“The Net was Not Torn” (John 21:11)
Prelude
Recently, I was aware of a strange sense of stretching in my life; I immediately related this to several Bible passages to do with fish nets and to a highly memorable experience. Comments on fishnets appear below, but the experience goes back to 1994 in Mar del Plata Argentina. A strategically minded pastor shared how after a massive set of conversions (10% of population) there were only 1000 disciples (0.25%) remaining in the churches am year later. His unforgettable explanation, “There were too many holes in the net.” That is, the Church in that city was severely disunited. This teaching reflects on our urgent need for unity.
Major and Minor (Luke 5:1-11 and John 21:1-14)
John 21 appears at the end of a Gospel many commentators believe was already completed in 20:31, “these signs are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Given the whole of John is inspired (John 15:26-27), what do we discern of the prophetic “testimony of Jesus” (Rev 19:10) in the fishing miracle of this chapter? I would suggest that one way to expound the crucial text, the disciples “dragged the net ashore…full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn” v.10, is to contrast it with the earlier miracle in Luke 5:1-11. Here we read the disciples, initially reluctant to cast a net for a second time, find a catch so massive that “their nets began to break…and their boats begin to sink”. Peter is so moved that he repents and declares with shame, ““Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!””. Jesus does not leave, but rather declares, ““Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.””. This first miraculous catch cannot be compared cannot be compared to that of John 21 because of the revolutionary transformation of the identity of JESUS
Universal Transformation
Having witnessed the immeasurable love of the cross through the triumph of resurrection power and its imparted glory (John 20), Peter is a new creation for whom the departure of Jesus is now unthinkable. This is only the fruit of the greatest human transformation in history, the glorification of the humanity of the Son of God. There is multiple evidences for this. Jesus had recently imparted the Spirit and power to forgive by “breathing” on the disciples. This marks him out as a glorified human (John 20:21-22 cf. 7:37-39) on par with the Creator, he no longer is mere “flesh and blood” (Gen 2:7 cf. Luke 24:39; 1 Cor 15: 50ff) but one with and LORD of the old covenant who had authority to give the Spirit (Isa 32:15; Ezek 36:22-28; Joel 2:18). Unlike the mortal Jesus of Luke 5, the miracle-working Lord of John 20 has illimitable power, he is “Lord of all” (Acts 10:36 cf. Phil 2:1-11 citing Isa 45:23-24). On the threshold of “ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” he is truly confessed as “my Lord and my God” (John (20:17, 28). Recognising the sovereign power of Jesus as Lord transforms the way we interpret John 21 (It imparts a radically new non-fleshly mode of interpretation (cf. 2 Cor 5:16).
A Different Sort of Net
Whereas the audience for the first miraculous catch is the crowds, in the second case it is limited to the disciples. Whilst the nets in Luke 5 and John 21 are ordinary physical nets (Luke 5:2 cf. Matt 4:21) other accompanying details of the second story are essentially miraculous. First, Jesus is unrecognisable to the disciples (21:4-7), a sign which elsewhere is attributed to the hand of God (Luke 24:16) Second, the fire of burning coals with fish and bread on the beach “appears” ex nihilo/out of nothing (John 20:19; 21:9 cf. Gen 1:1). What then are we to make of the “large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn”. We should read this miracle prophetically as an end-times sign. 153 is a so-called “triangular number”, well-known to the ancient world (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangular_number, with diagrams). It is the sum total of adding 17+16+15…+1 so that a perfect complete triangle is formed. Whereas in the Old Testament no prophets, priests or kings are fishermen, this radically changes in the New. Here disciples and crowds eat fish on a regular basis! Prophetically, the 153 fish stand for types/kinds, of peoples, a “great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Rev 7:9) 153 stands for g the nations of the whole world (cf. Matt 28:18-20). This is the vast scope of the catch into which the disciples are being sent by the all-powerful Lord of the Church. The unbreakable net means that no matter how massive the kingdom catch Christ has promised to “draw all people to himself” (John 12:32). This interpretation is sufficient to the advent of the new creation in Christ foretold elsewhere in the old covenant.
New Creation Power
In Ezekiel 47 we have a prophetic new creation picture where water flows from the new temple (cf. John 7:37-39; Rev 22:1ff). In these vital life-giving waters (cf. John 4:14; 7:37-39), previously barren of life, like the ultra-saline Dead Sea, there are now “very many fish…(and fishermen) spreading nets” i.e. catching the nations of the world being drawn into the kingdom of God. Such a picture of glory is indescribable, other than from using pictorial/end-time language, like rivers and nets! Let me conclude by returning to JESUS as our central character who is sum and the substance of “all things” (Col 1:16) and who never wills to leave anyone out of his saving net.
Conclusion
The Lord proclaimed, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”” (John 12:32). This is both a promise and a condition. In stating the historical past fact of the death and resurrection of Jesus it is an unconditional divine promise within the Trinitarian life (John 17:1-5). When Jesus is seen as incomparably high and exalted, both on the cross and seated next to the Father on his throne (Isa 6:1; 52:13; 57:15), he infallibly promises to “build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matt 16:18 cf. Rev 1:18). When, however, we minimise the stature of the Son of God (Eph 4:7-16), through unwise divisions, comparisons and competitions e.g. “I am of Paul…Apollos…Cephas” (1 Cor 1: 10-17; 2 Cor 10:12) there are “too many holes in the net”. This leads to a traumatic falling away rather than the commanded blessing “life forevermore” (Ps 133:3).
This raises a sharp question for the Christian conscience, “Am I a net mender or a net breaker?” Do I by prayer and practice action the Body of Jesus or passively let her slovenly forsake her calling to perfect unity in the Son (John 17:23)? For decades I have sought to be a mender of nets in the Body for the glory of Christ; “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (Hab 2:14). The 24-7 prayer hub Perth is a feature of this calling! May the Sovereign Lord enlarge our vision.