As Jesus was walking by Lake Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Simon's brother Andrew. The brothers were fishermen, and they were fishing in the lake with a net. Jesus said, "Come follow Me. I will make you fishermen for men." At once Simon and Andrew left their nets and followed Him. Jesus continued walking by Lake Galilee. He saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets to catch fish. Jesus told them to come with Him. At once they left the boat and their father, and they followed Jesus. [Three years later, following Jesus' crucifiction, His disciples were hurt and disillusioned and decided to return to their trade.] Simon Peter said to the others, "I am going fishing."
   "We will come with you," they told him. So they went and got into the boat; but all that night they did not catch a thing. As the sun was rising, Jesus stood at the water's edge, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then He said to them, "Young men, haven't you caught anything?"
   "Not a thing," they answered. He said to them, "Throw your net out on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they threw the net out, and could not pull it back in, because they had caught so many fish. The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" And so when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came to shore in the boat, pulling the net full of fish. They were not very far from land, about a hundred yards away.
   When they stepped ashore they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it and some bread. Then Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught." Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore, full of big fish, a hundred and fifty-three in all; even though there were so many, still the net did not tear. Jesus said to them, "Come and eat." None of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?" because they knew it was the Lord. So Jesus went over, took the bread, and gave it to them; He did the same with the fish. This, then, was the third time Jesus showed Himself to the disciples after He was raised from death.

Taken from Matthew 4, John 21, The Everyday Bible, The New American Standard,
The New King James and Today's English Version. For free Lifescope book,
write to Box 1575, Carlsbad, NM 88221. Please send $1.00 for postage and handling.