Bible Lessons: Miracles Of Jesus: Draught Of Fishes, No. 2.
Bible Location: Sea of Galilee.
Bible Text: John 21:1-14 KJV
1 After these things Jesus shewed Himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed He Himself.
2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of His disciples.
3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered Him, No.
6 And He 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.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask Him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed Himself to His disciples, after that He was risen from the dead.
John 21:1-5 KJV
1 After these things Jesus shewed Himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed He Himself.
2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of His disciples.
3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered Him, No.
This miracle was after Calvary, and the glorious resurrection of our Lord, and the third time that Jesus had shown Himself to His disciples!
And it was the second time that He had performed the miracle of the draught of fishes for them, the first being at the beginning of His ministry, see Luke 5:1-11 and the blog
Seven of the disciples were present, they had fished all night, but caught nothing!
Without God, without God, you could do nothing!
Read it again,..........................................................
Deuteronomy 8:18 KJV
But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth..."
I Chronicles 29:12 KJV
Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
Ecclesiastes 5:19 KJV
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
If it weren't for and by the grace of the living God, you could be a paraplegic, lying in a hospital bed somewhere, then what wealth would you have?
Haggai 2:8 KJV
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
Psalm 24:1 KJV
The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
John 21:6 KJV
And He 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.
Can and do, men become wealthy without God?
Answer: Yes.
As has been said before, "wealth, in and of itself, is absolutley no sign of God's blessing!"
But one thing is for sure, without acknowledging the living God of all creation, certainly there is no blessing of God on anyone, be he rich or poor.
The disciples, incase they had missed it the first time, realized that wealth, whether it be of physical or spiritual realm, comes from God! When we are obedient to the Lord, He will fill the net.
John 21:7,8 KJV
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
Beloved John, knew it was the Lord, after all He had performed this miracle before. Telling Peter that it was the Lord, Peter, gathered his fishing coat about him, and jumped into the sea, swimming some 100 yard to Jesus.
Point of Interest:
Did you see it? Peter, in the messy fishing business, which is slimy and soaking had no clothing on, out to sea, in the boat, as often may have been the custom of fishers.
But, but, when going to meet Jesus, the FIRST thing he did was to "girt his fisher's coat unto him."
When someone comes to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour, they don't take clothes off, the make sure they are on.
Luke 9:26-35 KJV
26 And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.
27 And when He went forth to land, there met Him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God Most High? I beseech thee, torment me not.
29 (For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.
31 And they besought Him that He would not command them to go out into the deep.
32 And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought Him that He would suffer them to enter into them. And He suffered them.
33 Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.
34 When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.
35 Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
Perhaps this is where we should speak on the subject of Christian Modesty, but, another time.
Once again, the word of God, has shown us that the "further away someone is from the Lord," the less clothes he has on!
In the presence of the Lord, clothed, and in their right mind.
This of course was not any issue with the disciples, but it it good to point this out, to today's world, especially to those who name the name of Christ!
A point could also be said of the nature of impetuous Peter.
When an individual comes to the Lord, and turns their life over to the Lord, their name is immediately written in the Lamb's book of lIfe.
But let us not be mislead to believe that their sinful nature has been changed in an instant, that is "not," the case!
Our nature, our character, must be molded day by day, by the Word, and by the Spirit of God. This does not, happen in an instant, and anyone who thnks so is deluded.
2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Though Peter had cursed and said he never had heard of Jesus, Jesus waited patiently for the work of the Spirit of Grace in Peter's life. And He lovingly waits for the lives of His people to be changed like His, which will not see total fruition until .....
1 John 3:2 KJV
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
John 21:9-11 KJV
9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
Our Lord told Abraham of old (Who would become a father at 100 years old.)
Genesis 18:14 KJV
Is any thing too hard for the LORD?..."
And the answer is No!
One hundred and fifty three fish, many have speculated, does that have any significance?
The net over filled, and yet did not break.
John 21:12-14 KJV
12 Jesus saith unto them, COME AND DINE. And none of the disciples durst ask Him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed Himself to His disciples, after that He was risen from the dead.
"Come and dine," Jesus had prepared supper for His men.
Friend, there is soon coming a wonderful day, when the risen Saviour will shout to His people....
Luke 14:17 KJV
"...Come; for all things are now ready."
Whatever you do, make your you have the wedding garment on, so that you may atted the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Revelation 19:6-9 KJV
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
