What Made the Disciples Decide to go Fishing?

Tom: We are continuing with the gospel, we’re in John:21:7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
See All...: “Therefore, that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, for he was naked, and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were 200 cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.” Dave, just to back up a little bit, you were mentioning something interesting about this last week, that you thought perhaps the disciples were going back to their trade of fishing, as opposed to what Jesus had called them to do. Yet, Jesus blesses them by directing them as to where they can fill their nets.

Dave: Mm-hmm. Yeah, He blesses businessmen. I remember R.G. LeTourneau, a Christian, a very devoted Christian, built that huge earthmoving equipment and so forth that they still use today, invented a lot of it. In those days, multimillionaire would be big. He’d be a billionaire today—I don’t know how much money he had. I think he gave away 90% of it to the Lord’s work. So, God will bless us, if we’re in His will, and He certainly showed the disciples He can bless them—“You want to go back to fishing for fish?”—but He had promised them they would be fishers of men if they would follow Him, and he has called Peter and all of the disciples, so He’s tracking him down now. In fact, during 40 days, He showed Himself alive to them, it says, with many infallible proofs. Tom, it’s really fascinating, because John tells us if we put down, if we wrote down all the things that Jesus did, the world itself couldn’t contain all the books that should be written. So, when we get a situation like this, or an incident like this, then we have to ask ourselves, “Well, why is that related?”

Tom: Mm-hmm.

Dave: Obviously this is one, this is something, the Holy Spirit inspired John the apostle to write. Well, that would cause us to do a lot of thinking, Tom.

Tom: Mm-hmm.

Dave: And I certainly don’t have the answers, but as you mentioned, I mean, here is one of the examples, one of the reasons. You know, Jesus called the disciples to follow Him, and I don’t know how many people recognize it, but let’s take Peter for example. Peter, James, and John, they’re the major ones, the first ones. Peter was called three times, now this is the fourth time. You get his first call in John 1, which we studied, what, a few months ago? A couple years ago? And you remember Andrew, his brother, begins to follow Jesus, and he runs and tells Peter, “I’ve found the Messiah! Come and see!” So that was the first time and Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, “Follow Me.” He also said it to some other of John the Baptist’s disciples. The second time, I think you get in Matthew 4, I don’t remember, Tom—you can help me out if I’m getting it wrong—but Jesus has just come from the temptation in the wilderness. He’s walking along the sea, and He sees some men casting their net into the sea, it says the Sea of Galilee, the same sea where they are now. “For they were fishers.” And He says, “Follow Me.” And the scripture says, “They left their nets and followed Him.” That’s the second time. Peter now is following Jesus for the second time, so obviously after the first time, he went back, didn’t he?

Tom: Mm-hmm.

Dave: He went back to his trade. The third time I think we have in Luke’s gospel, where Jesus is walking along the sea. In fact, there are crowds of people now. He needs a ship to get away from the crowd, you know, so He can get out a little ways from them. He borrows Peter’s ship—boat really—and pushes out a little from the shore and He’s teaching the people. And then, well, when He finds them, it says they are in the ship washing their nets. They’ve fished all night and they haven’t caught anything. They’re not doing very well, and Jesus teaches them from the boat, teaches the crowd, and then He says to Simon, “Cast out to the deep. Let down a draught.” And Peter says, “Now, we’ve been fishing all night, you know, Lord. This is not really the time for fishing.” Tom, you’re a fisherman, so you know when—certain time of the day…

Tom: Not by net though.

Dave: No, not by net! Well, we hope not! (chuckles) Uh, if you did, I’ll report you!

Tom: Just, uh, bring that one up over into the boat, sometimes.

Dave: Oh, you have a little net after you hook them.

Tom: Right.

Dave: Anyway, and then they enclose a multitude of fishes and so forth and then Peter falls down on his face before the Lord. He says, “Depart from me, oh Lord. I am a sinful man.” And Jesus calls him, you know, to follow Him; this is the third time. And it says then they left all and followed Him. So later on, Peter can say, “Lord, we’ve left all to follow You. Now what will be our reward (chuckles) in Your kingdom?” Now, Tom, it’s apparently the fourth time. The resurrection has occurred, Jesus has appeared to them, He’s had a special little time with Peter, remember?

Tom: Mm-hmm.

Dave: He tells the women to whom He appears first, “Go and tell my disciples and Peter,” because Peter has renounced Him. Said he “doesn’t know this man.” So, he’s said he’s not a disciple, so Jesus says, “Tell my disciples and Peter.” But He had a special time with Peter. We’re told that He appeared to Peter alone, and He’s reconciled Peter, He’s forgiven Peter, and still Peter says, “I’m going fishing! Anybody else want to get back at this again? We could make some money!” (Chuckles) And they join him, and that’s kind of the setting and Tom, I just gave it a light touch, but I think some very significant lessons [are] here. But, how is it that John has to tell Peter it’s the Lord? He…this is the fourth time now! At the Sea of Galilee…well, I’m not, no, I’ll have to take that back. The first time was not at the Sea of Galilee, that’s in John 1. But three times, third time now at the Sea of Galilee, and every time a miracle, as far as fished all night and didn’t get anything, and now—well, actually, the second time in Matthew, they’re casting their net into the sea and they’re not doing very well. But, you would think that Peter would immediately know. His conscience would be smitten. Apparently, he doesn’t get it yet, and John tells him, “That was the Lord! Don’t you realize this is the Lord?” And then Peter dives in and swims to shore.

Tom: It’s amazing when Peter does get it, (laughs) he just jumps in, whether it be trying to walk on water to our Lord, or here, this time, he’s going to swim for it! But…

Dave: And then, Tom, it gets a little bit more amazing. Verse 9: “As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals laid there and fish laid thereon, and bread.” I mean, Jesus has already got the fish. He didn’t need a net. He’s got some bread; I don’t think He went to a store to buy it! And He is just laying it on these guys and showing them, “I’ll take care of you. I’m going to go away. I won’t be bodily with you,” but what did He say? “Go into all the world, preach the gospel, make disciples of all nations, and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age.” And Jesus is showing them, “Look, I can provide for you. I can do it in amazing ways. Just trust Me, follow Me, and become fishers of men.”

Tom: Mm-hmm.

Dave: And Tom, there is nothing more thrilling, and we’re all supposed to do that as well…

Tom: Right.

Dave: …every Christian is supposed to be a fisher of men.