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After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to the disciples on several occasions. The Gospel of John, chapter 21, recounts the third of these encounters and mentions the miraculous catch of 153 fish. Peter and the other disciples had just witnessed Jesus perform another miracle with a large haul of fish. “Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and hauled the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153 in total, yet the net did not break” «Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, one hundred and fifty-three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. », (John 21:11).
During this encounter, Jesus met His disciples on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias as they were returning from an unsuccessful night of fishing (John 21:1-3). Initially unrecognized by the disciples, Jesus called out to them from the shore, inquiring about their catch of fish (John 21:4-5). Upon learning of their lack of success, Jesus directed them to cast their nets on the right (starboard) side of the boat. They obeyed and caught such a multitude of fish that they were unable to haul in the nets «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. », (John 21:6). John recognized Jesus first, and he informed Peter. Peter then leaped into the water—presumably to swim to shore and meet Jesus «Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girded
He wrapped his fisher’s coat around him, (for he was naked,) and threw himself into the sea. », (John 21:7). Meanwhile, the other disciples came in the boat, about 200 cubits (or 100 yards) from the shore «And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. », (John 21:8). Upon reaching the shore, Peter returned to the boat to assist in gathering the fish, and they counted 153 fish—large fish, indeed. Despite the abundance of fish, the net did not break «Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, a hundred and fifty-three: and even with so many, the net did not break. », (John 21:11).
The significance of the 153 fish in John 21:11 is clear from the context. As experienced fishermen, the disciples would have been familiar with tallying their catch. These fish were evidently large enough to strain both the fishermen and the nets (although miraculously, the nets remained intact). By specifying the number of 153 fish, John highlights that something extraordinary occurred, as Someone extraordinary was present. The 153 fish served as additional proof to the disciples that the resurrected Jesus had authority over nature, just as He had shown before His crucifixion.
Previously, John had documented Jesus turning water into wine (John 2), healing an official’s son (John 4), curing a lame man (John 5), feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish (John 6), walking on water (John 6), restoring sight to a man born blind (John 9), raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11), and His own resurrection (John 20). The 153 fish in John 21:11 may appear insignificant in comparison.To these magnificent signs, but to an audience of fishermen who had failed to catch even one fish during an entire night of work, this remarkable catch provided more evidence that their belief in Jesus was well placed.
Just a few verses before John records the catching of the 153 fish, John explains that his purpose in writing was so that people would believe in Jesus and have life in His name (John 20:30-31). There were many signs and works of Jesus that John could have recorded, but he chose to record those included in the Gospel of John so his readers could have confidence that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God «but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.», (John 20:31), and that He is indeed equal with God «Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. », (John 5:18).
There is no reason to understand the number of fish caught that morning as anything but 153 literal fish. They have no hidden meaning or symbolic significance. The meaning of the 153 fish in John 21:11 is straightforward: their appearance in the disciples’ net was important to these fishermen by trade and also to every reader of John’s Gospel, as we have 153 more reasons to believe in Jesus the Christ.
