John 21:12-14

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.  Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.  This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

In paradise (the Garden of Eden) man’s knowledge was self-consciously analogical.  Adam, we recall, named the animals according to their nature, which is to say that he named them in accordance to their place in God’s plan.  In other words, we see that before the fall man’s mind was working as it should in that it sought truth about reality through the classification of particular facts into the plan of God.  Sin, however, seeks to use man’s own mind as the ultimate reference point for truth.  The mind that’s set on the flesh is hostile to God because it seeks to have knowledge on its own terms, according to its own standards.  Sin always insists upon the unnatural act of interpreting events and facts without reference to God.  

In light of that we read that the disciples recognized Jesus.  We note that sometimes they didn’t recognize Him right away, such as when Mary confused Him with the gardener.  We do well to avoid looking for obscure or “hyper-spiritual” interpretations because the obvious truth is that unless God reveals Himself to us we won’t see Him.  Man is dead in his trespasses and sins precisely because he seeks ultimacy.  It’s his default setting and this truth must be reckoned with or else it will stunt one’s growth, even possibly make shipwreck of our faith.  We must not approach Scripture upon the premise of sin.  

Our Lord comes to the disciples once again, this third time.  In Luke 12:37, Jesus says, “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when He comes.  Truly, I say to you, He will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and He will comes and serve them.”  Isn’t this a foreshadowing of that great day and time when all sin and death is a memory and Christ Jesus reigns openly and over all heaven and earth?  Do you wonder what it will be like?  Do you think of what it means to be in the presence of the Lord?  Well, look here because He comes to the disciples who were busy doing their work – they were fishing, albeit in futility.  When you’re in the Lord all your work is spiritual work so far as you dedicate it to Him (Romans 12:1-2; Colossians 3:17).  In this way, you’re “dressed for action” (Luke 12:35).  The Christian life is the life of the mind committed to “leaning not on our own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5) but in regarding His Word as preeminent in all our reasoning.  This is what it means to stay dressed for action.  The disciples had been fishing through the night, which was the work at hand.  Some today might go to their office, their place of work, or school, or whatever else it is they are given to do.  Have no confusion in your life over whether this is spiritual work or not.  This is God’s world and those are His fish, His lake, and His bread.  There’s a stubborn clericalism alive in the church today that makes us think that spiritual work is done only on Sunday and by those who are “professional” Christians.  No.  Sunday is when the saints meet on the Lord’s Day to worship.  But the rest of the week is the Lord’s too.  Monday is His.  Tuesday is His.  It’s all His.  That’s the point of His resurrection, after all.  

“By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:3-4)”. This passage is wonderfully trinitarian, showing the amazing work and unity of the whole Godhead.  The Father sent the Son for the purpose of redemption, so that the law would be fulfilled in us through faith.  Our sin was counted to Christ, hence the cross and His sacrifice was accepted by the Father who raised Jesus from the dead.  And now we have new life breathed into our hearts by the Spirit, in whom we now walk.  The Spirit testifies of the righteousness of Christ which is now ours through faith.  

This is the gospel in a nutshell.  All of the Word of God, every line and every chapter, points us to the marvelous reality that we are now children of God, not wrath.  The dark specter of judgment and death no longer lurks above our heads like a sharpened ax ready to fall.  Instead, most gloriously, we’re heirs of God with Christ.  This is the state in which we now stand and it’s how we should see and study this or any passage of Christian.  The goal of every line, it must be known, is to show the necessity and work of Christ on behalf of sinners.  The disciples recognized Him, just as we recognize His voice today, because the Spirit himself testifies to us that we actually children of God.  He does this by pointing us to Christ and His finished work.  

There are many churches and pastors these days that want to preach all unity and love but not talk about sin.  But it’s talk of sin that necessitates a mediator between us and God, and that mediator is Jesus Christ.  No man may dare speak of Christ as all love, love, love unless he talks first of the cross.  If he does such a thing, if he dares to tempt the Lord by preaching peace without the cross then he’s a fool and a liar.  We often speak of love today as if it’s our very own attribute instead of God’s and then we add to our guilt by having the pomposity and wickedness to say that talk of sin is hateful.  In fact, it’s the other way around.  To talk of sin is to talk of Christ (John 16:8).  The two are inextricably linked in Scripture.  We cannot expect to have this meal with him on our terms.  It’s only on the basis of trust in God that we can expect to hear Him say, perhaps as soon as we enter paradise anew, “Come and have breakfast.”  

The freedom of the Christian life is the freedom from sin and all its terrible curses.  There is, therefore, now no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).  If we refuse this we will hear instead, “Come and step before My throne to receive your judgment!  Come and have every single sin you’ve thought was hidden and forgotten exposed completely.  Come.  You cannot escape.  You must and will come to be judged.  And every idle word, every thought, and every action will be brought to the light.  You will give an account because I am God and you’ve lived your life taking My great kindnesses for granted, never thanking Me or even acknowledging me.  Come, for I have stored up wrath for you instead of mercy and love.”

But for those who come to Him in faith He says, “Come and have breakfast.”  He will have you rest and recline while He serves.  Frankly, I wouldn’t dare say such a thing – God waiting on us sinners!  It’s a crazed and wild thing to even suggest but Jesus himself said it (Luke 12:37).  

This is the God we serve.  He isn’t some aloof and taciturn magistrate who might find you not guilty of a crime and then send you on your way.  On the contrary, Jesus Christ paid that penalty you deserved for crimes (sin) you did absolutely commit.  But that’s not all.  He doesn’t stop there.  God actually imputes the righteousness of Christ to us so that we stand before Him holy and blameless and then He stoops down to do that most incredible thing – fellowship with us over a meal that He prepares.  

There’s nothing like the Lord.  Why would anyone – why would you – neglect so great a salvation?