Signs in the Gospel of John Part 6
Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
Signs of Authority Part 6
In this session, we’ll look at the catch of 153 fish.
Go Fish!
John 21:1–3 APNT:
1 After these [things], Jesus showed himself again to his disciples by the sea of Tiberias [sea of Galilee]. And he appeared like this.
2 There were together, Simon Peter and Thomas who was called the Twin, and Nathaniel, who was from Cana of Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee and two of the other disciples.
3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going to catch fish.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” And they went out and boarded a ship. And during that night they did not catch anything.
It was not necessarily a bad thing that they were going to catch fish. But we can see that the other disciples are already following Peter. We can tell that they are still uncertain about what should be happening. They’ve seen Jesus two other times since his resurrection, but without his presence, they were unsure of what would happen.
John 21:4–6 APNT:
4 Now when it was morning, Jesus stood on the shore of the sea. And the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
5 And Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have anything to eat?” They said to him, “No.”
6 He said to them, “Cast your net from the right side of the boat and you will find.” And they cast [it] and they were not able to drag in the net from the great number of fish that it had caught.
These were seasoned fishermen, about 250 feet from shore. So, it’s not anything specific about casting the net on the right side of the boat, but when they obeyed him, they suddenly had a great number of fish. When you get discouraged or are working hard with no apparent success, you just can’t see where the fish are.
John 21:7 APNT:
And that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “This [man] is our Lord.” Now Simon, when he heard that it was our Lord, took his garment [and] girded his loins, because he was naked, and threw himself in the sea to come to Jesus.
He didn’t care about all the fish; he just wanted to see Jesus.
John 21:8 APNT:
But the other disciples came in the boat, for they were not very far from the land, but [only] about two hundred cubits and they were dragging in that net of fish.
Usually, they would probably bring the fish into the boat, but this time, there were so many fish that they were dragging the net to the shore.
John 21:9 APNT:
And when they had climbed up to the land, they saw burning coals placed [there] and fish placed on them and bread.
This situation, set up by Jesus, in some respects resembled the burning coals and fire where Peter had three times denied knowing Jesus. This probably also reminded them of their last meal together before the crucifixion. By eating this meal that Jesus had prepared, they would have been taking a covenant of salt together again. This is a time of these disciples committing their lives to Jesus.
John 21:10–11 APNT:
10 And Jesus said to them, “Bring some of those fish that you have just now caught.”
11 And Simon Peter boarded [the boat] and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three. And with this entire load, that net was not torn.
There had been a previous time when they had a large catch of fish, and the net started tearing. The fact that the net was not torn in this incident is part of the miracle and the sign.
There are many theories about the meaning of the number 153. Some use gematria and see the 153 as a triangular number. Some claim that there were 153 nations in existence at that particular time. Some say, “Fishermen are known to exaggerate.” But it was such a specific number that it elicited all kinds of speculation over the years.
Perhaps the best explanation is that it was an idiomatic way of saying that it was a very large, unknown number of fish. It emphasizes the abundance of the fish. They couldn’t have counted 153 fish during the time they were dragging the net to the shore. It also suggests the abundance of converts that they would encounter in the future as fishers of men—and the net would not break.
This abundance highlights doing things God’s way. When they attempted to fish or accomplish something on their own, it could fail even if it was work that they knew best. So this reiterates that obedience is the key to supernatural success. Obedience is also the key to the provision of every kind.
Jesus is not only showing his authority over the fishing but is also showing that their expectations are incorrect. They need to lift their eyes upward to see what God has in store for them. Long before this, Jesus had told them that they would be fishers of men.
John 21:12–14 APNT:
12 And Jesus said to them, “Come [and] eat.” And not one of the disciples dared to ask him who he was, because they knew that he was our Lord.
13 Now Jesus came near and took the bread and fish and gave to them.
14 This [was] the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples after he had risen from the dead.
We don’t know the exact timing of this, but it must have been at least a week after the resurrection.
Now, Jesus has a discourse with Peter where he asks him three times whether Peter loves him. Some scholars make a big distinction between the two different Greek words for “love” used in this passage (agapeo and phileo). This is a case where the Aramaic clears up some things. In Aramaic, the same word for “love” is used in each case. But the distinction is in the word for “sheep.” There is also a distinction in how to care for them.
John 21:15–16 APNT:
15 Now after they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, my Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs [young sheep] for me.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, my Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed [shepherd] my sheep for me.”
The Greek word translated “feed” in verse 16 means “shepherd,” and other versions translate it that way, for instance:
John 21:16b:
(AMPCE) … Shepherd (tend) My sheep.
(ISR) …Shepherd My sheep.
(NASB) …Shepherd My sheep
(NET) …Shepherd my sheep.
(WUEST) …Be shepherding my sheep.
It’s the same word used in 1 Peter 5:2 as these other translations show.
1 Peter 5:2a:
(ESV) shepherd the flock of God
(ISR) Shepherd the flock of Elohim
(NASB) shepherd the flock of God
(NET) Give a shepherd’s care to God’s flock
(NIrV) Be shepherds of God’s flock
(NKJV) Shepherd the flock of God
The Aramaic uses a general word for “sheep,” every kind of sheep.
John 21:17APNT:
17 He said to him a third time, “Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me?” And Peter was sad, because he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “My Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my ewes for me.
The Aramaic word translated as “ewes” could mean all sheep or all the adult sheep.
The three times Jesus asked “Do you love me” parallels the three times Peter denied knowing him. Jesus never asks Peter if he’s sorry or if he promises to never do that again. He’s asking about Peter’s heart and showing what Peter would need to do to follow Jesus.
John 21:18–23 APNT:
18 Truly, truly I say to you, when you were a boy, you girded your loins by yourself and you walked to where you wanted, but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and another will gird your loins for you and conduct you to where you do not want [to go].”
19 Now he said this to show by what death he would glorify God. And after he had said these [things], he said to him, “Follow me.”
20 And Simon Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved who followed him, who fell on the breast of Jesus during the supper and said, ‘My Lord, who will betray you?”
21 When Peter saw this [man], he said to Jesus, “My Lord, and what [of] this [man]?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If I desire that this [man] should remain until I come, what is it to you? Follow me.”
23 And this saying went out among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die, but rather, “If I desire that this [man] should remain until I come, what is it to you?”
This is a good lesson for all of us. Our job is to follow Jesus. It’s not our job to look at others and judge how they are following him.
John 21:24–25 APNT:
24 This is the disciple who testified about all these [things] and also wrote them and we know that his testimony is true.
25 Now there are also many other [things] that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, not even the world (as I suppose) would be sufficient for the books [scrolls] that would be written.
The eight signs in the gospel of John show not only Jesus’s authority over the various things that we’ve seen, but also they were so that the people would believe and have life.
In this last sign, Jesus shows Peter that he was forgiven. Jesus, as the good shepherd, was gathering him back after he scattered, watching over him, caring for him, and tending him. Then telling Peter that this his now Peter’s job, this is what Peter needs to do. Peter will be a fisher of men; there will be an abundance of fruit (people) from it, and the net will not break.
What is Our Authority?
2 Corinthians 5:17–18 APNT:
17 Everyone who is in Christ is therefore a new creation. Old [things] have passed away
18 and everything has become new from God, who reconciled us to himself in Christ and has given us the ministry [service] of reconciliation.
We have a ministry of calling people back to the shepherd.
2 Corinthians 5:19–21 APNT:
19 For God was in Christ, the one who reconciled the world with his majesty and did not count to them their sins. And he placed in us the word of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ and [it is] as if God were begging you by way of us on behalf of Christ. Therefore, we beg [you], “Be reconciled to God.”
21 For that one who had not known sin, he has made [to be] sin on your account, that we would become the justification of God in him.
The message we have to give to a dying world is so great. Not only can we be reconciled to God but we can walk in the authority and power and the rights and privileges we have as sons of God.
God is not counting our sins to us anymore. He’s given us the ministry of reconciliation and placed in us the words of reconciliation. We lack nothing. So, go fish!
See Also
Download a PDF chart of the Eight Signs of Authority in John
Scripture References
Scripture quotations marked (AMPCE) taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (ISR) taken from The Scriptures. 3rd Edition, Copyright 1993, 1998, 2009, 2016 by Institute for Scripture Research, South Africa. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture marked (NASB) taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from The NET Bible® Copyright © 1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. www.netbible.com. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked (NIrV) The Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®. Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scriptures marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (WUEST) are taken from The New Testament: An Expanded Translation. by Kenneth S. Wuest. Copyright © 1961 William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI.
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