Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish (John 21:13.) And he says to me, Write, Blessed [are] they who are called to the supper of the marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

Jesus is our Host. One of the most compelling invitations in all the Bible is Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." We would have to be astonishingly hard-souled and soiled to ignore His constant and tender invitations to us to fellowship with Him. Here in John 21 Jesus has done all the work for this special communion with His beloved disciples. Would He do less for us? I don't think so.

Jesus saw that these dear friends of His were still reluctant to come to Him, so He goes to them with nourishment. What an example for us who are as shy to approach Him as were these hesitant interns of His! Again, Jesus meets us on the shore of our particular experience. He brings to us all ordinary provisions, plentiful and plain, and serves us. What a remarkable passage and symbol this is!

Another thought considers how Jesus was treated by His disciples and how He treats us. When Jesus most needed His dear friends in the Garden, they fell asleep. Then they deserted Him, one by one, when He was arrested. Would we have done the very same thing, had we lived then? I've often wondered if I, too, would have shouted, "Crucify Him," with the mob. We need to take heed lest we fall! But what I would like to share here is the enormously comforting thought that Jesus will never treat us as we treat Him. This passage from this extraordinary chapter of John proves that He will be there for us, on the shore in our severe times, ready with His provisions of love and promises. He will come and meet us, too, at the juncture of our despair; we don't need to worry about going to Him. In the depths of anguish, this is a crucial belief.