22/04/10

The fishes of John

John 21:12-13
12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.


After I got this scripture I saw there was something fishy about this word fish in John. The Greek word used for fish in John is very excusive to the gospel of John and occurs only 5 times. Even the same event narrated in Luke uses another word for fish and not the word fish which John uses.

Like I told you that the Gospel of John is less a Gospel and more an Autobiography of Jesus and a book directly narrated by Jesus through John (therefore I personally call it the book of Jesus). Every word of the book is beyond any human imagination, possibility of understanding and presumption to be written by ordinary man; not that the other books are not extraordinary. No book in the New Testament comes any close to this book, even comparing this book to the Old Testament books it is like all the Prophet like Moses, Samuel, Gad, Nathan, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi of the Old Testament have sat together with the wise men of the Bible like Solomon, Daniel, Job etc. and they sat together to write this book.

Among the 5 occurrence of this special word 'fish'<3795> (the Gospel of John does use the normal standard word 'fish' <2486> elsewhere which is used by others too), thrice it is to do with the event concerning the message scripture we received. When Jesus meant fish here, He did not mean the fish which is used as meal (in Hebrew the word fish comes from the root meaning 'increase').

The Gospel of John shows that Simon Peter was so taken up with this fish <3795> that he went naked in the boat to catch them. It was only when he saw Jesus and was told it was Him that he covered himself and came swimming to meet Him. Jesus did bless them with great number of fish <3795> but when they sat to eat Jesus asked ask Simon 'lovest thou me more than these?'. Jesus was pointing not to the fish <2486> but to the fish <3795>. Simon Peter was called to lead and taken over the operations in the absence of Jesus but Jesus knew that Simon Peter had a weakness to 'increase', therefore the remaining two questions also were again asked to confirm the same.

It was greed that bought the magnificent Lucifer to become Satan and fall. He did not lust to earthly things nor for bad things, but for good things of the Kingdom of Heaven. But the problem was he wanted these things without purpose and benefit.

God has made all things not to showoff that He is God and can do these. God has made all things so that it can prosper and the plan which He has for all things may be fulfilled.

The 'increase' that we need is shown by the miracle which Jesus did when He multiplied the five loaves and two small fishes <3795> to feed five thousand, such that all were more than satisfied. For the other miracle in which Jesus multiplies loaves and fish to feed the multitude, He uses the normal term fish <2486> (food). It is to show that our 'increase' in physical and spiritual should be for purpose and for the prosperity of our body and the Body of Christ, of which we are a part of and both 'fishes' come from God. We did not make the fish but only catch what God has provided.

So when we need them let us first give thanks and receive it, for all these are already provided for us.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord Jesus, we thank You for your Word of life. We thank You for all the provision You have made available to Us. Lord God, we thank You for the daily bread and for all the spiritual blessings that You have already given us according to your plan in our lives. Lord guide our hearts that it work and want according to your plan and purpose in us and through us...

We make this prayer in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
John 21:1-17
1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.
2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.
3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
15 So 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.
16 He 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.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

John 6:5-13
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)