Looking to the future by look in the past

Pointing to the future by looking back at the past.
John 21:1-14
"I am going fishing."

Peter was left with a dilemma, uncertain about what to do next. Before the crucifixion, the way seemed clear. Jesus was the Messianic King, and Peter and the disciples would be part of the re-establishment of the Davidic line. But that dream was shattered in the crucifixion. Yet, even when it seemed all was lost, Jesus rose victorious from the grave. But now what? What was the future to be, and what were they to do? Adding to Peter's confusion was his guilt over his betrayal of Christ. As Peter looked to the future, nothing seemed clear. He had no purpose or direction.
Consequently, he did what most of us do when we are uncertain what direction we should take; we revert to what we have done in the past. Such was the case with Peter and the other disciples. Unclear regarding what they were to go,  Peter suggests to Thomas, Nathanael, James, and John that they return to fishing. They were raised on the sea of Galilee and were fishermen by trade, so it was natural when the future seemed dark and confusing for them to go back to what they knew.
Even though they were uncertain regarding the future, Jesus was clear in his plan. To clarify for the disciples the future he has for them, he takes them back to the beginning. When Jesus first met Peter, Peter was fishing on the Sea of Galilee (see Luke 5). In both instances, their fishing was futile even after fishing all night. In response, Jesus told them to cast their nets again, and the results were unbelievable. In both cases, their net was so full it was overwhelming.
However, the lesson is not about fishing but God's call and purpose. By taking Peter back to the beginning, he reminded Peter that he was called to leave his nets and follow Jesus. While Peter and the other disciples were confused regarding their future, Christ was clear. The calling to leave their nets and become fishermen of men was still operative. By taking them back to the beginning, Jesus subtly reminded them why they left their nets in the first place: They were still called by God to be fishermen of men. By taking them to when he first called them, Jesus reminds them that the crucifixion and resurrection did not change why they were called in the first place. They were still called to be a part of Christ's kingdom program.  
Sometimes God has to conceal the future to remind us that he is the one who orchestrates our lives and he is the one who moves us towards his purpose, and that purpose never changes. When God saved us from sin, he called us to become participants in his kingdom agenda. Even when the circumstances of life change, the calling does not. Sometimes, to have a clear perspective of the future, we must remember Christ's work in our life in the past. Just as he called and equipped us in the past to carry on his work, he continues to call and equip us in the present and future to fulfill his kingdom agenda.