Breakfast with Jesus

May 4, 2025 homily on John 21:1-17 by Pastor Galen

Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish. – John 21:12-13

Comfort Food

One of life’s simple pleasures is sitting down to a wonderful meal after you’ve been doing hard physical or mental labor. Whether it’s a full course meal that someone else has cooked for you, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or some other comfort food that you make for yourself, both can be equally gratifying when you’re hungry. Food is not only a necessity in life, but it is also something that makes life more enjoyable, and hard work more bearable.

Imagine, then, how amazing it must have been for the disciples to come to the shore after a long night fishing and find that Jesus had breakfast prepared for them on the beach.

The past few weeks must have felt like a rollercoaster for the disciples, as Jesus had entered Jerusalem just a few weeks earlier on Palm Sunday to shouts and cheers from the crowd, only to be betrayed by one of their own, and then arrested and tried and unjustly crucified just a few days later. Then, on Sunday morning, some of the women had reported that Jesus’ body was missing. But then he appeared to Mary Magdalene, and then to the 12 apostles, and other disciples of Jesus. 

Peter Goes Fishing

The disciples were no doubt in shock about everything that had had taken place. They were excited that Jesus was alive, but they missed him being with them all the time, and they were confused about what to do next. And so in an attempt to regain some level of normalcy, Peter had announced to some of the others that he was going to go fishing. 

Before Peter had met Jesus, he had been a fisherman. That was his career, his profession. It was what he knew best. And I think at that moment, Peter wanted to do something that he knew he was good at. After all, he had pretty much failed as an apostle up until that point. Right before Jesus was crucified, Peter had denied Jesus three times. Peter, who had promised that he would stand by Jesus until the end, who had said that he would even be willing to die for Jesus (Matthew 26:35), swore that he didn’t even know Jesus when he was questioned by servant girls and bystanders whether he was connected to Jesus. And that must have haunted Peter for these past few weeks. I imagine that he was racked with guilt and had trouble sleeping at night. Tossing and turning, he couldn’t come to peace with what he had done. 

No doubt Peter wondered if Jesus would ever forgive him for what he had done. 

And so, since he couldn’t sleep anyway, he got up and went out to do the one thing that he knew he could do — catch fish. But that night he couldn’t even do that well, as the Scriptures tell us that that night he and his companions caught nothing (John 21:3).

Breakfast on the Beach with Jesus

But then someone on the seashore called out to them and instructed them to throw their nets onto the other side of the boat, which was exactly what Jesus had instructed them to do several years ago when they first met him. And the instruction seemed just as silly to them now as it did back then, because what difference would it make which side of the boat your nets are on? But they followed the instructions of the person on the shore, and they caught a huge catch of fish, and they knew at that moment that the person on the shore was Jesus.

Peter was so excited to see Jesus that he jumped into the sea and swam to shore — no doubt wanting to tell Jesus that he was sorry for denying Jesus and abandoning Jesus in his hour of need, but not sure what to say or how to say it.

When Peter reached the shore and when the other disciples arrived with their huge catch of fish, they found that Jesus had breakfast already ready for them on the beach. Fish and bread cooking over a fire. Jesus asked Peter to bring some of the fish that they had just caught to add to the meal, and then he invited them to have breakfast with him. He distributes some of the bread and fish to the disciples, and they have breakfast together with him there on the beach. 

A Place at the Table

Now the truth is that it wasn’t just Peter who had abandoned Jesus in his hour of need. Pretty much all of Jesus’ male disciples — the 12 apostles — had promised that they would be willing to die for Jesus, but had run away scared when Jesus was arrested and tried. In fact, the apostle John was the only one who witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion. And so I imagine that all of them were struggling to some extent with what they had done, and how they had failed to stand with Jesus.

But for Jesus, inviting them to come and sit and have breakfast with him on the beach, handing them fish and bread, and sitting and eating together with them was a way of showing that no matter what we’ve done or failed to do, no matter how much we’ve messed up, no matter how far we’ve strayed, there’s always a place for us at Christ’s table. 

This is why we are reminded every time we take communion that Christ invites everyone who loves him and earnestly repents of their sin. The communion table is not for those who are perfect, or who have never sinned. (None of us would qualify if that were the case!) Rather, Jesus invites us to join him, to sit with him, just as he invited the disciples who had abandoned him and denied him to sit with him on the beach and eat breakfast with him. (Of course, the meal that the disciples had together with Jesus on the beach that morning was not “Communion” in the strictest sense of the word, but perhaps more what we might call in our tradition, an Agape Meal, or Love Feast. A reminder of God’s love for us, and that Christ is present with us wherever we are.)

The Power of Silence and the Gift of Presence

It’s striking to me that the Gospel author John records almost painstakingly every detail of this scene, from the fact that the disciples caught exactly 153 fish (John 21:11), to the fact that Peter put on his outer garment before swimming to shore (John 21:7). But John records nothing of what the disciples talked about while they were eating breakfast — only the conversation that happens after breakfast. Which leads me to believe that perhaps they just ate in silence, watching the sun rise over the water in the still and quietness of the morning, basking in Jesus’ presence.

It’s striking too that Jesus didn’t take this opportunity to berate them for abandoning him, or for Peter denying him. Nor did he even need to use words to communicate to them that they were forgiven. Instead, this simple action of giving them breakfast on the beach after their hard night of fruitless effort spoke volumes to them about God’s grace, and mercy, and love, and forgiveness.

There are many times when we probably don’t know what to say. When a friend or loved one has experienced tragic loss. When someone close to us is going through a difficult or challenging time. When someone that we care deeply about is struggling to have hope. 

Often in those situations we feel like we should say something, but we don’t know what to say. We may feel the temptation in those situations to turn to platitudes, such as “everything happens for a reason.” Or, “God has a plan!” We might feel the temptation to tell them to move on, to just try and forget about the bad thing that happened. 

But once again Jesus sets a perfect example for us of the power of presence in those moments. Sometimes just sitting with someone in silence, and offering food to them, is a better way to show that we care than offering a multitude of words.

Peter is Recommissioned

Perhaps this is why Jesus uses the language of “feeding” in his conversation with Peter after breakfast. 

After breakfast, Jesus asks Peter three times if Peter loves him, and each time Peter affirms that yes, he indeed loves Jesus. The first time, Jesus responds with “Feed my lambs” (John 21:15), the second time with “Tend my sheep” (John 21:16), and the third time with “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). This is a powerful interaction, since Jesus is giving Peter 3 opportunities to affirm his love for Jesus — a restorative act that mirrors Peter’s threefold denial of Jesus. 

Jesus’ response — instructing Peter to feed and tend to Jesus’ “flock” — the community of believers — is also an act of love and grace — a reassurance to Peter that his failures do not disqualify him from serving Jesus.  And Jesus is telling Peter that the way he can serve Jesus is through serving others. 

“Feed My Sheep”

In the past, I have always read Jesus’ instructions to Peter (and vicariously to us) as being strictly spiritual in nature. Jesus wants Peter to feed his sheep spiritually. He wants us to evangelize, and share the Gospel, and disciples others. And we are in fact called to do this. 

But read in this context, where Jesus has just shared a meal with his disciples, feeding them fish and bread as a physical manifestation of his love and forgiveness for them, I’m beginning to wonder if Jesus’ instructions to “feed my sheep” was a much more holistic command. After all, the way to someone’s heart is often through their stomach, as the saying goes. Food can be a powerful expression of love, care, and compassion—and it may even open someone’s heart to receive the Good News of Jesus.

Indeed, this is one of the reasons why our church hosts a Food Pantry — not just to provide food for people who are hungry, but as a means through which we can share the love of Jesus. It’s why we often have food when we gather together around God’s Word. It’s why we set up a coffee station in the back of our sanctuary and sometimes have snacks available before or after worship. It’s about communion. Not just in the sacramental sense, but in the deeply spiritual sense of being present with one another, and of reminding each other that no one is alone and that Christ is in our midst.

When Jesus said, “Feed my sheep,” I believe he was inviting Peter—and us—not only to share the Gospel with words, but also to embody it with our lives. To nourish others spiritually, yes, but also emotionally and physically. To offer tangible signs of love and forgiveness, the way Jesus did on that beach.

Whether it’s preparing a meal, lending a listening ear, praying with someone, or just sitting in silence together, each act becomes a way of feeding Jesus’ sheep. Each act is a reflection of Christ’s love—a love that welcomes us even after failure, that feeds us when we’re empty, that restores us and sends us back out again to love and serve in his name.

May we, like Peter, respond to Jesus’ love not with guilt, but with gratitude. May we say, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you”—and then go and feed his sheep! 

Amen.

Questions for Personal Reflection in Response to Today’s Sermon:

1. Can you think of a time when silence spoke more powerfully than words?
2. Is there someone in your life who needs less advice and more presence from you?
3. What does it mean to you that Jesus didn’t condemn the disciples but fed them?
4. Are there ways you’ve felt like Peter—failing or falling short—and how has God met you in those moments?
5. How can acts of hospitality and shared meals become part of your ministry to others?