In John 21, Peter and the disciples went fishing but caught nothing.
Jesus comes along and says, “Children, have you any fish?" They answer him, "No." So he told them, “cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast out, and they caught many fish.
As they came to shore, they saw Jesus had prepared a fire of charcoal, and He asked Simon Peter to go aboard and get some of the fish to roast and eat. Peter went and hauled the net full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
The number 153 seems to be random, but it has striking significance. At the time of this event, scientists had identified 153 different species of fish, a detail that symbolically connects to the idea that, through Christ, the disciples were able to bring people from every nation into the kingdom of God. In this metaphor, the ocean represents the world, the boat symbolizes the Church, and the fish stand for the various races and peoples of humanity. Together, they illustrate the reality that, without Jesus Christ, we can do nothing, and with Him, we can gather all nations into the fold, despite boundaries and divisions.
What a cool connection!