Jesus Meets Peter After the Great Catchby CBPepper
5:9Luke 5:9
For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
At daybreak after a fruitless night of toil, Simon Peter and all with him, including his partners James and John, were overwhelmed with astonishment at the extraordinary draught so great that the nets began to break and both boats were heavily laden and in danger of sinking. The miracle was especially impressive to them because as expert fishermen they knew the lake and the usual times, methods, and habits of fish for catching them. Let down at Jesus' direction, the catch revealed the power of His word as Lord of earth and sea, the Son of God and long-looked-for Messiah, and gave Peter so great a sense of his own sinfulness, unworthiness and unbelief that he fell at Jesus' knees feeling he had no right to be in His presence. The abundant catch accompanied the call to leave boats and nets to become fishers of men, marking a test of whether temporal gain or fellowship with Christ mattered more. Jesus designed the experience as an object lesson for their future work, teaching that human effort alone cannot produce success in ministry, but His presence in the ship and indwelling power make soul-winning fruitful for those who follow Him in living faith.
Setting and Astonishment
Daybreak came on the morning after a fruitless night of fishing, when Jesus sat in Peter's boat, swayed to and fro by the restless waves, and proclaimed in the open air the good news of salvation and the great things of His kingdom to common people pressing down to the water's edge. He who was the glorious Commander honored in heaven taught the gathered crowd from that fisherman's boat. The lake, the mountains, the spreading fields, and the sunlight flooding the earth gave Him the most fitting setting to illustrate His lessons and impress them upon the mind, while angels contemplated the scene. None of His lessons there fell fruitless, for every message from His lips came to some soul as the word of eternal life.
Simon Peter and all that were with him, including his partners James and John the sons of Zebedee, were overwhelmed with astonishment at the draught of the fishes which they had taken. Their amazement was so great they did not know how to express it. The catch was extraordinary, so great that the nets began to break and both boats were heavily laden and in danger of sinking. The miracle was especially impressive to their minds because as expert fishermen they knew the lake and the usual times, methods, and habits of fish and the art of catching them.
The abundance came after discouragement, unbelief, and sorrow over fruitless toil through a night of failure and disappointment. The disciples had returned to their fishing for a brief time to find relief from grief over John's death and from doubt and fear about what would happen to Jesus.
Conviction and Calling
The catch came when they launched into the deep and let down their nets at Jesus' direction, and its abundance revealed the power of His word. In that power they stood before the Lord of earth and sea, a divine Being, the Son of God, the long-looked-for Messiah. Though Peter had already seen many of His miracles, this draught after a night of disappointment thrilled him and made the strongest impression on his mind.
The sense of divine power gave Peter a great sense of his own sinfulness, unworthiness, and perverse unbelief, with shame for his unbelief. He felt he had no right to be in Christ's presence, and fell down at Jesus' knees asking Him to depart. Though he begged Jesus to depart, he clung to Him.
The sight swept away their unbelief and prepared them to follow Jesus and learn to win people for Him. The abundant catch accompanied the call to leave fishing boats and nets to become fishers of men. That success made the pull of the former life especially strong, so the catch marked a test of whether temporal gain or fellowship with Christ mattered more. They left at once without first asking how they and their families would be provided for, trusting His care, and later could say that when sent without supplies they lacked nothing.
The fishermen called were humble, unlearned but teachable men engaged in ordinary work among the common people. They were free from blind prejudice and worldly customs, and were honest, fair, kind, and able to feel for others. Jesus took them from their boats as co-workers and trained and refined them in mind and character for three years. He educated them through the teaching of the Old Testament rather than through the rabbis, teaching them lessons they would preserve for future generations.
Lesson for Soul Winning
The astonishment of Simon and all with him at the great catch was designed as an object lesson to encourage those fishermen for their future work of fishing for souls. The catch was so extraordinary that the nets began to break and both boats were so heavily laden they were in danger of sinking. Their expert knowledge of the habits of fish and the art of catching them made the miracle especially impressive to their minds, an amazement they could hardly express, and James and John the sons of Zebedee as partners with Simon shared it fully. Christ stood there revealed as Lord of earth and sea, and Simon was filled with amazement and gratitude with deep conviction that he stood in the presence of divinity.
The filled boats teach that human effort alone cannot produce success in ministry, for after a night of fruitless toil abundance came only when Christ was present and His direction was followed. Christ's presence in the ship made their fishing successful, and His indwelling presence is equally necessary for success in winning souls. Those who follow Jesus in living faith and seek His glory will see God's salvation, because Christ working with and through people brings real results in saving souls. The sight swept away unbelief and prepared them to follow Jesus and learn to win people for Him.
Casting the net where Jesus directed represented faith, and when human effort is joined with His divine power in connection with Him, labor for Him will not fail but will succeed. The disciples vividly remembered this first catch when Jesus repeated the miracle after His resurrection. The second draught was wrought to make the first more impressive, and it renewed their commission and showed that His death had not ended their duty to do His work. Though He would no longer be with them in person and they had left their former means of support from fishing, the risen Saviour still cared for them and would provide for them as they served.
Jesus meeting people while they worked on boats and along lake shores shows Him seeking people where they are and showing interest in their lives in order to reach them. That calling of fishermen from among the common people will be repeated, for God does His work through men and women raised up by means not now seen. Soon there will be an awakening that will surprise many. Those who do not realize the necessity of what is to be done will be passed by, while heavenly messengers work with those called the common people, fitting them to carry the truth to many places, so now is the time to awake and do what can be done.
At daybreak after a fruitless night of toil, Simon Peter and all with him, including his partners James and John, were overwhelmed with astonishment at the extraordinary draught so great that the nets began to break and both boats were heavily laden and in danger of sinking. The miracle was especially impressive to them because as expert fishermen they knew the lake and the usual times, methods, and habits of fish for catching them. Let down at Jesus' direction, the catch revealed the power of His word as Lord of earth and sea, the Son of God and long-looked-for Messiah, and gave Peter so great a sense of his own sinfulness, unworthiness and unbelief that he fell at Jesus' knees feeling he had no right to be in His presence. The abundant catch accompanied the call to leave boats and nets to become fishers of men, marking a test of whether temporal gain or fellowship with Christ mattered more. Jesus designed the experience as an object lesson for their future work, teaching that human effort alone cannot produce success in ministry, but His presence in the ship and indwelling power make soul-winning fruitful for those who follow Him in living faith.
Setting and Astonishment
Daybreak came on the morning after a fruitless night of fishing, when Jesus sat in Peter's boat, swayed to and fro by the restless waves, and proclaimed in the open air the good news of salvation and the great things of His kingdom to common people pressing down to the water's edge. He who was the glorious Commander honored in heaven taught the gathered crowd from that fisherman's boat. The lake, the mountains, the spreading fields, and the sunlight flooding the earth gave Him the most fitting setting to illustrate His lessons and impress them upon the mind, while angels contemplated the scene. None of His lessons there fell fruitless, for every message from His lips came to some soul as the word of eternal life.
Simon Peter and all that were with him, including his partners James and John the sons of Zebedee, were overwhelmed with astonishment at the draught of the fishes which they had taken. Their amazement was so great they did not know how to express it. The catch was extraordinary, so great that the nets began to break and both boats were heavily laden and in danger of sinking. The miracle was especially impressive to their minds because as expert fishermen they knew the lake and the usual times, methods, and habits of fish and the art of catching them.
The abundance came after discouragement, unbelief, and sorrow over fruitless toil through a night of failure and disappointment. The disciples had returned to their fishing for a brief time to find relief from grief over John's death and from doubt and fear about what would happen to Jesus.
Conviction and Calling
The catch came when they launched into the deep and let down their nets at Jesus' direction, and its abundance revealed the power of His word. In that power they stood before the Lord of earth and sea, a divine Being, the Son of God, the long-looked-for Messiah. Though Peter had already seen many of His miracles, this draught after a night of disappointment thrilled him and made the strongest impression on his mind.
The sense of divine power gave Peter a great sense of his own sinfulness, unworthiness, and perverse unbelief, with shame for his unbelief. He felt he had no right to be in Christ's presence, and fell down at Jesus' knees asking Him to depart. Though he begged Jesus to depart, he clung to Him.
The sight swept away their unbelief and prepared them to follow Jesus and learn to win people for Him. The abundant catch accompanied the call to leave fishing boats and nets to become fishers of men. That success made the pull of the former life especially strong, so the catch marked a test of whether temporal gain or fellowship with Christ mattered more. They left at once without first asking how they and their families would be provided for, trusting His care, and later could say that when sent without supplies they lacked nothing.
The fishermen called were humble, unlearned but teachable men engaged in ordinary work among the common people. They were free from blind prejudice and worldly customs, and were honest, fair, kind, and able to feel for others. Jesus took them from their boats as co-workers and trained and refined them in mind and character for three years. He educated them through the teaching of the Old Testament rather than through the rabbis, teaching them lessons they would preserve for future generations.
Lesson for Soul Winning
The astonishment of Simon and all with him at the great catch was designed as an object lesson to encourage those fishermen for their future work of fishing for souls. The catch was so extraordinary that the nets began to break and both boats were so heavily laden they were in danger of sinking. Their expert knowledge of the habits of fish and the art of catching them made the miracle especially impressive to their minds, an amazement they could hardly express, and James and John the sons of Zebedee as partners with Simon shared it fully. Christ stood there revealed as Lord of earth and sea, and Simon was filled with amazement and gratitude with deep conviction that he stood in the presence of divinity.
The filled boats teach that human effort alone cannot produce success in ministry, for after a night of fruitless toil abundance came only when Christ was present and His direction was followed. Christ's presence in the ship made their fishing successful, and His indwelling presence is equally necessary for success in winning souls. Those who follow Jesus in living faith and seek His glory will see God's salvation, because Christ working with and through people brings real results in saving souls. The sight swept away unbelief and prepared them to follow Jesus and learn to win people for Him.
Casting the net where Jesus directed represented faith, and when human effort is joined with His divine power in connection with Him, labor for Him will not fail but will succeed. The disciples vividly remembered this first catch when Jesus repeated the miracle after His resurrection. The second draught was wrought to make the first more impressive, and it renewed their commission and showed that His death had not ended their duty to do His work. Though He would no longer be with them in person and they had left their former means of support from fishing, the risen Saviour still cared for them and would provide for them as they served.
Jesus meeting people while they worked on boats and along lake shores shows Him seeking people where they are and showing interest in their lives in order to reach them. That calling of fishermen from among the common people will be repeated, for God does His work through men and women raised up by means not now seen. Soon there will be an awakening that will surprise many. Those who do not realize the necessity of what is to be done will be passed by, while heavenly messengers work with those called the common people, fitting them to carry the truth to many places, so now is the time to awake and do what can be done.