John 21:1-8 The First of Three Pictures of Believers and the Responsibility Attached To It

My commentary sees three pictures of believers in this last chapter and a responsibility attached to each picture.  The first is that we are fishers of men.  The responsibility is that we must OBEY Him.

Jesus had sent word to His disciples that He would meet them in Galilee.  He hadn’t set a definite date or time.  I’m reminded of something Henry Blackaby said in Experiencing God – when you feel you haven’t heard from the Lord, keep doing the last thing He told you to do.

Jesus had called many of His disciples away from the fishing industry into evangelism.  There were qualities of fishermen that were well-suited to their new occupation, my commentary noted:  “They know how to work, they’ve got courage and faith to go out into the deep.  They have much patience and persistence, and they will not quit.  They know how to cooperate with one another, and they are skilled in using the equipment and the boat.”  Those are qualities every Christian could use in getting along with other Christians and in fulfilling the Great Commission.

But He had called them away from fishing, yet Peter said, “I am going out to fish.”  Six others followed him out to fish.  Was he wrong?  If he was, he was a believer leading other believers astray.  We can only say that they caught nothing after fishing all night.  If our responsibility is to obey Him and to keep doing the last thing He told us to do until He issues new instructions, then perhaps they were.  My commentary added, “Pet was sincere and he worked hard, but there were no results.  How like some believers in the service of the Lord.  They sincerely believe that they are doing God’s will, but their labors are in vain.  They are serving without direction from the Lord, so they cannot expect blessing from the Lord.”

It’s interesting that 153 large fish were just feet away from the net and they didn’t know it.  “We are never far from success when we permit Jesus to give the orders, and we are usually closer to success than we realize,” my commentary added.

Father, if I am serving without direction from You, please help me to know it and to humbly seek Your will.  Don’t let my impulsiveness and self-confidence stand in for Your direction upon my life.  Show me regularly what You would have me doing and who You want me to impact for You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford