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John 21 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Even after His resurrection, Jesus was still teaching His disciples.
Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 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.
John 21:5-6 ESV
They had been out all night and caught nothing. This isn’t like you or me going out fishing. These men were experts of their craft. There is no doubt it was depressing and frustrating. Have you had days like this where everything seems to go wrong? Even the task you have done a million times fails.
Then Jesus shows up. Bam! They haul in more fish than they can carry. What was He teaching them?
Jesus’ teachings always had deep spiritual significance. If He were to ask us if we’ve caught anything (spiritually-speaking) with our own skills and in our own strength, I hope you would answer the same as the disciples. No. Humanity has been at this thing called life for years and still cannot figure out how to produce anything of lasting value in our own strength.
This is the last recorded miracle of Jesus. He commands them to fish on the other side. They didn’t need a new boat or a new net. They didn’t need more time or more energy. They needed divine direction. They, just like us, needed Jesus.
The more compelling aspect of this story is that Jesus came and found them. He made the first move. It was up to the disciples to trust Him and cast their nets to the other side. The same is true for us.