John 21:6-10

 

John 21:6 (KJB)

And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

 

From the commands the Lord is giving them, it would seem they had their nets cast on the left side. Jesus now tells them to cast the nest out on to the right side. There is significance to the right side. The right side would be symbolic of all the Elect of the world who would become saved.

 

The sheep or the saved are placed on the right hand of Christ. - (Mat 25:33 KJV) And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. The goats or the unbelievers are on the left hand side.

 

The Son of man sits on the right hand of God. - (Acts 7:56 KJV) And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

 

The announcement of John the Baptist to Zechariah by the angel in the Temple. - (Luke 1:11 KJV) And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

 

So when Jesus commanded the disciples to cast the net on the right side of the boat, He was directing, in a figure, the evangelism of the world and showing where the Elect would be who needed to hear the Gospel to become saved. At this point, Jesus is also showing that He is the Lord of Creation as He knows exactly where the fish were. Whenever we attempt to do evangelism without seeking the Lord, we will come up empty just like the disciples who dropped their nets on the wrong side of the boat. When they were obedient, they could, not even draw the net in because they were so filled up.

 

John 21:7 (KJB)

Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

 

John had now recognized that it was Jesus on the shore who had told them to cast the nets out onto the right side of the boat. As soon as Peter knew that it was Jesus on the shore he had put on his fisherman’s coat and he was probably not totally naked but for ease of movement, he probably was just clothed in a loin cloth. He then jumped into the sea and swam to shore to see Jesus.

 

John 21:8 (KJB)

And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

 

The other disciples were in a smaller boat which probably had the other side of the net attached to it. They would have been about 300 feet from the shore line and had to drag the full fishing nets because they could not pull them into their boats because of the weight. Peter was probably very excited and had forgotten about helping the other six disciples with the catch. The fish was not Peter’s concern at the moment.

 

John 21:9 (KJB)

As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

 

The only other place in the book of John which speaks about a fire of coals is found in John 18:18. (John 18:18 KJV) And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself. Jesus was just about to restore Peter because the first time Peter had come by a fire of coals, he had denied the Lord. Now a fire of coals was about to bring sustenance to him. It is not known where Jesus got the bread and the fish, but it would be reminiscent of the feeding of the five thousand which the disciples would easily remember. (John 6:9 KJV) There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

 

John 21:10 (KJB)

Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

 

Jesus is now commanding them to bring the fish to Him which they have caught. This is also a principle of evangelism that when we proclaim the true Gospel, we do not draw people to ourselves but we bring them to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the center and the one we bring the message about. Jesus tells them to bring not all the fish but from the catch. (Mat 22:14 KJV) For many are called, but few are chosen. Though many fish were caught only a few will be chosen to eat.

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