“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” (John 21:11, NKJV). In reading through John 21:4-14, one wonders why the writer had any interest in giving the exact number of fish caught. Many have speculated on its purpose. None have really come up with symbolic significance that has received widespread acceptance. The book of John is notorious for its use of symbolism. For example, in this chapter, Jesus tells Peter, “Feed my lambs,” “Tend my sheep,” and “Feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17). He is driving the point home that He wants the world to be reached, and the saints to be fed from His Word. It is, as it were, a recommission of Peter and the other disciples to the twofold purpose of world evangelism and fulfilling the Great Commission. They were to catch men and women through going into the entire world and preaching the Gospel (evangelism). They were to feed and to nurture them in the instruction of God’s Word (edification/education).
The Whole World:
Some assume that, in that time period, there were only 153 known types of fish. In Matthew 13:47-50 (used again later in this lesson) the kingdom of God is likened to a net in which all kinds of fish are swept up and in together.
In olden times, the number 153 was provided as the total number of all tribes and nations of the earth. Some believe that it represented every possible known people group in the world. In other words, it referred to the whole world. The large fish speaks of nations of the world who are going to be caught in the net.
The early church, and early church fathers (like Jerome), interpreted this passage as the assurance of the success of fulfilling the Great Commission, that the net of the Gospel would be spread to everyone; everywhere. Like the UPCI says within the global missions’ ministry, “To every tribe and nation: JESUS.” But the world evangelism does not stop there.
“And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles, When all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: And that their children, which have not known anything, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it” (Deuteronomy 31:10-13).
The Whole Word:
The Torah should be read aloud to all of God’s people, Israel, every seven years. Over the centuries an annual cycle of reading was developed and adopted to meet this requirement. The 1910 Jewish Encyclopedia reveals a three year cycle used around the first century. It divided the Torah in 153 parts. It has always been God’s intention that all of the Gospel should be taken to all of the world. We have it right when we proclaim, “The whole Gospel to the whole world.” His intention, from the beginning, has always been “that nothing be lost” (John 6:12).
The Word:
The use of fish in the New Testament was used to represent mankind in common. The message throughout the Gospel clearly indicates that there is an abundance of fish to be caught and that there is an abundance of fish that will be caught.
“Or, God’s kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. That’s how it will be when the curtain comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won’t do any good” (Matthew 13:47-50, MSG).
From the beginning days of calling men into ministry, Jesus has always intended for us to be “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:18-19). Jesus called at least seven fishermen to be among His twelve disciples.
“Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. Jesus said to them, ‘Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.’ They didn’t ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed” (Matthew 4:18-20, MSG).
John 6:1-14 speaks of the feeding of the five thousand. Mark 8:1-10 tells of the feeding of the four thousand. Jesus even provided the secret to prosperity for every pastor and minister of the Gospel.
In Matthew 17:24-27, He reveals that we can catch fish, open its mouth, and money will be there. One preacher has aptly said, “There is gold in the pews.” One of the blessings of a full church is increased financial resources to sustain the minister, his family, and the work of God.
“Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you” (Matthew 17:27, NKJV).
The Fisherman:
A fisherman (in the natural realm) catches living fish. When he catches them, they die. A fisherman (in the spiritual realm) catches dead fish (dead in their sins). When he catches them, they live. They are provided an abundant overflowing life in Jesus Christ. We catch our fish with the net of truth.
“When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men” (Luke 5:6-10, NKJV).
Maybe, you are disappointed with your fishing experience. Occasionally, I get discouraged, disillusioned, disappointed, depressed, despondent, and depleted with my fishing. I’ve toiled all night and caught nothing. I’m embarrassed when the Spirit appears and calls out, “Have you caught any fish?”
But Scripture says, “Be not weary in well doing...” We will catch a great quantity of fish if we faint not. One great catch, repays many years of toil. It erases sleepless, empty nights. The net of the Gospel has captured multitudes. In Acts 2 about three thousand were caught in one day. They came from every nation under heaven; yet the net was not broken. It is as mighty as ever.
Fishing is a little like farming (John 4:35). You see results in direct proportion to the investment you put into the venture. Paul expresses the principle of sowing and reaping, fishing and catching, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6).
God continues to prompt us and prod us from our comfort zones as He pushes us into uncharted waters.
Go forth with vision extended by the Spirit: “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” (John 21:7, NKJV). Once we see the Lord clearly, everything else has a way of becoming crystal clear as well.
“Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together” (Psalms 34:3, NKJV). As we make the Lord bigger in our lives, our problems diminish, and our God-given vision is within reach.
Go forth directed by the Spirit: The distance to success was as close as the width of the boat. “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” (John 21:6, NKJV).
When the disciples followed Jesus’ instructions they caught so many fish that the net could not be brought in. This great catch of fish gave the disciples a preview of what God was going to do through them as “fishers of men.”
Go forth empowered by the Spirit: Peter is seemingly given supernatural strength to draw up a net that seven were not able to draw together (See John 21:6, 11). Someone has rightfully said, “God does not call the equipped, He equips the called.” He backs us with His spiritual power and authority.
“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” (John 21:11, NKJV).
Go forth expanded by the Spirit: “full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three” (John 21:11, NKJV).
It is merely speculation and an educated guess that the 153 fish were symbolic of all the tribes of the world or all the portions of the Torah. One thing remains sure. He has called us as fishers of men and it is His earnest desire that the entire world be reached with all His Word. It will happen. A quick look at the back of the Bible proves that: “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9, NKJV).
The Fishing Community:
Darrell W. Robinson, in People Sharing Jesus, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), pp. 21-23, shares an interesting story about fisherman. There once was a group who called themselves fishermen. There were many fish in the waters all around. The whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish. And the fish were hungry.
Week after week, month after month, and year after year, the fishermen met in meetings and talked about their call to fish, the abundance of fish, and how they might go about fishing. Year after year, they carefully defined what fishing meant, defended fishing as an occupation, and declared that fishing is always to be a most important task of fishermen.
Persistently, they searched for new and improved methods of fishing and for fancier definitions of fishing. Further they said, ‘the fishing industry exists by fishing as fire exists by burning.’ They loved slogans such as “Fishing is the task of every fisherman.” They sponsored special meetings called ‘Fishermen’s Campaigns’ and ‘the Month for Fishermen to Fish.’ They sponsored costly nationwide and world-wide conferences to discuss fishing and to promote fishing and hear about all the ways of fishing such as the new fishing equipment, fish calls, and whether any new bait had been discovered.
They built large, beautiful buildings called ‘Fishing Headquarters.’ The plea was that everyone should be a fisherman and every fisherman should fish. One thing they didn’t do, however: They didn’t fish.
In addition to meeting regularly, they organized a board to send out fishermen to other places where there were many fish. The board hired staffs and appointed committees and held many meetings to define fishing, to defend fishing, and to decide what new streams should be thought about. But the staff and committee members did not fish.
Large, elaborate, and expensive training centers were built whose innovative and primary purpose was to teach fishermen how to fish. Over the years courses were offered on the needs of fish, the nature of fish, where to find fish, the psychological reactions of fish, and how to approach and feed fish. Those who taught had doctorates in fishology, but the teachers did not fish. They only taught fishing. Year after year, after tedious training, many were graduated and were given fishing licenses. They were sent to do full-time fishing, some to distant waters which were filled with fish.
Many who felt the call to be fishermen responded. They were commissioned and sent to fish. But like the fishermen back home, they never fished. Like the fishermen back home, they engaged in all kinds of other occupations. They built power plants to pump water for fish and tractors to plow new waterways. They made all kinds of equipment to travel here and there to look at fish hatcheries. Some also said that they wanted to be part of the fishing party, but they felt called to furnish fishing equipment. Others felt their job was to relate to the fish in a good way so the fish would know the difference between good and bad fishermen. Others felt that simply letting the fish know they were nice, land-loving neighbors and how loving and kind they were was enough.
After one stirring meeting on ‘the Necessity for Fishing,’ one young fellow left the meeting and went fishing. The next day he reported that he had caught two outstanding fish. He was honored for his outstanding catch and scheduled to visit all the big meetings possible to tell how he did it. So he quit his fishing in order to have time to tell about the experience to the other fishermen. He was also placed on the Fishermen’s General Board as a person having considerable experience.
Now it’s true that many of the fishermen sacrificed and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and bore the smell of dead fish every day. They received the ridicule of some who made fun of their fishermen’s clubs and the fact that they claimed to be fishermen yet never fished. They wondered about those who felt it was of little use to attend the weekly meetings to talk about fishing. After all, they were following the Master who said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”
Imagine how hurt some were when one day a person suggested that those who don’t catch fish were really not fishermen, no matter how much they claimed to be. Yet it did sound correct. Is a person a fisherman if, year after year, he never catches a fish? Is one following if he isn’t fishing?
So, if anyone happens to ask of my whereabouts, just tell them that I’ve gone fishing!
-------------------------------- By Jim Poitras
Is there any miscalculation here? Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12)
Have we considered the quantity? Sing O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child, for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. (Isaiah 54:1)
Have we considered the quality? For the children of this world are, in their generation, wiser than the children of light. (Luke 16:8)