John 102 – Old Habits Die Hard
08/3/2026
Scripture 1: (Jn. 21:1-14 ESV)
After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way.
Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 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. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?”
They answered him, “No.”
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. 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. 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. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 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.
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. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.
This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Scripture 2: (Lk. 5:1-11 ESV)
On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”
And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Sermon:
Between chapters twenty and twenty one, John provides the most comprehensive and detailed account of the resurrected Jesus Christ. The Evangelist tells us more about what Jesus did after His resurrection than any of the other Gospel writers. Comparing the Gospels:
John, Chapter Twenty can be divided into five narrative units –
Mary Magdalene discovering the empty tomb and then informing the disciples.
Peter and John investigating the empty tomb.
Mary encountering Jesus in the garden and then informing the disciples.
Jesus appearing to ten of the eleven surviving disciples.
Then, Jesus appearing to Thomas and, to the other remaining ten again disciples.
Meanwhile, in the Synoptics –
Matthew’s Gospel moves straight from Jesus meeting the women at the tomb, to Him giving the “Great Commission” from upon a mountain in Galilee (Matthew 28).
Mark’s Gospel might have ended with an angel merely announcing the resurrection of Jesus (Mark 16:8), but the inspired text continues to declare the ascension and session of Christ and, the faithfulness of His disciples in fulfilling the “Great Commission work (Mark 16:19-20).
Luke’s Gospel is the closest in content to John, similarly recording:
The women first discovering the empty tomb and then informing the apostles (Luke 24:11).
Peter investigating the empty tomb (Luke 24:12).
Jesus’s appearing to two disciples as they walked to the village of Emmaus (Luke 24:13-31) and then rushing to inform the disciples.
Jesus appearing to the disciples, proving His true living humanity, then opening their minds to understand the Scripture, and commanding them to be His witnesses (Luke 24:35-49).
Lastly, Jesus leading them out to Bethany to witness His ascension (Luke 24:50-53), a record that is repeated and expanded at the beginning of Acts (Acts 1:1-11).
However, John has still more stories to tell from between Jesus’s resurrection and His ascension. Yet the twenty-first chapter of John is often overlooked or ignored. This chapter can be divided into three more units and these stories, like much of John’s Gospel, are unique.
Seven of the disciples go fishing in Galilee but then, Jesus appears to them on the beach.
Jesus and Peter have a “heart to heart” conversation, ending with Jesus restoring Peter after his triple denial.
Then lastly, Jesus gives a cryptic prophesy concerning “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (Jn. 21:20 ESV).
But these three post-resurrection stories are largely unknown by many Christian believers today. Did you remember them or that they were found here? These stories are rarely featured in Sunday School Curriculum for our youth; although Peter’s restoration may occasionally appear. These stories rarely get preached[1] during the interval between Easter and Pentecost, as most pastors chose to focus on the “Walk to Emmaus”, “Jesus’s appearance to Thomas”, or “Jesus giving the Great Commission”. When was the last time you recall hearing a sermon from this chapter?
But, why? Why do we pass over this chapter?
It is not because these stories are unimportant, because they are. They are here in sacred Scripture, thus they are the Word of God and therefore, they must be important and they must be helpful to make us wise and prepare us for doing good works of love (2 Timothy 3:14-17). Yet we act like John only has twenty chapters. This is another example for why following a lectio continua and having expository preaching is beneficial because we will not just simply ignore or skip passages like these. Now, I think that we are inclined to avoid John 21 because we have a difficult time understanding it, especially the last story. Actually, I am inclined to think that it is the third part’s difficulty which makes us hide from the whole chapter. But, that particular difficulty is not today’s concern.
Now, after having revealed Himself to the Eleven, twice, but Thomas just once, “…Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias…” or, better known as the Sea of Galilee. The disciples were probably there following the instructions which Jesus had given them through the two Mary’s in Matthew 28:10. That assumption would set this story just before the giving of the Great Commission.
Meanwhile, “Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.” They were probably near Capernaum, where Peter had a home (Matthew 8:14), since five of the seven who are named: Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James and, John; were all local boys from that part of Galilee. However, when Peter said, “I am going fishing.” and the others positively responded, saying “We will go with you.”, it makes the circumstance seem more as if they were returning to their old lives and resuming their old occupation. Peter’s suggestion cannot be interpreted as a “pleasure cruise”. This was not a fishing trip with “the guys”, like we might think of today. The disciples were not going out fishing for fun. This was a work trip. It was vocational. It might not have been for business, like they used to, but it could have been. It may have just been a trip for food, but they may also have been falling back, “back sliding” into their old and familiar routines or habits.
So, “They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.”. Although they might be a little “out of practice” after following Jesus for three years, Galilean fishing was not something a person forgot how to do. They could not just lose “the knack” because this type of fishing was net fishing; drop, drag, close, and pull. But, not catching anything was as unusual as it was disappointing because, we know that at least three of these guys were definitely professional fishermen: Peter, James, and John. This had been their livelihood and, they were probably thinking that soon it would be again. But the Evangelist does not provide this detail to show them as fishing failures, but to instead remind us of another similar occasion: when Jesus originally called Simon Peter to follow Him, as described in Luke 5. {Since Luke’s narrative is uniquely specific in its description of that event, I believe that John’s reference in this narrative is evidence supporting a later composition for this Gospel and evidence suggesting that John possessed an awareness of Luke’s Gospel.}
Then, “Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.”. Jesus called out to them, saying “Children, do you have any fish?” and “They answered him, “No.”.” So, “He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.””, just as in Luke 5. Howeverm this really would have been the last thing that they would have wanted to hear, especially from some random bystander just walking on the seashore.
They had just worked all night long and had nothing to show for it.
They were tired.
They were surely disappointed and dejected.
They were probably grumpy and frustrated.
Back in Luke 5, when a “stranger” (Jesus) told Peter “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” he responded, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.“. But this time, he just does as he was told, without comment or complaint. Perhaps he learned the lesson? “So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.”. They did as they were told. They obeyed Christ and they got a huge catch.
Last time, after Peter was told to {Throw his nets in again…} “…they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.”. James and John had also been with Peter and Andrew on that occasion, since they and their father were partners with Simon Peter (Luke 5:10). So, upon seeing this repeat of the past, the “disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!””, intuitively making a very reasonable conclusion. {This is also strong supporting evidence for “the disciple whom Jesus loved” to be John because, as a professional fisherman, he would have easily recognized the implicit strangeness of the situation.}
“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.”. Peter immediately abandoned his companions in his haste to get to Jesus. That sounds like the response of someone who knows Jesus and, someone who knows who Jesus truly is and, someone who truly loves Jesus and, someone who believes in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. When Jesus appears and you know and love Jesus, then you cannot help but be excited and rejoice when you find yourself in His presence.
Meanwhile, “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. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread.”. And there was Jesus, waiting for them patiently on the seashore. “Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 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.” Just as in Luke 5, they once again brought in an astonishing catch, especially as a single load. Then, “Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.””.
Jesus invited them to come and join Him. He invited them to come join Him for fellowship.
However, “…none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.”. They did not need to ask who He was because they recognized Jesus. They all recognized Him as who He is, once they were close enough to see Him. Certainly, the miraculous catch also helped them to recognize Jesus. They recognized Him and they understood Him as the LORD God. It helped remind them of who He really is with understanding, because the miracle showed His divine sovereignty through gracious provision. They understood that because Jesus commanded them to cast their nets and they faithfully obeyed, their nets were filled because Jesus, God the Son, had also commanded (or caused) the fish to fill them.
But also, when they saw Jesus and knew for certain that it was Jesus, how do you think they felt? Now, the disciples were not doing anything wrong, but I am not sure that they were doing what they were supposed to be doing right then. I suspect that they felt a little embarrassed or guilty. I suspect they felt like they had been caught doing something that they were not meant to be doing, right then. I imagine they felt like a child who was told to go clean their room, but 30 minutes later are caught by their parents playing in the mess, instead of cleaning it up.
Then, once they were all gathered together and some more of the fish had been cleaned and cooked, “Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.”. This undoubtedly, would have also reminded them of the other times when Jesus had served them bread and fish, when He fed the assorted multitudes (Matthew 14:13-22, 15:32-39). And so, “This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.”
Yet surprisingly, in this particular encounter, the Evangelist does not record anything really profound, extraordinary, or unusual. Their extraordinary catch is hardly emphasized or even referenced as a source of miraculous wonder. Maybe now, after the resurrection of Christ, they thought such unexpected provision was ordinary? Jesus does not now teach the disciples anything new. Instead, He simply cooked them breakfast. The resurrected Christ provided for them and He served them. Perhaps that is the intended lesson; Jesus reminding them of their commanded obligation to love one another through service (John 15:12, 17)?
When we pause to consider it, this encounter really seems rather ordinary. It is mundane. It is almost described like a typical commonplace morning. But, if that is so, then why did the Evangelist choose to record this story? There are so many other things that he could have written down for us: more stories with more details, more signs and miracles, more prayers, or more instructions for life and faith (John 20:30, 21:25).
Why did he choose, under the inspiration and influence of the Holy Spirit, to include this story as Scripture?
Why did he choose this and why do we choose to overlook and ignore it?
This story should actually be relatable to the experience of the average professing Christian because it is so very real and authentic. This story describes something that is typical, ordinary, and should not be unexpected. The Evangelist describes something that happens to all of us sometime within our journey of faith and sometimes, it happens more often than we should like to honestly admit. But, to understand it well, we need to think about this story as part of its wider context; its place within the disciples’ lives. Remember,
Jesus’s disciples came from all different walks of life. They had different occupations. They came from different economic backgrounds and held different social statuses. They had different expectations for life and they held different assumptions and biases about people. They all had, at least, a minimal amount of religious education and they wanted more; they wanted to know God better. They all were probably hoping for a restoration of Jewish independence and autonomy from Rome. They all were hoping that God would send them a Messiah: a deliverer and savior. Yet they also had different ideas about how God might do that and what things might look like when it ultimately would happen.
Jesus’s disciples had given up their ordinary lives to follow Jesus. They walked away from jobs, homes, friends, and families. However, that does not necessarily mean that they would have walked away from their responsibilities and obligations in doing so.
Jesus’s disciples followed Him around Galilee and Judea for three years. They sacrificed a big portion of their life in the hope of gaining something more valuable: a better understanding of and a closer relationship with God; hoping to improve in their holiness and righteousness.
Meanwhile, all the people began talking about Jesus. They began to think that maybe He was God’s anointed; that maybe He was their hoped for Messiah; that maybe He might become the Jewish king and then, make all of their worldly hopes and dreams come true.
But then, Jesus was arrested. He was falsely accused, unjustly tried, and wrongfully convicted by the powerful ruling elites; by the religious leaders who stood to lose the most if Jesus led a popular revolt against the Romans, regardless of whether He won or lost.
They handed Jesus over to the Romans. He was scourged, mocked, and publicly humiliated in front of all the people. Then, He was condemned and executed in the cruelest fashion and hung as a public display. He was hung as a warning to not cross those holding power. Jesus was hung up with a sign above His head naming Him, “King of the Jews”, making Him into a warning against those who might try to rise above their “proper” station in life; warning people against thinking too highly of themselves.
Thus, Jesus died. The hopes and dreams of His disciples and followers were shattered. His populist movement was brutally ended.
But then, on the third day after His very public and “officially verified” death, Jesus rose from the grave and appeared to His disciples. Then, He spontaneously appeared again, a week later, before disappearing again. They were excited, glad, and they rejoiced to know that Jesus was not actually dead, but alive.
They also recognized and worshiped the resurrected and glorified Jesus as God. The disciples already had faith, and now they received knowledge and understanding.
But now, Jesus was gone. He had suddenly appeared and then, just as suddenly, He disappeared. He was no where to be seen or found. Yet still, He had commanded them to go up to Galilee where He would meet them (according to Matthew 28). So, they went with hope.
They returned to their old stomping grounds where everything was comfortably familiar and the people were friendly.
So, it would be no surprise for them to fall back into their old routines. It is very easy for our old habits to resurface. The muscle memory is still there and old, familiar stimuli will produce the same old, familiar results unless you actively oppose them. Is that not what usually what happens whenever grown children return home to visit? They get up when they got up while growing up. They find themselves doing their same old chores without being asked. Or, is that not what happens when you return to your old home town after a long time away? You get around old, familiar people and then your speech patterns change; accents return and even your lingo changes. These things are not planned but they just happen, without anyone thinking about it.
Similarly, most addicts have certain triggers (conscious or unconscious) that will send them spiraling back into their addiction. That is why they consciously avoid certain people, places, or things. Perhaps just “a drink”. Perhaps just being around other people who smoke? Perhaps listening to certain music that they personally associate with their addiction? Perhaps just a scratch-off ticket? Perhaps associated foods or beverages?
Our old habits die very hard, especially our worst habits. Sometimes, when we believe that we have “kicked it” for good, they will resurrect themselves. Our sin works very much like that. That is why we must closely guard our hearts against temptation, especially against the temptations which we are acutely aware of. It is a part of our responsibility; part of our cooperation with the Holy Spirit in our process of sanctification.
Meanwhile, the disciples knew Jesus was alive. They knew and now understood that He is God. They knew that they were supposed to put into practice all the things that He had taught them and shown them. But, as soon as Jesus was “out of sight”, He was also “out of mind”. Once He was absent, their excitement faded and then, their first inclination was to immediately return to their old lives. Their old habits came back.
But, they did not forsake Jesus. They did not abandon or forswear His teaching.
They just fell back into their old routines. They were just easily attracted and seduced by the familiar, friendly, and comfortable things that they already knew.
They just allowed Jesus to fall in their list of priorities. Jesus just was not their “Number One!”, at the moment, but He was probably still in their “Top Three”. But, is that good enough. The initial joy from their faith was gone. The initial excitement faded as life began to return to normal; as it began to return to their old, pre-Jesus normal. Their response of faith was lackluster. Nothing about them or their lives had immediately, substantively changed.
It should be an encouragement for us to know that even the disciples were not immune to this phenomenon. This problem has always been evident among Christians, but it was especially noted after the Revivalism of the 18th century. American Presbyterianism actually divided churches over this issue. Then as now, people would hear the Gospel (the Good News about salvation in Christ Jesus) and they would become immediately excited. They would suddenly “make a decision” for Jesus. They would come down to an altar at the end of a worship service. They would gladly make a public profession of faith. They might say a “Sinner’s Prayer”. They might get baptized. They might join a church. They might make promises to themselves and to God: promising to increase their charitable giving, promising to be a nicer person, promising to read their Bible more, and promising to go to church every Sunday. But then, once the revival event was over, the initial excitement wears off and, they come down from the emotional and spiritual “high”, then sometimes, their life returns to normal. Feeling better about themselves and/or their spiritual condition, they might just go back to living as they had and return to doing things just as they had always done them.
Sometimes, after the initial spiritual excitement wears off, a person may go back to living just as they always had, like the seed sown upon rocky ground in the “Parable of the Sower” (Matthew 13:5-6). Sometimes that is what happens. Sometimes people make a well intentioned, but false profession and sometimes they feel like they must struggle to prove the truth of their faith, especially to themselves. But also, sometimes it just takes a while before the regeneration changes become apparent. Other times, the change is immediately obvious. The experience is different for every person and for every believer, which makes it impossible for anyone else to judge; Jesus Christ, alone, knows the truth of their heart (Psalm 44:21; Acts 15:8). This is why many of us were skeptical and cautious concerning the so-called Asbury Revival[2] a few years ago. But now, is when we could better judge its truth because now, we can see the evidence of their faith. Now is when we can expect to see what kinds of spiritual fruit they have produced.
Nevertheless, finding Jesus, being found by Jesus, and knowing that Jesus has saved you is a spiritual mountaintop experience. But, the majority of our Christian life afterwards, is a far less exciting spiritual experience. We live most of our life afterwards, down in the valley.
We encounter professed Christians who do not act in accordance with their faith.
We encounter professed Christians who act overtly in sinful ways; who use our faith as a tool for manipulation or oppression.
So, we doubt ourselves and our faith; doubting whether our profession was real; doubting God’s promises, to love us and be with us, always.
Or, we build ourselves up at the expense of other professed Christians.
We encounter professed Christians whom we have no doubts about their salvation, living as veritable saints on earth.
So, we tear ourselves down in comparison to other professed Christians.
This is why Jesus said, “You will recognize them by their fruits…” (Matt. 7:16 ESV). The fruit of our faith is what proves it true. The change in our heart and our lives as much or as little as that may be. Remember, just because a person might say a “Sinner’s Prayer” or even get baptized, that is not what makes them a Christian. The Apostle Paul explained what the proof is, telling us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” (Rom. 12:2 ESV). So, we know that when a person comes to true saving faith in Jesus Christ, they will be transformed. They will be different. They will become a new person, changed and unlike whatever they once were (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). But, we also know that the process will take time, sometimes a long time. And sometimes, they will experience “set backs” and their positive progress may be partly undone if they backslide.
So, this story helps to remind us that not only shall we experience spiritual highs and lows, but our response of faith will also fluctuate. Our excitement about Jesus and what He has done for us will wax and wane. Our zeal for Jesus will go up and down. At different times our devotional life will be stronger and weaker. But the good news is that even when our zeal, our excitement, our fervor, or our faith activity and engagement is low, we may remember this story and know that it does not mean that our faith is gone or that we have lost our salvation. We know that Jesus is patiently waiting for us, waiting to refresh and restore us. He is waiting for us to return and come closer to Him. This is all a normal part of our becoming sanctified. This is a normal Christian experience.
When the disciples were falling back into their old habits and practices; when they were succumbing to their old ways, Jesus did not condemn them. Jesus did not scold them. He did not chastise them. He did not excommunicate them. Instead, He simply corrected them.
He gave them grace.
He corrected them gently.
He called them back to Himself.
He reminded them of their faith and in whom their faith rested.
He welcomed them back into fellowship and communion with Him.
So, why the Evangelist chose to include this story is to remind us that even they, those who should have been the best (positive) examples of “a Christian”, were guilty of this. They who had seen, and heard, and touched, and even ate with the risen Christ. They who had every reason to be excited and “on fire for Jesus”! They who were not reliant on mere faith in Christ. They who did not just have to believe in His truth because they knew He is true. They who had experienced Jesus for themselves. Even they, the best of Jesus’s followers were still guilty of falling back into their old habits. So, when our response of faith feels lackluster or, when we do not feel as if we are being the “best Christian”, then we can remember that we are not alone in feeling that way. We are not the first to feel it and we will not be the last. Nor are we the worst, or best, to feel like it.
Therefore, because of this story, we know and we believe that Jesus will give us that same grace, when we similarly fall back into our old habits and our old ways. Although we are still responsible to not return to our past sinfulness.
Whenever we allow ourselves to get a little bit off course, we just must turn back towards Jesus. Refocus and recenter on Him. He does not move. He is your rock. He is your lodestone. He is your firm foundation and your only good hope.
Whenever you feel far from Christ, whenever you feel like you are alone or abandoned just turn around, look for Jesus and you will find Him waiting for you, patiently.
If He has called you, then know that He will never stop calling you to Himself. He will always bring you back and He will always be willing and wanting to welcome you home.
That is a promise of God in which you may always hope and trust.
AMEN
The easiest and most common temptation of sin, for us, that we must diligently guard against is idolatry. Jeremiah reminds us that, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9 ESV) and we know that our sinful hearts are perpetual idol factories[3], constantly mass producing alternatives for us to worship. Our heart tries to make us worship anything and everything that is not God; to focus our whole attention on everything that is not Jesus. That is our oldest habit, idolatry; especially idolatry of ourselves. This temptation often manifests itself through comfort and ease and peace. Sadly, this temptation towards idolatry remains even after our regeneration, which is why we have to constantly check ourselves and correct ourselves, to encourage one another and correct one another; to bring us back to Christ and refocus ourselves: our work and our worship; where they belong.
That is our second oldest habit after idolatry, apathy. Spiritual apathy does not meant that we abandon Christ or our faith in Him. Instead, it means that we choose to not care about Him as much as we know that we should. It means that we choose to do less than we know we should or are able. It means that we choose to not prioritizes as we know that we should.
Idolatry and apathy are terrible temptations and they are notoriously difficult to kill or even just avoid. We are all guilty of them because they are sins that are so very easy to just slip into.
Any yet, even regenerate and changed, we may still slide into idolatry and apathy. We may still slide back into our old habits, practices, and routines. But that does not mean we have lost our salvation. It means we need to repent. It means we need to return to Christ and refocus ourselves onto Him. Remember, we are not alone in this guilt and remember, it is forgivable with our earnest repentance.
But, there is also good news in this story.
[1] When checking the website SermonAudio (08/25/2026) I found 1,002 sermons focused specifically on John 21, out of an indeterminate (10k+) sermons on the Gospel of John.
[2] https://www.asbury.edu/about/revival-history/outpouring/
[3] John Calvin, Institutes 1.11.8
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