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. (John 21:10-11 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Observe here, 1. What was Christ’s end in commanding his disciples to bring forth the fish which they had now taken: namely, that the sight of their number and bigness, together with the sight of the net remaining unbroken, might confirm them in the belief of its being a real miracle. Christ had fed their bellies before, his business now is to feed their minds with the contemplation of the greatness and reality of the miracle. All Christ’s miracles were obvious to sense, and would bear the examination of the senses; not like the lying wonders of the church of Rome, which are commonly wrought in the dark to cozen the vulgar, and are mere cheats and impostures.
Observe, 2. That this full draught of fishes, which Peter and the rest of his disciples now had, might probably presage that great and wonderful success which he and they were afterwards to have in fishing for men.
Here we have an hundred fifty and three great fishes caught at one draught: but Acts 2:41 we find three thousand souls converted by St. Peter at one sermon.
O the marvellous success of the gospel at the first preaching and planting of it! Three thousand then proselyted by one sermon. Now we have cause to fear that there are three thousand sermons preached, and scarce one soul savingly converted. Lord! who hath believed our report?