A fisherman was not having any luck. The fish weren’t biting at all. He hadn’t caught a single one, and he was particularly frustrated because he had boasted to his wife that he was bringing home fish for their supper.

On the way home he stopped at a fish market, where he told the fellow behind the counter, “Throw me 6 of your biggest fish.” “Throw them to you?” the guy asked. “Yes, throw them to me, and I’m going to catch them! I may be a terrible fisherman, but I’m not a liar!”

The apostle John wasn’t lying when he wrote about a huge number of fish—153 big ones—that the disciples caught after Jesus gave them some fishing advice (John 21:1-14). This amazing catch may have made the disciples think back to when Jesus promised that he would turn them into fishers of men. It may have given them a preview of the amazing number of people who would respond to the message of the gospel. It may even renew our determination to win people to Jesus!