Nelson Bradford
16th April 2006, 06:27 AM (06:27)
Some of my greatest memories go back to those days when I’d call my wife at work and ask her to bring home some fresh veggies - corn, tomatoes, squash - for I was headed for my favorite fishing hole and would bring home a pail full of fish. The plan was to have fresh fish and veggies for dinner. And we did. Multiple times. Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious!
It almost makes my mouth water, just remembering those times/days/meals, even at this hour of the morning.
With that as a background, let’s look at John, Chapter 20, shall we?
a) Jesus had been crucified
b) Mary Magdalene discovered the stone had been rolled away
c) Peter and John had a 100 yard dash to the tomb and John won - turned and said, "nanny- nanny-boo-boo" to Peter, who made a silly excuse - he'd left his running shoes at home.
d) Jesus the Risen Lord appeared to Mary, then the ten disciples, then Thomas and finally to Simon Peter - and I’m ahead of my story per usual. BTW, my great-great-grandfather’s name, on my mother’s side, was Simon Peter Hurn, It’s true!
e) the reason that John wrote this Gospel - “that people may believe and that through believing have life in His name” - is the final verse of Chapter 20. I LOVE that verse, don’t you?
Okay class, please open your Bibles to John, Chapter 21 - verse 1 reads (in part)
“Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias.”
They tell us that the Sea of Tiberias was formerly called the Sea of Galilee - I like saying that word don't you? Galilee. Feels good just rolling off your tongue. Say it again. Gaaaaaaaaaalileeeeeeeeee.
But it’s name was changed from Galilee to Tiberias - to honor the head honcho of the Roman Empire. Of course, his closest of friends called him “Ti.”
H. H. Ti. = Head Honcho Tiberias.
Hey! That’s better than Stubby, right?
We name things for people all the time. Like Martin Luther King School or Highway.
John F. Kennedy Airport or Library.
Al Kaline Batteries.
Didja get that? How I led you along there for a minute - talking about serious issues and then threw in that clever bit about Al Kaline - former right fielder for the Deeeeeeeetroit Tigers?
Never mind.
Verse two - check this, please - - -
“. . . Thomas (called Didymus),”
Question: Why in the WORLD would anyone named Thomas be called Didymus? Tom? Yes. Tommy? Sure. Tow-maas, even? Yup. But DIDYMUS? Who ever came up with that one?
I wonder how many older brothers his momma musta had to hang that on that poor kid.
7th Grade Boy: “Hi, newcomer to Junior High School. My name is Ralph, but you can call me Bubba, cuz that’s my nickname.”
New 7th Grade Boy: “Thank you. My name is Thomas, but you can call me Didymus, cuz that’s my other name.”
Ralph/Bubba: “You have GOT to be kidding me! Come here to me this instant, Didymus, cuz I’m going to beat your face in!”
Now I mentioned at the very beginning that ever so often I’d take my little boat and head out fishing. What I failed to mention was that I had scriptural support for that, thank God! Note verse 3, please.
"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.
Those friends of Peter? They broke Fishing Rule #1 and I am not at all surprised that they caught nothing.
Fishing - unlike golf - is a very high and holy calling. NO ONE in their right mind would ever say, “We’re going with you” without an invitation from the #1 lead fisheee. If S.P. = Simon Peter had invited them? Sure.
However, ever so often, a true fisherman needs to be alone. And I bet this just might have been one of those times for S.P.
He NEEDED to get away - to gather his thoughts - Jesus, his Lord and very best friend had been crucified. After all he’d given up his fishing business to follow Him and now Jesus was dead. Or so he thought.
The scene shifts. Catch this please.
It’s real early in the a of the m.
Now, I’ve never fished all night. All day, yep, but when the sun starts to head for the horizon, I head for home. Not so with the disciples.
Please look at verses 4 and 5.
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.
We do not know why they didn’t recognize Him - maybe it was foggy - maybe their minds were groggy from drinking coffee all night - or maybe He didn’t want them to recognize Him - not yet - but I love the way he called them, “Friends.” Don’t you?
And I smile when I read their answer.
No. Haven’t caught a thing. But if you’re really interested in catching some fish, you need to paddle your little boat clear across the lake, way over yonder like.
THAT my friends is one of the oldest tricks in the book.
A fisherman, if he is true to his trade, never ever gives away his fishing secrets.
So, take it from this fisherman. S.P.’s boat coulda been full-to-overflowing with fish, and his answer would have been the same.
Nope. Nary a fish. Sorry to say.
It’s just another one of those unwritten fisherman rules that we all must abide by.
Then Jesus asked them to try the other side of the boat and before they could say “cat fish stink bait” they had that boat-load of fish they had been talking and dreaming about all night long.
And that morning, there on the sea shore, they had breakfast with Jesus, their Risen Lord. What a delightful time that must have been for them. And as he broke the bread, I know their minds went back to that Upper Room final dinner with Him.
Breakfast with Jesus.
Can it get any better than that?
Hope you NazNetters have a superduper Easter Sunday.
Nelson
Ps - Isn’t God good?!
It almost makes my mouth water, just remembering those times/days/meals, even at this hour of the morning.
With that as a background, let’s look at John, Chapter 20, shall we?
a) Jesus had been crucified
b) Mary Magdalene discovered the stone had been rolled away
c) Peter and John had a 100 yard dash to the tomb and John won - turned and said, "nanny- nanny-boo-boo" to Peter, who made a silly excuse - he'd left his running shoes at home.
d) Jesus the Risen Lord appeared to Mary, then the ten disciples, then Thomas and finally to Simon Peter - and I’m ahead of my story per usual. BTW, my great-great-grandfather’s name, on my mother’s side, was Simon Peter Hurn, It’s true!
e) the reason that John wrote this Gospel - “that people may believe and that through believing have life in His name” - is the final verse of Chapter 20. I LOVE that verse, don’t you?
Okay class, please open your Bibles to John, Chapter 21 - verse 1 reads (in part)
“Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias.”
They tell us that the Sea of Tiberias was formerly called the Sea of Galilee - I like saying that word don't you? Galilee. Feels good just rolling off your tongue. Say it again. Gaaaaaaaaaalileeeeeeeeee.
But it’s name was changed from Galilee to Tiberias - to honor the head honcho of the Roman Empire. Of course, his closest of friends called him “Ti.”
H. H. Ti. = Head Honcho Tiberias.
Hey! That’s better than Stubby, right?
We name things for people all the time. Like Martin Luther King School or Highway.
John F. Kennedy Airport or Library.
Al Kaline Batteries.
Didja get that? How I led you along there for a minute - talking about serious issues and then threw in that clever bit about Al Kaline - former right fielder for the Deeeeeeeetroit Tigers?
Never mind.
Verse two - check this, please - - -
“. . . Thomas (called Didymus),”
Question: Why in the WORLD would anyone named Thomas be called Didymus? Tom? Yes. Tommy? Sure. Tow-maas, even? Yup. But DIDYMUS? Who ever came up with that one?
I wonder how many older brothers his momma musta had to hang that on that poor kid.
7th Grade Boy: “Hi, newcomer to Junior High School. My name is Ralph, but you can call me Bubba, cuz that’s my nickname.”
New 7th Grade Boy: “Thank you. My name is Thomas, but you can call me Didymus, cuz that’s my other name.”
Ralph/Bubba: “You have GOT to be kidding me! Come here to me this instant, Didymus, cuz I’m going to beat your face in!”
Now I mentioned at the very beginning that ever so often I’d take my little boat and head out fishing. What I failed to mention was that I had scriptural support for that, thank God! Note verse 3, please.
"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.
Those friends of Peter? They broke Fishing Rule #1 and I am not at all surprised that they caught nothing.
Fishing - unlike golf - is a very high and holy calling. NO ONE in their right mind would ever say, “We’re going with you” without an invitation from the #1 lead fisheee. If S.P. = Simon Peter had invited them? Sure.
However, ever so often, a true fisherman needs to be alone. And I bet this just might have been one of those times for S.P.
He NEEDED to get away - to gather his thoughts - Jesus, his Lord and very best friend had been crucified. After all he’d given up his fishing business to follow Him and now Jesus was dead. Or so he thought.
The scene shifts. Catch this please.
It’s real early in the a of the m.
Now, I’ve never fished all night. All day, yep, but when the sun starts to head for the horizon, I head for home. Not so with the disciples.
Please look at verses 4 and 5.
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.
We do not know why they didn’t recognize Him - maybe it was foggy - maybe their minds were groggy from drinking coffee all night - or maybe He didn’t want them to recognize Him - not yet - but I love the way he called them, “Friends.” Don’t you?
And I smile when I read their answer.
No. Haven’t caught a thing. But if you’re really interested in catching some fish, you need to paddle your little boat clear across the lake, way over yonder like.
THAT my friends is one of the oldest tricks in the book.
A fisherman, if he is true to his trade, never ever gives away his fishing secrets.
So, take it from this fisherman. S.P.’s boat coulda been full-to-overflowing with fish, and his answer would have been the same.
Nope. Nary a fish. Sorry to say.
It’s just another one of those unwritten fisherman rules that we all must abide by.
Then Jesus asked them to try the other side of the boat and before they could say “cat fish stink bait” they had that boat-load of fish they had been talking and dreaming about all night long.
And that morning, there on the sea shore, they had breakfast with Jesus, their Risen Lord. What a delightful time that must have been for them. And as he broke the bread, I know their minds went back to that Upper Room final dinner with Him.
Breakfast with Jesus.
Can it get any better than that?
Hope you NazNetters have a superduper Easter Sunday.
Nelson
Ps - Isn’t God good?!