Fish 1-5-3

Fish 1-5-3

 Well, this one is quite a bit different from anything I have painted before, wouldn't you say? I have been pushing pretty hard so far this year with my work, and so I once again have quite a few canvases and panels underway in my studio. 8 of them, if I am counting properly. And of those, only three are at the very beginning stage of the first layer of paint. The other five all are in progress. Whew!

$1400.00 plus shipping and handling

24" x 36"

Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on canvas

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John 21:11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. 

I had been reading in the New Testament book of John, and knew I wanted to paint about this verse from the last chapter. I know that seems like an odd verse to be inspired by, but I couldn't help but notice the specific number of fish that were caught in the net. I was starting to prep yet another surface to paint this one about the fish, when I saw how well this canvas in progress on my studio easel would work for this painting. 

Do you remember the whole story? It took place after Jesus rose from the dead. His disciples had been out all night fishing, and had caught nothing - zip, zilch, nada. As they were headed to shore, they saw in the early morning a figure on the beach. He called out to them, and told them to cast their net on the other side of the boat. 

And that is when all of these fish were caught. 

And that is when they recognized that it was the risen Jesus Christ. 

Though there was a lot more in the chapter that I found inspiring, this is what caught my attention and sent me to the easel this time. 153 fish. Not 150. Not "a whole lot" or even "many large fish", but 153 large fish. And they showed up upon Jesus' command, after a whole night of empty nets. 

I was just imagining all of these fish obeying Jesus' command to get into that net, and Him saying to the last three, "Yes, you too. Your sacrifice will bring me glory." And they obeyed. Here I am, 2000 years later, recognizing that these three fish obeyed and were caught in that net that morning, at His word.  I kind of wonder whether the water was swirling and disturbed as all of the fish swam into the net, don't you? 

I painted 153 fish on this canvas, and the last three are the pinkish ones that are swimming in a circle. I know it is a very busy painting, and I doubt that even I could find and count all 150 that I painted before I painted the last three. But there they are, all 153. And all because the risen Jesus sent 153 large fish into the net for His tired, discouraged disciples. 

You know, I am sure that every other time I have read this chapter, the number 153 has seemed very insignificant to me. (It won't anymore!) It reminds me today that maybe my insignificant sacrifices or inconveniences might be used by my Risen Savior too.