The Unbroken Net

Jesus came to Earth, lived a life completely free of sin, died a cruel death on the cross of Calvary, rose from the grave in a triumphant return to His throne in Heaven and fulfilled what had been God’s plan since the beginning: to provide man with the opportunity for salvation.  The Gospel, the “good news” of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, is what gives us hope for eternal life in Heaven.

There are two stories told in the books of Luke and John that are among my favorites, especially when read together, because they paint a beautiful picture of the friendship between Jesus and Peter.  The first account is found in Luke 5:1-11 and the second is in John 21:1-11.  Recently, as I read these stories again, I discovered a powerful metaphor involving a fishermen’s net and the all-sufficient power of the Gospel. 

In the first verse of Luke 5, we find Jesus standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret.  He stepped into the boat of Simon Peter, who had fished all night with his partners, James and John.  Jesus asked Peter to take the boat out a little from the land and He sat down and began to teach the crowds from the boat.  When Jesus stopped speaking, He said to Peter, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”  Peter explained to Jesus that they had been fishing all night long and had caught nothing, but he agreed to let down the net. 

“And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”  (Luke 5:6, emp. added)

The catch was so great that the net could not hold the fish.  Another boat had to come out and help carry the load to shore and, even then, the boat began to sink under the weight of the fish!  Peter, in his astonishment, fell on the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”  Jesus answered Peter saying, “Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men.”  After bringing their boats to the land, the fishermen left everything and followed Jesus.

Turning over to the book of John, chapter 21 beginning in verse one, we find Jesus, after His resurrection, standing by the Sea of Tiberias.  Again, Peter and some of Jesus’ disciples had been fishing through the night and had caught nothing.  When they returned to the shore, Jesus stood there, but they did not recognize Him.  Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”  They answered Him, “No.”  He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”  When they did as He instructed the net became so full of fish that they were not able to draw it back into the boat.  At that moment, knowing there is only one who can call up the fish from the sea—the same one who miraculously filled their empty fishing nets once before—John cried out, “It is the Lord!”

Peter, hearing that it was Jesus, put on his outer garment and plunged into the sea.  Jesus—his Master, his Teacher, his Friend—was alive!  He swam to His Savior, not able to wait on the boat to make its return to shore.  What a beautiful picture of love and devotion!

When the disciples approached Jesus, He 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.”  (John 21:11, emp. added)

In the first story, think of the net as the Old Covenant.  At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, in Luke chapter 5, the net in the hands of the fishermen was the Law of Moses, an imperfect Law in that it could not grant salvation.  It was a “net” that would break under the strain of sin.  

When Jesus called His followers to be fishers of men, He began weaving together an unbreakable net that would be placed in their hands at the time of His death.  With the words, “It is finished,” Jesus gave up His spirit on the cross and established the New Covenant, one of promise and of life, and the Old Covenant was made obsolete.  Where the Old Covenant was broken and could not remove sin through the blood of bulls and goats, the New Covenant is complete, offering purification and sanctification for sinners through the blood of Jesus Christ.

This was the net that the resurrected Lord gave to His disciples, the net described in the John 21, and one that Christians continue to hold today:  the soul-saving Gospel of Jesus Christ…the net that cannot be broken.  The words of the Lord rise from the pages of the Bible and call out to us today, “Cast the net!”