Alive - by Dave Smith

We’re not told exactly when this incident took place, just that it
involved seven of Jesus’ disciples. At the start of the passage we are
told that they had gone fishing. Why? Not, as some suggest, because
they were failing to follow through on Jesus’ commission, but simply
to make a living. Fishing was what they had done before Jesus called
them, so they went back to what they knew. The fact that Jesus
appeared to them in this context highlights that his presence is with us
in the ordinary aspects of life, such as our work. 4
This is a remarkable parallel to the incident that we saw take place
earlier in Jesus’ ministry in Luke 5. Despite doing what he was trained
to do, and fishing when he should have done (at night), Peter and the
others still caught nothing. As I wrote in 40 Days with Jesus: ‘Their
struggle, failure and subsequent frustration, like ours, is part of being
human in a fallen world, living with limitations and frustrations!’ 5
What I love about this story, though, is that Jesus didn’t remain
aloof, disappointed and repelled by their human struggle and failure.
Rather, he moved towards it. We read how: ‘Early in the morning,
Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realise that it was
Jesus’ (v4). This has echoes of the previous appearances to Mary
and the Emmaus disciples: Jesus was present, but initially the
disciples didn’t recognise him – again clearly indicating that although it
was the same Jesus, he clearly looked different in his postresurrection
state.
Whether it was the first-century disciples by the Sea of Galilee, or
us in our 21st-century relationships and responsibilities, the
application is clear: we can’t and don’t need to carry on struggling
with our own ingenuity or resources. Rather, we can turn to Jesus,
who is alive and present, ready and willing to help us!