John 21:4-8
“Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, do you have 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, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom the Lord loved therefore said to Peter, ‘it is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.”
After a night of hard but futile work, Jesus is on the shore and He asks them a question. We already covered how the Lord inquires of us not because He doesn’t know the answer but to help us face our situation truthfully.
In the Garden of Eden, He asked, “Where are you?” And, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (Genesis 3:9,11). He asked Eve, “What is this you have done?” (verse 13). Later, in the story of Cain and Abel and Cain was moping about because his offering had been rejected, God asked him, “Why are you so angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” (Genesis 4:6-7). And let’s not forget the question to King David by the prophet Nathan where God asks, “Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight?” (2 Samuel 12:9).
The thing about these questions, not to mention the riff of questions the Almighty fires off at Job, spanning over two full chapters, is that they all pierce the soul. They all get to the very heart of the problem. “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you and you make it known to me.” (Job 38:2-3). Job’s famous answer is telling and instructive, “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.”
The issue of the questions is that it’s God’s way of showing us the root of our particular problem. Because we’re truth suppressors (Romans 1:18), even though we’re saved, the old habits of the mind are always close at hand. This is why Christians are called to glorify God though the renewal of their mind (Romans 12:1-2). Indeed, Jesus, as He so often did during His earthly ministry, applies the very same tactic. “Children,” He calls them, “do you have any fish?”
We’ve already covered that there’s no evidence that the fishing expedition was sinful in itself. Some commentators suggest that since Jesus didn’t tell them specifically to go fishing that they shouldn’t have gone out that night. We don’t know this for certain and one should always be careful when casting such shadow upon the actions of another. What we do know is that Jesus must know the answer, which means His question is for their benefit – and ours too! They caught nothing and then He comes and tells them to cast on the other side and they instantly obey. This is no small feat, we note. The night had passed and their efforts had surely sapped them in that way that failure steals the energy and passion of a person. We’ve all been there after times and seasons of trial, or overwork, or struggle, and our zeal has fled and we’re listless, barely holding on. We trudge home and the weariness is in both body and soul. To be told to go right back to the task again is quite a thing indeed.
The miracle of this passage, the catching of fish, after we’ve seen so many miracles already, including the resurrection itself, shouldn’t surprise us. No. He fed the five thousand, He calmed the sea, He cleansed the temple, He saved the wedding, gave sight to the blind, raised His friend, Lazarus. This is small stuff in light of all that. Of course they will get the fish. That’s hardly the lesson at this point. The real lesson is that they are together, this imperfect, motley mix of sinners, redeemed by faith, and that they instantly obey. There’s no argument, no hesitation. A long night of futility has passed and Jesus commands them and they obey.
This is the Christian life.
When Christ comes to us, He comes to us as a church, as a family, as a group of believers. We aren’t alone. We shouldn’t look for perfect people next to us in that boat. Peter had denied Christ, Thomas was always ready to be disappointed, and the others were competitive and petty at times. This is hardly a roll call of moral excellence but it’s exactly what the Lord molded into the servant leaders that built His church and proclaimed His name.
And when He told them what to do, they did it without fail. Christian life means loving and trusting Jesus Christ so much that you don’t go to Him and give orders, you report for duty. But you say, “How am I to hear His voice in this day and age?” Go to the Bible, my friend. Learn it, read it, pray over it, and ask God for the wisdom to act on the principles therein.
Fishing is clearly symbolic of the work of evangelism. That much is clear as the Lord previously told Peter that He’d make him a fisher of men. But this fishing of souls is the Lord’s work that is our privilege to abide in and be a part. Our efforts shouldn’t crowd out the work of the Spirit. Too much evangelical sweat is spent in vain due to the forcing of projects rather than the seizing of opportunity the Lord sends our way. Do you have a friend who’s unsaved? A family member? Do you pray for them? Really, really pray? Has someone stopped and talked to you one day and been strangely receptive to spiritual things? Maybe that one person is the one you will catch in the net the Lord wants you to throw. The Lord knows. We don’t. We merely obey. Pray for those opportunities.
The message to take from this is that the Lord loves us. He comes and calls from shore so tenderly to His children and they are overjoyed to see Him. They were already working but it’s the Lord that brings forth success. Too many of us are worn out trying to achieve goals we haven’t committed to the Lord. We should go to Him in prayer. We should consult the Scriptures and our Christian leaders. We shouldn’t fish alone. Not in any endeavor. But, that said, there will be times when our labors appear empty and vain and we might be tempted to despair. That’s okay because God is always right on time and our greatest need isn’t success but trusting in Him. And then our greatest pleasure is working for Him and telling others about this.
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