Time with Jesus

Jesus makes Himself known to us so that we would be in fellowship with Him. By the time He appears to His disciples on the shore, they are exhausted, having been out on a boat all night without catching any fish. But when Jesus calls to them, He reveals Himself through His directions that he had offered once before: “Cast the net on the right side of the boat.” The disciples obey, and as a result, receive a large number of fish, a catch much too large to haul into their boat. By this, the disciple John recognizes Jesus, and they all head to shore to find their Messiah preparing breakfast for them, inviting them to eat.

Jesus comes to spend time with His disciples. They are not a stop on His way to more important matters. They are the very reason He has arrived on shore. After His Resurrection, He seeks after His disciples to spend time with them. Because of their love for the Jesus, their response is to drop everything and meet with Him. Jesus will indeed make the disciples fishers of people, but first He will call them to Himself. He first assures them of His Victory by His Presence with them on multiples occasions. He also provides for them, nourishing and restoring them in their weariness.

Jesus’ fellowship with the disciples reminds us of how important it is to spend time with our Lord. He has made Himself known to us so that we would run to Him with excitement and joy. We who love Jesus must spend time with Him. It should become our response to every opportunity He gives us to linger in His Word and rest with Him in prayer. We can only go into the world as His people after first joining with Him in fellowship. He is the One Who equips us with the precious knowledge of His Victory to take to others. He is the One Who restores and nourishes our weary souls. Most importantly, He desires time with us.