The Big Catch!

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

If Jesus was going to make an impact beyond his life, he was going to have to recruit some followers. And since his time was limited, he was going to need to train them to continue the work he had started right away.  Today we see the calling of the first disciples, who happened to be fisherman. We know from other passages that Simon's brother, Andrew, was also called to be Jesus' disciple. Jesus was out preaching the word to the public, when he saw two boats on the shore.  

When Jesus had finished speaking he told Simon to put out his nets.  In Simon Peter's mind there was only one problem, they hadn't caught any fish all day.  What sense did it make to throw out the nets again?  In this story we see three qualities in Peter and the others that made them good candidates to be Jesus' disciples. 

1. "Because you say so I will put out the nets".  Peter was a fisherman and Jesus was a carpenter.  He could have been prideful and resisted Jesus' command thinking that Jesus didn't know much about fishing. He might have been thinking we have already washed our nets, we are tired and besides fish don't come out at night.  Rather than all of these excuses Peter allowed Jesus to work. 

2. Peter recognized the large catch was a miracle and only Jesus was capable of it.  Jesus had already healed his mother in-law of a high fever, but now he was witnessing a miracle that hit home.  When Peter sees the miracle he realizes who Jesus is and what he is not.  He calls Jesus "Lord" and realizes in his sight he is a sinful man.  He did not feel worthy to come into Jesus' presence.

3. Simon put aside his fears and fishing business, dropped his nets, and presumably all of those fish they had just caught and followed Jesus.  The other three did as well, suggesting that Peter was the leader of the three.    

So began Jesus' earthly ministry.  Jesus' disciples were like us, all too human.  We will see their fears and failures and even their denial of their Lord Jesus during the next 3 years.  But Jesus loved them and taught them what it meant to be his disciple. Then as he was about to leave them, he told them to make other disciples until all the world was reached. 

Though we will probably not receive a call to follow Jesus like Peter did, the principles are the same.  When Jesus calls us he asks us to drop our nets, which we might say are our old lives. Jesus says, "What you are doing now I am going to redeem for the kingdom's sake".  I.e. Fish for people.  When Jesus reveals his power to Peter and the others, they could have minimized it or rationalized it, but instead they realized it pointed to the fact Jesus was no ordinary rabbi.  He was their Lord and Master.  

Jesus doesn't necessarily call us to leave our jobs to follow him, but he does call us to lose our lives to follow him.  He gives our lives a much bigger purpose than living and dying. As we become his disciple he will guide us to others who we can disciple.  Though we are all too human like the disciples, if we like Peter will drop our proverbial nets, we can be used for a purpose that is much bigger than we could ever imagine.  We will not have enough nets to bring in all that God provides.