When my children left home for college it was a time of transition, a life change for their independence as young adults. As parents, we spend 18 years of our children's lives teaching them principles by which to live and then, sooner than we have realized, the time comes when we must let go and pass the baton to them. In my eyes, they were ready and prepared for this passage into adulthood. They took the baton and ran with it to begin their "new life."
When Jesus appeared after His resurrection on the shore of Galilee to the disciples who were fishing with Peter, He was concluding the passage from His earthly sojourn with the twelve to His heavenly ascension to His Father. The baton was soon to be handed to this band of brothers for their commission to care for His people and share with them the Good News of salvation and eternal life in heaven with Christ.1 The disciples had stepped through the events that God ordained—from the garden2 to the trials3 to the cross4 to the grave5 to the resurrection6 to Jesus’ appearance to them in the room in which they had last supped with Him.7 The time was near for Jesus to depart from this world in physical form, to leave behind His Spirit that all who called on his Name could receive and embody as the “source of eternal salvation”8 — the gift of everlasting life.9
The transition was soon to end because they were ready in God’s eyes. Through their own eyes they saw their progress differently, and this scene, on the shore of the source of their livelihood, would catapult them forward like a stone from the slingshot of its master:
Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.
Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”
“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.
At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn’t see who he was.10
Through their own eyes these disciples had given up and returned to their business of fishing, probably wondering as they cast their nets what the purpose of Jesus’ life on earth was about. Their leader, Peter, had experienced the ultimate set of humiliating events. He was chastised in the garden for using His sword to battle for Christ.
“Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will be killed by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”11
Then came the denial—a crushing blow to his prideful boast to Jesus at their last supper with Him, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”12
So they arrested [Jesus] and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. The guards lit a fire in the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man is one of Jesus’ followers!
Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know the man!”
After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!”
“No, man, I’m not!” Peter replied.
About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of Jesus’ disciples because he is a Galilean, too.”
But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And as soon as he said these words, the rooster crowed. At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said, “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny me three times.” And Peter left the courtyard, crying bitterly.13
“The Lord turned and looked at Peter.” Can you fathom what Peter must have felt at that moment, the terror of the realization that Jesus’ words would come to life—“Peter, let me tell you something. The rooster will not crow tomorrow morning until you have denied three times that you even know me.”14 I get goose bumps just writing about the scene. I picture Peter staring at Jesus, as a deer would stare into the headlights of an oncoming car, frozen in the path of its demise, unable to process thought, shut down emotionally for that brief second until the shock of the impact:
AND IMMEDIATELY THE ROOSTER CROWED A SECOND TIME.
Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind:
“Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.
AND HE BROKE DOWN AND CRIED.15
God provides us with transitions—fortunately for our sake—so that He can prepare us for the mission He has destined. Without these paramount transitions, we would be weak pickings, like a lamb led to slaughter by our adversary, Satan.16
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have all of you, to sift you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up your brothers.”17
Satan’s goal was to eliminate Peter as a leader of the followers of Jesus. He wanted to take him out, and in his present condition, prideful of his own capabilities and thinking that his faith was infallible, Peter needed a transition to a faith that was built on Christ’s sovereign power, not his own strength. Without this transition, Satan could use this weapon of pride—love of self—to bring Peter down after Christ had ascended to our Father in heaven.
◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊
Jesus prepared a meal of fish as breakfast for his friends who spent the night fishing and catching nothing with their own efforts. As their boat came near the shore where he stood, He called out to them, “Friends, have you caught any fish?”
“No,” they replied.
Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get plenty of fish!” So they did, and they couldn’t draw in the net because there were so many fish in it.”18
This was a capstone event for the disciples who had left their nets once before to follow Him.19 As they attempted to bring in their haul of fish, it became evident to them that their faith was not of their own power, but rather, their faith was through their reliance on Jesus for everything.
Transitions are needed to experience the faltering of our faith so that we understand on whom we are relying. When we realize that God is in control, even to the smallest of details, we can let go of our own efforts and let Him enter our lives completely.
This is God’s preparation; this is your badge of courage; this is the valor of walking with Him: That you would know that Jesus will be there on the other side, that He will be waiting to restore, that He will be ready for you with open arms, saying, “Come and eat breakfast.”20
- John 21:15-19
- Matthew 26:36-56
- John 18:13-23, Matthew 26:57-68, Luke 22:66-71, John 18:28-38, Luke 23:7-12, John 18:39-19:16
- Matthew 27:27-56
- Matthew 27:57-66
- Matthew 28:1-10
- John 20:19-31
- Hebrews 5:9
- John 14:12-13, 16:7, 17:2-3, John 3:1-21
- John 21:1-4
- Matthew 26:52-54
- Luke 22:33
- Luke 22:54-62 italics added
- Luke 22:34
- Mark 14:72 capitalization added
- Romans 8:35-39
- Luke 22:31
- John 21:5-6
- Matthew 4:18-22
- John 21:12
Excerpt from A Spiritual Diary, “Transitions,” part 5 of a 6 part series. Copyright © August 15, 2004 by Jeff Cambridge
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