Fish Vomit
Jonah 2:10
And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
Forgive the title of today’s post, but it comes from the Bible!
I think this is meant to be a startling and humorous verse.
Jonah has been taken down to death, and then brought back up by the Lord. As his second chance begins, he finds himself covered in fish vomit. It’s a funny ending. And there is a lesson there for the church.
See, because of the resurrection of Jesus, death loses its power over us.
Can I say it? In light of the resurrection, it even becomes kind of comic.
“For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
Forrest Gump’s Mom Was Right
Jonah 2:8-9
8 Those who pay regard to vain idols
forsake their hope of steadfast love.
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
When the storm first hits in chapter 1, each pagan sailor cries out to his respective god:
4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god.
But, after their interaction with Jonah, they turn to the true God in worship:
14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. (1:14-16)
Note the key words sacrifice and vows.
Later, as Jonah concludes his prayer from the belly of the fish, he remarks that the lost pagans have no hope of God’s mercy:
Those who pay regard to vain idols
forsake their hope of steadfast love. (2:8)
He seems totally unaware of both God’s desire to show mercy to the nations, and the possibility that some of those pagan outsiders might actually turn to the living God. Exhibit A: the sailors.
In contrast, Jonah boldly states that he is going to worship the Lord through right way:
But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord! (2:9)
Note the repetition of the words from chapter 1—Jonah says that he will sacrifice and vow, which is the very thing that the sailors were described as doing.
The difference, however, is subtle but important.
The sailors “offered a sacrifice and made vows.” Past tense. Jonah, on the other hand, says he “will sacrifice” and make good on his vows.
The difference is that Jonah says he will do it, whereas the sailors actually do it.
Will Jonah follow through?
We’ll have to read on to find out.
What I know for sure is that Forrest Gump’s mom was right:
“Faithful is as faithful does.”
Jonah’s Stubborn Faith
Jonah 2:4-7
4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away
from your sight;
yet I shall again look
upon your holy temple.’
5 The waters closed in over me to take my life;
the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I went down,
to the land whose bars closed upon me forever.
Yet you brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord my God.
7 When my life was fainting away,
I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came to you,
into your holy temple.
Jonah is a funny guy, and I know I’ve been hard on him. (Though, as we shall see, it’s not like he doesn’t deserve it.)
There is a lot he does wrong, but I have to admit I do admire his stubborn faith.
Even when it looks as if he is going to drown—completely because of his own sin—he stubbornly believes the Lord will save him:
Then I said, ‘I am driven away
from your sight;
yet I shall again look
upon your holy temple.’(Jonah 2:4)
Jonah believes that he will see Jerusalem again.
There is a lot not to like about Jonah, but his stubborn faith in God’s mercy is something to emulate.
Does Jonah Die?
Each week, I’m filming a brief video overview of the Jonah chapter we are studying that week. Here is the video overview of chapter 2. (Today’s reading and commentary is below the video.)
Jonah 2:2-3
“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,
and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
and you heard my voice.
3 For you cast me into the deep,
into the heart of the seas,
and the flood surrounded me;
all your breakers and your waves
passed over me.
Does Jonah die?
I had never really considered the question before, but a close reading of chapter 2 shows why it’s a relevant question.
The reason is the word “Sheol”. Sheol is the Old Testament word for the underworld, or the place of the dead.
See v. 2:
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
and you heard my voice.
Does Jonah literally die? It’s not clear. He could be speaking figuratively in his prayer in chapter 2—maybe he is just at death’s door as he sinks below the water. On the other hand, maybe he actually dies. Either way, the point is essentially the same: the Lord rescues Jonah and brings him up from the deep, giving him another chance.
But, the possibility of Jonah’s death makes the words of Jesus much more meaningful when he uses Jonah as a way of talking about himself.
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. (Matthew 12:38-42)
What’s remarkable about the whole incident is that Jonah doesn’t deserve to be saved, and yet the Lord saves him anyway.
There is a lesson there.
The “Pregnant” Fish
Jonah 2:1
1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish….
I had always thought that the fish is Jonah’s punishment. But, I hadn’t read closely enough. Rather than being his punishment, the fish is Jonah’s salvation. Jonah is thrown overboard into the sea, and would surely have drowned, were it not for the fish that the Lord sends to save him.
In chapter 2, we will see that the time Jonah spends in the belly of the beast gives him time to reflect, which, I’m sure, is part of God’s plan.
Is it possible that your current problem or difficultly can be used by God to get you to reflect on your life and its direction?
P.S. In Hebrew, the first time the fish is mentioned, it is a masculine noun.
1:17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
The Hebrew word is “dahg".
Then, in 2:1, with Jonah in its belly, the fish has become a feminine noun.
2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish….
The Hebrew word has become “dahg-ah”.
Why?
Because Jonah is in the fish’s belly! It’s like the fish has become a mama fish, pregnant with Jonah. It’s a fun little Hebrew flourish.
Then, in 2:10 (getting ahead of ourselves) guess what happens?
2:10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
It reverts back to the masculine version of the word! “Dahg”. Jonah has been vomited up, and is no longer in the belly of the fish.
How fun is that?!
(I’m telling you, this is a really sophisticated little book.)
Overboard
Jonah 1:13-17
13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
God chose the family of Abraham to be his covenant people. Why? So that Abraham’s family would be a vehicle of blessing for the nations:
12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Jonah has not been a faithful Israelite. In fact, his active rebellion against the Lord has brought potential disaster upon the pagan sailors. Nevertheless, God uses Jonah’s rebellion and hard-heartedness to reach the sailors anyway. Once he is thrown overboard, the sailors begin to worship the true God:
15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
This incident with Jonah and the sailors is a foreshadowing of what the Lord will do later, after the Resurrection of Jesus. Then, the rejection of Jesus by the Jews will be used by God to bring salvation to the Gentiles.
God is always at work.
Jonah: The Ultimate Passive Man
Jonah 1:11-12
11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12 He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.”
I only noticed this this past Sunday morning:
When Jonah offers to be thrown into the sea, he is not making a heroic gesture of sacrifice; that is, he is not selflessly sacrificing himself in order to spare the lives of the innocent sailors.
You know how I know that?
Because if Jonah were that concerned about the well-being of the sailors, he would hurl himself over the gunwale of the ship.
What does he do instead?
He tells the sailors to throw him overboard.
Even in extreme distress, Jonah refuses to take responsibility for anything.
Don’t be like Jonah today.
Esse Quam Videri
Jonah 1:7-10
7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
Casting lots was like an ancient game of chance in which the participants believed that the deity would direct the outcome. So, names or stones or figures or whatever might be placed in a bowl and then shaken out, and whatever came out would be the answer. In this case, the lot falls on Jonah.
What’s interesting to me is the way Jonah describes himself, when questioned by the terrified sailors:
“I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
Esse Quam Videri
Esse quam videri is a Latin phrase that means “to be, rather than to seem.” It is about how what really matters is not what we pretend to be, but who we really are, and that our goal should be to be not merely to seem.
Jonah says one thing, but his actions indicate otherwise. In fact, in Jonah 1 it is the sailors who are the God-fearers, not Jonah.
It turns out that Jonah, despite what he says, is very far from being a God-fearing prophet.
Reading through the book of Jonah will cause us to examine our own lives.
“Where is the gap between who I really am and who I pretend to be?”
Where do you need to close the gap between being and seeming today?
P.S. I preached on this topic this past Sunday at Asbury.
The Ship Thought About It
Jonah 1:4-6
4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. 6 So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”
English translators have a hard time with the second half of verse 4. In our translation it’s rendered as
“The ship threatened to break up.”
But in Hebrew what it literally says is something like
the ship thought about breaking up.
The author has personified the ship! Why?
Well, in chapter 1, it’s as if everything in creation is obedient to the Lord…except Jonah.
The wind
The sea
The sailors
The ship
The great fish
All of these things are obedient. Just not Jonah.
Don’t be like Jonah today.
Jonah!
Today we begin our study of the mysterious little book of Jonah. We’ll be in Jonah for the next four weeks, with readings and commentary Monday-Friday. If you’re new here, I post each day’s reading and commentary very early in the morning, and, if you are on my Daily Bible email list, I send it out at 4:00 AM central. (Subscribe here.)
I like to divide up our readings into manageable chunks, and then to provide some basic commentary to help us get the most out of our readings. Today’s reading and commentary is located below.
Before we get there, here is a brief video I filmed that provides a quick overview of some things to watch for in chapter 1.
Also, I taught an all-church Bible study at Asbury last week on Jonah. (Here’s the handout that goes with the study.)
Jonah 1:1-3
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai,
“The word of the Lord” comes out of nowhere to Jonah as the book begins. We have no warning to expect it, and neither, it seems, does Jonah. Usually in the Bible, “the word of the Lord” is the message the prophet is supposed to convey. Here, however, the message is specifically directed at Jonah himself—he is supposed to do something.
“Jonah” is the Hebrew word for “dove,” and “Amittai”, Jonah’s father’s name, is related to the word for “faithfulness.” One of the many ironies in the book of Jonah is the name of the prophet himself, who acts nothing like his peaceful, faithful name.
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”
“Get up. Go.” The Lord’s instructions to Jonah brook no hesitation. “Go! NOW.”
Why the urgency? Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire, an enemy of Israel. Stone reliefs from the time of the Assyrian king Sennacherib show how the Assyrians impaled their prisoners on stakes.
The Lord is sending Jonah to proclaim judgment against Nineveh.
3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
But rather than obediently moving toward Nineveh (to the east) Jonah heads to Tarshish, which was located somewhere in the western Mediterranean. It was a maritime trading power, one that is seen negatively in the Bible as a place of wealth and temptation.
Jonah’s story is not off to a promising start.
My colleague Rodney Adams has been talking recently about the importance of immediate obedience. That is, when you know God is telling you to do something, do it right away.
So, let me ask?
What do you need to do right now?
P.S. I just have to tell you this! Joppa is a port on the Mediterranean, and there is one other significant story in the Bible that takes place in Joppa. Here, in the Old Testament, the prophet Jonah departs from Joppa to flee from his God-given mission to reach the nations. In the New Testament, the exact opposite thing happens with the Apostle Peter. “Peter,” which means “Rocky", is the nickname that Jesus gives him; Peter’s real name is Simon Bar-Jonah, which means “Simon, son of Jonah.” Peter’s dad’s name is Jonah! In Acts chapter 10, Peter son of Jonah is sent to witness to the Gentiles in Joppa and they hear and respond to the word of the Lord! It’s an amazing recapitulation of the Jonah story.
Personal Note + "Jesus And The Beloved Apostle"
Today we come to the end of the Gospel of John, and I think it’s the most beautiful and perfect ending possible. We have been studying John since January 1, and I’m going to miss it.
I believe John’s Gospel is one of the greatest works of art that world has ever known, as is fitting because John is writing, in his old age, about the most important thing that has ever happened: the Incarnation.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ”
We’ve been studying John’s Gospel for six months, but of course it really needs to be studied over the course of a lifetime. It took John a lifetime to write it, so to speak, and so it shouldn’t surprise us that this beautiful Gospel rewards those who pore over it for decades.
I have loved studying John’s Gospel with you all, and I hope that these past six months of study have helped you become more alive, which, after all, was John’s goal in writing to begin with:
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
A Chapter in My Life Comes to a Close
As we read the final verses of this Gospel, verses that are some of my favorite in the entire scripture, we will see that John draws the entire account to a close in the most perfect way possible.
Today, in a way, I am also drawing to a close three years of teaching ministry at Asbury. I began my ministry at Asbury on August 1, 2022, and we started right off by studying Genesis. Since that time, I have written daily commentary for almost every weekday of the last three years (with some summer months being an exception). If I can be honest, looking back over the scripture reading guides that I’ve published, the sermons that I have preached, and the Bible studies that I have taught, I have a sense of pride and accomplishment. If you were willing to dig into what we have been providing these past three years, you will have grown tremendously in both your knowledge of the Bible and—most importantly—your love for God’s word.
That said, these scripture reading guides and daily commentaries are extremely draining to write. The reason this stuff is so hard is because I don’t know anything! So, I have to read and read and read to come to understand how this verse, this passage, this chapter, fits into the larger whole from which it is a part. Then, I have to strip everything away to write something that will help ordinary people like you and me both learn something from that day’s passage and then see how it matters to our lives, with the goal of helping us love and trust the Lord more each day. The amount of work it takes to do that well is many times greater than you’d think. And, on top of that, there is always another deadline looming.
All this is to say, despite my pride in the work that I have created, I’m also really tired. So, for the first time since the pandemic, I am going to be taking time off this summer without the intention of creating something while I am away. In previous summers, I’ve had a deadline to meet, and so I’ve worked even when away. But these days I’m sensing that I just can’t keep this relentless pace up any more. So, I won’t.
This fall, we have some really fun things planned, but the daily Bible readings will look a bit different. Stay tuned.
In the mean time, I personally am going to continue my practice—a practice I started in April 2020, during the pandemic—of reading one psalm a day, every day. I’m not going to be writing or providing commentary on these daily psalms (though if you search my blog you’ll find a lot there already), but I would like you to read along with me.
Today, Friday, June 13, I’m reading Psalm 46, one of my FAVORITES. Tomorrow will be Psalm 47, Sunday will be Psalm 48, etc.
To help you stay current, I’m attaching here a file that provides my current psalm schedule.
Daily Psalm Reading Plan - Summer 2025
I am really looking forward to being away, but I’m also looking forward to being back with you all when I return. Among other things, my new book is coming out in October! (Pre-order it here.)
Keep pressing on. The best still lies ahead.
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Every breath is proof:
God’s not done yet.
With love,
AF
John 21:20-25
20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”
24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
After hearing from Jesus a prediction of how he would die, Peter then gestures to the beloved disciple and asks, “What will happen to him?”
20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” [John 21:20–21].
Jesus’s reply is perfect. He says, “His fate is his fate—all you need to worry about is being faithful to what I have put in front of you.”
22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” [John 21:22].
Now, as a result of Jesus’s words—“What if I told you he would never die, Peter?”—and presumably because of the amazing longevity of the beloved disciple, there were rumors in the early church that the beloved disciple was not going to die. (According to church tradition, John outlived all the other apostles.)
John is anonymous in the Gospel, but his identity was clearly known in the church community to which he belonged. So, after we get the fascinating detail about how the rumor grew that John wouldn’t die before the Second Coming, we get a subtle correction:
23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” [John 21:23].
That is, Jesus didn’t say that the beloved disciple wouldn’t die—He just said to Peter, “If I said he wouldn’t die, how would that matter to you, Peter?”
And then, finally, we learn that all along we have been reading the testimony of the beloved disciple!
24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these thing s, and we know that his testimony is true [ John 21:24].
What v. 24 tells us is that the reason the Gospel was treasured was because it came from an eyewitness that everyone knew and trusted. And then, this time for real, the Gospel draws to a close with a perfectly sweet little final verse:
25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written [John 21:25].
The end.
Jesus And Peter
John 21:15-19
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
In his first 20 chapters, John has told us what we need to know about Jesus. Now, in the epilogue, John is telling us about the disciples because he wants us to understand the mission of the early church. He focuses first on Peter, the chief shepherd and leader, and then on the beloved disciple, the chief witness and author.
Jesus gestures to the other disciples and puts a question to Peter, gets a reply, and then gives a command:
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs” [John 21:15].
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and here He appoints Peter to carry on His shepherding ministry. Peter is a pastor.
But Jesus puts a similar question to Peter two more times:
16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17a He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” [John 21:16–17a].
Why the three questions? Because on Good Friday, Peter had denied Jesus three times:
17b Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep [John 21:17b].
And then Jesus gives Peter a specific prediction about his future:
18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19a (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God) [John 21:18–19a].
As John parenthetically explains, Jesus is here speaking of crucifixion—being “dressed” and “carried where you do not want to go.”
Peter’s job is to shepherd the other followers of Jesus, but that job will cost Peter everything, just as it cost Jesus everything.
But after such a sobering prediction, Jesus tells Peter to follow Him anyway:
19b And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me” [John 21:19b].
And the remarkable fact is
Peter did it.
The Epilogue
John 21:1-14
1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 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 as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on 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 of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out 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, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
I believe that the Gospel of John is one of the greatest works of art in all human history. Its first twenty chapters are a masterpiece. And the conclusion that John gives us at the end of chapter twenty—after the resurrection, the greatest thing that has ever happened—after Jesus calls Mary by name, and she turns and knows—after Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on the disciples—after Jesus shows Thomas His scarred hands and side—the conclusion that John gives us after all of that is just perfect:
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name [John 20:30–31].
The screen finally fades fully to black. We finally exhale, deeply moved. We shift in our seats, slowly stand and stretch, and silently begin to make our way out of the theater. We don’t want to say anything and ruin the moment, so we walk single file down the stairs at the end of the row. The credits begin to roll.
And then, when we least expect it, the screen lights up again and the story continues!
John chapter 20 seems to end on the perfect note, but John is a peerless artist and what happens next is beyond perfection.
There is another chapter—an epilogue.
With John 20:30–31, nothing more needs to be said about Jesus. His story is complete, and we have all we need to know to believe in Him.
But John knows there is more to be said about the church and its mission, and that is the purpose of his beautiful epilogue in chapter 21.
Jesus told Thomas, “blessed are those who have not yet seen and yet have believed” (20:29). How is that going to be possible? How will people believe without having seen Jesus in the flesh? Through the testimony of the church.
Chapter 21 is about not about Jesus so much as it is about the disciples—specifically Peter and the beloved disciple—each of whom will play a crucial role in the early church as it begins its mission of telling people about Jesus.
At some future point, sometime in the weeks following the resurrection, seven of the disciples are fishing on the Sea of Galilee. (Seven is the number of fullness.)
2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 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 [John 21:2–3].
After a fruitless night, the dawn begins to break, and something extraordinary happens:
4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on 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 of the quantity of fish [John 21:4–6].
Earlier in the Gospel, Jesus had taught “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
Here, after the miraculous catch of fish, the beloved disciple judges with right judgment and he is able to see Jesus:
7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off [John 21:7–8].
Peter, who has an impetuous character, is so excited and overwhelmed that he puts on his outer garment and jumps in the water. As he struggles to shore, the other six disciples struggle to pull the boat and their heavy net to shore.
Jesus has breakfast there waiting for them:
9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread [John 21:9].
The charcoal fire is a subtle reminder of the charcoal fire by which Peter warmed himself on the night he denied Jesus. But Jesus isn’t yet through with Peter—He has more for him to do.
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, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn [John 21:10–11].
There were 153 fish—one of those startling eyewitness details. Way back when He spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus had promised His disciples a rich harvest:
35b Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest [John 4:35b].
Here, Jesus is teaching Peter about the harvest He has planned for him. The church has a mission—to bring people to faith in Jesus—and Peter will be the chief shepherd.
12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead [John 21:12–14].
Jesus is no ghost, but a living man who eats and drinks with His disciples.
The Screen Fades To Black
John 20:30-31
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
The Gospel of John is the work of a lifetime. John has spent decades considering the meaning of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and his Gospel is the mature reflection of an old, wise man. John’s Gospel is different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, in that John relates fewer events and incidents in the life of Jesus, but he spends more time with them. One might say that John has chosen to focus on quality over quantity.
John also is a true artist in that he prefers to show instead of tell. What I mean is that John arranges his narrative to lead the reader to the truth, but he rarely comes out and specifically states his point—he is much more subtle than that.
Here, at the very end of the Gospel, as the screen fades to black, John tells us why he has written what he has written: to enable belief in Jesus.
John admits that he could have added a lot more:
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book… [John 20:30].
But that what he has chosen to recount in the preceding twenty chapters is sufficient for his readers to come to faith in Jesus. And that faith is a particular faith, not in Jesus as a good teacher or religious sage, but as the Messiah of Israel, the Son of God:
31a these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God [John 20:31a].
And the result of belief in this Jesus is life!
31b and that by believing you may have life in his name [John 20:31b].
As the screen fades to black, verses 30-31 appear, and they are perfect:
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name [John 20:30–31].
After all we have experienced as we have lived with John’s remarkable Gospel, those words—words that make up John’s purpose statement—seem to make the perfect ending. Those two simple verses bring this peerless work of art to a close, and, they bring with them a sense of satisfaction: Jesus brings life, and we believe. We have all we need to know about Jesus. What else is there for John to say?
Imagine we have just sat through the greatest movie we’ve ever seen. We are almost breathless as the screen fades completely to black and we shift in our seats, slowly stand and stretch, and silently begin to make our way out of the theater.
And then something amazing happens….
(We’ll talk about it tomorrow.)
Thomas The Blessed
John 20:24-29
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
When Jesus appeared to the other disciples on Easter Sunday, He showed them His hands and His side:
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord [John 20:19–20].
So, when Thomas insists on seeing Jesus’s scars, he is not asking for something that the others haven’t received.
Eight days later—on the second Sunday after Easter—Jesus appears to Thomas (who this time is with the others, too) and gives him the proof he was seeking.
Thomas then becomes the first person in the Gospel to declare what we the readers have known from the beginning (remember John 1:1), namely that Jesus is God.
Thomas declares:
28 “My Lord and my God!” [John 20:28].
This would be a fitting place to end the Gospel—a neat bookend at the end of chapter 20 to what we began with in chapter 1—a declaration of Jesus’s identity as God.
This would be a fitting end to the Gospel…but what John has planned is so much better!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Jesus has sent the apostles to be His representatives, to testify to Him. They have done that, and all of us who have come after that first generation are blessed by believing in Jesus because of their testimony: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The Breath
John 20:19-23
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
In His farewell words on Thursday evening, Jesus had told them that He would see them again:
16 A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me” [John 16:16].
And
22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you [John 16:22].
Now, the resurrected Jesus, who, as it were, lives now according to heavenly rules, and so can come and go as He pleases, appears to them to commission them.
21b “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” [John 20:21b].
As he told Pontius Pilate, Jesus was sent from the Father to bear witness to the truth:
37b For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth [John 18:37b].
Now, the disciples are sent with the same mission—to testify to the truth of the love of God and to the life for all who believe in Jesus. What is astounding is that He is sending as His witnesses the very men who abandoned Him!
He then breathes on the disciples. In Greek (and in Hebrew) the same word means breath and wind and spirit. When Jesus breathes on them here, He proves that He is alive and breathing, but He also empowers them with the Holy Spirit.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” [John 20:22].
The last time God has breathed in the Bible is in Genesis chapter 2 and the creation of Adam. Now, for the second time God is said to breathe. The Spirit, the Advocate, the Helper, will enable the disciples to carry on the ministry of Jesus.
23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld” [John 20:23].
In other words, they are to represent Jesus and preach that forgiveness is available for all who repent, turn from their sin, and believe in Jesus.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
What a heavy responsibility Jesus gives to His church—to represent Him to the world.
"Mary"
John 20:11-18
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
This is a poignant scene, with Mary inconsolable in the garden by the tomb, assuming that “they” had taken away the body of Jesus.
When Jesus approaches her, she does not recognize Him, presumably because the resurrected Jesus looks like Himself and at the same time unlike Himself.
It is not until He calls her by name that Mary finally “sees.” It’s at the sound of the voice of the Lord that she knows the truth.
This recalls what Jesus previously taught:
10 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them [John 10:1–6].
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Jesus is the good shepherd who calls His own by name, and they respond to His voice. Is there an unbeliever you know that needs to hear from Jesus? Pray for that person today.
P.S. What Mary finds far exceeds that which she was seeking.
Eyewitness Testimony To The Resurrection
John 20:1-10
20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.
These ten verses have the marks of eyewitness testimony all over them:
Mary Magdalene’s confusion, such that she doesn’t even look inside the tomb before running to Peter and to the beloved disciple;
The irrelevant detail of the two disciples running to the tomb, but the beloved disciple getting there first;
The fact that the beloved disciple had to stoop down to look inside the low tomb, but that Peter was the one who actually entered it;
The strange note of the “folded” (literally, “wrapped up” or “rolled up”) facecloth.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
This really happened, and the Gospels contain the testimony of eyewitnesses to the empty tomb.
The Nobility of Joseph And Nicodemus
John 19:38-42
38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventyfive pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
Sundown Friday is fast approaching, and because that Saturday was not just a normal Sabbath day, but a “high day” (i.e., Passover—see 19:31), Joseph and Nicodemus have to work quickly to at least get Jesus laid in a tomb before the holiday begins. Fortunately, Joseph owns a tomb very close by the site of the crucifixion, and so they rush to get Jesus’s body laid there. (The reason the women come back so early on Sunday morning is to finish the job of properly preparing the corpse for burial.)
This is the first mention John makes of Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus has been mentioned twice previously. The amount of spices Nicodemus brings is astounding—100 lbs.!—and the expense must have been immense.
It is important that the tomb is a brand new, empty tomb, so that no one can claim that somehow there was a mix-up with the body.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
Nicodemus and Joseph are both fearful of the Jews, and yet they do something brave and noble anyway. I wonder how often a brave action, done in spite of fear, is much more important than we can possibly know at the time?
Jesus's Side Is Pierced
John 19:31-37
31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”
In chapter 1, Andrew and an unnamed disciple (John, but because he has not yet met Jesus in the narrative he just leaves himself anonymous) hear John the Baptist describe Jesus as “the Lamb of God.”
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother [John 1:35–40].
For the next 19 chapters, we read about what Jesus said and did as John works his Gospel to its shocking climax—the Crucifixion of the Son of God. At the cross, John is the only male disciple present when the soldiers take Jesus’s body down from the cross:
33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced” [John 19:33–37].
That little scriptural reference “not one of his bones will be broken” is a quotation from the Book of Exodus, specifically the place where the Israelites are given instructions about how to prepare the Passover lamb:
46 It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones [Exodus 12:46].
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
So, when John makes sure to tell us that none of Jesus’s bones were broken and then quotes from the Book of Exodus, what is he telling us? Namely that Jesus is the ultimate Lamb of God, the ultimate sacrifice! Note that John tells us that without telling us. What John heard John the Baptist say way back in chapter 1 now finally has its payoff in chapter 19.