Wednesday, April 22, 2026
John 21:1-14
Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples
21 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon 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.
4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net to 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 there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he had taken it off, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them, and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Devotional
My parents are both semi-retired, and now they spend about four months a year living on Lake Erie. If the weather cooperates, they’re out on the water chasing walleyes—and most of the time, they’re successful. I can’t even tell you how much fish they’ve sent home with me over the past three years.
It didn’t start that way, though. When they first moved out there, they routinely got skunked. They couldn’t find a single walleye! Plenty of perch—but that’s a different devotional. So they did what they often do when fishing unfamiliar waters: they hired a professional guide. Over the course of eight hours with him, they caught more big walleyes than they had in two full weeks on their own. While they were with him, they learned where to go, what depths to fish, and what equipment to use. Today, thanks to that guide, my folks are a well‑oiled fishing machine.
The disciples were busy getting skunked on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus found them. They couldn’t buy a fish—until Jesus invited them to cast their nets in a different spot. But this passage isn’t really about fishing techniques. In a deeper sense, it’s about the places we cast our nets for meaning, purpose, and identity—places that so often leave us empty‑handed.
We hope our careers, accomplishments, possessions, or even our youth will satisfy us for the long haul. But they rarely do. Jesus invites the disciples—and us—to throw our nets into the deeper waters of faith. We may not pull up fish, but what we will find is living water. An imperishable identity. Unending love. A purpose no season of life can take from us.
Those gifts ensure that, with Jesus, we never go home empty‑handed.
– Pr. Jason
Let us pray: God, thank you for showing me where to put my net and for filling it with your love, meaning, and purpose. Amen.
