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“Meeting Jesus”
May 4, 2025
Rev. Rebecca Migliore
In this time after Easter, we are spending some time with the gospel of John. Let’s get ourselves back into a Johannine mindset. The gospel of John identifies Jesus with “I Am” statements—like I am the Bread, I am the Resurrection and the Life, I am the Shepherd. In John we see Jesus having in depth interactions with people like Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman at the well. And in John, Easter is first experienced by Mary when she goes to the tomb to anoint Jesus, and finds herself with the gardener who is actually Jesus. In John, although we didn’t read it last week, Thomas will only believe after he has seen Jesus’ wounds.
This morning’s reading is a story that occurs after all this. The commentators agree that it is almost certainly an epilogue—a way of John telling us what happens to the characters we have gotten to know in the gospel. Sometimes, in the way we read the gospels, in the passages that we pick to preach on, it seems that Easter morning comes, Jesus is risen, Jesus appears to the disciples and viola, they are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and become the apostles we see in the book of Acts.
But we should remember that according to the gospel of Luke, it took 50 days for all of that to unfold. There was time to brood over the incredible story that they had all heard. There was time to try to understand what had happened when Jesus suddenly appeared in the midst of them, showing his hands and side, even eating some fish. There was time for them to try to figure out what this was going to mean for their lives. I find it reassuring to have this poignant story of the post-Easter but pre-apostle time. The passage is a long, somewhat complicated story, so I’m going to point out just a few of the things that struck me this week.
The scene opens with 7 of the friends hanging out together—Simon Peter, Thomas (the twin), Nathaniel, James and John (the sons of Zebedee) and 2 others. Peter, who always seems to be the leader says “I’m going fishing”—I’m going to do what we have always done. I haven’t figured out what all this Jesus stuff is going to mean in my life—so I’m going to fall back on what I do know—fishing. And his friends go with him. I do notice that none of them recognize Jesus when they see him on the shore, even though they have been in his presence twice since the Resurrection.
Did they not expect to meet Jesus out on the beach? Did they not expect to meet Jesus while they were doing ordinary things, out in the world? Did they think that Jesus would only appear in the quiet of a locked room, when they were gathered all together, worshipping, praying, eating together? Were they just tired, or distracted, or not paying attention? For whatever reason, the man on the beach calling out directions to them was just that—someone they didn’t think they knew.
And that thought is really what caught my attention this week. When do we expect to meet Jesus? Where do we expect to meet Jesus? Do we expect to meet Jesus in this world? Do we, like these disciples, only look for Jesus when we are gathered in a worship space, when we are gathered for prayer and eating at the Lord’s table? Would we recognize Jesus if we bumped into him as we went shopping, or ate out for dinner, or casually talked someone? How would we know?
From our story, it seems that different people recognize Jesus in different ways. John, the beloved disciple, recognizes Jesus first—probably because of the miracle of the haul of fish they just had after a night of catching nothing. Or maybe, because he is the one who is always identified as the one Jesus loves, maybe he just felt it. He proclaims, “It is the Lord.” And Peter, hearing the proclamation, is so excited he jumps into the sea (although he does take enough time to put his clothes back on!).
By the time everyone is assembled on the shore, and they are being invited to eat bread and fish with this person—they all know it is Jesus. Was that because of the fish thing? Or John’s identification? Or Peter’s enthusiasm? Or the invitation to a meal?
It seems to me that this is a very realistic portrayal—we don’t all come to Jesus in the same way. We don’t all meet Jesus in the same way. Some are gifted with just knowing, feeling that they are in the presence of God. Some hear and although they might not have been the first to perceive, they are willing to jump in (with both feet), they don’t need much persuasion. And then there are the rest of us, who wait and watch and let things unfold slowly and by the time it is obvious, well, we have figured it out—and now don’t need to ask for confirmation.
And just to underscore this point that we can meet Jesus almost anywhere, we remember the other story that we read this morning. We can remember the way that Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Saul was not expecting to meet Jesus, because Saul thought that this story circulating about his death and resurrection was a fantasy. In fact, Saul was going around arresting people who believed it. That’s why he was on his way to Damascus in the first place. He was going to gather up some more of these heretics! But Jesus met him on the road, with a blinding flash and something he couldn’t ignore—losing his sight. It appears that we can meet Jesus at any time and anywhere. It appears that we don’t have to be ready or looking for the encounter. When you least expect it—Look out! I don’t know if that is a comforting or an unnerving thought.
The last thing I want to muse about today is that when Jesus meets us, he is often bringing us gifts. You can see that in a myriad of ways in this story. Jesus gifts the fishermen with a catch of fish. Jesus has breakfast ready for them when they haul up on the beach. And, maybe most importantly, Jesus wants to give them encouragement about what it is they should be doing. And here the conversation between Peter and Jesus is most revealing.
Peter is the one who has gotten them into the boat, gotten them back to fishing, the way they used to. So it’s interesting that when Jesus asks Peter to do something, it isn’t to go fishing, it isn’t even in the language of the other gospels where Jesus says that they will become fishers of people. No, Jesus uses the metaphor most common in the gospel of John—of sheep and shepherd. Feed my sheep, he says. Tend my sheep. And again, Feed my sheep.
In the gospel of John, as in the other gospels, Peter has been the one who we hear deny Jesus. He does follow, at a distance. He wants to be faithful. But when push comes to shove, when others ask if he too is with Jesus, he says no. He says no three times. I can imagine that that has weighed on Peter. And it might weigh on those of us hearing the story as well. What does Jesus think about Peter’s unfaithfulness? What does Jesus think about all the times we haven’t measured up to expectations?
Jesus doesn’t beat around the bush. After breakfast he looks at Peter and says, “Simon (not using the Peter part, the nickname “Rock” for on this rock I will build my church as is found in other gospels)—Simon son of John--identifying Simon—I know you Simon, I know who you are, where you have come from, what you have done.” “Simon, do you love me more than these?” Is this a recalling of the fights about who would get to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand ? Is this a dig at the idea that here you were the one that I trusted more than all the rest? It isn’t just “do you love me” as he asks the second and third time, but “do you love me more than these?” And Simon says, Yes, Lord, you know I love you. (Notice that there is no “more than these” in Simon’s answer. It isn’t about loving Jesus more or less, but loving Jesus period.)
After getting a “yes you know I do” response, Jesus asks for Simon to show it. Feed my sheep, tend my sheep, feed my sheep. By the third time, Peter is a little hurt, but he still answers. And I’m sure, when Peter (when we) look back at this encounter, we realize that Jesus is mirroring the three denials.
You said “I don’t know him” three times. I’ll give you another chance. Tell me you love me. Once, twice, three times. And Jesus believes us. But we need to do more than just say it. If we truly love Jesus, we need to do it. We need to act on the new commandment that Jesus introduced in this gospel (John 13:34-35) “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
That is what feeding and tending the sheep is all about—loving. That is what meeting Jesus on the way, in our lives, is all about—learning to love. Being urged to love more. Remembering that in loving others, we are doing what Jesus asked us to do. And in loving others, we are showing the world who we are, and what it means to be followers of Jesus.
In the gospel of John, in the last three weeks we have seen Jesus meet Mary in the garden, Jesus meet Thomas in the locked room, and Jesus meet Peter on the beach. In each case, Jesus calls them by name. In each case, Jesus offers something they need. In each case, Jesus turns the focus outward—go and tell, believe, feed my sheep.
When we meet Jesus, where do you think it will be? What name will he use for us? What will he offer to us? And what will he ask of us in return?
I’m pretty sure the answer will include Love. And with God’s help may we be able to answer that call.
May it be so, Alleluia, amen.
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