NOTES ON SCRIPTURE 1895 NO. 47
NOTES ON SCRIPTURE 1895 NO. 47
It is interesting to trace the progress of grace in Peter. In the beginning of the chapter we see his readiness to lend his ship for the Lord’s service. This is very exemplary. Again when the Lord said, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught”, Peter, contrary to his own judgment, obeyed, saying, “We have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net”. We see here how much the believer can do though knowing Christ only as Jesus. Next, we read, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes; but Peter, instead of being delighted with this special gift from God, falls down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord”. He is now consciously in the presence of God. It is a wonderful moment when we know that Jesus is Lord.
[p. 97] No man can say Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit. Now the Lord’s words, “Fear not”, have the most blessed effect on him; he knows now that Christ cares for him. Perfect love casts out fear, hence they forsake all and follow Him. When the heart knows His love, nothing can satisfy it (the loving heart) but His company. In John 6 we find Peter saying, in answer to the Lord’s question, “Will ye also go away?” - “To whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God”. John 6 happened at the same time as Matthew 14 and Matthew 16. In Matthew we read that when John was beheaded, the Lord went into the desert; and next we see Him in a new place, walking on the water; figuratively, He is supreme above everything. Peter sees Him, and true to his first love, he would join Him, hence he says, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come”. (Matthew 14: 28) First love will forsake everything for company with its object. Here you get the first works, and in John 6 you get the light from God which establishes his heart. We know that after this Peter denied the Lord, he was too self-confident in his own love to the Lord. But he could so count on the heart of Christ that in John 21, though he had led some of the disciples to go a-fishing, yet when the Lord was recognised, he girt his fisher’s coat about him, and cast himself into the sea. And eventually Peter, when restored, was to strengthen his brethren. The Lord has full confidence in him, saying to him, “Feed my sheep”. (John 21: 16) The Lord also signifying by what death he should glorify God, concludes by saying, “Follow me” (John 21: 19).