John 21:4–6…When Our Nets Are Empty

Moving forward from where we stopped last time in the chapter of John, we left off at the moment when the disciples had labored through the entire night and caught nothing. Their strength, their experience, and all their efforts had produced no fruit.

But as the light of morning began to break, Jesus was already there standing on the shore, waiting for His disciples.

He had been there all along.

Through the darkness of the night, while they struggled and worked and came up empty, He waited patiently until dawn.

The disciples had caught no fish, yet a miracle was about to unfold the moment Jesus became involved. This moment reminds us of a powerful truth: apart from Him, we can do nothing on our own.

John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

In many ways, this is how Jesus meets us. He waits patiently for us—until our hearts become quiet enough, humble enough, and ready enough to listen.

Let us begin reading John 21:4–6

John 21:4–6

4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.”

6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.

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When I read verse 4, I found myself wondering why the disciples did not recognize that it was Jesus standing there. How could they not see Him?

As I prayed and reflected on this, the Holy Spirit began to reveal something deeper.

Sometimes we become so focused on our own efforts—on trying to fix things, produce results, or push through difficulties—that we miss the presence of Jesus standing right in front of us.

The disciples were exhausted. They had worked all night. Their minds were likely filled with frustration and disappointment. Their attention was fixed on their empty nets.

And because of that, they did not realize that Jesus was standing on the shore.

How often does this happen to us?

Sometimes we become so focused on solving our problems—working harder, worrying about finances, relationships, or the future—that we lose sight of Him.

Other times we walk through dark seasons where discouragement clouds our vision, and we forget to look for God’s presence in the middle of it.

And sometimes we simply fail to recognize Him because we were not expecting Him to show up in that moment.

Yet the truth remains: Jesus is always near, even when we do not realize it.

Hebrews 13:5 reminds us:

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

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In verse 5, some translations say that Jesus called the disciples “friends,” while others say “children.” You might also notice that some translations mention “meat” instead of “fish.” This is why it can be helpful to compare translations while studying Scripture so we do not miss the richness of the word.

But what stands out most in this verse is the question Jesus asks them:

“Children, do you have any fish?”

And the disciples answer simply:

“No.”

There is something very meaningful about this moment.

Jesus already knew the answer.

He did not ask because He needed information. He asked because He was inviting them to admit their emptiness.

In many ways, God waits for that moment with us as well.

As long as we believe we can fill our own nets—through effort, control, plans, or determination—we may never truly turn to Him.

But when we finally admit that our nets are empty, our hearts become humble and ready to receive what only He can provide.

Matthew 5:3 says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

To be poor in spirit means to recognize our spiritual need. It is the understanding that there is an emptiness within us that only God can fill.

When we acknowledge that need, we make room for His grace, His guidance, and His provision.

This is what true dependence on God looks like.

It is when we stop pretending that our nets are full. It is when we stop convincing ourselves that we can handle everything in our own strength.

It is the moment we become honest about our emptiness and recognize that what we truly need cannot be produced by our own efforts.

True dependence means releasing control and trusting that Jesus is the One who provides what our striving never could.

It means bringing our weaknesses, our unanswered questions, and even our failures before Him instead of trying to hide them.

Because the truth is this:

God often does not work through our self-sufficiency nearly as much as He works through our surrender.

When we acknowledge that our nets are empty, we make room for Him to fill them in

ways we never could on our own.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

Sometimes it takes a place of admitting weakness before we finally begin to see His strength more clearly.

It takes surrender.

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Verse 6 brings everything together.

This moment shows us that Jesus truly can fill our nets in ways we never could on our own. But it requires surrender, and it requires obedience.

Jesus told the disciples:

“Cast the net on the right side of the boat.”

The instruction was simple.

Yet if we think about it, the disciples had already been fishing all night. They were experienced fishermen who knew these waters well. Their nets had already come up empty again and again.

From a fleshly perspective, moving the net from one side of the boat to the other probably seemed pointless.

But the miracle was not about the location.

The miracle was about listening to Him.

They could have ignored Him. They could have relied on their experience instead.

But they chose to obey.

Instead of leaning on their own understanding, they trusted His voice.

So they cast the net again—not because it made sense, but because the Lord had spoken.

And suddenly, the nets that had been empty all night were filled with more fish than they could carry.

This is often how God works in our lives.

He does not always ask us to do something dramatic. Sometimes obedience looks very simple: trusting Him when we feel uncertain, taking a step when we cannot see the whole picture, or following His voice when our experience tells us otherwise.

When surrender meets obedience, God does what our efforts alone never could.

He fills the empty places.

He provides in ways we could never create ourselves.

And suddenly we realize that the abundance was never about our ability—it was always about trusting Him enough to follow His lead.

Think about the nets.

In many ways they represent us.

Before we come to Jesus, our vessels are empty. But when we encounter Him, He fills us with His Spirit.

Just as He multiplied the fish in those nets, He also multiplied the loaves and fish when He fed the five thousand. With only five loaves and two fish—what seemed like almost nothing—Jesus fed thousands.

And not only were the people fed, but twelve baskets were left over. What began as something small and insufficient in human hands became more than enough once it was placed in His.

Did God not fill twelve baskets and feed the people until they were satisfied, with abundance still remaining?

He did.

Because that is who He is.

When what little we have is surrendered into His hands, He has the power to multiply it beyond what we could ever imagine.

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So the question for us becomes simple:

Are we willing?

Are we willing to listen for His voice—even in the quiet moments?

Are we willing to surrender our own understanding when our efforts have come up empty?

Are we willing to obey and trust His direction—even when it does not make complete sense at first?

Jesus is not looking for perfect people.

He is looking for hearts that are willing.

And when we become willing, we may discover that the very place where we once experienced emptiness becomes the very place where God reveals His abundance.

If this message blessed you, share it with someone who may need His word today. And remember: Never stop seeking Him and His word. Shalom shalom!!!