#DailyDevotion They Knew It Was Jesus
Joh 21:9-14 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. (10) Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” (11) So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. (12) Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. (13) Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. (14) This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Now you might wonder, at least I do, what’s the point of having disciples make the great catch of fish if you’re already miraculously having fish and bread cooking on the beach? At least I assume Jesus had the fish and bread on the beach as a miracle because we’ve never known Jesus to fish or bake bread. Well what we see here are two signs he produced in the past to let them know it is he. The first sign is the catching of fish. Jesus had done this in the past when we first called Peter, James and John. Having caught the fish, John immediately realizes it is Jesus. It can only be the Lord who could produce that many fish, at that time, in that place.
The second one was in John chapter six when Jesus had multiplied the fish and the bread. Jesus had once fed 5000 men and another time 4000. So producing a few fish and some bread cooking on the shore was small potatoes. Jesus wanted his disciples to recognize him. Sometimes in the post resurrection accounts it shows Jesus purposely hiding his identity to his disciples. Other times like this time, it appears his appearance has changed from when he walked as a mortal among us. Perhaps it is because during the course of his life we was taking our sins upon himself, in his flesh, as well as all our infirmities that caused him to look just like us until he took them upon the cross and the grave, that he looked one way up to that point. Now that our sins, infirmities and death has been left upon the cross and the grave he looks as if he had no effects of sin upon his flesh, excepting the scars of the crucifixion that we may recognize him, that he looks so different now.
Therein is good news for us. If our sins, infirmities and death are still upon the cross and the grave of Jesus, then we too, when we are raised from the dead will no longer have them in our flesh. For Paul reminds us that we are raised immortal, imperishable and glorious being like Jesus in our resurrection.
Now the disciples knew it was the Lord. It was the third time he had appeared to them. They knew him by these signs. We too will recognize the Lord Jesus Christ when we see him. We will recognize him by the scars in his hands, feet and side. We will recognize him by what he does for us. Even know we know Jesus through the cross and the revelation of his will toward us which is his love, life and salvation he has given to us even now.
Heavenly Father, grant that we may know and recognize Jesus as the Lord through his suffering, death and resurrection, that as we suffer now with him, we will be raise in glory with him as his reappearing. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.