The Second Great Catch of Fish
Wittenberg Retreat Matins
John 21:1-14
Pastor James Preus
April 25, 2025
Our text for today in John 21, where Jesus appears to His disciples for the third time since His resurrection from the dead bears a striking resemblance to when Jesus first called Peter and the other disciples into ministry back in Luke chapter 5. Yet, our text for today marks the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, while Luke 5 marks the beginning. By comparing these two episodes, we learn a lot about the ministry of the Word.
In both accounts, Peter and his fellow fishermen spend the night fishing on the Sea of Galilee. (Luke calls it the Lake of Gennesaret; John calls it the Sea of Tiberias, but it’s the same Sea of Galilee.) In both accounts, the men catch nothing all night, but when Jesus tells them to let down their nets, they catch a tremendous amount of fish. In both accounts, they recognize Jesus as the Lord on account of the miraculous catch. And in both accounts, Jesus calls them to the ministry of the Word, in Luke 5 saying that He will make them into catchers of men, while in John 21 Jesus tells Peter to feed His lambs.
Yet, there are some noticeable differences. In Luke 5, when Peter realizes who Jesus is, he falls on his knees and implores Jesus, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Yet, when Peter realizes that it is Jesus in John 21, he jumps into the lake and swims, so eager he is to get to Jesus. Now, what were those sins which filled Peter with fear, so that he tells Jesus to go away from him? The Bible doesn’t tell us. We can assume they are much the same types of sins that burden my conscience and your conscience. Think of your sins and then imagine standing before the holy God in human flesh. That is enough to fill you with fright!
So, was Peter less of a sinner when under a near identical circumstance he plunged himself into the water to get close to Jesus as quickly as he could? No. Rather, we know what type of sinner Peter had become. He was an apostate. He fell away. In the courtyard of the chief priest, while Jesus was on trial, Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times. He even swore by God Himself that he did not know that man apart from whom no one can know God! If Peter’s sins filled him with fear three years earlier when Jesus first called him, how much more should they terrify him now that he had denied Christ? Yet, he runs to Jesus! This is the result of the preaching of the Gospel.
Now, it is true that as Christians, we ought to grow in our sanctification. Our old Adam should grow weaker and weaker and our new self, created after the image of Christ, should grow stronger and stronger. We never become sinless in this life, but led by the Holy Spirit, we do improve. However, the Gospel is not properly preached if a person is afraid to come to Jesus. The Gospel is not properly preached if a person thinks that he must improve his sanctification before he can receive the Gospel. Rather, we see that the Gospel has done its work on Peter, even after he committed the dastardliest wicked sin of denying Christ with an oath, because instead of saying, “Depart from me,” he runs to Jesus. It is like King David, who after committing adultery and murder does not say, “Depart from me, Lord,” but rather, “Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.” (Psalm 51) After hearing Jesus preach the Gospel for three years, and especially after hearing Jesus’ Easter sermon, where He gives His Church the authority to forgive sins, the Gospel did its work by causing Peter not to run away from Jesus on account of his sins, but to run to Jesus.
Yes, your sanctification is important. Yet, your sanctification is impossible without your justification. Unless you crave the forgiveness of sins, which Christ has won for you, so that no shame or horror of your sins causes you to stay away from Him, but rather your sins drive you ever to run to Jesus for forgiveness, then you cannot improve in your sanctification. Peter ran to Jesus, because he was unworthy, but He knew with Jesus there is forgiveness. And if a preacher forgets that the forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake is what makes sinners run to Jesus, then he has forgotten how to preach. This also teaches us about rightly receiving the Sacrament. When they first received the Lord’s Supper, Peter and all the disciples vowed that they would die with Jesus. And rightly should we do the same. Yet, Jesus told them that they would fall away, but to meet Him again in Galilee. And so too, when we receive the Sacrament, we should plan to return soon, for our flesh is weak.
Why did Peter invite his fellow disciples to go fishing? They needed money. Peter was a fisherman by trade before Christ called him. Yet, Jesus had not yet sent them to preach the Gospel to the whole creation. So, Peter got a job. Now, Jesus calls Peter and his fellow fishermen to a better job. There is not greater work than to preach the Gospel. I do not say that because I am a preacher. More important than fishing, farming, construction, engineering, being a doctor or nurse, or any other job, is the preaching of the Gospel. Because God uses all these other jobs to sustain physical life on earth for a little while, but God uses the preaching of the Gospel to grant eternal life to all who believe in Jesus. Of course, not everyone can be a preacher. So, this shows that your most important job in life is never farming, even if you are a farmer, or building, even if you are a builder, but to hear and share the Gospel. Fathers and mothers, sharing the Gospel of Christ with your children is more important than any job you have, because these are the words of eternal life.
Jesus had already told the disciples that he would make them fishers of men (Luke 5:10; Mark 1:17). Soon, He will finally send them out with their nets, that is, with the command to preach the Gospel, baptize, forgive sins, and administer the Lord’s Supper. Yet, with the catch of fish, He shows them how this ministry will go. They fished all night, and yet caught nothing. Then at Jesus’ Word, they caught more than they could handle. And so, we learn that success in the preaching of the Gospel does not come from the labor of man or from eloquent wisdom, but the Holy Spirit uses the preaching of the Gospel and the Sacraments as instruments to create faith where and when it pleases God. And when Peter and the rest got to shore, they saw that Jesus already had fish roasting on the charcoal fire. And so, every minister should know that although God uses him to do tremendously good work, God does not need him to gather His Christians. You pastors are not the only laborers, but it is always God who grants the growth.
In Luke 5, the Evangelist tells us that the nets began to tear because of the great catch of fish. This shows us that preachers will lose fish. There will be those who fall away and break out of the net, hypocrites, and apostates, who will break the hearts of pastors. Yet, in John 21, the nets did not break even though they had caught 153 large fish. This teaches us that not one of Jesus’ elect will be lost. Rather, as even the hairs on your head are numbered, so God knows the exact number of His elect, and not a single one will fail to reach that glorious shore where Jesus waits for them. Pastors have the wonderful privilege to draw Christ’s elect to Him through the preaching of the Gospel. But a pastor cannot cause a single one of Christ’s elect to fall away. The net of election cannot break.
This was the third time that Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection. In 2 Corinthians 13, St. Paul writes, “This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two of three witnesses.” We find the biblical mandate of two or three witnesses in Deuteronomy 19, which we use as support for Christ’s resurrection, because many more than two or three people witnessed His resurrection. Yet, here we learn the importance not only of many witnesses, but of witnessing many times. If all the disciples saw Jesus alive after His crucifixion, they could all convince themselves that they saw a ghost, or they were in some sort of delirium. But that Christ appeared to them many times strengthened their faith in the resurrection.
This is how the Gospel works. Christ told His disciples at the first Lord’s Supper on the night when He was betrayed that they would fall away, but to meet Him in Galilee after He had risen. The angel at Jesus’ tomb told the women that Jesus would meet the men in Galilee. Jesus Himself told the women the same thing. Finally, when the disciples go to Galilee to fish, they see Jesus, just as He told them.
People need to be invited to church often. And you need to go to church often. Not only do you need to hear the bountiful witnesses of Holy Scripture testify about Christ, His death and resurrection for you, and to receive Christ’s body and blood as a testament to your forgiveness and salvation, but you need to receive these things frequently. So, may we frequently receive Christ’s testimony in Word and Sacrament until through the ministry of His Word, He draws us to the glorious shore of heaven. Amen.