JESUS REVEALED

It seems likely that Peter knew Jesus before witnessing this miraculous catch of fish—an event that Peter identified with closely as a professional fisherman.

But this was a new and greater revelation of Jesus’ power and led to Peter’s growing understanding of who Jesus might be. His immediate response was similar to that of Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds—fear at the appearance of God’s power among humanity. Peter took this realization further, acknowledging his unworthiness to be in the presence of this power and urging Jesus to depart from him. As we have seen, this is one of the most human of responses. “In the biblical record, the response of human beings to the appearance of God (in the guise of an angel, a burning bush, a whirlwind) is always the same—fear and terror.” This was now Peter’s experience: “The huge catch of fish is the occasion for a theophany. The Lord’s gracious response is exactly the same as that of the biblical angels who come directly from the presence of God: ‘Fear not.’ Without that merciful reassurance, the human being would be annihilated by the burning holiness of God. This sense of the distance between God and His creation must always be held in tension with the intimate closeness of the personal God who draws near to us in grace.”* While acknowledging the correctness of his response, Jesus disarmed Peter’s fear. This was not the end of their friendship but the beginning of a remarkable new relationship. It would be a relationship that would transform Peter and, in time, play an important role in changing the world.

* Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2015), 521, 522.