John 21:15-16
¹⁵So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.¹⁶He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Like Paul emphasized, the greatest key to an effective ministry is love so does Jesus emphasize the same unto Peter, more so to us.
Looking at two scenarios of Peter and the big draught of fish, we notice His call to be a fisher of men ( Luke 5:6) and how He regressed back to fishing ( John 21) yet he had left that business to God’s business!! On Peter’s first encounter with Jesus ( Luke 5), Jesus strategically sets out for Peter, and instructs Him to cast the net deeper after a toil of catching fish, miraculously, they get a miraculous catch that it was a bewilderment unto them that marked a new beginning for Peter, as he was called forth to be a fisher of men, ( catching men) , Greek word catch implying to take alive or take captive because Him that you catch, life is given in Christ.
Luke 5:6
⁶And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish; and as their nets were breaking…
Luke 5:10
¹⁰And so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon (Peter). And Jesus said to Simon, Have no fear; from now on you will be catching men!
God calls us personally, Peter had partners and we notice basically Jesus is focused on Peter. When God calls you, it’s a personal call, though there be people who will follow you, the call still remains personal, He takes you from the old life to a new life but at some point we are drawn back by fear and shun off that calling, at times we think we can make it on our own and forget that without Jesus, we can’t fish!! Peter had said of how he loved Jesus that He would lay down His life for Him but then failed at one point when he denied Jesus three times and thus drew back!!
John 13:37-38
³⁷Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. ³⁸Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
After the resurrection, Peter trying to get Himself back from the set back of the denying Christ, a regress to His former life , Peter encounters Jesus again as it was initially ( John:21). God is so concerned about You and where He has called you from! Jesus redirects Peter to the call, He makes a replay of the same scene that was on the first encounter ( Luke 5), only with a few differences due to the resurrection; herein Peter goes back to fishing yet He had left that life to follow Jesus, after attempts and failure to catch fish, He makes a big catch of fish when Jesus instructs them to cast their net on the right!!
John 21:5-6
⁵Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.⁶And 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.
Unlike before, the net doesn’t break; this still re affirms the statement Jesus made; I will make you fishers of men!! The net on the first calling of Peter broke as seen in Luke 5, a symbolism of many that were drawn to Christ but feared the Pharisees and thus were held back compromising the faith, and more so, those who believed drew back in hopelessness and were scattered.
Mathew 26:56
But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
…But now comes the newness of the resurrection that brings with it a big catch where the net doesn’t break and the fishes aren’t held back or lost, for as he said in…
John 12:24
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
So did His death and resurrection attract many to the faith, where boldness was and people held on to the faith despite the Pharisees, we notice that hence Peter won many to the faith, after that Pentecostal encounter, more were brought into the faith (Acts 2:41)
Surely the harvest is large, and we need to get our hands on it, involve Jesus, and get to fill the net!! If we are drawn back by our fears, inadequacies, failings, we won’t come to that point of pursuing our call to it’s fullness, a fresh start, a new beginning is what we need, forget about your failures, imperfections and inadequacies. There is no time to draw back to what was but to focus on what is, The call!!
Herein is Peter called to remembrance of where it started, of the call, that though He did think He had failed, Jesus was trying to make Him recall, recount His Christ’s assured love and there by yield to it, He reinstates not only Peter but all the disciples through that meal, a meal of reconciliation and forgiveness, and a call to remembrance of their call, our call: ” Feed my sheep, Shepherd them, know their state, Teach them in knowledge and Understanding” Jesus uses two different Greek words for feed, the first being bosko, to feed , and the second being poimaino ( to tend) that involves everything a shepherd does, guide, guard, protect, feed the sheep, like the good shepherd that is to share the truth of God’s word and help over see their spiritual welfare, ensuing they aren’t lost.
We all have weaknesses, failings, inadequacies, we pledge allegiance and fail at one point, make Vows and not fulfill, nevertheless, God calls us to that point of His perfect love in us that breeds perfection, He perfects us and enables us to do His work like a shepherd assigned to do His work.
Prophetic Utterance:
In and out of season, I am charged to preach the word in love, to persuade, rebuke and exhort with all long suffering and teaching, I will not draw back in fear or in intimidations rather in His boldness will I draw many to Him.
Halleluya.
Guiding Text:
1 Peter 5:2-4
¹Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;³Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.⁴And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
Galatians 3:1-5
¹ You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.²I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?³Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?⁴Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? ⁵So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?