Jesus Meets Peter After the Great Catchby CBPepper
5:8Luke 5:8
When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
After toiling all night and taking nothing, Peter let down the net at Jesus' word and enclosed so great a multitude that the net broke and the ships began to sink, in the boat by the Sea of Galilee where he held a large and prominent place in the call to follow. Above every other miracle he had witnessed, that catch revealed One who holds all nature under His control, convincing Peter that divinity was present in the long-awaited Messiah in infinite purity. Overwhelmed with astonishment, gratitude and love, he fell at Jesus' knees confessing himself a sinful, unclean and unworthy man with no right to be in such presence, ashamed of his unbelief before that purity. His plea to depart did not mean he wanted to be separated from Him, for even as he spoke he clung to His knees and feet with devout earnestness, drawn in love as if he could not be parted from Him. Jesus understood his conflicting emotions and answered, Fear not, calling him from his former work to a higher sphere henceforth to catch men, for which his self-renunciation and dependence on divine power prepared him.
Miracle and Confession
The cry belongs to the calling of the disciples by the Sea of Galilee, in the boat at the great draught of fishes where Peter holds a large and prominent place. It took place after toiling all night and taking nothing, then at Jesus' word letting down the net and enclosing so great a multitude that the net broke and both ships began to sink. Peter was left astonished with all that were with him and with James and John, after an empty night that became an object lesson leading into the call to follow. The miraculous catch, above every other miracle Peter had witnessed, revealed divine power and authority in One who holds all nature under His control as Lord of earth and sea. It convinced him that divinity was present, that he stood in the presence of the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God, and infinite purity.
Seeing this, Peter fell down at Jesus' knees and feet confessing that he was a sinful man and asking Him to depart. The conviction overwhelmed him with astonishment, amazement, gratitude for Christ's condescension, and love for his Master. It brought a deep sense of his own unworthiness, uncleanness, perverse unbelief, and sinfulness before infinite purity, including shame for his unbelief and feeling he had no right to be in Christ's presence. His plea for Jesus to depart did not mean he wanted Jesus to leave him or be separated from Him. His heart was expressing that he felt unworthy to be in the company of one so good and great.
Even while speaking he clung to the Saviour's knees and feet with devout earnestness, adored Him with a heart drawn out in love, and asked to kiss His feet, as if he could not be parted from Him. His plea expresses what happens with all who are granted a view of God's greatness and majesty, when humanity with its weakness and sin is brought into contrast with the perfection of divinity and feels altogether deficient and unholy. Jesus understood Peter's conflicting emotions and answered him, Fear not. He called him from his former work to labor in a higher sphere, henceforth to catch men and fish for souls, to work and endure suffering for Christ's sake. Peter's self-renunciation and dependence on divine power in this moment prepared him to receive that call to work for Christ.
Call and Application
The verse belongs to the account in which Jesus bade the fishermen leave their nets, boats, and former work and follow Him to become fishers of men. After an empty night of fishing Peter obeyed Jesus' direction, and the enormous catch that followed led into the disciples' call to follow Him. When Jesus called Peter and his companions, including Peter, James, and John, they left even at the moment of a successful catch, showing that fellowship with Christ and service in the gospel took priority over temporal gain. Their response illustrates that people today may leave their occupations to proclaim the gospel.
The fishermen Jesus called were humble, ordinary working people from Galilee, whom God raises up, equips, and calls to share in the work of salvation and carry the truth to others. Their plain habits, candor, fairness, benevolence, and freedom from hardened prejudice made them especially suited to learn from Jesus and serve His work. They were humble, teachable men whom Jesus could train, who became glad to work with Him and were shaped by His teaching and influence. They could remember His teaching and preserve it for later generations. That way of using common people to do His work will be repeated, with the Lord using means not now seen and raising up men and women from among the common people to accomplish His work. A soon-coming awakening will surprise many, those who do not realize what must be done will be passed by, and heavenly messengers will work with those called common people to fit them to carry the truth to many places, so now is the time to awake and do what can be done.
The event teaches that human effort alone and an empty night of fishing bring no real results in saving souls, but success came because Christ was in the ship and in the boat. When Christ is welcomed into the heart and human effort is united with His divine power in connection with Him, He works with and through His followers and labor will not fail of success. In the work of winning souls the Saviour's indwelling presence is equally necessary, and He will provide for their needs while they do His work. The later miraculous draught after the resurrection was wrought to make that former miracle more impressive and was recalled by the disciples with this abundant catch and call to leave fishing and become fishers of people. The renewed miracle showed that His death had not ended their commission: as they worked with Him in faith, His power would bring success and He would provide for them though deprived of His personal companionship and of sustenance by fishing.
The miracle broke the unbelief and discouragement oppressing Peter over John's death and his temporal prospects, and with surprise and gratitude swept away the fishermen's unbelief and prepared them to follow Christ. It proves that the Lord Jesus will work miracles for His people. At that time the disciples had not yet fully left their fishing work but had returned to it for a short time, seeking relief from grief over John's death and fear about what might happen to Jesus. Peter's awareness of his need for grace illustrates spiritual poverty: those who know they cannot save themselves or do righteous deeds by their own power are ready to receive Christ's help. What happens when a person takes his eyes off himself and looks unto Jesus is that beholding Christ wonderfully diminishes self-righteous ideas and a high estimate of one's abilities, value, and richness, and gives a sense of spiritual poverty, so that in Christ's presence a person sees himself as a sinful man in need of help, admits his great need, becomes willing to link with brethren and receive counsel, and prays for his sin to be taken away. The surrounding chapter records Christ's work for the spiritual and physical needs of those who sought His help, and His ministry of healing teaches lessons about His restorative work.
After toiling all night and taking nothing, Peter let down the net at Jesus' word and enclosed so great a multitude that the net broke and the ships began to sink, in the boat by the Sea of Galilee where he held a large and prominent place in the call to follow. Above every other miracle he had witnessed, that catch revealed One who holds all nature under His control, convincing Peter that divinity was present in the long-awaited Messiah in infinite purity. Overwhelmed with astonishment, gratitude and love, he fell at Jesus' knees confessing himself a sinful, unclean and unworthy man with no right to be in such presence, ashamed of his unbelief before that purity. His plea to depart did not mean he wanted to be separated from Him, for even as he spoke he clung to His knees and feet with devout earnestness, drawn in love as if he could not be parted from Him. Jesus understood his conflicting emotions and answered, Fear not, calling him from his former work to a higher sphere henceforth to catch men, for which his self-renunciation and dependence on divine power prepared him.
Miracle and Confession
The cry belongs to the calling of the disciples by the Sea of Galilee, in the boat at the great draught of fishes where Peter holds a large and prominent place. It took place after toiling all night and taking nothing, then at Jesus' word letting down the net and enclosing so great a multitude that the net broke and both ships began to sink. Peter was left astonished with all that were with him and with James and John, after an empty night that became an object lesson leading into the call to follow. The miraculous catch, above every other miracle Peter had witnessed, revealed divine power and authority in One who holds all nature under His control as Lord of earth and sea. It convinced him that divinity was present, that he stood in the presence of the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God, and infinite purity.
Seeing this, Peter fell down at Jesus' knees and feet confessing that he was a sinful man and asking Him to depart. The conviction overwhelmed him with astonishment, amazement, gratitude for Christ's condescension, and love for his Master. It brought a deep sense of his own unworthiness, uncleanness, perverse unbelief, and sinfulness before infinite purity, including shame for his unbelief and feeling he had no right to be in Christ's presence. His plea for Jesus to depart did not mean he wanted Jesus to leave him or be separated from Him. His heart was expressing that he felt unworthy to be in the company of one so good and great.
Even while speaking he clung to the Saviour's knees and feet with devout earnestness, adored Him with a heart drawn out in love, and asked to kiss His feet, as if he could not be parted from Him. His plea expresses what happens with all who are granted a view of God's greatness and majesty, when humanity with its weakness and sin is brought into contrast with the perfection of divinity and feels altogether deficient and unholy. Jesus understood Peter's conflicting emotions and answered him, Fear not. He called him from his former work to labor in a higher sphere, henceforth to catch men and fish for souls, to work and endure suffering for Christ's sake. Peter's self-renunciation and dependence on divine power in this moment prepared him to receive that call to work for Christ.
Call and Application
The verse belongs to the account in which Jesus bade the fishermen leave their nets, boats, and former work and follow Him to become fishers of men. After an empty night of fishing Peter obeyed Jesus' direction, and the enormous catch that followed led into the disciples' call to follow Him. When Jesus called Peter and his companions, including Peter, James, and John, they left even at the moment of a successful catch, showing that fellowship with Christ and service in the gospel took priority over temporal gain. Their response illustrates that people today may leave their occupations to proclaim the gospel.
The fishermen Jesus called were humble, ordinary working people from Galilee, whom God raises up, equips, and calls to share in the work of salvation and carry the truth to others. Their plain habits, candor, fairness, benevolence, and freedom from hardened prejudice made them especially suited to learn from Jesus and serve His work. They were humble, teachable men whom Jesus could train, who became glad to work with Him and were shaped by His teaching and influence. They could remember His teaching and preserve it for later generations. That way of using common people to do His work will be repeated, with the Lord using means not now seen and raising up men and women from among the common people to accomplish His work. A soon-coming awakening will surprise many, those who do not realize what must be done will be passed by, and heavenly messengers will work with those called common people to fit them to carry the truth to many places, so now is the time to awake and do what can be done.
The event teaches that human effort alone and an empty night of fishing bring no real results in saving souls, but success came because Christ was in the ship and in the boat. When Christ is welcomed into the heart and human effort is united with His divine power in connection with Him, He works with and through His followers and labor will not fail of success. In the work of winning souls the Saviour's indwelling presence is equally necessary, and He will provide for their needs while they do His work. The later miraculous draught after the resurrection was wrought to make that former miracle more impressive and was recalled by the disciples with this abundant catch and call to leave fishing and become fishers of people. The renewed miracle showed that His death had not ended their commission: as they worked with Him in faith, His power would bring success and He would provide for them though deprived of His personal companionship and of sustenance by fishing.
The miracle broke the unbelief and discouragement oppressing Peter over John's death and his temporal prospects, and with surprise and gratitude swept away the fishermen's unbelief and prepared them to follow Christ. It proves that the Lord Jesus will work miracles for His people. At that time the disciples had not yet fully left their fishing work but had returned to it for a short time, seeking relief from grief over John's death and fear about what might happen to Jesus. Peter's awareness of his need for grace illustrates spiritual poverty: those who know they cannot save themselves or do righteous deeds by their own power are ready to receive Christ's help. What happens when a person takes his eyes off himself and looks unto Jesus is that beholding Christ wonderfully diminishes self-righteous ideas and a high estimate of one's abilities, value, and richness, and gives a sense of spiritual poverty, so that in Christ's presence a person sees himself as a sinful man in need of help, admits his great need, becomes willing to link with brethren and receive counsel, and prays for his sin to be taken away. The surrounding chapter records Christ's work for the spiritual and physical needs of those who sought His help, and His ministry of healing teaches lessons about His restorative work.