Tag Archive | Fishers of men

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (3/24) Luke 5:1-11

Mar24

A 5-day per week study.

March 24 – Reading Luke 5:1-11

Read and believe in Jesus.

“When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.” Luke 5:11

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The Gospel according to Luke 5:1-11

Review – In the last study, we saw Jesus beginning to teach and heal in Capernaum. The people there were astonished at his authoritative words in explaining scripture and commanding demons. We saw Jesus go to Peter’s home, then spend a whole evening healing ALL who were sick, laying His hands on EVERY ONE of them, and casting out demons with authority.

The people of Capernaum – unlike those in Nazareth – wanted Jesus to stay there and minister only to them.  But after an early-morning prayer time with His Father, Jesus told them He had to go to other towns to share the good news as well.

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Vss. 1-3.

Back from a time of teaching and ministering in Judea, we next see Jesus in the middle of a crowd “by the Lake of Gennesaret.”  This is another name for the Sea of Galilee, which is also sometimes called the Sea of Tiberias in John’s gospel.  It’s the freshwater lake that supported a lot of the industry in Galilee.

The people immediately recognized Jesus and began pressing close to Him to hear the Word of God. Jesus kept backing up and backing up until perhaps he was almost standing in water. It was late morning, and all the fishing boats were back at shore.

The fishermen were washing their nets, perhaps watching the Master and the crowd.  Jesus got into one boat – it just so happens it was Simon Peter’s – and asked him to push a little way away from shore.  This would give space between Him and the crowd, so that all could hear Jesus when He spoke.

When He was in the boat, Jesus “sat down,” a sign that He was going to teach. Mark’s gospel says that Jesus “proclaimed the gospel of God, saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom is at hand; repent and believe the gospel.’

Simon Peter and the other fishermen nearby also heard these words.

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Vss. 4-8.

Jesus dismissed the crowd and turned to Simon Peter. “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

“Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But….at Your word I will let down the nets.”

Peter and the other fishermen had worked all night with NO CATCH.  They’d spent time washing their nets. Everything was put away for the day. They were ready to go home.

But when Jesus spoke…  His WORD rang with such authority that it had to be trusted and obeyed.

They rowed out into deep water and heaved the heavy nets overboard … again. As the boat drifted, the nets spread.  Immediately, there was a tug on the nets, and they began to move the boat.  Hundreds of silvery fish appeared in them.

Peter called for his partners, who rapidly rowed out to help him. Together, they pulled the huge catch of fish into both boats so that they were up to the gunwales in the seawater.

“Stop, or we’ll sink!” came the cry.

And Simon Peter, eyes wide and mouth agape, turned to Jesus and fell at His feet amid the fish. “Depart from me, for I am a sinful (unbelieving) man, O Lord.”

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Vss. 9-11.

As they rowed to the shore, Simon Peter and the sons of Zebedee, James and John, who were co-owners in the business, were absolutely astonished at all the fish. A miracle had happened at the WORD of the Teacher.

Now here’s the amazing part.

When they got to shore, and the workers had begun unloading the boats, Jesus looked to Peter, James, and John and said,“Do not be afraid (to leave all this); from now on you will be catching men.”

I’m sure they had NO idea what that meant, or all it involved, but verse 11 says, “they left everything and followed Him.”

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I’ve sometimes thought this was unfair to Zebedee and the men who worked for them.  But remember, James and John had actually known Jesus for a while.  They had been disciples of John the Baptist and then followed the One whom John said was “the greater.”  And Peter’s home was the headquarters of Jesus ministry when He was in Galilee. They knew Jesus.

Jesus would soon call other men to follow Him, and finally, He would set aside the twelve as Apostles. The decision to be Jesus’ disciples was in the hearts of these fishermen, and as Jesus ministered throughout Galilee, they grew to depend on Him for everything.

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/2) Mark 1:16-28

Jan2

A 5-day per week study.

January 2 – Reading Mark 1:16-28.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”  Mark 1:17

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The Gospel According to Mark.

Verses 16-20.  As Jesus walked along the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee, He saw four fishermen.  Two were casting a net into the sea and two were in their boat mending nets.  Nets need mending before they can be thrown out to catch fish. 

Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”  Jesus was going to teach these four fishers of fish how to mend and cast out the kind of nets that would bring in a harvest of men (and women) for the Kingdom of God.  It would take three years of training, but these four (two sets of brothers) were willing.  They “immediately” left both their nets and their “boss” (father) and fellow workers to follow Jesus.

Now this wasn’t an out-of-thin-air call to follow a stranger.  John, one of Zebedee’s sons, had been with John the Baptist when he’d pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world.”  Simon’s brother, Andrew, had also heard the announcement. These two had followed the Baptist’s pointing finger.  They walked after Jesus, and when the Savior turned and asked who they were seeking, they responded, “Teacher, where are you staying?” 

“Come and you will see,” Jesus had said mysteriously.  So they went, saw where, and stayed with Jesus the whole day. Andrew and John knew who was asking them to follow Him.

So did Peter.  When Andrew realized the treasure he and John had found, he ran to Peter, shouting, “We have found the Messiah!” and brought him to Jesus.

“So, you are Simon, bar Jonah,” Jesus had said to the big fisherman.  “You shall be called Cephas (or Peter).”

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Verses 21-22.  And they went to Capernaum….  This was Peter’s hometown.  He had a house (and a wife and mother-in-law) living with him.  It must have been a good sized house because Jesus made it His headquarters while in Galilee.

There was also a prominant synagogue in Capernaum. 

“Immediately” on the Sabbath, Jesus entered it and began teaching.  (Any Jewish man who could read the Scriptures was allowed to read and “give a word” from them. He would stand to read, then sit to teach.)

Jesus, well, He not only knew the Scriptures, He had basically (via His Holy Spirit) authored the entire Old Testament. He knew what was “meant” by them, and did not have to quote other famous Rabbi’s to prove His point like the scribes did.  He taught with “authority.”  His listeners were astonished at his teaching. 

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(Remember when Jesus was twelve and had stayed behind in Jerusalem after the Passover celebration? (Luke 2:41-51)  His earthly parents were worried about Him, thinking He was “lost.” When they found him, they scolded Him, but Jesus told them, “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”  

And what had the boy Jesus be doing?  He was in the temple, sitting AMONG the teachers (Pharisees), listening to them and asking them (profound) questions. “All who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and answers.”)

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Verses 23-28.  “Immediately” (after Jesus’ authoritative teaching) a demon-possessed man in the synagogue cried out, “What have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have You come to destroy us?  I know who You are – the Holy One of God.”

It was like the man had been sitting there quietly before this. Perhaps no one knew that he was demon possessed.  But in the presence of “the Holy One of God” the demons inside him could not be restrained.

What a shock that must have been to the other people in the synagogue!  Eyes stared. Jaws dropped!

“Be silent, and come out of him,” Jesus commanded.

The unclean spirit, convulsing the man and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.

Wide eyed and aghast, the congregants sat amazed.  Then they turned and whispered among themselves, questioning just WHO this Jesus was?  A new teaching with authority!  He commands and unclean spirits obey Him!!

And at once Jesus’ fame spread everywhere in the surrounding region of Galilee. 

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Were the four fishermen who “followed Jesus” there when this happened? The Bible doesn’t specifically say. They had followed Jesus on a “work day,” and this was the Sabbath.  Would they normally have attended this synagogue?  Perhaps. 

Peter must have heard about, or actually witnessed this, and later told it to Mark.