What happened when the disciples put their net on the other side of the boat in John 21?
When the disciples followed the instruction to cast the net on the other side of the boat, the catch was full—so full that the net did not break. They had caught nothing all night, but after obeying, the net was filled, showing Jesus' power over the fish of the Sea of Galilee.
Les explains that in the last chapter of John's Gospel, the eighth sign in that book, the fishermen—the eleven—had been out all night and had caught nothing. Jesus was on the shore with fish ready for breakfast, but He was still not going to let them be skunked. He asked if they had caught anything, and they said, “Nothing.” He told them to put their net on the other side of the boat. Les points out that with net fishing, after going all night without catching a thing, something was miraculously wrong. But they put the net on the other side, and it came up full, full, and yet it did not break. Les asks, “How did He know?” Because He had power over even the fish of the Sea of Galilee. This connects to Paul's statement in Romans that He is the Son of God after the seed of David, but with power.