The miracle of focus for September is the one recorded in John 21 when the disciples have a miraculous catch of large fish. May these Scriptures, poem and meditation encourage us today! Love Lucy x
The Miracles Of God- The Miraculous Catch of Fish
John 21:1-14
“After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”
They answered Him, “No.”
And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”
Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.
This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.”
“Their labour brought them nothing, the night was spent and yet,The Miracles Of God- The Miraculous Catch of Fish
John 21:1-14
“After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”
They answered Him, “No.”
And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”
Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.
This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.”
Our Saviour turned this tale around by calling, ‘Throw your net!’
And when we throw our nets for God, our work is not in vain;
His guidance will bring miracles and honour Jesus’ name!”
Psalm 127:1-2
“Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.
It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.””
Insight and Reflection
John chapter 21 begins with a recording of one of the times Jesus appeared to His disciples after the resurrection. Verse 3 tells us that Simon Peter decided to go fishing, showing a return to his former occupation before becoming a disciple of Christ. As the others joined him, it may be that they resorted to going back to fishing through a lack of knowing what else to do at this time. Their uncertainty and seeming lack of direction is a heartbreaking contrast with the assured sense of purpose they had from the day of Pentecost.
With the shock and the horror of the Crucifixion still fresh in their minds, it’s easy to imagine that these men were feeling incredibly lost and dejected as they climbed into the boat that evening. Perhaps their thoughts were overwhelmed in the aftermath of it all, and they were looking for an old familiar thing to do to distract themselves. Or maybe they were simply returning to a way of life that would allow them to earn a living, now that their ministry with Jesus was apparently over. Whatever their reasons were for going fishing, that night they caught nothing. However weary and despondent they were when they got into the boat, their situation was only made worse by their fruitless and frustrating night on the water.
It’s interesting to consider that fishing is what Simon Peter was physically doing when Jesus first called him to be a disciple. We read in Matthew 4:18-20,
“And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”
Jesus spoke to the men in terms that they would clearly understand, and used terminology that compared their current occupation to the ministry that lay ahead. As fishermen, they would have been well acquainted with the challenges and frustrations of fishing, making them well-equipped for the resemblant ministerial trials ahead. As Charles Spurgeon once said on this matter,
“To be a fisherman, a man must expect disappointments; he must often cast in the net and bring up nothing but weeds. The minister of Christ must reckon upon being disappointed; and he must not be weary in well-doing for all his disappointments, but must in faith continue in prayer and labour, expecting that at the end he shall receive his reward.”
This could certainly be applied to all of us when it comes to the ministry of sharing the Gospel. Oftentimes, we may feel like our efforts are not bringing about any fruit and we seem to be dragging up nothing but “weeds” and empty nets. Spurgeon’s encouragement brings great energy for the soul, however, as he says we should “not be weary in well-doing,” “but must in faith continue in prayer and labour.” Why? Because when our efforts are done in the name of the Lord and given over for the furtherance of His Kingdom, then they are not in vain. The Lord sees our labours and they will bring about a reward, one way or another, be it in this life or the next.
The text in John 21 goes on to tell of how Jesus was standing on the shore as the men came back in from an unsuccessful night of fishing. It’s a lovely picture of how present our Saviour is in every area of our lives, not just when we’re in a “spiritual setting” or engaged in active service for the Lord. Jesus isn’t just interested in the elements of our day that are closely associated with our faith, He’s interested in the so-called mundane or ordinary, like our work place and home lives.
He goes on to tell the disciples to cast their net over the right side of the boat after hearing that they’ve caught nothing. Without query they obey, and the result is a catch of 153 large fish! It’s been said that there was no symbolic difference here between the right side of the boat and left. The difference lay between human efforts committed with and without Divine guidance. One again, a quote from Charles Spurgeon summarises well this moment and its ministerial parallels as he reflected,
“Christ had but to will it, and the fish came swimming in shoals to the net, and he has but to will it, and souls will be converted by millions to Himself and His Gospel.”
This passage goes on to depict a very humble, servant King, even in His resurrected form. Jesus invites the disciples to come and join Him, as He prepares breakfast for their weary bodies. The men come ashore to find that Jesus (whom they now recognise) has prepared a fire of coals which already has fish laid on it, along with some bread. This creates an encouraging visual reminder that just as the disciples’ fish didn’t create the meal, they merely added to the feast Jesus had already prepared, so too, our efforts merely add to the provisional works God has already set in place. Kingdom work doesn’t rely on us, it’s simply an honour to be a part of it.
These verses in John 21 then describe how the risen Saviour sat amongst His disciples as they shared a breakfast together. Jesus is often seen eating with His disciples after the resurrection and it creates such a beautiful picture of intimate, friendly fellowship between Christ and His people.
This story truly brings with it so many incredible insights and lessons for us. Messages of encouragement for the weary soul to keep on keeping on when it comes to sharing the Gospel, persuasion to not be afraid to change our method, as long as it’s at the direction of the Lord, or making our time and efforts available for Kingdom service, whatever unique form they may come in for us personally.
Ultimately, I pray we can come away from reading these verses feeling bolstered and invigorated to use our days for God’s glory, commit our efforts to Him to be performed in His strength, and trust the outcome to His power. Jesus never commanded the disciples to go fishing and He may not command us to do that either, but He has commanded us all to preach the Gospel and make disciples of others. May we respond with eager hearts and a readiness of spirit to this privileged call today!
