Fishing with Jesus
Luke 5:1-11
INTRODUCTION
To attract people to Jesus, we need help. This leads to our theme today from Luke 5:1-11: Fishing with Jesus. When fishing with Jesus, we need to first…
FINDING THE FISH (vs.1-3)
Knowing the fish
To find fish, we need to keep our eyes open to when and where the fish are biting. We then camouflage ourselves so the fish don’t sense our presence. When fishing for people, Jesus knew where people were and what they needed. Luke 5:1 says, “Jesus was standing by the Lake.” This is where the people were and they crowded around to listen to God’s word.
Going to the fish
The Sea of Galilee or Gennesaret is about 12 miles long and 7 miles wide, and many towns and people were clustered around. This is why Jesus was there. Fishing was the main industry around Galilee, and v2 says Jesus saw at the water’s edge two boats left by fishermen who were washing their nets. There was a break in the work and Jesus used the opportunity to talk about God and his ways. Verse 3 says, “He climbed into one of the boats, and asked to be pushed out from the shore. He then sat and taught the people.” The boat would act as a natural platform from where people could hear. The acoustic effects of the water would also help.
Catching the fish
If we are to lead people to Christ, we need to be where they are talk with them. We need to do this in a natural way. We should not try to be anyone but ourselves. God will then use us at the right time, in the right place, and with the right people. This is how most people come to Christ—through personal relationships. Colossians 4:5-6 says, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to respond to everyone.” The important thing is not the number of conversions we have each day, but the number of conversations. This leads to a further step when fishing with Jesus…
FOCUSING ON THE FISH (vs.4-7)
Different kinds of fish
There are many kinds of fish and almost as many ways to catch them. We don’t catch a shark with a stick and a worm. We don’t catch a minnow with a trawler net. If we use the right approach, with the right bait, however, we should catch fish.
Toiling all night for nothing
In v4, Jesus said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.” Notice the confidence of Jesus. He didn’t say, “Let down your nets and try again.” He said, “Let down your nets for a catch!” In v5 Simon said, “We’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught a thing.” At night, fish fed on the surface, and this was the best time to catch fish. These experienced fishermen had toiled all night but caught nothing. Why should they listen to a carpenter? Jesus, however, was more than a carpenter. Jesus is the creator of the world. In Genesis 1:20-21, he said, “Let the water teem with living creatures. He then created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems.” Jesus made the fish and then led them to the nets. This is important to know when speaking to people about Christ.
Working together
We look at our friends, our colleagues, our relatives, and our neighbours and we say, “I have toiled all night without any results. What is the point in going on?” But Jesus says, “Let down your nets.” Do what he says. He knows where the fish are, and he will lead them to us. Verses 6-7 says, “They caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. They signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help, and they filled both boats so full that they began to sink.” This leads to a further step when fishing with Jesus. After finding fish and focusing on fish, we need to…
FOLLOWING THE FISH (vs.8-11)
More than a carpenter
So far, Peter had seen a demon cast out in the synagogue; he had seen his mother-in-law restored to health; he had seen crowds of people healed in his home. When he saw the fish, however, it affected him personally. Verse 8 says, “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.’” Here Peter affirms that Jesus is more than a carpenter. As a carpenter, Jesus could have made the boat on which they stood, but he also made the wood from which the boat was made. He made the tree from which the wood came. He made the water on which the boat floated. He made the fish that swam in the water on which the boat floated. Jesus is more than a carpenter.
Catching people alive
Peter and his colleagues responded to Jesus’ call and followed him. Verse 11 says, “They pulled up their boats, left everything, and followed him.” They even left the fish! From now on, they would catch different fish. They would cast their nets into the deep waters of humanity to lead people to Christ.
In this passage, the word catch appears five times. In v4 and v9, the word is the same and means, a collective catch. In v5, the word means to take out of something. In v6, the word means to enclose. In v10 another word is used which means to take something alive Normally fish are caught alive and then die. When fishing for people it is different. People are caught dead and are then brought to life. Ephesians 2 says we are born dead in transgressions and sins, but God makes us alive in Christ.
Leaving all to follow him
Everything now changed for these hardy fishermen. They had met with Jesus and would never be the same again. Today, we are in the presence of the same God… and he is calling us. He is calling us to follow him.
Bernard Cartledge