Main Text: John 21:1-19 (Acts 9:1-6 (7-20); Revelation 5:11-14)
Witnessing is not a passive activity. It requires relationship and risk. Moving from “I have seen the Lord!” to “Follow me” is a journey. This story from John’s gospel comes after they have already seen the Lord in the locked room. Peter and the others find themselves on the seashore. The temptation is to go back to life before the cross. We also can be tempted to go back to life before our lives were upended. Peter was going to go back to fishing. When Jesus comes into your life, however, you can never go back. Peter and the disciples fished all night long and caught nothing. Peter thought he knew how to fish, but Jesus standing on the shore tells them to cast on the right side. When they do, they catch more fish than they even imagined possible without the nets breaking. Peter then has to face his own failure and inadequacy through the questions Jesus asks him. “Peter, do you love me?” Peter, without Jesus, had denied him three times. With Jesus, Peter is given a new mission and purpose. It will not be an easy path, but it will be blessed. Once you have witnessed the presence of Christ in your life, you can’t go back to the way things were. Instead, Christ repurposes our lives. “Feed my sheep.” Witnesses are called to serve and to share the good news with others. We are called to be witnesses! Feed Jesus sheep!