Text: John 21:1-14
5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.
Our gospel reading today begins ...
21 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, - You may know this by its more common name the Sea of Galilee.
It is not a real sea - it is called a sea because of tradition.
The lake is also known on modern maps as Lake Galilee or Lake Tiberias, in the region of Galilee. In modern Hebrew, it is known as Yam Kinneret.
The Sea of Galilee is Israel's largest freshwater lake, about 33 miles) around, about 13 miles long, and 8 miles wide; At 209 meters below sea level, it is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth,
https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Galilee
The gospel from last week recounts the two previous appearances of Jesus following the resurrection. The disciples had gathered in the upper room with the doors locked for fear of the Jews and Jesus came and stood among them on the evening of the first day.
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Today we celebrate the confirmation of five of our congregation’s children who have been instructed and examined and are ready to confirm what God did for them in their baptisms – having not seen yet have believed.
The account in our gospel in John today is the third appearance of Jesus to his disciples.
3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing”. They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Here Jesus comes and says:
5b“Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.”
I found it interesting that Jesus calls them children. He used the Greek word παιδιον (padion) – which means a little child or an infant or a half grown boy or girl or by extension - an immature Christian. Some call them Lads.
6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.
Today we look at our children who will make their confirmation. No they are not little children or infants though we might call them “student” Christians to some degree. They have been taught and they understand the teachings of the Christian faith and they will confirm that faith today and we pray stay connected to Christ and grow in that faith.
What is Confirmation? There are many who will answer various ways and some of their answers will be wrong.
Confirmation:
… is not a sacrament;
… it does not complete your baptism;
… you don’t have to be 13 or in eighth grade to be confirmed;
In Luther’s day there was no rite of confirmation as we know it.
There was much though in Luther’s day about teaching the faith.
So what is it and what has it become?
Students confirm what God has done for them in their baptism having been marked as one redeemed by Christ. They confess with their mouth, believe in their heart, and speak what they couldn’t say when they were baptized. They have been instructed in the faith and they will now confirm it publicly – nothing more and nothing less.
A few years ago the board of Elders and I addressed this as we noted the lack of confirmands continuing in worship concluding something was wrong.
The problem began in Germany with the State church with the Rite of Confirmation that coincided with end on the school year and the beginning of the spring planting season. Confirmation took on a look of a graduation ceremony and many confirmands and families took it as such. This carried over with those who immigrated to the United States. In our day some families would stay active in church just long enough to have their children confirmed or would come back to church just in time to enroll their child in confirmation class but after they completing their confirmation stop attending or return to non attendance again.
The problem continues to be widespread in the church and a reason for the decline in our congregation and many congregations in our own Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
For those who like tradition and remember the past fondly … change is at times hard to accept.
Even Luther when he wrote his Small Catechism began with these words:
“As the head of the family should teach them in a simple way to his household.”
Luther’s desire was that fathers most probably, but mothers as well, depending on the family situation, should teach their children the truths of the Christian faith. They would teach them about Jesus and all he did for them. They would bring them to church and hopefully connect them to the family of faith at their local church gathered together to receive God’s gifts of word and sacrament. To do so not only grounds the children but also the parents as well.
Two years ago I asked the Elders to consider earlier communion and confirmation. We discussed what the Lord’s Supper is and if we truly believe that it forgives sins and strengthens faith … why in the world would we not want children who can be taught and understand to receive this blessed gift?
The only answer we could come up with is … “Well, we’ve never done it that way.” So we began with Breanna Squanda and Olivia Fisher teaching them in 6th grade the blessing of this gift and they made their first Holy Communion.
Last year they were confirmed and these 5 confirmation students here today received their first Holy Communion. Today, they will be confirmed. The hope is to let God do what he has promised in this gift – to forgive sins and to strengthen faith. My hope is if they receive these gifts earlier just maybe that will stay connected longer.
The catch of fish in the gospel caught the disciple’s attention.
7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”
Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.
Maybe they remembered his first call as told in Matthew chapter 4:
Matthew 4:18-20 English Standard Version (ESV)
18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
God has called these children to faith in Holy Baptism. They are marked as his. Today they confirm it publicly and continue their walk with Jesus as his disciples and redeemed children marked and sealed for an eternity with him here in this life and the life to come.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
21 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, - You may know this by its more common name the Sea of Galilee.
It is not a real sea - it is called a sea because of tradition.
The lake is also known on modern maps as Lake Galilee or Lake Tiberias, in the region of Galilee. In modern Hebrew, it is known as Yam Kinneret.
The Sea of Galilee is Israel's largest freshwater lake, about 33 miles) around, about 13 miles long, and 8 miles wide; At 209 meters below sea level, it is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth,
https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Galilee
The gospel from last week recounts the two previous appearances of Jesus following the resurrection. The disciples had gathered in the upper room with the doors locked for fear of the Jews and Jesus came and stood among them on the evening of the first day.
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Today we celebrate the confirmation of five of our congregation’s children who have been instructed and examined and are ready to confirm what God did for them in their baptisms – having not seen yet have believed.
The account in our gospel in John today is the third appearance of Jesus to his disciples.
3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing”. They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Here Jesus comes and says:
5b“Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.”
I found it interesting that Jesus calls them children. He used the Greek word παιδιον (padion) – which means a little child or an infant or a half grown boy or girl or by extension - an immature Christian. Some call them Lads.
6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.
Today we look at our children who will make their confirmation. No they are not little children or infants though we might call them “student” Christians to some degree. They have been taught and they understand the teachings of the Christian faith and they will confirm that faith today and we pray stay connected to Christ and grow in that faith.
What is Confirmation? There are many who will answer various ways and some of their answers will be wrong.
Confirmation:
… is not a sacrament;
… it does not complete your baptism;
… you don’t have to be 13 or in eighth grade to be confirmed;
In Luther’s day there was no rite of confirmation as we know it.
There was much though in Luther’s day about teaching the faith.
So what is it and what has it become?
Students confirm what God has done for them in their baptism having been marked as one redeemed by Christ. They confess with their mouth, believe in their heart, and speak what they couldn’t say when they were baptized. They have been instructed in the faith and they will now confirm it publicly – nothing more and nothing less.
A few years ago the board of Elders and I addressed this as we noted the lack of confirmands continuing in worship concluding something was wrong.
The problem began in Germany with the State church with the Rite of Confirmation that coincided with end on the school year and the beginning of the spring planting season. Confirmation took on a look of a graduation ceremony and many confirmands and families took it as such. This carried over with those who immigrated to the United States. In our day some families would stay active in church just long enough to have their children confirmed or would come back to church just in time to enroll their child in confirmation class but after they completing their confirmation stop attending or return to non attendance again.
The problem continues to be widespread in the church and a reason for the decline in our congregation and many congregations in our own Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
For those who like tradition and remember the past fondly … change is at times hard to accept.
Even Luther when he wrote his Small Catechism began with these words:
“As the head of the family should teach them in a simple way to his household.”
Luther’s desire was that fathers most probably, but mothers as well, depending on the family situation, should teach their children the truths of the Christian faith. They would teach them about Jesus and all he did for them. They would bring them to church and hopefully connect them to the family of faith at their local church gathered together to receive God’s gifts of word and sacrament. To do so not only grounds the children but also the parents as well.
Two years ago I asked the Elders to consider earlier communion and confirmation. We discussed what the Lord’s Supper is and if we truly believe that it forgives sins and strengthens faith … why in the world would we not want children who can be taught and understand to receive this blessed gift?
The only answer we could come up with is … “Well, we’ve never done it that way.” So we began with Breanna Squanda and Olivia Fisher teaching them in 6th grade the blessing of this gift and they made their first Holy Communion.
Last year they were confirmed and these 5 confirmation students here today received their first Holy Communion. Today, they will be confirmed. The hope is to let God do what he has promised in this gift – to forgive sins and to strengthen faith. My hope is if they receive these gifts earlier just maybe that will stay connected longer.
The catch of fish in the gospel caught the disciple’s attention.
7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”
Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.
Maybe they remembered his first call as told in Matthew chapter 4:
Matthew 4:18-20 English Standard Version (ESV)
18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
God has called these children to faith in Holy Baptism. They are marked as his. Today they confirm it publicly and continue their walk with Jesus as his disciples and redeemed children marked and sealed for an eternity with him here in this life and the life to come.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
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