Day 47: Come Have Breakfast (John 21:1–14)
“Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”
John 21:12 (NASB)
Chapter 21 is an epilogue, but it is not an afterthought. Seven disciples are together at the Sea of Tiberias. Peter announces he is going fishing — a return to the life before. The others go with him. They catch nothing all night. At daybreak, Jesus stands on the shore unrecognized. He instructs them to cast the net on the right side of the boat. The haul is so enormous they cannot haul it in — an unmistakable callback to Luke 5:1–11, where the same miracle preceded the original call to be 'fishers of men.' The lesson is the same: apart from Him, nothing; with Him, abundance.
John recognizes Jesus first and tells Peter: 'It is the Lord.' Peter throws on his outer garment and jumps into the water. John and Peter together — the man who sees first and the man who acts first, each completing what the other lacks. The other disciples come by boat, dragging the net. They arrive to find Jesus has already lit a fire and cooked fish and bread — miraculous provision, ex nihilo, meeting them exactly where they are. He feeds them before He commissions them. His provision precedes His demands.
'Come have breakfast.' The simplest invitation in the resurrection narratives. They want to ask 'Who are you?' but dare not, because they know. Verse 14 marks this as the third resurrection appearance to the disciples in John — and describes it as Jesus being 'revealed' (phanerōō) to them, the same word used in 1:31 of the Baptist's purpose: to reveal Jesus to Israel. The disciples are still in the process of having Jesus revealed to them — all that He is, as Lord of the universe and Lord of their fishing boats.
For Reflection
- Jesus gave us the miraculous catch, cooked breakfast, and fed His disciples before giving them any instructions. What does God's provision preceding His commission say to you?
- Apart from Jesus, they caught nothing. With His direction, they couldn't contain what came. Where do you need to let Jesus redirect your efforts?
- 'Come have breakfast.' The risen Lord of the universe invites His disciples to eat with Him at dawn. What does Jesus's ongoing desire for ordinary intimacy with you mean to you?
