I'M GOING FISHING!

“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.” (John 21:1-3 NKJV).

 

After Jesus’ betrayal and subsequent execution, the disciples were despondent and unsure how to proceed.  Jesus had appeared to them two separate times after His death, yet they still didn’t know what they should be doing.  In this context we find Peter and six other disciples at the sea of Tiberias and Peter declaring “I am going fishing,” and the others going along with him. 

 

Fishing is what these men knew.  It was their profession before the Lord called them.  They had grown up fishing with their dads.  It had been their family’s livelihood.  It was all they previously knew.  All of that changed, however, on the day that Jesus appeared on the seashore and said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19).  They had been willing to drop their nets, leave their boats, and follow the Lord for the rest of His ministry.  Now, lacking the Lord’s leadership and direction, it was like they were (forgive my pun) in a boat without a paddle, or even a compass for that matter!  In such a state, their default was to revert back to the thing that they knew before – and that thing was fishing.  All of their efforts that night brought no results, however.  Their nets were empty in the morning. 

 

It was at that point that Jesus appeared on the shore.  “But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.  Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered Him, No.” (John 21:4, 5).  It was as though the Lord was shining a spotlight on the fact that they had caught no fish and that their own efforts had yielded nothing meaningful at all besides a night’s wasted work.  Of course, they were well aware of their failure to produce any fruit from their labors, but they were not yet aware of the spiritual application of it all. 

 

“And He [Jesus] said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.  Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved [John] saith unto Peter, It is the Lord.” (John 21:6, 7).  What a difference it makes when the Lord directs our efforts!  Through His Spirit, the Lord can accomplish things in us that we could never do on our own.  It is true that we can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us, but it is also true that without Him we can do nothing.  This is a lesson that is essential for us to learn!  It was an amazing and evident miracle that Jesus performed that day.  The very same waters that yielded nothing all night now produced a multitude of fish.  What the disciples could not accomplish from the left side of their ship Jesus now accomplished from the right!

 

There are times when we are going through trials and we don’t feel God’s presence like we are used to.  It is at such times that we may be tempted to return to things in our life that the Lord has called us away from.  Those things may be familiar, and they may bring us some comfort, but they will not yield anything meaningful to us or to anybody else.  We will be just wasting our time and missing the fact that it is the Lord Himself standing on the shore and waiting to get our attention and, like the disciples, we are not recognizing Him.  God called Peter to be a pillar of His Church and lead men into a deeper relationship with the Lord.  Instead, we find Peter influencing the other disciples to return to something that the Lord had called them from.  Even when we are discouraged, or when we are perplexed and don’t know what direction to take, we must still stay focused on the Lord and trust that He is still with us and wants to continue to direct our path.  It is then that we most need to be in the Word, to spend time in prayer, and to seek the fellowship of other believers.  Even at times when the Lord is “asleep in the boat” He is still with us.  His eyes are always on us and His ears are open to our cry.

 

When the disciples saw the miraculous catch of fish, then it dawned on them that it was the Lord Who was with them and speaking to them all this time.  After the disciples drew the net to shore, they counted 153 large fish, and their net didn’t rip under the weight of this tremendous haul!  Oh, what a difference it makes when we follow the Lord!

 

Jesus already had fish on the fire cooking and bread for the disciples to eat.  Jesus then said to the seven, “Come and dine.”  With the Lord there is always a feast!  He provides spiritual meat and bread from heaven for His children who hunger and thirst for Him and for His righteousness.

 

A little later, Jesus addressed Peter specifically and said, “…when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” (John 21:18 NKJV).  In this statement Jesus was addressing at least two things.  The first thing was Peter’s decision to return to his old pursuits and to lead others there besides.  Peter was walking where he wished – doing what he wanted with his life.  Jesus inferred that this was something we do when we are younger and immature.  When we grow older we realize that there are responsibilities that we must attend to.  We must maintain a job to support ourselves and our families, we must care for and nurture our children, and we must watch out for our aged loved ones just to name a few.  Our fleshly nature may not want to do some of those things, but we do them because they are our duty and responsibility to do.  As Christians, it is the love of Christ that constrains us to lay down our lives for others.  Our former lives were marked by selfish and fruitless pursuits, and there was nothing good we could show for our labors.  When Christ appeared in our lives, though, and we allowed Him to direct our work, we began to see miraculous results!  We are learning that we don’t always get the things that we want from life, but if we trust in the Lord we will get what is best for us.  When Jesus was in Gethsemane just before His betrayal and execution He prayed to the Father and said, “O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39).  Jesus’ flesh was not anxious to suffer the agony of the cross, but His spirit was willing to do what was necessary to fulfill His Father’s plan.  How much more should we learn to pray this most powerful prayer: “Not my will be done, O God, but yours.”

 

The other thing that Jesus was addressing with His statements to Peter was his death.  According to St. Jerome, Peter was “…crucified, his head being down and his feet upward, himself so requiring, because he was (he said) unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as the Lord was.” Foxes’ Book of Martyrs, chapter 1, page 17.  Peter’s later life, especially after the day of Pentecost when the early disciples were filled with and baptized by the Holy Spirit, was an example of service to the Lord and dying to himself in order to minister to the Body of Christ.  God has called us to no less.

 

Are there things that the Lord has called you away from?  Don’t return to those things in a moment of discouragement or disappointment.  Follow the Lord and let Him direct your paths.  If you do, you will always be fruitful in your walk and your labors will produce good things in your life.  I often think about Solomon’s words in Proverbs 3, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him [God], and He shall direct thy paths.  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” (Proverbs 3:5-8).  Always good advice I think!