Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 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. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” John 21:5-7
The Lord often reaches out to us in the midst of our most frustrating
situations – times that we least expect to encounter divine instruction. The disciples have just finished a very frustrating night. Peter has not
recognized the dryness and lack of fruitfulness in his spiritual life so God lets him experience it in an area where he is sure he has great competency. It is what Peter must realize before he meets his Lord.
Jesus said to them The disciples are on the sea and the Lord is on the shore. They are so busy they never notice Him (like the church of Ephesus). Therefore the Lord calls out to them. Never forget that! The Lord seeks and calls us.
“Children, do you have any fish?” Note the Lord’s message in these few word. First he called these grown men children – he uses a term meaning ”lad” or “servant” (Have they forgotten who they serve?) This term would bring to memory words the Lord had spoken to them in the past. Second he focuses them on the results of their labor. They
Worked hard all night in their own strength. What have they accomplished? Look carefully–how many fish did you catch? One way the Lord teaches his servants to rely on Him is to focus us on
our total inability to achieve anything without Him.
There is a third message of encouragement here, especially for Peter. When one walks in his own strength he can begin to wonder if he really belongs to the Lord. Here the Lord calls to the disciples
and they hear Him. Does Peter remember His words, “my sheep hear my voice”. Despite working in frustration without the Lord, Peter hears the Lord’s voice. His disobedience has not destroyed the truth that he belongs to the Lord.
They answered him, “No.” When the Lord asks a question, it is not wise to lie. The one who knows all knows the truth of what we have accomplished for Him. The disciples use the Greek word which is a strong negative particle, signifying absolute negation. They tell the Lord the truth – they have caught absolutely nothing.
What can we learn? II Chronicles 7:14 tell us “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves…” Humbling ourselves requires recognizing two things – who we are and who God is. When one recognizes the immense gap between one’s self and God then one humbles (bows the knee) to God as Lord of all.
This is the key for the wayward believer. The Lord taught us this principle in the parable of the Prodigal Son. He was on a downhill slide for a while before he realized his true situation. Only when he humbled himself while he in the pig pen eating food he had to wrestle away from the hogs did he begin to think of the goodness of His father.
Thus the Lord begins here exactly the way scripture says revival comes. The Lord initiates the humbling process by asking them what they have accomplished. Note the Lord knows the answer but it is important that Peter realizes it. Until he does, revival cannot come.