impulsive Peter, who had been fishing without his outer garment - tunic - grabs his tunic and jumps into the water to greet the Lord.
When they all get on shore, Jesus already has the fire going and he’s cookin’ some fish on it.
But he says to them - “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”
Life with Jesus is a partnership - your fish and his - your gifts offered to him and his gifts (love, grace, companionship) offered to you.
Then Jesus says to them all - “Come and have breakfast.” “Come and have breakfast.”
He offers them the gift of his friendship.
He had reassured them of this just a few days earlier.
At the night of the Last Supper - “You are my friends. I do not call you my slaves, my servants,
but I have called you my friends. No greater love has anyone than this - that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
The night before the Cross he reminds them of his friendship.
And now following his awesome victory over death - he offers them the same gift - The Living, Victorious Christ,
the Lord of Lord, the King of Kings offers them his friendship.
He cooks breakfast on the beach for his tired friends who had been up all night fishing - that’s what friends do.
“Oh what a friend we have in Jesus.”
The Living Christ this Easter offers each of us this same gift - the gift of his friendship, his companionship, his teaching, his community of God-followers.
Come and have breakfast with Him - this Easter and always. Amen.
Let’s pray:
Lord Jesus, thank you for the greatest gift we could ever receive - the gift of yourself.
Lord, sometimes our nets are empty. Help us in those moments to turn to you. To hear your voice. To respond to your invitation. To receive the nourishment of your
presence and the strength and comfort of your friendship. Thank you this day for Easter Breakfast. For this
event reminds us that when we are in your presence we are among friends. Thank you that we serve a Living God and an eternal Christ, our Savior and Friend.
Amen.
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