A Big Catch “So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.” John 21:11-12

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead...Then he said to him, “Follow me!” - John 21:1-14, 19

Examining the Text Why are the disciples fishing? Financial gain? Boredom? I suspect a spiritual root for this behaviour. In Scripture, when it comes to engaging in relationship with God, we often see a pattern of returning to the old ways; a spiritual regression of sorts.

An Old Testament Pattern Think for a moment about the Jewish captivity in Egypt. The people of Israel cried out for freedom and God delivered this desired freedom. The first piece of the pattern is divine rescue. During their wanderings, Moses meets with God at Mount Sinai and receives from God a mission and an identity for his people. Our second pattern piece is divine issuing of mission and identity.

Pretty quickly though, we find that Israel falters, sliding into a culture of comfort, protection and self-preservation. Our third piece of the pattern is a desire for comfort. In the midst of this, we hear the prophet’s voices, calling aloud in the streets, calling for a return to mission and a recapturing of identity. The fourth piece of the puzzle is a return for ministry empowerment.

The Pattern Continues … Spiritually, for those held captive to sin, Jesus Christ provided freedom. Christ’s work was not just confined to meeting spiritual needs, but he confronted the physical needs of people head on. Just as God provided the Israelites with a mission and identity, so too does Christ provide the disciples with a mission and an identity. They are commissioned to extend the grace they have received from God to others, to forgive as Christ forgave.

Faced with this mission, just as the Israelites became enwrapped in their own comfort and self-preservation, John 21 shows us that the disciples retreated to that which was comfortable and their own self-preservation. Following this commission, they returned to their fishing boats. Christ does not leave them floating on the sea of Tiberius, but he calls them back to a new life, to that for which they have been called. This is not the first time that Christ encountered His disciples while fishing.

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:1-11)

Through this miracle it is as if Jesus is saying, "You will continue to be fishers of men by all that I have taught you, but you will be doing it differently than you did before. Before your nets broke, but now they won’t. Before you fished on one side of your boat, but now you will fish from the other side. Before you showed fear, now you’ll exhibit relationship with me." But the call remains the same – “follow me”. When the disciples found themselves caught between their call to fish for men and their comfort in fishing for fish, they swiftly drifted into a waiting game.

Why do we wait? We probably have many reasons. The Holy Spirit is calling us out of our familiar little boats; He is prompting us to set aside our comfort for His kingdom purposes. We are at the cusp of a new era in Christianity and it begins right here. Can you hear His call this morning?