Back in Galilee

Before you start today's devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Read John 20:19-21.

What do you do when you’re afraid? The disciples hid behind locked doors. But that didn’t stop Jesus from coming through them in His glorified body. He showed them His hands and His side to convince them it was Him, and they were glad. There was a strange similarity of Jesus’ glorified body to the one that had been nailed to the cross. The scars were there, a reminder throughout eternity of what He bore for us so that we can be presented without spot or blemish before Him.

But not all the disciples were in the upper room that day. Thomas was missing. When the disciples told him that Jesus had come to them, Thomas didn’t believe them. So, eight days later, our Lord appeared again in a locked room and addressed Thomas’ doubts directly. “Touch my scars; put your hand in my side . . . believe” (see 20:27). Thomas simply said, “My Lord and my God” (20:28)—one of the great confessions of faith in the Bible.

Thomas had to see it to believe it. Jesus then said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (20:29). This is a special blessing on us today who believe the evidence of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Is that you?

Read John 20:30, 31.

John, an eyewitness to Jesus’ life, said the Lord did many other signs not recorded. But what is written is so that we might believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. But we’re not done yet. John 21 is a beautiful epilogue with three more stories, all taking place around the Sea of Galilee, Jesus’ home territory.

Read John 21:1-12.

The angel at the empty tomb told the disciples to wait for Jesus in Galilee. So they did. It was spring in Galilee. Warm zephyrs from the south made ripples near the shore, there were whitecaps out on the Sea of Galilee, the surrounding hills were green, and there were wild flowers in profusion.

While they waited for Jesus, they fished all night . . . yet they caught nothing. That night a failure was in the plan and purpose of God. In the morning, Jesus stood on the shore and shouted to them in the boat, “Lads, did you catch anything? Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some” (see 21:5, 6). And they caught so many fish that they couldn’t draw in the net. John then knew it was the Lord. Peter just threw himself into the water to get to Jesus.

Jesus said, “Come and eat breakfast” (21:12). He had a meal fixed for them on the shore. What a wonderful reunion it must have been, there in the place where they spent so much of their lives together. He’s the Lord of their hearts now, and they are going to serve Him.

Read John 21:14-17.

After breakfast, the Lord Jesus turns His attention to Simon Peter. He calls this faltering, failing, fumbling disciple to service. Three times our Lord interrogates him—one time for each of Peter’s denials. Three questions, three affirmations, three exhortations. Jesus was teaching him the secret of service—it’s loving Him more than anything else! Unless He’s Lord of all, He’s not Lord at all.

Read John 21:18-25.

To end our glorious study in the book of John, we could only wish to know the many other things Jesus did that would fill up the books of the world. That’s not an exaggeration! The One we’re talking about not only died upon the cross, rose again from the dead, but, my friend, He is God the Creator. The world couldn’t hold the books of all He’s done.

Oh, that we might press on to know Him and the power of His resurrection!

1. What does Thomas’ confession of “My Lord and my God” when he sees the resurrected Jesus teach us about following Christ?

2. All through the Gospel of John we’ve seen Jesus controlling every detail to bring about what He desires. What do you think He wanted the disciples’ experience on the Sea of Galilee to teach them (and us)?

3. What does Peter’s restoration tell us about human failure and God’s grace?