Recognizing God on the Move (Reflections on John 21)
When you read the Gospel accounts of the events of Easter and the days that followed, you see that Jesus is: an unexpected King, a God who can handle the doubts of His disciples (then and now), and a Savior who shows up in the normal, daily activities of walking, eating dinner, and grieving.
But we also see a struggle emerge in the post-resurrection stories of the Gospels: catching a vision for where God is on the move.
It’s easy to say "God is everywhere," but it is much harder to see exactly where Jesus is at work in our neighborhoods, our jobs, and our families. Seeing His movement requires focus, prayer, and intentionality.
To see where God is on the move, we have to actually be looking for Him.
In John 21, we find the disciples in a relatable slump. The adrenaline of the resurrection has settled, and they do what many of us do when we’re confused, tired, or worried about the mortgage: they go back to what they know.
“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them... but that night they caught nothing. (John 21:3)
Whether it was fear, finances, or just the need for a routine, they returned to their old life.
We see this even today. There are multiple examples of Olympians (like Cory Thiesse and Sinead Diver) who returned to normal jobs - like IT or lab technician - after competing in the top athletic competition in the world.
Even after "mountain top" experiences, life demands a return to the "normal."
But for the disciples, the "normal" wasn't working. They fished all night and caught absolutely nothing.
Early the next morning, a figure on the shore tells them to throw their nets on the right side of the boat. Suddenly, the nets are so full they can’t even haul them in.
The disciples didn’t recognize Jesus' face at first, but they recognized His movement. This wasn't their first time seeing something like this happen; they remembered a similar miracle in Luke 5. They realized that a net-breaking catch after a night of failure is a "Jesus event.”
John is the first to see it—he’s the perceptive one. But Peter? Peter is the man of action. The moment he hears, "It is the Lord," he doesn't wait for the boat to dock. He jumps into the water.
The Question for Us: What do we do when we catch the movement of God? Do we stay in the boat and discuss the logistics, or do we dive in headfirst to get closer to Him?
When they finally get to shore, they find a fire, bread, and fish already cooking. It is a beautiful, quiet scene: the smell of the sea, the warmth of the coals, and breakfast with their Risen Lord.
We are like those first disciples. We get distracted by the normal busyness of life and we can easily forget to look for the spaces and lives where God is on the move.
If you want to develop the eyesight to see Jesus at work around you, try these three things:
Remember the Past: Where have you seen God move before in the past? (Like the disciples remembering Luke 5). Spend time journaling, use Post-It Notes like Pastor Joshua in Bulgaria, or read the Scriptures to be reminded of how God has moved before.
Spend Time in the Present: You cannot recognize a friend from a distance if you haven’t spent time with them up close. Join a friend for a prayer walk through your neighborhood, sit in silence for a few minutes before bed, listen to worship music while you make food, or - again - journal.
Hope for the Future: Trust that God is already in pursuit of you as you pray and worship Him individually and in a church community.
In 2 Kings 6:17, Elisha prayed a simple prayer for his servant: “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.”
May that be our prayer too. God is already on the move; we just need the eyes to see Him.
