It Is the Lord! – John 21
“Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.” — John 21:7
It was a confusing time for the disciples. Much had happened in a short amount of time about which they were struggling to make sense. One of their most trusted members had betrayed the Lord. Their master had been taken, crucified, buried, and now His body was missing, with reports of a resurrection. Their natural leader, Peter, had caved under pressure and denied the Lord three times.
They were uncertain about what God’s plan was and what would happen next. So, they went back to what was familiar – fishing. But, even that didn’t work out very well for them. After an entire night of fishing, they came up with nothing. The next morning, in the fog of recent events, a man called out to them from the shore.
He asked if they had caught anything. They answered, “No,” and He instructed them to cast on the right side. When they did, the catch was so large they could not draw it in. John immediately connected this event with a previous event and said, “It is the Lord.”
John showed a ready perception of spiritual things. He was the first to believe in the resurrection (John 20:8), and now he is the first to recognise the Lord.
His example is one we should desire to follow as well. We need to be looking and listening and watching for the Lord. We need spiritually to identify where and how the Lord is working and teaching us. Where can we see Him at work? What is He trying to show us? Where can we see His words coming true in our lives?
How perceptive are we of the Lord Jesus at work in our lives? Or are we quite dim and slow to see how He is working in our lives and for His glory?