Reflection: Déjà vu with Jesus All Over Again (April 14, 2013)

The 3rd Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:1-22; Revelations 5:1-14; John 21:1-14


What did the disciples do after they had experienced Jesus’ Resurrection? At first they hid out in a locked room. Twice. After Jesus came to them there a second time, they made their way to Galilee where He had said He would meet them. As they waited and wondered, they went fishing. We can’t know whether they went fishing to kill some time, to earn some income, or to go back to their lives as they were before encountering Jesus. But we do know that Jesus’ Resurrection was meant to have a far greater impact in their lives than going into hiding or back to the way things were.

The seaside appearance of the resurrected Jesus should have given the disciples a strong sense of déjà vu. After spending the entire night fishing and catching nothing, these professional fishermen were given unsolicited advice from a novice. When they followed the seemingly worthless advice, they end up catching a huge amount of fish. Based on this miraculous catch they recognized Jesus for who He is. So far this event was the fishing expedition of Luke 5 all over again. But the Resurrection had changed things. Now instead of asking Jesus to go away from him because of his sinfulness, Peter put on his clothes, jumped from the boat, and swam to Jesus. Peter knew that things were different, even if they seemed the same. Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and the grave had made them so.

There are times when everything seems like the same thing over again for us. We seem to bring the same sins, same attitudes, and same circumstances to the Lord and then receive the same forgiveness and assurances. When we see it as all the same, we’re likely to go back to living our daily lives as though nothing has changed and seeing worship services, Bible study, our use of the Sacraments, and Confession and Absolution as routine activities in our lives. But something has happened that has changed everything for us. Through the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus we have been put to death and made alive. We and everything about us has been made us new in Christ. We've been joined to His death and Resurrection in Holy Baptism. In Him, we have died to the old and now live in the new. There’s no going back to the old way of things. So, what are you doing now that you've experienced Jesus’ Resurrection?

Audio file of the sermon "Deja vu with Jesus All Over Again."