Using Fish as a Bookmark

What do you use as your bookmark?

A bookmark helps you remember your place

To me, there is nothing worse than turning down the corner of a book page because you have no bookmark. I can hear the book crying out in pain. Okay, maybe not quite so much, but it bugs me.

So I’ve been known to use almost anything for a book mark to mark my place: (unused) tissue, receipt, junk mail, sticky note, dollar bill, etc. But… never fish.

Jesus used fish as a bookmark… moment.

No, Jesus didn’t use fish as a literal bookmark, but – for Simon Peter, a fisherman – He used the miracle of fish as bookmark moments. Ones Peter could look back on to remember his place as a follower of Jesus.

The First Catch

Peter, exhausted from fishing all night, was cleaning his nets while Jesus taught on the shore (Luke 5:1-11). Then Jesus asked to use the boat as a podium to teach from so those listening could hear better. (Not a problem since Simon and his brother Andrew had no fish to unload after an unproductive night.

But then Jesus told Simon to go out a bit from shore and try again. A test of faith. Just who does Peter think Jesus is?

Andrew knew. He was at Jesus’ baptism and saw Father, Son, and Spirit reunited by the Jordan River, (read about that here).

Simon responded as a true fisherman would, “WE have worked all night, and haven’t caught anything.” Night was the time for fishing. He didn’t expect there to be fish now. Yet, Simon’s big fish moment came when he said, “BUT because You say so, I will let down the nets.”

Giant grammar sidetrack here: WE fished all night… But I…
Simon made it personal. He and a group had done the ineffective fishing in the dark, and
HE ALONE would perform the folly of trying again in daylight.

Power over nature

Since “Through Him all things were made” (John 1.3), of course the fish responded to their Creator, and appeared when and where He commanded. And the sheer number of fish that responded almost sank TWO boats! (Luke 5.7)

And the miracle of nature led to the miracle of grace. Verse 8, “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’” You see, Jesus caught Peter in HIS net. By seeing Jesus’ glory, Peter clearly saw his own sinful nature.

The news of such a miraculous catch of fish would no doubt become legendary in a small fishing town. And Simon Peter could bookmark that moment in his memory as the moment the Messiah called him.

His bookmark was forgotten

Sadly, Peter forgot this moment when Jesus got arrested. Three times he denied even KNOWING Jesus, much less being a key leader in the ministry.

Three times. Just as Jesus had predicted earlier that night. And Peter heard the cock crow.

And he was ashamed.

The disciple who had been so brash and so completely devoted to his Messiah had failed Him. Denied Him. Abandoned Him.

Then Jesus died, and there had been no time to make things right. I’m sure Peter remembered his old bookmark and wondered how he could have deserted the Son of God, and it haunted him those first days. But the story wasn’t over.

The Bookmark Restored

The tomb was empty. Mary saw Jesus first. Then He appeared to the disciples several times over many days:

That 1st day of the week (John 20.19-23)
A week later (John 20.26-29)
Afterward by the Sea of Galilee (John 21.1-11)

It isn’t recorded that Jesus ever addressed Peter’s denials in His first 2 appearances. But He restores Peter’s bookmark moment in His 3rd appearance.

At this point, Jesus was appearing to them from time to time. And Peter decides to go fishing. Others join him, but they caught nothing. (Sound familiar?)

Early morning, Jesus stood on the shore, “But the disciples did not realize it was Jesus.” (John 21.4b) He asked if they had any fish. When they tell Him they had none, He tells them to put their nets down on the right side of the boat.

There were so many fish, they couldn’t haul in the net. Maybe they thought the “stranger” on the shore saw the fish. But then John recognized Jesus.

Peter leaps from the boat to find Jesus on the shore with breakfast prepared: fish and bread. And it is after this hearty meal that Jesus settles things with Peter – asking this fisherman’s level of loyalty 3 times – check out the Greek:

v 15- agape: Do you love me as your Savior? Then… Graze my lambs.
v 16-agape: But DO you love me as your Lord and Savior? Then… Supervise my sheep as a shepherd.
v 17-phileo: Do you even like me? Then… Feed or rule my sheep.

The importance of 3

Numbers hold significance in Jewish culture. Three? It has several meanings we should acknowledge here:

“unity” – Peter needed to regain unity with Christ
“unity between 2 extremes” – the Peter who denied Christ vs the Peter who will live, and die, for Him
“harmony” – destroying any tension between the two men
“new life and completeness” – total restoration of their relationship

So, Peter is reinstated.

But the fish are there just as on the day he was originally called. Another fish bookmark to remember his place in the Kingdom is restored.

What it means for me:

Take note – I have bookmark moments in my life, too. Times when I absolutely saw God’s hand on my life. I need to keep those fresh in my mind.
Expect forgiveness – I will mess up. But I need to bow before Jesus and ask forgiveness. He will restore me.
Recognizing Jesus – There may be times when I get help from an unknown source, and it turns out to be Jesus helping. I need to be aware and praise Him!

Thanks for dropping by today. Do you fish? Are you any good at it? Drop me a note here or on Instagram and tell me all your secrets. I need all the help I can get!