Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.  This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

John 21:1-14

After three years of walking and talking with Jesus and witnessing His miracles, how do the disciples not recognize Him? It’s not until He performs a miracle that the disciples understand who He is. However, the disciples would have never known that it was Jesus unless they had done what He had asked.

Over the course of their journey with Christ, the disciples developed a habit of obedience that keeps them positioned to receive divine revelation. In order for us to stay in position for God to maximize our lives, we can’t just be obedient one time.

Just like the disciples, we need to learn to regularly practice obedience. This is because some of what God provides for us will not be immediate. Just like Peter had to go out of his way to cast his nets on the other side of the boat, we might also have to go out of our way in obedience to receive what God has for us.

Even in his confusion, Peter chose to obey. Like Peter, we need to stay with it. When we know what is right, we need to keep on nurturing it, and we need to stay anchored in radical obedience.

When we stay in radical obedience, we gain the reward of eating with Christ. We receive His care and love for us and His provision. Jesus appeared to the disciples to lift them out of their disappointment and to provide them unspeakable joy, which was so great that Peter couldn’t wait for the boat to get to shore.

Jesus doesn’t criticize, judge, or correct the disciples for not recognizing Him. Instead, He accepts the disciples and cooks and provides a meal. Jesus is so invested in your spiritual life, that He takes time to catch some fish for you, grill it, and eat with you.