John 21:1-6

(John 21:1-6)

『After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 』

 

There is a similar story in Luke 5. John 21 is the story after Jesus' resurrection, and Luke's story is before Jesus chose Peter as a disciple. When Peter couldn't catch the fish all night, he landed the boat, and Jesus appeared, telling him to put the boat a little far from the beach, teaching him there, and throwing a net deep. The Bible says that there were so many fish that it was impossible to lift the net.

 

Jesus said after holding the bread and the cup in the last sacrament. In Matthew 26:32, 『But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 』 And Jesus appeared in Galilee. The women go to the grave and meet the angel. And in the course of the conversation, the angel said in Mark 16:7, 『But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. 』

 

Women told the disciples this. However, the disciples went to Galilee and threw the net all night, but they couldn't catch one. At that time Jesus was standing on the beach, but none of the disciples recognized Jesus. Jesus said to his disciples, "Throw the net on the right side of the boat, and you will catch it."

 

In chapter 5, Jesus said that Jesus would get on the boat and float it on the water. Then he stood on the water. This means that Christ is revealed in the law. If you knew the meaning of the law correctly, you would have realized that Jesus is the Christ in the law. When John the Baptist said, "Is this the one who is coming," Jesus said about the sign: "The leper is healed, the blind man opens his eyes, the deaf hears, and the dead will rise."

 

So, Peter threw it into the deep water, so many fish were caught. Through the signs, people became aware that Jesus was the Messiah. So, in deep water, it shows that a lot of people (fish) came to Jesus. The net was torn. When the net is torn, the fish go back into the sea. So another boat came and packed the fish. In Luke 5:7『 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 』

 

The sign does not always happen, but if Jesus is the Christ, it is not necessary because Jesus dies on the cross and resurrects in three days. When the Pharisees asked Jesus to show a sign, he said there was nothing to show except Jonah's sign. Nevertheless, church people today want to see signs. Most Jews who came to Jesus after seeing many miracles at that time would leave Jesus. They should have discovered Christ through miracles.

 

However, Jesus told the Jews, ``Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you. It means that they must discover Christ through signs, but the Israelites did not. In John 6:53, 『Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 』 Those who came to Jesus to be disciples said in 6:66, From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 』

 

The events in Luke 5 and John 21:1-6 contrast the events before and after the law was fulfilled. The fact that many fish were caught in Luke's Gospel means that many people came to Jesus after seeing a miracle, but they were all left. "The fish were filled in two boats, and the boat was submerged." It means that most of the fish caught will return to the sea because they are submerged in water.

 

Of course, there may have been fish that have been saved. No one could enter Canaan, except the children born in the wilderness of Joshua Caleb, as the exodus of the people said to die when they entered the land of Canaan. Even though they saw countless miracles, they did not believe the word of God's promise. Today, likewise, those who like miracles will eventually become like this.

 

In John 21:1-6, fish were caught so much that the net could not be lifted. The resurrected Jesus is no longer in the law. So, he is no longer related to the material world. Those who are in Christ have nothing to do with the law, nor with the world. For those who are in Christ are dead about the law and the world. Just as the resurrected Jesus is at the right hand of God, those in Christ are seated at the right hand of God. So, the resurrected Jesus did not need to go on a boat and stand on the water, as in Luke 5. He said to Peter outside the water, "Throw the net on the right side of the boat."

 

What is the meaning of 『Right of the Boat』? As the throne post says, the right side is with the owner. In Psalm 110:1, 『The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 』

In Matthew 26:64, 『Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 』In Luke 22:69, Acts 7:55, Ephesians 1:20, and Colossians 3:1, there is also the saying "the right side of the throne of God." The right side of the ship is where the words of eternal life are.