In our daily meditations, we keep contemplating the days after Christ's resurrection. The Lord told Mary Magdalene to inform the disciples that He would meet them in northern Israel near the Sea of Galilee. While they waited for Jesus to arrive, Peter went fishing all night, and a few disciples went with him. Early in the morning, Jesus called out to them from the shore, asking about their catch in a negative way, almost as if He knew they hadn't caught anything.
4Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. 6He 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. 7Then 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. 8The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards (John 21:4-8).
The disciples were honest with Jesus that morning and said they could not catch any fish. Life can be unfruitful without the Lord's help. Even though they did not yet recognize that Jesus was speaking to them, they obeyed by casting their nets on the other side of the boat. Immediately, they caught a huge number of fish, so many that they struggled to haul in the net. Suddenly, their minds went back three years, to when Jesus told them to push their boat out into deep water and recast their nets. They had fished all night at the best time and caught nothing, but when they obeyed the Lord, they caught so many fish that both boats nearly sank! (Luke 5:4-11). The Lord used that miracle to invite them to follow Him, meaning they would be catching men from that day forward.
Again, Jesus showed His authority over nature by providing a supernatural catch. When they saw the number of fish caught, it confirmed who was on the shore. John excitedly told Peter, "It is the Lord!" (v. 7). Peter quickly wrapped himself in his outer garment at John's words, just as we put on our shirt. He was probably bare to the waist from constantly casting the net into the sea and pulling it back in. Being a man of action, Peter couldn’t wait for the boat to reach shore; instead, he jumped in and swam to Jesus.
All Hands Are Needed to Pull in the Net
After Peter greeted the Lord, he had to return to the boat and help the others pull in the net with the fish (John 21:11). The world is now at a time when we need all hands on deck to pull in the Gospel net. Let no one think they don't have a role. If you know the person of Christ, you have a message that others need.
Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy carrying sheaves with them (Psalm 126:6).
As Christians, if we can't go into the world to share the Gospel, we should do what we can to promote our Lord's kingdom. What is a net? A net is made up of many links of string or knots intertwined and pulling together. All parts are necessary. We need the whole church to preach the whole Gospel to the whole world. In the Parable of the Net, Jesus foretold a time when the Lord and His angels would separate the good fish from the rotten fish (Matthew 13:47-50). In other passages, the harvest refers to the time when those who have invested their resources with broken, weeping hearts for the lost will witness the gathering of wheat into the barn (Matthew 13:30), a metaphor of God's people gathered together.
Many will be lost if we don't unite to pull in the net, because millions in Asia and the Middle East still haven't heard of the Savior. How will distant nations hear and find salvation if we don't work together? There is no greater need for our energy, skills, and resources. “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” Keith Thomas
Taken from the Bible study in the Gospel of John: 42. Jesus Reinstates Peter
You may also enjoy watching the YouTube video, "Why Did Jesus Have to Die?"