Prior to becoming one of the twelve, John had been a commercial fisherman along with his brother and father. And nowhere is that part of his background more evident than in verse 11 of the 21st chapter of his gospel. It contains a collection of very specific details connected to the events described in the passage that surrounds it. But the curious thing is that those particulars don’t really seem to add to the overall narrative. And that’s what draws me to them. In my experience, the Bible NEVER wastes words. So, I invite you to consider with me why John felt compelled to include these descriptions.
The disciples who’d returned home from Jerusalem to the Galilee region following Christ’s resurrection while waiting for him to fulfill a promise to meet them there, joined Peter in what turned out to be a fruitless night of fishing. Then, as dawn was breaking, a man they hadn’t yet recognized as Jesus called out to them from the shore and asked if they’d caught anything. When, unlike any fishermen I know, they admitted they hadn’t, he told them they should cast their net on the right side of the boat because that’s where the fish were. As crazy as this advice must have sounded, the disciples were apparently desperate enough to give it a try. And when they did, they suddenly found their net so full they couldn’t haul it into the boat.
But this wasn’t the first time some of these men had witnessed a fishing miracle. In the early days of Jesus’ public ministry and prior to him calling them to be his apostles, the Gospel of Luke (5:1-6) provides details surrounding a similar night spent working their nets with nothing to show for it. After coming ashore and beginning the process of cleaning their gear, Jesus showed up and rocked their world. He promised them that if they’d head back out and cast their net once more, they’d bring in a catch. So, with Peter’s faith leading the way, they swallowed their professional pride, sailed into the deep, and soon found their net literally bursting with fish.
Now, three years later, as they once again wrestled to manage a bulging net, the memory of the miraculous catch that launched their journey to becoming fishers of men (Matthew 4:18-19) exploded into John’s awareness, filled him with recognition, and caused him to cry out, “It is the Lord!” And when Peter heard those words, he jumped into the shallow water and raced for shore while the others followed in the boat dragging the catch the final hundred yards to where Jesus was waiting.
And get this, the Risen Lord of Glory had made them breakfast.
Jesus had a campfire going with fish already cooking over the open flame to be enjoyed with some bread he’d also prepared. The question of whether he’d made that bread and/or caught the fish himself is as wonderful to contemplate as it is unknowable. But what we do know is that the stunned disciples were invited to contribute to the menu from their catch, and then, their Master served them.
Imagining what it must have been like to be on the beach that morning and experiencing the redemptive grace on display, gives me goosebumps. But I still can’t help wondering about verse 11. Why did the Holy Spirit prompt John to make sure we’d know the following details? First, that Peter worked with his friends to drag the net to shore. It was a group effort. Second, that every fish was precisely counted. There were 153 exactly. The number wasn’t rounded off. Third, that all the fish were large (literally, mega-fish in the Greek) or keepers in fisherman slang. And last, that the net didn’t break.
As I mentioned at the top, these descriptions don’t seem to contribute much information valuable to the story. And that leaves commentators only able to speculate regarding any deeper meanings they may point to. But what’s crystal clear is that this verse is chock full of the kind of details that would be of great interest to other fishermen. And maybe that’s the point.
You and I weren’t there for that glorious breakfast by the sea. But all of us who’ve, by faith, followed in the footsteps of Peter, John, and the rest of the Lord’s original crew have been given the same divine vocation. We've also been called to become fishers of men (Mark 1:17). And as we live out that assignment, we get to partner with other believers to bring in the catch, understand that each soul counts, remember that each of them is a treasure to Jesus, and rejoice in the knowledge that the net of salvation can’t break. Because it’s the result of limitless grace, there’s always room for more.
