And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
After a fruitless night of work the fishermen obeyed Jesus' daytime direction to launch into the deep and let down their nets, enclosing so great a multitude of fishes that the net broke, or began to break. The catch was so large they could not draw it without help, so they called their partners and both boats were so heavily laden they were in danger of sinking. The draught displayed Christ's divine power as Lord of earth and sea gathering the fishes by His word, showing success came from His presence and power and not their own effort. It convicted Simon of God's power and his own sinfulness, unbelief and unworthiness in the presence of divinity, and then Jesus called them to leave nets and boats at the moment of success and follow Him to become fishers of men. The breaking, overflowing net teaches that human labor alone cannot save souls, but Christ working with and through those who welcome Him, obey His word and rely wholly on divine power brings success in winning souls beyond their capacity.
Setting and Background
The verse belongs to the call by the sea on the Sea of Galilee, where the fishermen were called to follow, the same calling recorded in Matthew 4:18-22 and Mark 1:16-20. It happened at daybreak over the lake after the disciples had toiled through the night with no catch and were still in their boats. Jesus had come for a quiet hour of rest from the multitude, but the people gathered and pressed Him on every side. After the disciples came to land He stepped into Peter's boat, had it pulled out a little from shore, and taught the multitude on the beach from where He could be better seen and heard.
Night was the only favorable time for net fishing in the clear waters of the lake, so casting by day seemed hopeless. Peter was discouraged by John's imprisonment, ill success in Judea, priestly malice, and his own failed work, but love for the Master moved Simon and his brother to obey together. Those called were humble, ordinary working fishermen, teachable, free from blind prejudice, and compassionate toward others. Their fishing work shows religion is not separate from daily duties, and that humble working people willing to bear responsibility can serve in work whose influence lasts through eternity. They were subject to refining influence for three years and became co-laborers.
The setting shows Jesus sought people in ordinary places and daily settings, including boats and lake shores, rather than limiting His ministry to the pulpit or religious buildings. The disciples had not yet fully left their fishing work to serve with Jesus, but amid grief and anxiety had returned to fishing for a time. Their broken nets were being mended when Jesus called them to follow Him.
The Miraculous Catch
After a night of catching nothing, obeying Jesus' daytime direction to launch out into the deep and let down the nets enclosed so great a multitude of fishes that the net broke, or as others hold, began to break. When Peter and his companions let down at His word, the draught was so immense they could not draw it in without help. They beckoned to their partners James and John to come and help haul it in, and when the catch was secured both boats were so heavily laden they were in danger of sinking.
The catch was gathered by Christ's word, displaying His divine power as Lord of earth and sea. Its abundance revealed that success came from His presence and power, not their own effort, and it overcame their discouragement while testing and rewarding their faith and obedience. Because they knew the habits of fish and the art of taking them, the miracle overwhelmed them with astonishment they could not express. It filled them with awe at divine power, with amazement and gratitude, and with shame at unbelief.
The great haul came because Christ was in the boat, and it illustrates that those who follow Jesus in living faith and seek God's glory will see God's saving power. His indwelling presence is equally necessary for success in winning souls.
Conviction and Calling
The breaking net after a night of catching nothing displayed divine power at work through obedience to a daytime command to let down the nets. In the presence of that divinity Simon was overwhelmed with inexpressible astonishment, awe, amazement and gratitude, and was convicted of his own unworthiness, sinfulness and unbelief. He was filled with shame at his unbelief and felt unworthy to be near such holiness. The catch helped him recognize he stood before the long-looked-for Messiah and convinced him of God's power.
The gathering of the fishes from the sea by word alone proved Christ as Lord of earth and sea, who can also impress human hearts and draw them by the cords of His love. The same power displayed in the draught is able to qualify His servants to become fishers of men. The miracle was therefore designed as an object lesson to encourage the fishermen for their future soul-work, teaching faith and perseverance for saving souls. So great was the multitude enclosed that the net began to break and James and John had to be called to help bring it in, until both boats were so heavily laden they were in danger of sinking.
After the draught Jesus bade them leave their nets and boats and follow Him, for He would make them fishers of men. At the very moment of success they left all without first asking how they would support themselves, showing that serving Christ mattered more than worldly income and trusting His care. The call tested whether temporal good or fellowship with Him mattered more. Though deprived of personal companionship with Him and of sustenance from fishing, they would still be cared and provided for while doing His work, with His divine power uniting with human effort so labor done in connection with Him would not fail.
Later Catch Connection
The catch in which the net broke was the first miraculous draught, given at the commencement of Christ's ministry when obedience to the command to launch out into the deep and let down the nets enclosed so great a multitude of fishes that the net broke. That draught led directly to the call to leave nets and boats and follow Him to become fishers of men. Its repetition in a second miraculous draught after the resurrection was wrought to make the former miracle more impressive. The later catch renewed the commission and showed that Jesus' death had not ended the disciples' duty nor removed their obligation to do the work assigned them.
Together the two catches teach that though deprived of Christ's personal companionship and of sustenance from fishing and their former livelihood, the disciples would still be cared for and provided for by a risen Saviour while doing His work. The risen Saviour has care over them even when the Master's personal presence is withdrawn and ordinary support fails. Their need while engaged in His assigned service would be met.
Christ's bidding to cast on the right side, on the side where He stood on the shore, teaches that labor done in connection with Him will not fail of success. When His divine power unites with human effort, joining human labor with His working, the work succeeds. Obedience to His direction to let down the nets brings a catch because divine power joins the effort.
Lessons for Ministry
The breaking net and overflowing catch show that human labor alone cannot secure results for good or save souls, while Christ working with and through those who welcome Him brings success in winning souls beyond human capacity. Obedience to His direction after achieving nothing by own effort brings abundance that human strength could not produce. That abundance sweeps away unbelief and prepares followers to become fishers of men.
In fishing for souls workers will meet the same disappointment, weariness and discouragement as after a night of fruitless toil, and will feel further effort is useless. Yet they must obey Christ's word, labor where and how He directs to win souls, wait patiently with faith and confidence, rely wholly on divine power to move hearts, and leave the result with Him. With His help their efforts will prove wholly successful, and frequently all unexpectedly the net will bring a harvest of souls like the draught of fishes. That success prepares them to labor and endure suffering for Christ.
The command to launch out into the deep and let down the nets means leaving self-centered, shore-hugging religion for labor for others. Selfishness is inwrought as an inheritance and no special work for God can be done until self is overcome. Making self the center around which everything revolves is hugging the shore, while thousands of other lives are just as precious, and when believers launch out the Master gathers the fishes so they see the mighty working of God. Hugging the shore is moving too slowly and refusing to venture and run risks to carry the work forward. The vast ocean is the great unworked field, requiring earnest effort in all highways and byways among those who know nothing of the truth, in large influential cities rather than only small places, and among the French rather than remaining close to shore through caution. Launching and lowering the nets represents active personal labor rather than standing idle or remaining in shallow waters, employing influence, capabilities and means with energy and faith, with self submerged in God's will, distrusting own wisdom and prudence, not leaning to own understanding, and looking to Jesus instead of self. The right side of the ship is the side of faith, and only those who work so see a great multitude gathered.
Casting the net on the right side amid constantly crowding responsibilities means to economize and then help those who come into the truth. It means to carefully look after those thrown out of employment not by carrying them but by helping them get a start, to speak encouragement to all who have moral courage to receive and confess the truth, to find a place for those with intelligence so intelligence increases, to provide work for all with physical strength but lacking tact to set themselves to work, and for each to willingly take up the burden according to ability. The great catch represents the multitudes who will be gathered into Christ's fold through gospel work, including people who hear the truth for the first time. The full breaking nets are evidence of what He will do for His people today in giving fruit to labor and helping the work grow. He guides His people and gives skill, understanding and wisdom to those who strive to do duty conscientiously and intelligently, including in preparing healthful food and sanitarium work, for the God who owns the world and is rich in resources will bless everyone seeking to bless others.
Christ called fishermen to prove God does His work through men and women from among the common people, and the same work will be repeated, for the Lord will again raise up common people to accomplish what is left undone. There will soon be an awakening that will surprise many, those who do not realize the necessity of what is to be done will be passed by, and heavenly messengers will work with those called common people, fitting them to carry the truth to many places. Now is therefore the time to awake and do what can be done.
After a fruitless night of work the fishermen obeyed Jesus' daytime direction to launch into the deep and let down their nets, enclosing so great a multitude of fishes that the net broke, or began to break. The catch was so large they could not draw it without help, so they called their partners and both boats were so heavily laden they were in danger of sinking. The draught displayed Christ's divine power as Lord of earth and sea gathering the fishes by His word, showing success came from His presence and power and not their own effort. It convicted Simon of God's power and his own sinfulness, unbelief and unworthiness in the presence of divinity, and then Jesus called them to leave nets and boats at the moment of success and follow Him to become fishers of men. The breaking, overflowing net teaches that human labor alone cannot save souls, but Christ working with and through those who welcome Him, obey His word and rely wholly on divine power brings success in winning souls beyond their capacity.
Setting and Background
The verse belongs to the call by the sea on the Sea of Galilee, where the fishermen were called to follow, the same calling recorded in Matthew 4:18-22 and Mark 1:16-20. It happened at daybreak over the lake after the disciples had toiled through the night with no catch and were still in their boats. Jesus had come for a quiet hour of rest from the multitude, but the people gathered and pressed Him on every side. After the disciples came to land He stepped into Peter's boat, had it pulled out a little from shore, and taught the multitude on the beach from where He could be better seen and heard.
Night was the only favorable time for net fishing in the clear waters of the lake, so casting by day seemed hopeless. Peter was discouraged by John's imprisonment, ill success in Judea, priestly malice, and his own failed work, but love for the Master moved Simon and his brother to obey together. Those called were humble, ordinary working fishermen, teachable, free from blind prejudice, and compassionate toward others. Their fishing work shows religion is not separate from daily duties, and that humble working people willing to bear responsibility can serve in work whose influence lasts through eternity. They were subject to refining influence for three years and became co-laborers.
The setting shows Jesus sought people in ordinary places and daily settings, including boats and lake shores, rather than limiting His ministry to the pulpit or religious buildings. The disciples had not yet fully left their fishing work to serve with Jesus, but amid grief and anxiety had returned to fishing for a time. Their broken nets were being mended when Jesus called them to follow Him.
The Miraculous Catch
After a night of catching nothing, obeying Jesus' daytime direction to launch out into the deep and let down the nets enclosed so great a multitude of fishes that the net broke, or as others hold, began to break. When Peter and his companions let down at His word, the draught was so immense they could not draw it in without help. They beckoned to their partners James and John to come and help haul it in, and when the catch was secured both boats were so heavily laden they were in danger of sinking.
The catch was gathered by Christ's word, displaying His divine power as Lord of earth and sea. Its abundance revealed that success came from His presence and power, not their own effort, and it overcame their discouragement while testing and rewarding their faith and obedience. Because they knew the habits of fish and the art of taking them, the miracle overwhelmed them with astonishment they could not express. It filled them with awe at divine power, with amazement and gratitude, and with shame at unbelief.
The great haul came because Christ was in the boat, and it illustrates that those who follow Jesus in living faith and seek God's glory will see God's saving power. His indwelling presence is equally necessary for success in winning souls.
Conviction and Calling
The breaking net after a night of catching nothing displayed divine power at work through obedience to a daytime command to let down the nets. In the presence of that divinity Simon was overwhelmed with inexpressible astonishment, awe, amazement and gratitude, and was convicted of his own unworthiness, sinfulness and unbelief. He was filled with shame at his unbelief and felt unworthy to be near such holiness. The catch helped him recognize he stood before the long-looked-for Messiah and convinced him of God's power.
The gathering of the fishes from the sea by word alone proved Christ as Lord of earth and sea, who can also impress human hearts and draw them by the cords of His love. The same power displayed in the draught is able to qualify His servants to become fishers of men. The miracle was therefore designed as an object lesson to encourage the fishermen for their future soul-work, teaching faith and perseverance for saving souls. So great was the multitude enclosed that the net began to break and James and John had to be called to help bring it in, until both boats were so heavily laden they were in danger of sinking.
After the draught Jesus bade them leave their nets and boats and follow Him, for He would make them fishers of men. At the very moment of success they left all without first asking how they would support themselves, showing that serving Christ mattered more than worldly income and trusting His care. The call tested whether temporal good or fellowship with Him mattered more. Though deprived of personal companionship with Him and of sustenance from fishing, they would still be cared and provided for while doing His work, with His divine power uniting with human effort so labor done in connection with Him would not fail.
Later Catch Connection
The catch in which the net broke was the first miraculous draught, given at the commencement of Christ's ministry when obedience to the command to launch out into the deep and let down the nets enclosed so great a multitude of fishes that the net broke. That draught led directly to the call to leave nets and boats and follow Him to become fishers of men. Its repetition in a second miraculous draught after the resurrection was wrought to make the former miracle more impressive. The later catch renewed the commission and showed that Jesus' death had not ended the disciples' duty nor removed their obligation to do the work assigned them.
Together the two catches teach that though deprived of Christ's personal companionship and of sustenance from fishing and their former livelihood, the disciples would still be cared for and provided for by a risen Saviour while doing His work. The risen Saviour has care over them even when the Master's personal presence is withdrawn and ordinary support fails. Their need while engaged in His assigned service would be met.
Christ's bidding to cast on the right side, on the side where He stood on the shore, teaches that labor done in connection with Him will not fail of success. When His divine power unites with human effort, joining human labor with His working, the work succeeds. Obedience to His direction to let down the nets brings a catch because divine power joins the effort.
Lessons for Ministry
The breaking net and overflowing catch show that human labor alone cannot secure results for good or save souls, while Christ working with and through those who welcome Him brings success in winning souls beyond human capacity. Obedience to His direction after achieving nothing by own effort brings abundance that human strength could not produce. That abundance sweeps away unbelief and prepares followers to become fishers of men.
In fishing for souls workers will meet the same disappointment, weariness and discouragement as after a night of fruitless toil, and will feel further effort is useless. Yet they must obey Christ's word, labor where and how He directs to win souls, wait patiently with faith and confidence, rely wholly on divine power to move hearts, and leave the result with Him. With His help their efforts will prove wholly successful, and frequently all unexpectedly the net will bring a harvest of souls like the draught of fishes. That success prepares them to labor and endure suffering for Christ.
The command to launch out into the deep and let down the nets means leaving self-centered, shore-hugging religion for labor for others. Selfishness is inwrought as an inheritance and no special work for God can be done until self is overcome. Making self the center around which everything revolves is hugging the shore, while thousands of other lives are just as precious, and when believers launch out the Master gathers the fishes so they see the mighty working of God. Hugging the shore is moving too slowly and refusing to venture and run risks to carry the work forward. The vast ocean is the great unworked field, requiring earnest effort in all highways and byways among those who know nothing of the truth, in large influential cities rather than only small places, and among the French rather than remaining close to shore through caution. Launching and lowering the nets represents active personal labor rather than standing idle or remaining in shallow waters, employing influence, capabilities and means with energy and faith, with self submerged in God's will, distrusting own wisdom and prudence, not leaning to own understanding, and looking to Jesus instead of self. The right side of the ship is the side of faith, and only those who work so see a great multitude gathered.
Casting the net on the right side amid constantly crowding responsibilities means to economize and then help those who come into the truth. It means to carefully look after those thrown out of employment not by carrying them but by helping them get a start, to speak encouragement to all who have moral courage to receive and confess the truth, to find a place for those with intelligence so intelligence increases, to provide work for all with physical strength but lacking tact to set themselves to work, and for each to willingly take up the burden according to ability. The great catch represents the multitudes who will be gathered into Christ's fold through gospel work, including people who hear the truth for the first time. The full breaking nets are evidence of what He will do for His people today in giving fruit to labor and helping the work grow. He guides His people and gives skill, understanding and wisdom to those who strive to do duty conscientiously and intelligently, including in preparing healthful food and sanitarium work, for the God who owns the world and is rich in resources will bless everyone seeking to bless others.
Christ called fishermen to prove God does His work through men and women from among the common people, and the same work will be repeated, for the Lord will again raise up common people to accomplish what is left undone. There will soon be an awakening that will surprise many, those who do not realize the necessity of what is to be done will be passed by, and heavenly messengers will work with those called common people, fitting them to carry the truth to many places. Now is therefore the time to awake and do what can be done.