This was a sign to the apostles that the Lord was at work, and they recognized him. There is no question that our Lord summoned these fish to be there - and fish, unlike men, obey their Lord!
This is not a miracle so much as it is a supernatural exercise of power through natural means. Besides, the early light of dawn would make it even more difficult to see into the waters from the shore. One hundred yards is a considerable distance. Some of the commentators insist that this was a natural occurrence, that as he stood on the shore, Jesus could see what the disciples in the boat could not see.
#Lord you have come to the seashore full#
But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any fish?" They answered him, "No." 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, for the quantity of fish. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. John goes on to show what God can do with a night of failure. It is in failure that a man begins to think, to wonder whence his failure comes, to look around and seek for the reasons, to put into his work double watchfulness and double energy, and to look upwards to Him who can turn failure into a glorious achievement. Failure is often the only test by which the real worth and quality of a man or woman can be tried. Success - yes, even spiritual success - can be a snare and a ruin, while failure can be an unspeakable benefit. Yet, were it not for God's providing hand, we would have neither the opportunities nor the resources to begin with. That is to take for granted all that has been provided for them all throughout their lives, without giving a thought for Who provided it. Every now and then I meet someone who claims to be a "self-made man." I have discovered, however, that most self-made men worship their creator! Yet nothing is more revealing of human ignorance than the claim to be a self-made man. People who think they have done it all themselves are common today. We can succeed and forget the Hand whose it is to give or to withhold, to kill or to make alive. We can succeed and burn incense to the net. We can succeed and be proud of our success. The night of failure was not without its lessons and its benefits. Here is what one writer said about this failed night of fishing: But although failure is a painful experience, valuable lessons can be gained through it.
Like these fishermen, you have expended much energy and utilized all your resources but gained nothing in return. Some of you have tried hard to accomplish something. Here in that beautiful symbolic way that John frequently employs we have a picture of what Jesus wants to teach us about the work of fishing for men.
Yet as this account makes clear, it was the Lord's intention that they catch nothing on this occasion. That must have been a rather unusual experience for them. But although they were expert fishermen, the disciples had labored throughout the night and had caught nothing. Fishermen used torches to attract the fish to the boat and then netted them. These are my kind of fishermen! Much of the fishing in the Sea of Galilee was done at night in those days as it is yet today. 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. Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. There I will appear to them." John now picks up the account in these opening words.Īfter this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias and he revealed himself in this way. The scene is the Sea of Galilee, to which the disciples have come in obedience to the word of Jesus to Mary Magdalene after he rose from the dead, "Go and tell my disciples that I go before them to Galilee. That is how the work of God goes forward. Here then in this chapter are symbolized the two ministries of the church: fishing and shepherding. A hook is the symbol of a fisherman, while a crook is the symbol of a shepherd. The expression, "By hook or by crook," you may be surprised to learn, originated from the 21st chapter of the Gospel of John.
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