ICHTHYS

“And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.”

Mark 1:17

THE “GREEK” CONNECTION

The fish symbol’s first known use as a Christian religious symbol was sometime within the first three centuries A.D.  Possibly around the 16^th century, Christians began using the Greek word “Ichthys” for “fish.” “Ichthys” is the most commonly used word in the New Testament for fish.

Like the cross, the fish is evidence of God’s prefiguring to prepare humanity for the great sacrifice of Jesus. The Christian fish symbol is used by Christians because Christ, in choosing His disciples, chose fishermen on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, calling them to follow Him, saying He would make them “fishers of men.”

Only people knowing this story would know the meaning of the fish symbol (<><) so Christians used it when they were being persecuted in Rome as a secret way of signaling to other Christians that they were Christian.

The fish outline is a logical symbol for the early Christian church to adopt. Not only was fish a common food of the day, it was also used by Jesus during His ministry.

Furthermore, “Ichthys” consists of five letters from the Greek alphabet: I-ch-th-y-s. When these five letters are used as initials for five words, we obtain this Christian Declaration:

Greek meaning:          I (Iota) Iesous      X (Chi) Christos       Q(Theta) Theou       Y(Upsilon) Yios         S (Sigma) Soter

English translation:    Jesus                      Christ                        Of God                       Son                              Saviour

GONE FISHING  

In our opening verse from Mark, Christ is preaching to the people out of Peter’s ship, for want of a better pulpit. The recompense He made to Peter for the loan of his boat, in a miraculous draught of fish, by which He intimated to him and his partners His design to make them apostles, fishers of men (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17). The crowd flocked about Him and pressed upon Him. He was forced to draw them out to the sand, that they might be reminded of the promise made to Abraham, that his seed should be as the sand upon the sea shore (Genesis 22:17); and yet of them but a remnant shall be saved (Romans 9:27).

Jesus called to Peter to “launch out into the deep, and let down your nets into the sea.” (Luke 5:4). It was not the Sabbath day, and therefore, as soon as the sermon was over, He set them to work—Simon and Andrew; the other boat belonged to Zebedee and his sons (v. 2). Christ will launch out with Peter and his ship’s crew into the deep but with Peter saying, “Master we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing” (v. 4–5). The race is not always to the swift!

When we have rested all night, let us not forget those that have toiled all night long, as Jacob, when he kept Laban’s sheep (Genesis 29). Yet, these fishermen were industrious and Christ singled them out for His favorites with no assurance of any worldly success! We must do our duty and leave the event to God!

Although they had not taken any catch—nothing—if Christ asked them to “let down for a draught” they will hope to take something. Ah! We must not also quit abruptly the callings wherein we are called because we have no success in what we promised ourselves! The ministers of the gospel must continue to “let down that net,” though they may have perhaps toiled long and caught nothing—and a sign to continue unwearied in our labours, though we see not the success of them.

THE GOSPEL NET

The draught of fish they caught was so much beyond what was ever known that it amounted to a miracle (v.6); such a catch that their net broke, yet strangely they did not lose their draught. It was such a draught that they had to call their partners, who were at a distance, to come and help them (v. 7); they were wonder-struck as was James and John who were partners with Simon (v. 9–10). Christ’s recompenses for services done in His name are abundant, they are superabundant! All the boat’s crew were astonished at the draught of fishes they had taken (v.9). They that were well acquainted with this sea, and it is probable had plied upon it many years, had never seen such a draught of fish fetched out of it, nor anything like it, anything near it, and could not diminish it as being accidental. Those that were best acquainted with Christ’s miracles—most admired them!

Peter, above all the rest, was astonished and fell at Jesus’ knees as he sat in the stern of the boat and said as one in ecstasy as not knowing where he was, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (v. 8). We must therefore fall down at His knees, to pray Him that He would not depart; for woe unto us if He leaves us, if the Saviour departs from the sinful man.

Christ thusly intended hereby to give a specimen to those who were to be His ambassadors to the world, Galilean fishermen mostly, of the success of their embassy, that though they might for a time and in one particular place toil and catch nothing, yet they should be instrumental to bring in many to Christ, and enclose many in the gospel net. His purpose was to make them His apostles and instruments in planting His religion to the world. Christ told Peter, “henceforth thou shalt catch men” by enclosing them in the gospel net (v. 10). “Although uneducated (humble, unlearned, or untutored) uncultured, they became men of refinement and ability (My Life Today, p. 96; The Desire of Ages, p. 249–250).

FISHERMAN’S FAREWELL   

The fisherman’s farewell  was such that when they brought their ships to land, instead of going to seek for a market for their fish, that they might make the best hand they could of this miracle, they “forsook all and followed Him,” being more solicitous to serve the interests of Christ than to advance any secular interests of their own.

They left all to follow Christ, when their calling prospered in their hands more than ever it had done and they had uncommon success in it. When riches increase, and we are therefore most in temptation to set our hearts upon them, then to quit them for the service of Christ—this is “thank-worthy!”

They not only left everything—their boats, nets, tackle, but an exceedingly large draught of fish which would yield extra money for their families!  I wonder what the families responses were?  “You left all the fish behind—remaining in the boat—to follow Jesus?”

SOUL FISHING!

Who did the catching here? Jesus caught these poor fishermen in His net; pulled right out of the water onto dry land! Jesus had a good day’s fishing indeed, saying, I will make you fishers of men (v. 10). Just imagine if we really did use fishing as our model for evangelization! Imagine if we pulled in people “unwillingly!” Well, no fish is taken in willingly into a boat—invited into a fishing boat. No fisherman ever invited a fish into his boat.

But, isn’t that what God had to do to save us—drag us in against our will? Think about it for a moment. You see, if it was up to us we would just as soon as stay in the water—stay in our old environment. We want to remain being our “old-man-selves!”

Let us look at Jesus, for a moment, catching Peter like a fish. Peter is kneeling in the stern of the boat, flipping, and flopping  about—and finally realizes it’s hopeless and. . . gives up! Look again. He’s on his knees at the bottom of the boat, squirming about with the other gasping fish! He has lost control! He recognizes he is powerless!  He blurts out in essence, “please let me go, You’ve beat me! I’ve lost! I’m a sinful man! Please go away and leave me!” (v. 8). This is proof that Jesus knew even more about fishing than Peter did, and the gift of fish, which more than compensated for the futile work of the preceding night.

Let us look at this grim but interesting picture of what salvation is really like. Ah! But look at God’s passionate initiative that conquers our resistance in pursuit of this salvation first.

GAME FISH

Now, when you catch fish, you take them forcibly out of one world into another, out of their natural environment of water into a foreign environment or element, where they are not at home. Scientists have named and described more than 24,000 kinds of fish and more are being discovered regularly. Scientists that study fish are called “ichthyologists.”

The foreign world of air is so close by. It is always there just above the water’s surface. If it were not there, fish would suffocate from lack of oxygen. They breathe mainly by means of gills. Unlike land animals, almost all fish get their oxygen from water. Water contains a certain amount of dissolved oxygen. To get oxygen, fish gulp water through the mouth and pump it over the gills. They absorb oxygen from the water and replace it with carbon dioxide formed during the breathing process. But, as close as it is there and necessary as air is for fish, they can’t live above there! It is helplessness and death to them! They need water to survive; either in freshwater or saltwater environments.

So, that’s exactly what you do when you catch fish. You take them out of one world into another bizarre world. So that’s what Jesus did to Peter. He pulled him out of his own native environment or element into the foreign environment of “discipleship!” Now, isn’t that what the mission of the church is? Isn’t it to be “pulling” people out of one world into another?  But, like Peter, we resist; “Oh no, God, don’t take me out of here—I can’t live there!” You see, we like to remain in familiar waters.

Ah! Then we have to surrender, submit, and trust that we can survive in this new environment and even. . . thrive in it! Yes, we are fish out of the water and dragged into the boat. Furthermore, it means we play by new rules—the rules of the “Fisherman!”

STEAL INTO HEAVEN

When you are on the ocean, what do you see? The water, of course, and the sky. When you are on the ocean you can see that the sky comes right down to the surface of the water!  How far away is the sky? How high above earth does heaven start? Well, Mother Theresa once pointed to the ground and said that “it is heaven all the way up.”

So, think of our world as the water and we as the fish. There is another world right above our heads pressing down on us all around. Sometimes the boundary and the surface are broken down. Heaven touches the earth. Eternity enters time!

What happened to Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 6? He was standing in the temple, praying to an unseen God. When suddenly the boundary was opened and he could see the unseeable, but always—but always true—how close heaven is.  In fact, the earth was inside heaven, and the whole earth was one corner of God’s colossal throne.

There was God seated before him like a mountain, and His robe filled the temple. Isaiah saw the seraphim—burning ones—attending God!  He then heard them calling each other and to each other, “Holy, Holy, Holy!”

Why do we sing this and pray this every Sabbath? Not just to remember the Sabbath but to acknowledge the divine reality—the unseen—but true! So that through our voice heaven should enter earth and earth touches heaven. We are in both worlds! Can you understand that? When we worship, when we pray together in church, we are standing in heaven and a Holy God is in our midst to speak to us and make us holy also.

Heaven is always pressing down on our lives, on our homes, on our church—and it is our “job” to live in heaven! In Greek, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” is sung “Aghios, Aghios, Aghios”—a popular hymn.

Anywhere in the world can’t people see that heaven is right there where they are? The church is the “indispensible” companion for us, wherever we travel or visit in this world.

GO TO THE HEART

That leads us to the question—what does it mean to be a Christian—to the heart of the question!  Well, there are many definitions¸ one who abhors evil (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 171); aim to reach highest attainments for doing good to others (Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 119); a poor man’s friend (Welfare Ministry, p. 168); stands firm as a rock in testing time (The Great Controversy, p. 602); whose first duty is obedience to God (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 610); holy and happy confidence in God (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 377); to bear fruit (Testimony Treasures, vol. 2, p. 72). These are merely a sampling of a Christian, but does not relate to professed or nominal Christians—but to the true, genuine Christian.

Ah! There is a favorite one directly from the Bible that shows us something very differently and simply which can lead us to an acceptable answer as well for many; and which directs us to Isaiah chapter 6 again for reemphasis. Isaiah, whose name means “salvation of the Lord” shows us something very different; that we are standing in the midst of something vast and great, and with a stupendous holiness to make us “terrified!”

What does it mean to be a Christian?! It means to always be in God’s presence—to  live my life in terms of what Isaiah saw; to be convicted, though I cannot see it, that I am daily living in the presence of the Lord! This does not men just in church, but wherever I walk, or sit, or stand, or talk, or work, or sleep, or study, or shop, or throw a ball!! But, “always in the presence of God!”

Sometimes I am faced towards God. Sometimes I am faced away from God—toward the world. Sometimes I am faced sideways—toward my neighbour. However, whatever, and wherever—I am in God’s presence!

ELIJAH

Ah! My favorite definition of what it is to be a Christian was taken from a moving and powerful scene.

In the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool (Great Britain) there was a performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s (a Lutheran Christian) “ELIJAH.” As the celebrated conductor stepped up to the podium, the orchestra was silent, the lights were dimmed, and a renowned baritone stood up and eloquently sang from “ELIJAH” (1 Kings 17:1), “As God the Lord of Israel liveth, before whom I stand there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my Word.” “As God the Lord of Israel liveth, before whom I stand!” That is it! Eureka! That is my current definition of what it means to be a Christian. That I am always standing in the presence of the living God of Israel who is my God because of Jesus Christ!

I am standing like one of the seraphims—praising God.

I am standing like a poet—gazing in God’s face.

I am standing like Isaiah—like a prophet, a messenger awaiting instructions and the message I must go out with.

I am standing like a butler—but serving God.

I am standing like a “lady-in-waiting”—waiting on the Lord.

I am standing like Peter in the bottom of the boat—kneeling down, then getting up—and following Jesus.

Again, what does it mean to be a Christian??!! It is to walk in Holiness—Holiness as close as Heaven, pressing down upon us—all around us.

I SURRENDER NOW?

Ah! But what does holiness demand of us? How much do we have to surrender? How much do we have to leave behind—to leave everything and follow Jesus—as the disciples did? To leave “everything” and follow Jesus? Isn’t it necessary that holiness means “removal” from the world—like being pulled up out of the water into God’s boat—losing our cherished freedom and our right to life as we know and desire it??

We have been caught! God catches us—we don’t catch God. There is a new set of rules. Remember the Ten Commandments? (Exodus 20:1–17). Yes, most certainly we have been caught and we now belong to Him!

“We no longer belong to ourselves. He has redeemed us on the Cross.  He who is truly converted begins in earnest. He must now work as Christ worked. He must not live any longer to himself, but wholly for the Lord. The world has lost him; for his life is hid with Christ in God; that means that self has no longer the supremacy.” The Review and Herald, October 6, 1891

But, look—after all our flipping, and flopping, and squirming, as we lie dying in the bottom of the reeking, fetid stench of the boat—Jesus gently grabs us, puts a tag on us, and throws us back into the cold dark waters.

Ah! Holiness now means returning to the world and living our lives within this world; the very same lives as everybody else, ONLY living our lives according to the pattern, instructions, and life of “the living God of Israel before whom I stand.”

Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I; send me.” Isaiah 6:8)

Ah! But holiness is both wonderful and dangerous at the same time.  Isaiah saw the danger of the burning seraphims; the hot coals on the altar; this burning passion of our God; the hot coals on Isaiah’s lips; hot coals to cleanse us and make us pure and fit to live in both worlds—simultaneously!

Many don’t know who they are or how to live. They don’t know God. Once we leave our old life behind we are breathing in the clean air of God’s kingdom. Of course we feel different as Christians. Well, we should—because we are different!

It is only when we accept Jesus as our Saviour that we know how different God makes us—that we are able to make any real difference in this world in our faith-walk!

The holiness of God is full of compassion for the world. This holiness is right here! God is right here!

Can’t you see?

Do you desire it?  Amen and amen! <><

John Theodorou

U.S.A.  <><