John 21:9-11 9So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire laid and fish placed on it and bread. 10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” 11Then Simon Peter went up and drew the net onto land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
The other six disciples who were out in the fishing boat must have worked hard to get to the shore with all the fish they caught. When they finally crossed the approximate three hundred feet to the shore, they saw a nice fire already going. The best way to cook fish is on some hot embers. Jesus had already cooked breakfast for them. It must have smelled wonderful after a long hard night of fishing with no return. And then, with all of the hard work of hauling in the fish, they must have been tired and hungry. John does not mention how or where Jesus got the fish and bread. The reader is reminded of when Jesus multiplied the few fish and bread to feed over five thousand people in chapter 6. Jesus’ direction to the disciples in verse 10 includes them in the miracle. They could contribute to breakfast by the fish they caught. These verses also show Jesus’ resurrected humanity. He was still in the flesh but in a special way that could appear behind locked doors.
John reports another miracle in verse 11. Not all miracles are as significant and remarkable as feeding five thousand people with just a few fish and loaves of bread. Even Peter pulling in an overloaded net without it breaking was something to note. Peter must have been a strong man to haul in a net full of large fish. Someone who worked in fishing and had walked across Galilee and Judea with Jesus was in good shape. Ever since the early church, people have speculated about the meaning of 153 fish. The number might simply be representative of a large amount beyond what a fisherman on Galilee might typically catch. This experience was another extravagant miracle Jesus did to teach his disciples about faith and relying on him. Just as the harvest is plentiful, the fishing is also abundant when we learn to trust Jesus and obey his directions.
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