Before the Crucifixion of Jesus:“Now it happened that while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee), with the people crowding all around Him and listening to the word of God; that He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little distance from the shore. And He sat down and began teaching the crowds from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon [Peter], “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch [of fish].” Simon replied, “Master, we worked hard all night [to the point of exhaustion] and caught nothing [in our nets], but at Your word I will [do as you say and] lower the nets [again].” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were [at the point of] breaking; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats [with fish], so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all his companions were completely astounded at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon [Peter]. Jesus said to Simon, “Have no fear; from now on you will be catching men!” After they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him [becoming His disciples, believing and trusting in Him and following His example].” (Luke 5:1-11, AMP)We all have physical needs and spiritual needs. Physical needs are temporary, spiritual needs are mostly eternal. Very often, the need to provide for ourselves and our families becomes so strong that if we are not careful, our vision becomes clouded and we find ourselves lost in temporary pursuits. If that is where you are, the Lord has a Word for you.
There is physical hunger and spiritual hunger. We experience physical hunger because we are human and we need to eat food when we are hungry. However, it is important to realise that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). If our spirits are starved, then we have a big problem. We must be attentive to the Word of God.
On the other hand, if you have been contemplating certain moves in an attempt to be a vessel of honour in the hands of God, there is a Word from God for you. Remember, the Bible says,
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, NKJV)
“For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, AMP)The Word of God deals with the tangible (joints and marrow) as well as the intangible (soul and spirit). It is more than sufficient for all situations and circumstances. However, it is not a magic wand.
Peter fished all night unsuccessfully but did not hesitate to lend Jesus his boat [at the Lake of Gennesaret also known as the Sea of Galilee and the Sea of Tiberias]. He was disappointed, frustrated and tired. But he, nevertheless, attended to Jesus. Will you put your disappointments aside today and let Jesus sort things out for you?
THE PRIMARY NEED OF THE MOMENT WAS NOT FISH FOR PETER BUT SOULS FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD. There was an order, a sequence of events that was divinely orchestrated. The Kingdom of God and His righteousness before any other thing (Matthew 6:33). Jesus asked for the boat to teach the people in the first instance. Misplaced priorities have caused many Christians heartache. Misplaced priorities put the cart before the horse; It’s like having your bath with your clothes on. It’s like driving a car without passing your driving test or without car insurance. It’s like cooking food without putting in the ingredients in the right sequence. It is important and absolutely necessary to follow the divine order in all circumstances.
Peter did not allow his dire circumstances to stand in the way of serving Jesus and he refused to be a hindrance to Jesus. He chose, instead, to be an asset to Jesus. He rejected a liability status for an instrument status, to be played in heavenly symphony, and in divine harmony as directed by Jesus, the Alpha and Omega. Are you aware that your life can be a irresistible song sung by the choir of angels on this earth? What occurred on that day was really incredible. Peter displayed courage in the midst of uncertainty; a demonstration of selfless servanthood and sacrifice and an exquisite portrayal of faith. Faith shows its true colour in the face of challenges because faith without challenges is meaningless. Faith in the face of adversity glorifies God.
Peter had no idea what was going to happen when he released his boat. BUT JESUS HAD A PLAN. Jesus always has a plan. Will you allow His plan to work in your life today? You may have encountered rejection, frustration, uncertainty and failure but Jesus is alive and where you are to make a way where there seems to be no way. Peter was surprised and astonished beyond anything he could ever imagine at the sheer volume of fish he caught. I guess he thought that it was worth giving his boat to Jesus after all he went through. Jesus can surprise you today. Peter was overwhelmed by the amount of fish that was caught.
Jesus was a carpenter by profession who told Peter, a fisherman what to do; the Carpenter gave expert advice to the fisherman. How does that work? With man it is impossible but with God nothing is impossible. Hallelujah! What an awesome God we serve! You see, Peter looked past his ignorance; he saw beyond the physical and ordinary and tapped into the spiritual and supernatural realm. Jesus said, “Launch out into the deep”, not far from where he sat in the boat to minister and He remained in the boat while they were casting their nets. The deep is not necessarily a specific location but where God brings forth His miraculous power. In other words, God can meet you right where you are. Hallelujah!
They caught a lot of fish (their nets were breaking and the boats were sinking) but at the end they left everything and followed Jesus. They discovered that which mattered far above their fishing profession. They did even bother to make some profit from ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD.
After the Crucifixion, Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus:
“After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”— knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.” (John 21:1-14, NKJV)
Before this incident, the disciples had been following Jesus. They had left everything to follow Jesus. But now they found themselves wondering what was happening after the death of Jesus. Have you felt that way? On this occasion, Jesus had risen from the dead and the location was again at the Sea of Tiberias also known as the Lake of Gennesaret and the Sea of Galilee. It was in Galilee that Jesus walked on the water, calmed the storm and fed the five thousand.
About seven disciples led by Simon Peter went back to fishing. It seems they were in a place of uncertainty, having followed Jesus for three and a half years. They were basically lost spiritually. So they decided to go from the eternal to the temporary. Have you been tempted to return to return to where the Lord brought you from? Have you contemplated backsliding? I can tell you that it is not worth it at all. Have you been wondering what the next step is? Are you confused? The disciples were confused but God always has a solution. God is always at work. Jesus spent Peter, “Now He said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And after saying this, He said to him, “Follow Me [walk the same path of life that I have walked]!” (John 21:19, AMP)
Jesus put things in perspective. The crux of the matter has always been and will always be to follow Jesus, to be His disciple, to leave all and follow Him and we read in Luke 5. There can be no turning back, no giving up, no backing down, no pulling our hands from the plow. We have to press on, press in, fix our eyes on Jesus, stand firm and let God work out His plans and purposes. In the silence, God is working; all around us God is working; in our confusion, God is working; in our exploits, God is working; GOD IS WORKING ALL THE TIME. HE IS FOR YOU AND NOT AGAINST YOU.
Conclusion:
In both cases, Jesus performed a miracle, supplying the immediate physical needs of the disciples. However, the physical supplies were abandoned for the spiritual supplies that can only come through Jesus. God is no man’s debtor. When you obey Him by faith, He will take good care of you. The end result was a deeper appreciation by the disciples for spiritual things. Man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Do not allow the devil to deceive you to settle for less than God has prepared for you. It is a great honour to be appointed fishers of men. Let us take our responsibility seriously and God will sort out whatever our needs are. He never fails. Have a blessed day.
