David Bahn – Reflections – Page 93 – Light from the Word and through the lens

What if…?

May 11, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

John 21:15-24

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

²⁰Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²²Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” ²³So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

²⁴This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

²⁵Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Tulips | London, England | April 2023

Years ago I served on the Board of Directors for The Lutheran Church Extension Fund. It was quite an experience. LCEF as it is known is a sort of credit union for churches. People deposit money in an LCEF account and receive a good rate of interest on their savings. Then LCEF loans those funds out to churches for new buildings, major repairs, and other capital items. One of the things I learned by serving on that board was how little changes in interest rates can impact the funds and required capital reserves balances. To monitor that they ran stress tests. These were major “what if” scenarios to prepare for future changes.

We might do that on a much smaller basis. What if we buy a cheaper car? What if we go on an expensive vacation? What if we send our kids to a private school? What if it rains tomorrow? All these are plans we can manage to some degree. There will always be last minute adjustments and challenges. But to some degree our what-if planning can prepare us for those eventualities.

Peter wonders about a far-more significant what if in his encounter with Jesus.

When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²²Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” ²³So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

Well…when you put it that way, I guess nothing. But I do kind of wonder why he gets different treatment than I do. And it would be really cool to be around when you return. I can imagine Peter thinking those things. Or at least I might think something like that. But Jesus challenges all of that. He simply indicates that it is not Peter’s prerogative to determine when and who, what and where. That’s God’s call. And Jesus – God in the flesh, and now fully glorified will have the last say in all this.

And there is still more: John (the one to whom Peter has pointed, and who may or may not die before Jesus returns at this point) has a final word for us. He has already declared his intent for writing this biography of Jesus. “These things were written,” he writes, “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31) Now he declares that this testimony is a reliable eyewitness account. He didn’t write all that Jesus did; the world couldn’t contain all the books that would be written if that were to be attempted. Jesus did a lot. A whole lot. Maybe you have something to say about that. Perhaps a testimony you wish to write.

I’ll share mine tomorrow.
Three Times Three Times Two

May 10, 2023
David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

John 21:15-24

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

²⁰Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²²Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” ²³So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

²⁴This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

²⁵Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Mossy Limb | London, England | April 2023

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on both of us??? How’s this: If something is in the Bible it is true. If it is found two places in the Bible, it is certainly true. If it is in the Bible three times, it is most certainly true. With this in mind I can think of several things that are most certainly true:
- Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection (recorded in four Gospel accounts as well as referred to numerous times throughout the New Testament.
- Marriage is another thing, specifically the words, “…a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.” That specific phrase is found in Genesis, Matthew, and Ephesians.
- The command of Jesus to love one another, especially in John, but also in Romans, 1 Thessalonians, 1 Peter and 1 John.
- The Great Commission in its various forms in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts.
- Jesus’ promises to hear and answer prayer throughout the Gospels.
On this occasion, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” I believe this is because he wants Peter to think deeply about the question. This is not a throw-away question. Jesus wants to offer Peter the opportunity to consider the question from different three different angles.
1. Does Peter love Jesus more than he fears those who confronted him the night of Jesus’ arrest? Peter denied Jesus three times that night.
2. Does Peter love Jesus more than he loves fishing or fish, or hanging out with his buddies?
3. Does Peter love Jesus enough to follow Jesus wherever he leads?
Certainly by the third time Jesus asks the question Peter catches on: this is not a throw away question. He needs to consider whether he loves Jesus and what that means.

So do we. Do we love Jesus? What is his word to us who say, “Yes”? I think it’s the same as to Peter, “Follow me.”
More than these?

May 9, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

John 21:15-24

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

²⁰Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²²Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” ²³So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

²⁴This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

²⁵Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Lily Magnolia-II | London, England | April 2023

I won a third place trophy in the Punt Pass and Kick competition many years ago. It was one of the only trophies I’ve ever won. But even that isn’t the whole story. There were only four people in my category. I came in third out of four. And I suspect I may have won by only a yard. Or maybe only a foot. Or an inch?!? So I’m not inclined to offer myself as one who is better than others in most every venue.

But I’m surely better than Peter in this regard. He had boasted about his dedication to Jesus even in the face of Jesus’ challenging prophecy: “You will all fall away on account of me” (Matthew 26:31). Peter responds, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away” (Matthew 26:33). In other words Peter says he loves Jesus more fully and is more dedicated than the other 11 apostles.

So Jesus asks, “Do you love me more than these?” Is he talking about Peter’s hubris and claim that everyone else than him would fail Jesus, but he would not. Is Jesus asking, “Do you love me more than these other disciples?” A challenging question if it is so. It is also a legitimate reminder of the danger of comparing ourselves with others. We might be called on it. After all, Peter not only fell away, he denied three times that he knew Christ.

But Peter doesn’t seem to get it. His answers to Jesus each time is simply to claim that he does love Jesus. He doesn’t seem to catch the implications of Jesus’ questions. There must be something here for Jesus won’t accept Peter’s first answer. Three times Jesus asks Peter whether he loves him.

So you might skate by on the matter of comparison with others’ love. You might be able to admit that there are many who love Jesus more than you do.

But there is also another possible reference to the “these” of Jesus’ question. We might paraphrase Jesus’ question this way, “Do you love me more than these fish?” It might not be a matter of comparison with others’ love. It might be a question about recognizing Jesus as the most valuable, most precious, purest, and highest good in all of life, and loving him more than gold, silver, fame, fortune, or any other worldly treasure.

But the question at hand, in the end, isn’t about how much more we love Jesus than others do, or than the things of this world. It’s about whether or not we love Jesus. Period. To that we must answer, “Yes. But not perfectly. Not consistently. Not sufficiently. But that’s when Jesus’ love for us becomes evermore precious. And that engenders our love for him.

That’s why I love Jesus. He loves me. And you. His love is perfect and perpetual, steadfast and sacrificial. So, yes, Jesus, I love you because you loved me first and gave your life for me and sacrificed yourself for me and all who do not love you as we ought, but trust your promises. That’s the source of the true love for Jesus!
Questions Jesus Asks

May 8, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

John 21:15-24

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

²⁰Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²²Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” ²³So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

²⁴This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

²⁵Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Lily Magnolia | London, England | April 2023

I’ve overcome it, but for years I had difficulty saying that I loved God. I didn’t hate God. But to say I loved him seemed presumptuous. For if I loved God surely I would obey him. I would put him truly first in my life. I would be a saint. I didn’t want to presume to say that I did all those things. I knew all too well that I was a sinner. I didn’t think I could claim to love God truly. I fell far too short in that regard.

Since then, however, I’ve embraced the idea more fully. In fact there came a time when I was facing some large challenges in life and ministry that I declared my love for God unashamedly. Lord, Thee I Love With All My Heartbecame my favorite hymn. Many a morning I would go to the sanctuary and sing that hymn, with the the thought of Martin Luther, “He who sings prays twice.”

Speaking of Luther, he once said, “Love God?!? I hated him!” He struggled so much with his sinful nature, God’s justice, and the conundrum: Is God just? Yes. Does he punish sin? Yes. Am I a sinner? Yes. Must he punish me? Yes. His wise confessor turned him to scripture where Luther discovered the beautiful truth that “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17). He learned more fully of God’s love for him and all people and his grace in forgiving and saving us for the sake of Jesus, and not for anything we have done.

God’s love for us inspires our love for him. Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” We’ll deal with the “more than these” tomorrow. But let’s just consider Jesus’ question, “Do you love me?” Peter boldly says, “Yes Lord, you know I love you.” Three times Jesus asks. Three times Peter affirms his love for Jesus.

I believe there is a fine line between being quick to claim that we love Jesus and failing to confess our love for him altogether. It’s not a simple question. It’s one we should ponder deeply. Do I love Jesus? Why would I say that? Is there any evidence of that love in my life? What does it mean to love Jesus?

My answer to these questions is summed up in the answer to the final question. To love Jesus is to desire his presence, guidance, mercy, grace, truth, love, favor, and blessing above all things. It means that I recognize that Jesus and all he is and all he wants from me is my highest good. It means I deeply need and joyfully acknowledge his love for me, a lost and condemned sinner apart from his mercy and salvation.

Do you love me? Jesus asks. Yes. Not as fully as I ought. Not perfectly. But I do love you more than… (How will you fill in that blank?)

Lord, Thee I Love With All My Heart

1 Lord, thee I love with all my heart;
I pray thee, ne’er from me depart,
with tender mercy cheer me.
Earth has no pleasure I would share;
yea, heav’n itself were void and bare
if thou, Lord, wert not near me.
And should my heart for sorrow break,
my trust in thee can nothing shake.
Thou art the portion I have sought;
thy precious blood my soul has bought.
Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,
forsake me not! I trust thy word.

2 Yea, Lord, ’twas thy rich bounty gave
my body, soul, and all I have
in this poor life of labor.
Lord, grant that I in ev’ry place
may glorify thy lavish grace
and help and serve my neighbor.
Let no false doctrine me beguile;
let Satan not my soul defile.
Give strength and patience unto me
to bear my cross and follow thee.
Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,
in death thy comfort still afford.

3 Lord, let at last thine angels come,
to Abr’ham’s bosom bear me home
that I may die unfearing;
and in its narrow chamber keep
my body safe in peaceful sleep
until thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me
that these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, thy glorious face,
my Savior and my fount of grace.
Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend,
and I will praise thee without end.

Public Domain
Today’s Psalms for May 7, 2023

May 7, 2023

Join me in praying these psalms on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 7:11

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,
    and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

Psalm 37:3-6

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.^[b]
⁴Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
⁶He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.

Psalm 67

May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
²that your way may be known on earth,
    your saving power among all nations.
³Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!

⁴Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you judge the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
⁵Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!

⁶The earth has yielded its increase;
    God, our God, shall bless us.
⁷God shall bless us;
    let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Psalm 97:1, 6-7

The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;
    let the many coastlands be glad!

⁶The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all the peoples see his glory.
⁷All worshipers of images are put to shame,
    who make their boast in worthless idols;
    worship him, all you gods!

Psalm 127

Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the watchman stays awake in vain.
²It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
    for he gives to his beloved sleep.

³Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
    the fruit of the womb a reward.
⁴Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
    are the children^[a] of one’s youth.
⁵Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

NLT: Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
A Different Kind of Communion

May 5, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

John 21:1-14

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. ²Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. ³Simon 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.

⁴Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶He said to them, “Cast the net on 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 of the quantity of fish. ⁷That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. ⁸The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

⁹When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. ¹⁰Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹So 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. ¹²Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. ¹⁴This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Spanish Bluebell-II | London, England | April 2023

My high school best friend first opened my eyes to the importance and blessings of the Lord’s Supper. We talked about it one night as we sat in his car outside the Lutheran Campus Center. He asked me what I thought about the bread and wine in Holy Communion. I told him that they symbolized Jesus’ body and blood. He kindly and firmly corrected me. “Jesus didn’t say, ‘This symbolizes my body,’ he said, ‘this is my body.’” I hadn’t really thought about it much before and I was willing to take Jesus at his word. I simply believed that what Jesus said was true. When we receive the bread and wine of the Sacrament of the Altar, we receive the body and blood in, with, and under that bread and wine. It’s a mystery. Don’t try to explain it. Just believe it. Jesus wants us to have him in our being. He wants to be present with us in very real ways. What a blessing this is for us today.

When Jesus called his disciples to bring him some fish, and then gave that which they brought to him back to them, it was a different but very real communion. Not the body and blood of Jesus. He was already there. But a communion of a different sort.

The word communion means to hold in common, to be united with. Com: With. Union: One. When we commune we hold Jesus body and blood in common with one another. We remember his death. We celebrate his love. We repent and kneel, and hold in common God’s love, grace, forgiveness, and presence.

If I put myself in the company of those disciple on the beach that day, I sense a celebration of mutual love, grace, hope, joy, and true gladness. Jesus is alive. He wants his followers to be very certain that it is indeed he, that he is not a ghost, and that his presence is a very good thing. This is the very best kind of communion. Jesus is immediately present. He doesn’t have to come to them through other means.

As they enjoy this time of fellowship and food, it is also a foretaste of an eternal feast that will never end. This day will have come and gone. The meal will be remembered and even reported to us centuries later through John’s witness. This third time Jesus appears is the last John will record. But one day he will appear for all to see. And he will take us to be with him in his heavenly banquet hall. And we will feast and commune like never before. And we will be deeply satisfied.
Those Pesky Questions!

May 4, 2023
David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

John 21:1-14

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. ²Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. ³Simon 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.

⁴Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶He said to them, “Cast the net on 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 of the quantity of fish. ⁷That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. ⁸The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

⁹When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. ¹⁰Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹So 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. ¹²Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. ¹⁴This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Spanish Bluebell | London, England | April 2023
How do you feel about questions? Like ’em? Make you nervous? Put you on the defensive? Make you think? Jesus asks lots of questions. In fact Zach Zehnder authored a blog post on the subject, listing 305 questions Jesus asked. Zach observed…

Where would you put this question, “Children, do you have any fish?”? Perhaps a bit curious. Not really open-ended; the answer was a simple yes or no. Challenging? You decide. But as is often the case with God, Jesus knew the answer to the question he asked even before he asked it. It wasn’t for his information. It was an opportunity for the disciples to acknowledge their lack of success in fishing all night. It was an opportunity to admit failure.

Many years ago I attended an Alcoholics Anonymous Open Meeting. The men around the table that night, one after another, introduced themselves, “My name is Joe and I’m an alcoholic.” A brutal admission of their failure to be able to control themselves in the area of drinking alcohol. That is the first step toward recovery: we admit we have a problem.

In the case of the disciples’ failure to catch any fish that night, Jesus’ question seems like more of an invitation than a challenge. But it is an invitation to admit their failure and lack of resources. And it became an opportunity for Jesus to show his gracious provisional power. Who would have thought it? So now, the questions I posed more than two weeks ago seem ever so appropriate.
1. Why did Jesus appear at this time to these people?
2. What was the impact in their lives?
3. What do I learn from these accounts?
4. What am I going to do about it?
Are you willing to ask these questions of yourself?
What’s so important about eating fish?

May 3, 2023
David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

John 21:1-14

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. ²Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. ³Simon 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.

⁴Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶He said to them, “Cast the net on 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 of the quantity of fish. ⁷That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. ⁸The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

⁹When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. ¹⁰Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹So 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. ¹²Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. ¹⁴This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Wild Daffodils | London, England | April 2023

My 5th grade classmate had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch every Friday. He sighed about this one day, “peanut butter again. But I hate fish.” He was from a Roman Catholic family who observed the practice of not eating meat on Friday. And since he hated fish it was peanut butter and jelly for him.

We would go to Al’s on Fridays when I worked in a furniture store. They had great fried fish. And we loved fried fish. Today it’s grilled salmon. It’s a go-to favorite for Diane and me.

The fact that a fish breakfast made it into the Bible interests me. John makes a point of Jesus providing fish for his disciples here. But I don’t think it is a matter of religions observations or traditions of not eating meat on Fridays. Luke also records Jesus eating fish on another occasion:

As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” ³⁷But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. ³⁸And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” ⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³and he took it and ate before them.

This fish-eating (or rather the recording of it) is meant to show that Jesus is not an apparition. He’s not a ghost. He is real. He has a real body. Thomas can touch his hands and side. Jesus can eat fish.

I don’t think it is a matter of Jesus’ disciples being more gullible or ready to believe in ghosts than we are today. Even though there are mysterious happenings like UFOs, we tend to get to the bottom of things like that. We’ll not easily be fooled. I don’t think the disciples would have been any different. Humans have invented ways of deceiving others since the fall into sin. Jacob tricked his father into thinking he was Esau so he could steal his brother’s birthright and blessing. Out of fear of Achish king of Gath, David pretended to be insane in order to avoid the king’s punishment (1 Samuel 21).

God must want us to know that Jesus’ resurrection was real and not a slick trick. With this in mind, perhaps Isaiah’s vision is more real than allegorical:

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
    of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
⁷And he will swallow up on this mountain
    the covering that is cast over all peoples,
    the veil that is spread over all nations.
⁸    He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
    and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
    for the Lord has spoken.
⁹It will be said on that day,
    “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
    This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
    let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” – Isaiah 25:6-9
Jesus’ resurrection, God’s promises, heaven’s hope, and our future joy in the life of the world to come is as real as the fish the disciples caught and Jesus enjoyed with them that day.

Once Again…
1. Why did he appear at this time to these people?
2. What was the impact in their lives?
3. What do I learn from these accounts?
4. What am I going to do about it?
Counting the Fish

May 2, 2023
David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

John 21:1-14

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. ²Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. ³Simon 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.

⁴Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶He said to them, “Cast the net on 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 of the quantity of fish. ⁷That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. ⁸The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards^[a] off.

⁹When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. ¹⁰Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹So 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. ¹²Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. ¹⁴This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Daffodils | London, England | April 2023

153 is a curious number. There is actually a lengthy article in Wikipedia about the number! Here’s part of that article:

The number 153 is associated with the geometric shape known as the Vesica Piscis or Mandorla. Archimedes, in his Measurement of a Circle, referred to this ratio (153/265), as constituting the “measure of the fish”, this ratio being an imperfect representation of $1/{\sqrt {3}}\approx 0.57735$ .

As a triangular number, 153 is the sum of the first 17 integers, and is also the sum of the first five positive factorials: $1!+2!+3!+4!+5!$ .^[1]

The number 153 is also a hexagonal number, and a truncated triangle number, meaning that 1, 15, and 153 are all triangle numbers.

The distinct prime factors of 153 add up to 20, and so do the ones of 154, hence the two form a Ruth-Aaron pair.

Since $153=1^{3}+5^{3}+3^{3}$ , it is a 3-narcissistic number, and it is also the smallest three-digit number which can be expressed as the sum of cubes of its digits.^[2] Only five other numbers can be expressed as the sum of the cubes of their digits: 0, 1, 370, 371 and 407.^[3] It is also a Friedman number, since 153 = 3 × 51.

Who knew! But that’s not all. Biblical scholars have conjectured its significance from early on. Even Wikipedia reports:

The precision of the number of fish in this narrative has long been considered peculiar, and many scholars have argued that 153 has some deeper significance. Jerome, for example, wrote that Oppian‘s Halieutica listed 153 species of fish, although this could not have been the intended meaning of the Gospel writer because Oppian composed Halieutica after the Gospel text was written, and at any rate never gave a list of fish species that clearly adds up to 153.^[8]^[9]

I would never wish to argue with Jerome, the fourth century priest, scholar and church leader. But I have a different opinion in regard to this number. I believe it’s simply an accounting of the large haul of fish. I see the disciples marveling at the catch of fish that is so large that they cannot haul it into the boat. I see them shaking their heads in disbelief, wondering how it was possible (other than the fact that Jesus was the author of the catch). Then one of them gets the idea, “Let’s count them! Let’s see how many fish are actually in this net!” So they take about the task of counting the fish.

“153!” They cry, “There are 153 fish here! Can you believe it?” They marvel, wonder, and revel in this moment of gracious abundance. Jesus shows up and so does a haul of 153 fish. Can’t get any better than this!

My numbers are different, but no less worthy of wonder. $4.17. That’s all the money we had to our name at one point in our early married years. We were at the seminary and I knew we would have to do something. So I took out a $1000 student loan. Nothing particularly amazing about that, except that because Jesus moved the hearts of many people over the years, we ended our seminary years with a total of $1000 in debt. That $1000 loan was all we had to take out to make it through the entire 4 years.

Maybe you have some wonderment-worthy numbers of your own. Perhaps you’ve seen Jesus show up and bring resources you had no idea of until he made himself known. That relief may come tomorrow. Who knows? And if it does, take a moment to count the fish and praise God for his gracious provision.
Once Again…
1. Why did he appear at this time to these people?
2. What was the impact in their lives?
3. What do I learn from these accounts?
4. What am I going to do about it?
Jesus Appears to his Disciples at the Sea of Galilee

May 1, 2023
David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

John 21:1-14

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. ²Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. ³Simon 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.

⁴Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶He said to them, “Cast the net on 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 of the quantity of fish. ⁷That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. ⁸The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards^[a] off.

⁹When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. ¹⁰Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹So 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. ¹²Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. ¹⁴This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Blooms of Spring | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023
I love this account of Jesus’ appearing to his disciples at the sea of Galilee. There are so many things that catch my attention. What’s up with the 153 fish? Why count them? Is there a message in the actual number 153? Why does Peter put on his cloak and jump into the sea? And Jesus’ three times questioning of Peter is a wonderful probing opportunity.

Let’s start, however, with the fact that Jesus shows up (again) after his resurrection, and offers convincing proof that he is actually alive. He’s no ghost. He’s not a figment of their imagination. He’s real, alive, and present. What’s more, he will intrude in the most impactful times.

I get the picture that Peter and the disciples were almost bored. Listless. Purposeless. Nothing else to do. So they go fishing. But they’re not successful. In fact they fish all night without catching anything. And when Jesus shows up he nearly embarrasses them, asking, “Do you have any fish?” I think he knew they didn’t. I’m wondering whether God set this up so that they would be thwarted in their efforts. Until he comes into the picture.

Jesus changes everything. He directs them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. And sure enough there is a great haul of fish – so many that they cannot haul in the catch. Then suddenly they are made to realize it’s Jesus.

I wonder how many times I’ve struggled with no apparent success only to have Jesus show up and bring a degree of success I could never imagine. I wonder if God has not engineered some things in my life so that I did not succeed until I recognized Jesus’ presence and went his way. I do believe Jesus wants to show himself to us because of his love for us. He doesn’t come to chide. He comes to bless.

Once Again…
1. Why did he appear at this time to these people?
2. What was the impact in their lives?
3. What do I learn from these accounts?
4. What am I going to do about it?