Simple Reminders from Jesus’ Call to Come Have Breakfast
I am a member of a church denomination that is divided into districts. I belong to a district that holds a family camp every year. This year my sweet Pastor husband is preaching, and he is emphasizing prayer.
The pastor organizing the camp asked me to lead morning devotions. I agreed and began to pray about what I would focus on for our morning times together. I want to align with my sweet Pastor husband’s focus, but at first, I wasn’t sure how.
Come
Holy Spirit led me to think about the purpose of having a devotional time in the morning. Then He prompted me with the word “come.” I realized when we pray, we enter God’s holy presence; we “come” to Him. Then, I began to wonder how many times Jesus said come.
I discovered Jesus said come over ten times. God led me to focus each morning devotion on a different passage where Jesus said come. He gave me the goal of what we could learn about coming to God in prayer with each passage.
For my summer blogs, we will look at passages that use the word come. Sometimes it’s good to start at the end instead of the beginning. The first “come” we will look at is the last recorded time Jesus said, “come.”
Come and Have Breakfast
“Jesus said to them, ‘come and have breakfast.”
John 21:12a
The Greek word Jesus uses in this verse translated come is “deute.” The word is an imperative, a command. Jesus doesn’t give an invitation to just hang out over a meal. Instead, Jesus calls His disciples to be with Him, to get to know Him as they eat together.
Perhaps the disciples needed a direct command. At this point in their journey, they didn’t seem to know what to do. Jesus died and rose again, but the disciples were at a loss as to what happens next. In John 21:3, Peter decides to go fishing; he chooses to go back to what he knows, if for just a little while.
Have you ever been there? You struggle with understanding and/or accepting something new. So, you desire to just return to something you know inside and out. Or you realize you need a way to process what is new or unexpected. So, you do something that is second nature; something you can do without thinking. Then, as you are busy, you connect the dots and gain comprehension.
A Repeat Miracle
As Peter and his friends are doing what is second nature, Jesus shows up. Plus, He repeats a miracle He did early on. Peter and the boys aren’t catching any fish, so Jesus tells them to throw their nets on the other side. And just like before, the net fills with fish.
Jesus knows this transition isn’t easy. So, with a repeat miracle He reminds them of three things. First, He reminds them of what they’ve learned and experienced through their time with Him and all the miracles. Second, He reminds them of who He is and what He can do. He is the One who can do the impossible. Third, He reminds them He sees them, and He is still available. Jesus showed up and He was with them.
Jesus said Come…
Then, with a simple “come,” Jesus possibly triggers memories of various moments when He used the same word before. For example:
- Matthew 4:19 ~ Follow me or come behind me
- Matthew 11:28 ~ Come all who are weary and burdened
- Matthew 25:34 ~ Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the Kingdom
- Mark 6:31 ~ Come away to a remote place and rest
I wonder if all of these instances ran through their head, along with the angel’s words at the tomb in Matthew 28:6, “Come and see the place where He lay.” As Jesus invited them to breakfast, were the disciples reminded He is the God who provides? Who promised them abundant life? Who conquered death and removed the need to offer sacrifices and measure up?
Jesus Serves
In John 21:13, Jesus serves them. John specifically writes, “Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish.” (CSB) As I read those words, I recall the Last Supper as well as the story of feeding the five thousand with a boy’s lunch. The disciples may also have been reminded of the new covenant and Jesus’ ability to always provide.
The disciples had been on an epic journey with Christ. They experienced and saw so many wonderous things. However, their journey wasn’t over. Perhaps the route was now different than they expected, but Jesus and the goal remain the same.
Jesus Calls Us
Just as Jesus called the disciples to an everyday moment of enjoying breakfast together, He calls us to do everyday life with Him. He welcomed the disciples, and He welcomes us with a simple “come.”
Whenever we come to Christ, He reminds us He sees us and He is available to us. We can come with the assurance He is who He has always been. Jesus has been faithful to each of us in a multitude of ways, just as He was to the disciples. We come remembering how He has been good to us in the past. In addition, we come confident He is always present with us. He will continue to teach us and provide new memories and insight that will comfort and strengthen us in the future.
He is waiting to serve us what our souls need. Won’t you come and dine with the One who loves you most?
Come have Breakfast Photo by Antonio Araujo on Unsplash
