In the book of John Chapter 21, verses 3,6, and 12 specifically remind me of my dad.
I was looking at those 3 verses, and The Holy Spirit reminded me of a few things that convey a truth from our Heavenly Father while also reminiscent of my earthly father.
John 21:3,6,12.
After Christ died, Peter spoke up, and he said,
V. 3 “I go fishing.” That is something Peter, me, and my dad had in common, but for Peter, it was not just something that he enjoyed like me and my dad. It was how he used to make a living. It was what he knew, and he felt like that was all he had left to go to after His master died. He thought, ‘the ministry was over,’ but it had only just begun.
Just after this, Christ appeared to Peter and his fishing buddies. While they were busy fishing, they had no luck and weren’t catching a thing. However, Christ calls out to them from the shore,
V. 6 “Cast your nets on the other side, change things up, boys!” Great things happen when we, too, do things at Christ ‘s command.
Their nets ended up being full to the point of overflowing. Like my dad’s life, full and overflowing.
Then Christ shares a meal, breaks bread, and fish with them over a camp fire.
Jesus said,
V. 12 “Come have some breakfast!”
Dad not only never missed a meal, he made those meals an intimate experience, sharing more than just bread alone.
He also enjoyed pizza.
But seriously, he always shared what God offered, the body and blood of Jesus, the spiritual feast for our souls. Every meal was an opportunity of communion for the community.
There is a rock song called “Big House” by the Classic Christian Rock band Audio Adrenaline. The band describes lots of food at the banquet in Heaven.
Recently, dad came home from a funeral.
He said,
“Ya know, they shouldn’t call them funerals or even a celebration of life they should call them REUNIONS.”
One day I know I may have to face my dad’s own death. As grieved as I will be I whole heartedly belive, as my dad did, that death is swolled up in victory, it is not the end of life it is just the beginning of our eternal life in Heaven with our Father.
On that day, I will say with confidence,
“Till we meet again, dad.”
Big House video by Audio Adrenaline:
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=omoOLhDdTPA&feature=shared
Words to Big House:
I don’t know where you lay your head
Or where you call your home
I don’t know where you eat your meals
Or where you talk on the phone
I don’t know if you got a cook
A butler or a maid
I don’t know if you got a yard
With a hammock in the shade
I don’t know if you got some shelter
Say a place to hide
I don’t know if you live with friends
In whom you can confide
I don’t know if you got a family
Say a mom or dad
I don’t know if you feel love at all
But I bet you wish you had
Come and go with me
To my Father’s house
Come and go with me
To my Father’s house
It’s a big big house
With lots and lots a room
A big big table
With lots and lots of food
A big big yard
Where we can play football
A big big house
Its my Father’s house
🎶 Ibidibidee bop bop bow whew! yeah! 🎶
All I know is a big ole house
With rooms for everyone
All I know is lots a land
Where we can play and run
All I know is you need love
And I’ve got a family
All I know is your all alone
So why not come with me?
Come and go with me
To my Father’s house
Come and go with me
To my Father’s house
It’s a big big house
With lots and lots a room
A big big table
With lots and lots of food
A big big yard
Where we can play football
A big big house
Its my Father’s house
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Kelly Nickels / Mick Cripps / Philip Lewis / Steve Riley / Tracii Gunns
Big House lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Universal Music Publishing Group
GOD’S WORD
(The bigger picture)
John 20:1-10, 19-31 NASB1995
[1] Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it *was still dark, and *saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. [2] So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them,
“They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
[3] So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. [4] The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; [5] and stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. [6] And so Simon Peter also *came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he *saw the linen wrappings lying there, [7] and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.
[8] So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. [9] For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. [10] So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
[19] So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
[20] And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. [21] So Jesus said to them again,
“Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send 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, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”
[24] But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. [25] So the other disciples were saying to him,
“We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
[26] After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said,
“Peace be with you.”
[27] Then He *said to Thomas,
“Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
[28] Thomas answered and said to Him,
“My Lord and my God!”
[29] Jesus *said to him,
“Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
[30] Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; [31] but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.20.1-31.NASB1995
John 21:1-19, 24-25 NASB1995
[1] After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way.
[2] Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and 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 also come with you.”
They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. [4] But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. [5] So Jesus *said to them,
“Children, you do not have any fish, do you?”
They answered Him,
“No.”
[6] And He said to them,
“Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.”
So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. [7] Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved *said to Peter,
“It is the Lord.”
So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. [8] But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.
[9] So when they got out on the land, they *saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. [10] Jesus *said to them,
“Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.”
[11] Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. [12] Jesus *said to them,
“Come and have breakfast.”
None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. [13] Jesus *came and *took the bread and *gave it to them, and the fish likewise. [14] This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.
[15] So 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,
“Tend My lambs.”
[16] He *said to him again 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,
“Shepherd 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 all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus *said to him,
“Tend My sheep. [18] Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.”
[19] Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He *said to him,
“Follow Me!”
[24] This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. [25] And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself *would not contain the books that *would be written.
https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.21.2-25.NASB1995
tombeetlebailey 