I love John 21, Jesus’ last appearance to the disciples in John’s gospel, containing the miraculous catch of fish and Jesus’ conversation with Peter: “Feed my sheep.” I shared my 5-point outline back in January. Today I want to focus on the fish:

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. (John 21.3 – 11, ESV)

People have been puzzled for centuries about “153 fish.” I heard a preacher decades ago say that when he was on a tour of the Holy Land, the guide told the group, “The Sea of Galilee has 153 different kinds of fish.” The preacher was very excited that the guide said that with no apparent knowledge of John 21. “A miracle! All those 153 fish were different species! God wants people from all nations to be part of his Kingdom!”

A great application, but I remember thinking at the time that it was more likely that the guide used that number when talking with Christian groups, just so they would go home and tell that story. Turns out I was right. This is the age when you can look anything up, and there are 27 species of fish in the Sea of Galilee, 19 native, and 8 introduced from elsewhere. – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Galilee

People have tried to make all kinds of inferences from the “153.” I like that 153 is a “triangle number,” it’s the sum of the numbers 1, 2, 3,…, up to 17, and could be arranged in a triangle, like the ten pins in a bowling alley.

It’s also interesting that he calls Peter twice, once in Matthew 4.19:

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

And here: “Feed my sheep…Follow me” (John 21.15 – 19) and both follow a miraculous catch of fish. (Luke 5.2 – 11).

So I wouldn’t make a big deal out of “exactly 153” other than:

• It’s a lot of fish!

• The net was not torn. (There’s room in the Kingdom for everyone!)

• The fish are there: follow Jesus’ leading and go get ‘em!

To change the metaphor…

Don’t you have a saying, “It’s still four months until harvest”? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. (John 4.35, NIV)