We are going to study today one of
the instances of a miraculous catch of fish,
one of the miracles of our Lord.
There are actually two of these miraculous catches,
and they're quite different.
One was before the resurrection, one was after.
One was right at the very beginning of
our Lord's ministry, one at the end.
I want to think, first of all, and
probably most of all, about the first one,
because it's very important.
We'll see just what time's left to think
about the second.
But let's look at this first miraculous catch
of fish.
You read about it in Luke 5, verses
1 to 11.
When he had left speaking, he said to—I'm
reading from verse 4— he said to Simon
Peter, "'Launch out into the deep and let
down your nets for a draught.' And Simon
answering said to him, "'Master, we've toiled all
night and have taken nothing.
Nevertheless, at thy word I will let down
the net.' And when they had this done,
they enclosed a great multitude of fishes and
their net break.
Let's stop there for a moment.
When our Lord performed his miracle, one of
the things that we should remember is that
he was not intent in the first place
on catching fish.
He was intent on catching men.
He was intent on bringing Peter and James
and John fully into his service.
He was catching men, and he caught them.
Not only was there a great multitude of
fish caught in the net that day, so
many that the net broke, there was also
one into the kingdom of heaven, a band
of three illustrious men, men who would become
leaders of the people and of the church
in days to come.
And so it was a most significant happening.
There's a miraculous catch of fish.
There's an equally miraculous conquering of the wills
of three great and outstanding men.
These three men had already come to some
extent under the power of Jesus.
They had heard him on a previous occasion
call them, and when he did so, they
left all and followed him.
But they were as yet not wholly committed.
There is a deeper level of their personality
which Christ must reach, and this he is
going to do now.
From henceforth, they are going to be his
and his forever.
Christ is still fishing for men.
He wants us all who are called into
the fellowship of his church to serve him
and follow him.
He needs witnesses.
He sends us out into all the world
with a promise that we shall be his
witnesses and that he will never leave us
nor forsake us.
This we can learn by watching carefully all
he did that day.
Look at this story.
We see here a presence that silences all
our contradictions.
Our Lord entered into Peter's boat and asked
him to push out a little from the
land, and this Peter did.
Then our Lord sat down and taught the
people from that pulpit of a ship.
In a little while, he said to Peter,
Peter, launch out into the deep and let
down your nets for a draught.
Peter thought that this was foolish.
Master, he said, we've been toiling all night
and we've taken nothing.
But he obeyed nonetheless.
He said, nevertheless, at thy word, we will
let down the net.
Now did you notice something significantly important here?
Jesus had said nets, plural.
Peter said, at thy word, I will let
down the net, singular.
Peter is willing to obey, but not fully.
He obeys, and yet he disobeys.
He believes, and yet he doubts.
At thy word, I will let down the
net.
It was a case of partial obedience.
And in effect, partial obedience is really total
disobedience.
There are going to be consequences rising from
this dropping of a single net that Peter
had never dreamed.
Had he been willing to fulfill all that
his Lord said to him, he wouldn't have
suffered the strange experience of one of his
nets breaking upon him.
Had he obeyed completely, he would have brought
him possibly the largest catch of fish he
had ever seen or heard of.
But this is where our faith sometimes is
so weak.
We obey, but not wholly.
We are like Augustine, and we say, Lord,
deliver me from my sins.
But not yet.
Peter, however, heard a voice that silenced all
his contradictions.
His claim that he and the others had
been out all night and had caught nothing,
and now Christ is asking him to launch
out into the deep and to let down
the nets again?
For a draft of fish?
Unthinkable!
He knew more about boats and fish than
Jesus did.
However, he was too much of a gentleman
to object too strongly.
So he moved out, and he obeyed, but
only partially.
Yes, that voice had silenced all his contradictions,
or at least most of them.
He's been listening so carefully as the Lord
preached from his boat.
I'm sure he was proud that Christ asked
for the use of his boat that day.
Why, there's no surer way of winning a
man's confidence than by asking for his help,
and that's what Jesus did.
This is surely what any true Christian will
do.
We will try to get alongside of people
on the level on which they live and
talk in ways that they understand.
Our Lord didn't begin to expound the law
and the prophets to Peter that day, no.
He asked him for the use of his
boat.
If we are really going to be fishers
of men, we must be willing to go
and sit where they sit, to talk to
them the everlasting word of life in ways
that they can comprehend.
Christ was the Son of Man.
He was human in all points.
He was made to be like ourselves.
He understands the human situation, and so must
you and I.
If the church isn't interested in the doings
of the world near her doors, she might
as well close her door completely.
We have to demonstrate clearly our interest in
men.
When we do that, they will listen.
Any real minister of the gospel must be
concerned about what his people are and what
they do.
If he isn't interested like that, he isn't
going to reach them for Christ.
The first principle of a true fisherman is
to be close to those we're trying to
get.
Dr. J.H. Jowett, in a little book
of his called The Passion for Souls, has
some very interesting suggestions along this line.
Among them is one that, to my mind,
is very interesting and important.
He says, if you're going to be a
good fisher of men, learn from other fishermen.
And as he speaks about this, he quotes
George Eliot, who was once listening to the
complaints of some angling friends as they were
describing their fruitless day's work, looking into their
empty creels.
She said, you should make a deeper study
of the subjectivity of the trout.
Now, that's a very amusing and a very
suggestive word.
But it's also an important word to the
church as she goes among men to tell
them of the Son of God, the Savior
of the world.
We have important work to do.
Use the tools God has given you.
Don't hesitate to ask help from others.
They may become your best and finest converts.
Study the subjectivity of your people.
They have much to teach you.
But here in the story is not only
a presence and a voice that silences all
our contradictions.
There's a person who makes all tackle new.
Master, we've toiled all night.
And the result?
Nothing.
Well, it was true.
The tackle they've been using is tackle that
has been in use all night.
Their nets have been washed, of course.
That was what they were doing when Jesus
came by their way.
They are tidy men.
A gardener once told me that he could
tell a good gardener by looking at his
tools.
He said, a good gardener's tools are always
clean.
These men were good fishermen.
They were washing their nets.
But in a sense, they were disappointed with
their nets.
What had they done?
They'd been utter failures.
Unable to catch a thing.
Is it believable then that anything different will
happen now?
Is it?
But the Lord said, launch out into the
deep and let down your nets for a
draft.
Was this launching out calling to the spirit
of Peter?
Was he exhausted?
Or was the mere idea of launching out
into the deeper waters a challenge to his
skill as a fisherman?
Who can tell?
The fact is, they obeyed.
They launched out.
They left the shore.
They let down the net.
And at once, we are told, they enclosed
a great multitude of fish and their net
break.
In response to the word of Christ, they
acted.
And here was miracle before their eyes.
Here was the utterly impossible happening.
They catch so many fish that the net
breaks.
Does Peter immediately blame himself for not dropping
more nets?
Who can tell?
What is certain is that the presence of
Jesus made that tackle work in a superlatively
new fashion.
His presence makes old tackle new.
And he does that for us all who
serve him.
In that moment, Peter began to find that
all his skills on which he had prided
himself so greatly were not enough.
He needed something more that Christ gave.
How ridiculous he thought it was to cast
at midday when in the dead of night
there wasn't a bite.
But Peter, with whom Christ has dealt so
wisely and gently thus far, is now being
forced to face something he had never thought
of before.
He found himself in a world of mystery
and of faith.
He found that all the foundations of his
old life were being knocked away.
He was still the same, and yet he
was not the same.
The net has broken.
There's immediate work to be done.
Their partners must be beckoned.
And you know, it's a strange word that
is used, katernuo, which means to beckon with
a sign or by the nodding of the
head and with a sense of reverence in
the gesture.
All that is in this Greek word.
The idea in that verb is one of
wonder.
The thought is that words have become impossible
and the gesture is all that is left.
The result of this is very clear.
Peter felt himself in a presence that was
different from anything he had ever known before.
Something strange had attracted him previously to this
man.
When he called him, follow me, and he
did follow.
He couldn't help himself.
But things are even more persistent now.
There falls on him a sense of self
-abasement and depression that make him realize that
he is on the threshold of another world.
He is touching the hem of God's garment
somehow.
And in that moment, there falls on him
a deep conviction of sin.
Certainly, he had some belief in Jesus before.
Christ was unusually skilled in teaching and healing,
drawing out Peter's admiration.
But he little realized what a profound influence
this friend could have on his whole personality
until now.
But here he is, sensing another world, a
world of purity, a world of holiness, a
world of light.
And so he cries out, depart from me.
I am a sinful man, O Lord.
A new presence, a new tackle, a new
world, a new sense of sin.
And all is yet beyond his comprehension, but
enough to make him know how sinful he
himself essentially is.
His life needs to be remade, he knows,
even as the net that he had cast
over the side of the boat would need
to be remade.
It was broken.
His words are like those of every young
Christian who has had his first glance at
the glory of Jesus and sees himself in
his own need and sin.
And so he cries, depart from me, O
Lord.
I am different from you.
Leave me, Lord.
I can't bear to be in your presence.
I'm not worthy to be one of your
disciples.
Depart.
I am a sinful man.
But he is in the presence of the
living and the exalted Christ.
And you know there is only one Christ.
John, the beloved disciple, tells us how Jesus
called him from mending the nets and he
followed him.
He also gives to us in the book
of Revelation a very clear and wonderful portrait
of an exalted Christ, clothed with a long
robe and a golden girdle round his breast.
His eyes were as a flame of fire,
and his head and hair were white like
wool.
In his right hand he held seven stars,
and from his tongue there emerged a sharp
two-edged sword, and his face was like
the sun shining in his strength.
John tells us that when he saw him,
he fell at his feet as though dead.
This all comes from the first chapter of
the book of Revelation.
There are not two Christs.
This is fundamental.
The Christ of the lakeside is the Christ
of the throne.
And we must be careful that we do
not confuse our hearers by giving them some
kind of idea that there is one who
is a glorified Christ on one side, and
on the other side one who is a
gentle Jesus, meek and mild.
Christ is one.
He is indeed the sympathizing Jesus who loves
and cares for us all.
But he is also the cosmic Christ, the
creator Christ, the kingly Christ.
And we must never try to cover over
that burning glory that surrounded Peter that day
and made him plead with Christ to depart.
It's significant that this revelation came to Peter
when the boat was out on the high
sea.
He has had to leave the shallow waters
of the lake and get out where the
rolling breakers were in the majesty of the
glory of God's creation, sovereignty, and power.
And it's only as you and I are
prepared to launch out into depths like these
that we come to real depth of faith.
We must encourage all others who would listen
to let go and let God take control.
It's there we enter into fullness of life.
It's out on the sounding main that we
behold the wonders of the Lord.
It's here that the Christ who is both
man and God becomes to us the Savior
that we need.
How marvelous it must have been to hear
the voice of Jesus saying, Fear not.
Out there on the deep device that had
called the waters into being in the first
of time spoke to Peter.
And it was like the first day of
creation for him.
Perhaps we are prone to restrict men from
going into the depths with God.
Perhaps we are unwilling to let them launch
out into the deep in case they should
make encounter with a holy mysterium of which
they can offer no explanation.
It's possible for the church to be like
that.
Hesitant and unwilling to encourage its people to
go in for deeper things of the faith.
It's lovely to speak of the birds and
the grass and the flowers in the garden
and to sing that the Lord God made
them all.
Of course he did.
But there are heights and depths that we
have not yet charted.
And we deny to so many the glad
and glorious opportunity of meeting face to face
with one who can speak this eternal fear
not.
For he himself is the Lord of life
and glory.
It's out there we must lead our people.
We must refuse to keep them in the
shallows of an all too simple Christianity.
There are great depths into which we must
cast our nets.
And let us remember that when God commends
us to do a thing he gives to
us his promise as well.
And all the promises of God are yea
and amen in Christ Jesus.
The word catch means to take alive.
It's used only here and in one other
place to Timothy 2.26 a passage that
must be understood as a remarkable parallel to
the words of our Lord to Peter.
Now our Lord declares that with his sins
forgiven Peter's life is going to be lived
on a quite different plane from anything he
has known before.
From now on friendship and trust in God
will dominate everything that will happen to him.
And with that assured it follows naturally that
Peter from now on is going to be
employed on the same great mission as Christ
was himself.
He's going to be out and about amongst
the people catching men alive for God.
There's nothing else left to do.
Nothing worthwhile at any rate.
What mighty things can happen from a friendly
chat on a beach in the early morning.
How little Peter and James and John thought
that morning as they pulled to the shore
with empty nets that a day which had
begun so despairingly was to end for them
in the light of an enormous day spring.
Life could never be the same for them
again.
How could it be?
Life is radiant, vibrant, brilliant.
Darkness is past and the true light now
shineth.
Shining and flashing and glowing and glistening.
A light of God breaks clear, effulgent.
A halo, aureole, golden and flashing with the
power of ten thousand suns.
And why?
He called me to his side.
Called me.
Peter, me the sinner, unclean, foul.
He said, I'll make you be like me.
We'll catch together, me and thee.
Out there on the sun-drenched sea from
now until eternity.
Let's think for a minute about the second
catch of fish.
There are just a few moments to think
about it.
But it's very remarkable.
There are many ways in which we can
think of this.
And I'm just wondering what's the most important
part that I can lift up at this
point.
It's the day of resurrection.
Our Lord in his resurrection form has appeared
on several occasions unto his disciples.
And here is a night that once again
they have been out fishing.
And they have caught nothing.
He manifested himself unto them, we read.
Though as yet they did not recognize him.
And then in John 21.
Have you caught anything?
Jesus it was standing on the shore.
He hailed them.
Have you caught anything?
No.
Then cast your net on the right side
of the boat and you will find.
They obeyed the command.
Once again there was something in that voice
that broke no denial.
And when they cast, the net was full.
Full of great fish.
153 of them.
Full count.
They obeyed fully.
And unlike the former miraculous catch.
When they obeyed only partially.
And the net broke.
On this occasion there is no broken net.
Of this St. Augustine says.
There are no broken nets this side of
the resurrection of our wonderful Lord.
And it was just then that the realization
came to John.
Who whispered in Peter's ear.
It's the Lord.
And Peter suddenly lurched across the boat.
Making for the shore.
He couldn't get there fast enough to the
side of his Lord.
The others followed in a little dinghy.
Helping to drag the net to the land.
And John remarks as he tells the story.
So simply.
But with such felicity of language.
Yet in spite of the great multitude of
fish.
The net was not broken.
It was a miracle within a miracle.
Why are we told the number of the
fish?
Why are we told that the net in
spite of the huge catch was not broken?
Why does Peter leave them all and head
for shore?
And why is it that when they come
to land.
They find a fire of coal thereon.
And fish and bread.
Every question has an answer.
Nothing that our Lord does is without meaning.
He himself knew what he would do.
And it was always so.
And it always will be so.
And then graciously the Lord acts as hosts.
Hosts and says.
Come and have breakfast.
What marvelous thoughtfulness.
He knows their tired.
He knows their hunger.
And he has prepared for them all they
need.
Come and dine.
Now not one of them was able to
ask.
Who are you?
They all knew.
It was the Lord.
And in speechless reverence.
As the sun arose in all his splendor.
And daylight filled the skies.
They ate in silence.
And I wonder.
If they ever ate another meal quite like
that one.
Who is this who meets them on the
shore?
Once again it is the Lord of all
creation.
This is the one by whom all things
were made.
This is the one who is the first
principle.
And the upholding principle.
Of the whole scheme of creation.
And this is the one.
Who speaks to Peter now.
And draws him back.
For Peter had failed his Lord.
Peter had denied his Lord.
Three times.
With oaths and with curses.
In the moment of his Lord's greatest need.
Jesus sees him.
And Jesus speaks to him.
And after they had dined.
He asked Peter.
Three times.
Do you love me?
Beside that fire of coals.
That must have reminded Peter.
Of the same coal of fires.
In the courtyard.
On the night of the trial.
Do you love me?
And Simon Peter.
Answered.
Yea Lord.
Thou knowest.
That I love thee.
And the Lord gave to him.
His great commission.
To feed the sheep.
To feed the lambs.
To feed the sheep.
From henceforth.
Thou shalt catch men.
That was the message.
Of the first miraculous catch.
Now the message.
Of the second resurrection catch of fish.
Feed.
The flock of God.
How marvelous our Lord is.
What wonderful things he loves to do.
And he wants to take our life.
And use them.
Our lives and use them.
As he alone can.
To the glory of his name.
To the marvelous.
Glorious.
Purposes.
And the fulfillment.
Of all God's holy.
Commandments.
In us.
And forever more.