THIS was the last miracle wrought by the Saviour before going on high. The cross and the grave were now behind Him. He had been delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification; nothing remained for Him now but to ascend up where He was before. Remarkably, John, the only one of the four evangelists who uses the word “ascend” in connection with our Lord, gives us no account of the ascension itself (John 3:13; 6:62; 20:1713And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (John 3:13)
62What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? (John 6:62)
17Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (John 20:17)). Instead, he furnishes us with a series of three incidents, which seem expressly designed to show the varied results of the Saviour’s atoning work as regards this world. We have first, in the Lord’s manifestation of Himself to His disciples on the evening of the resurrection, a picture of the Church of God, now being gathered by the Holy Spirit to Christ as its Center; then we have, in His showing of Himself to doubting Thomas, an earnest of His future revelation of Himself to long-unbelieving Israel; and, finally, in the remarkable draft of fishes, we may see a picture of the great ingathering from all nations in the Millennial age. God’s order for blessing is thus, first, the Church; then, Israel; then, the world as such. (Let the reader carefully peruse John 20:19:21. 14.)
The fishing incident happened on this wise. The Lord had appointed His disciples (the men who were soon to evangelize the world) to meet Him in Galilee. On arrival there, instead of waiting for Him, they went fishing at the suggestion of Peter. This was disobedience. Their course is a vivid representation of the present condition of their nation; God’s chosen instruments for the world’s blessing, yet in obstinate disobedience to the divine will (Rom. 10:2121But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. (Romans 10:21)). A whole night of toil yielded no result to the disciples. Even so will Israel one day confess “We have not wrought any deliverance in the earth” (Isa. 26:1818We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. (Isaiah 26:18)). Now it has to be said to them: “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written (Rom. 2:2424For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. (Romans 2:24)).
The Saviour came upon the scene as morning dawned. His presence changed everything for the discouraged fishermen. In reply to His inquiry they dismally acknowledged that they had nothing to eat (a picture of the present barrenness of disobedient Israel); then at His command they lowered the net on the right side of the boat, and forthwith enclosed 153 great fishes. “And for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.” If the sea, which is here described by its Gentile name (Tiberias, after Tiberius Cæsar) represents the nations, as we believe, then we have in this haul a striking picture of the great universal in-gathering when Israel is once more in relationship with God (Psa. 67). This will not be until the Saviour’s feet again stand upon the Mount of Olives.
Every devout soul longs to see the world delivered and blessed. It has been the holy aspiration of the pious in all ages to see the earth filled with the knowledge of God. This yearning has its source in God Himself, and He will not disappoint it. Nevertheless, Christianity is not destined to bring about its happy realization. The world’s blessing hinges upon Israel’s blessing. When Israel turns to the Lord and resumes her high place as leader and teacher of the nations, universal good will follow speedily. Meanwhile, salvation is available for all―Jews and Gentiles alike―who put their trust in the Saviour Who died for their sins and rose again.