Day 17

Luke 5:1–5 (NIV)

¹ One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people 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 catch men.” ¹¹ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Pray for God to show you something to use from the passage

Read the Passage

Who is in the passage?

What action verbs do you see?

What other words stick out in your mind

Questions

When is the last time you have been hit like Peter was by the holiness and awe of God?

What does Jesus ask of the disciples when He asks them to follow Him?

Why would the four want to follow Jesus?

Which would you want to be known for, the job you have or for being a follower of Jesus? In your daily living which one do you show as more important?

Notes

vs 1 Lake of Gennesaret - another name for Sea of Galilee

Jesus fame draws a crowd, they want to hear what He says

vs 2-5 Going further out in a boat allowed his voice to carry better than being in a crowd. Here we see Simon again . The relationship has developed from being invited to eat to allowing Jesus to use his boat to speak. Jesus takes it a step further by telling Simon to take the boat back out. Peter is tired and knows fishing better than Jesus but he does so because of the friendship and respect he has for Jesus as a teacher and healer. But Peter is thinking he's no fisherman.

vs 8-10 Simon's view quickly changes. When the miraculous fish catch happens Simon no longer sees Jesus as a curiosity, or as a new rabbi(teacher) to listen to. This is beyond. Not only can he teach with authority. Not only can he heal. Now he even controls the fish in the sea! Peter for the first time sees there is something in Jesus that is beyond anything ever seen before. John the Baptist words in Luke 3:16 come true for Simon Peter. His reaction is similar to that of Isaiah in Isa 6:5 . He is not worthy to be in Jesus' presence.

Lord is not meaning God (Peter will later make the LORD or Christ claim Luke 9:20) but rather one above me

Do I have that type of respect and awe of Jesus?

vs 9 -10a see where four of the disciples come from. Interesting that James, John and Peter become the inner circle of the disciples going with Jesus where others didn't. (see Luke 8:51, 9:28)

vs 10b-11 “Don’t be afraid - echoes the fear that Zechariah. Mary and shepherds had when they saw angels- a holiness not of this world

The call of Jesus to catch men- Simon had no understanding of what this would mean. But he didn't care. In vs 5 Simon Peter reluctant to go back out to fish now he is willing to leave it all and follow Jesus. Why ?because he sees Jesus differently now. He is willing to serve (parallel to his mother-in-law's healing in 4:38-39)

Peter and the others leave a good living behind. Most fisherman did comparatively well in Jewish society.

Note: family probably keeps up the business when they go (Matt 4:21-22). But the four disciples living no longer comes from fishing.

Note: overall story almost completely repeated in John 21where Jesus reminds Peter of his calling after Peter’s denial of Jesus.