YOU WILL CATCH MEN
Luke 5:1-11
Key Verse: 5:10b
“Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’”
In 5:1-11, Jesus teaches the multitude who have gathered around by the Lake of Gennesaret. After teaching the multitude, Jesus calls Simon the fisherman as one of his first disciples. Jesus raised up Simon as his gospel worker through his divine calling. Jesus chose Simon by his pure grace only. From this passage, we learn the beginning of Jesus’ disciple-making ministry and the purpose of his discipleship. May God equip us to become harvest workers in his harvest field! I pray that God may bless us to become Jesus’ disciples and follow him through this passage.
PART I. JESUS TEACHES THE WORD OF GOD EARLY IN THE MORNING (1-3).
Look at verse 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.” With the back drop of the beautiful Lake Galilee, Jesus taught the word of God early in the morning. The Lake Galilee was Jesus’ favorite spot to call his disciples and train them to become excellent Bible teachers and fruitful disciple-makers. Jesus’ teaching and the crowds’ listening to the word of God give us the most beautiful picture in the world. I wish I were there listening to the word of Jesus. The most popular room in our center is our 1:1 room. I am so happy to see 1:1 students listening to the word of God through their Bible teachers.
Of course, Jesus knew that the crowds came to him to get healing of their sickness. Jesus knew that they needed the Messiah’s touch of love. But Jesus taught them the word of God as his first priority. Physical healing is good but only the word of God leads them to the kingdom of God. How did they respond to his teaching? Verse 1b says, “...with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God.” They were eager to hear his word. They were happy to listen to Jesus. They looked like thirsty deer, drinking the fresh water of an oasis in the desert. The word of God is the word of life. 2 Timothy 3:15 says, “...and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” The word of God nurtures a person to grow up to be a godly, wholesome person and wise enough to receive salvation, eternal life, and the kingdom of God. Paul said in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” These days God blessed CBF and JBF and HBF with the word of God. Many young children are growing in the wisdom of the word of God through many dedicated and God-loving Bible teachers. If someone asked me what the most important event in my life was, my answer will be “When God invited me to listen to word of God.” What about you? Do you agree with me? Let’s say “Amen.” The people listening to the word of God became so many that the seashore could not hold them all. Jesus was almost of being pushed into the water.
Though Jesus was teaching the crowds, Jesus began to pay attention to the group of four fishermen. The situation was desperate. Jesus saw that two boats had been left at the water’s edge by fishermen. Though the crowds were eager to listen to the word of Jesus, Simon was undaunted and was indifferent to the crowd of people listening to the word of God. He fixed his eyes on his job washing his net for the next fishing trip. While teaching, Jesus fixed his eyes on Simon. Jesus began to pay personal attention to Simon. Look at verse 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.” When Jesus asked a favor of him, saying, “Would you put out a little from shore?” Simon said, Yes, Jesus.” Jesus got in the boat and sat down and taught the people continually. To Jesus this was win/win situation. Jesus was safe from the milling crowds and Simon found something to do for Jesus. Offering his boat as the podium for Jesus’ message, Simon had an opportunity to listen to the word of Jesus sitting next to Jesus. This small relationship was the beginning point of eternal relationship between Jesus and Simon. Winning one disciple in doing the work of God is everything to begin a successful discipleship ministry. Through this short conversation Jesus began to develop a lasting relationship with Simon. Simon allowed Jesus to use his boat and in a sense he opened the door of his heart to Jesus because he was moved by the humility of Jesus. When Jesus asks us to do a small thing for him, let us make a room for him to come into our boat so that we can listen to his word.
PART II.PUT OUT INTO DEEP WATER (4-7).
This part tells us how Jesus tested Simon in the hope of choosing him as one of his disciples. Look at verse 4. “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’” Out of 11 verses of this passage, Jesus used 1 verse exclusively for teaching the crowds but used 10 verses to call his first disciples. In verse 2, Jesus saw two boats and in verse 3 he sat down and taught the people from the boat. Every verse except verse 1 is related to the calling of the first disciples. Calling the disciples was in his first priority as he began his Messianic work. Now as soon as Jesus had finished his teaching, immediately he turned his attention to Simon and challenged Simon through his word of life. Jesus asked Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Do you think Jesus knew Simon had fished all night and caught nothing? If he did, why did he instruct Simon to put out into deep water? Jesus challenged him to turn his eyes from his shallow world and turn his eyes on Jesus. Jesus challenged him to come out of his routine normal life to experience the new world of Jesus. Jesus asked him to explore deep new world the Son of God would reveal later. Maybe Simon’s favorite fishing spot was shallow water. Now, Jesus instructed him to put out into deep water. From a practical point of view, Jesus’ instruction did not make any sense. Simon had already washed his net and was ready to go home and eat the delicious breakfast that Mrs. Simon prepared. Simon was an expert fisherman. But Jesus said the ultimate opposite of what Simon intended to do. From a spiritual point of view, this makes a perfect sense. Jesus, the Messiah, knew Simon better than Simon knew himself. It is quite natural that Simon would have to come out of his human thinking and to obey the Son of God rather than remaining in his small world of unbelief and despair.
Did you have such an experience as Simon’s? I know Jesus interrupted your routine normal life and instructed you to obey his word contrary to your expectations and plans of life. In Genesis 12:1, God commanded Abraham to leave his household and his country and go to the unknown land he would show him later. From a human point of view, this was crazy. But from God’s point of view, this was only way for Abraham to come out from the idol worship culture and begin a new life based on the word of God’s promise. Abraham came out of the box of his selfish life and obeyed God’s word and became a father of faith. Of course, it was a big adventure to him. But it was the right adventure. In the same way, Jesus was calling Simon out of his small world into the spiritual world to experience the depth of God’s love. Ephesians 3:18b says, “..to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” Jesus wanted Simon to taste deep love of Christ through his challenging word. Truly, the word of Jesus is beyond our understanding because it is deeper than the ocean and higher than the mountain. Once we experience it, it lifts up our spirits and enriches our souls and changes our lives forever. Our life will never be the same.
What good words did Simon speak? Look at verse 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’” According to fisherman’s manual, night was the time for fishing, and now it was bright morning. But Simon did not say, “What do you know about fishing, Jesus?” Amazingly, Simon humbled himself and was willing to learn fishing from Jesus. Although he had no formal education, he had a great learning mind. This enabled him to grow up to be the greatest teacher who ever lived in history.
We learn that Simon honored the word of Jesus more than his human thinking by saying, “Because of you say so.” Later, he said in John 6:68, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Simon respected the word of Jesus. His obedience was based on the word of Jesus. Obedience is also the expression of love. John 14:21a says, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.” When Jesus said, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch,” Simon obeyed Jesus’ command unconditionally. The word of Jesus must be honored among us. The word of Jesus must gain power in the postmodern world. Here we see Simon’s faith in Jesus. Simon trusted Jesus’ word more than his own fishing experience and was ready to obey Jesus’ word.
What was the result when Simon obeyed? Look at verses 6-7. “When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 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.” When Simon obeyed, the result was an awesome miracle. From verses 1-3 we see no fish but after Simon’s obedience from verses 4-7 we see many fish. What a contrast it was! Without Jesus, there was nothing. With Jesus, there was more than the boats could hold. Wow! This is a secret of a successful and happy life. Our life can be the same. Without Jesus, we despair and frustrate. With Jesus, we are happy and abundant. When we obey Jesus, God’s blessing is overflowing. Jesus, the Son of God, knew where fish were and led Simon to catch a large number of fish. Jesus restored him from his failure. Jesus enabled him to experience a great success. Luke the author described the abundance of blessing by the words such as “their nets began to break and they began to sink.” Before catching men, Jesus taught Simon how to catch fish first. It was not by a skill but by obedience. In the same way Peter will catch so many men by obeying. When Jesus called Shep. Bruce H. in his young age, he was struggling with his school work. But God blessed him to graduate from UMCP and now blessed him to become the teacher of the year in his school when he listened to Jesus. Now God is using him as his precious servant, and spiritual leader for GMU. God blessed Shep. David B. to get a college degree and blessed his job when he obeyed Jesus. When he was successful, he called Bob and Tony to come over and help his job. They have job at Siemens but they are working for Jesus. In this miracle, Jesus showed that he was the Creator God who summoned fish to Simon’s net. Through this miracle Jesus revealed himself as the promised Messiah. Jesus opened Simon’s spiritual eyes to see who Jesus was through this miraculous catch of fish.
Finally, Simon came to know that he was a sinner. Look at verse 8. “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’” Why did Simon cry out like this? Through the great catch of fish, God opened Simon’s spiritual eyes to see who he was. In the presence of Jesus the Almighty God, Simon was a helpless sinner. So he cried out in his helplessness, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.” This is a normal reaction when a sinner meets Jesus, God Incarnate. Isaiah made the same reaction when he saw the Holy God in the temple in Isaiah 6:5, “Woe to me! I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Maybe Isaiah said many words of unbelief while living among unbelieving people. He felt helpless before God the Almighty. God healed his guilt and sin with a live coal and commissioned him to go and tell the message of God. We can understand Simon here. In the past, Simon had no concept of God, not to mention a concept of sin. But after meeting Jesus, he could see God in Jesus. Also, he realized that he was a sinful man. In the past, he thought he was a good guy compared to that guy. But when he met Jesus, he realized that he was a sinful man. Simon was a spiritually sinful man. There was no evidence that Simon lived for the glory of God. Instead, he lived a selfish life. His life direction was to make money, pay his mortgage, pay boat payment, and buy foods. God created man for mission. (Gen. 1:28) But he has no mission. He labored and toiled to solve his bread problem and would die as a sinner. Therefore, he felt like dying. So he cried out, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Salvation begins when we recognize that we are sinners before God. This realization made him a truly humble and great man in history. Peter made three confessions as he grew spiritually-the first one was the confession of sin, the second one was the confession of faith (Luke 9:20), and the third one was the confession of love (John 21:15b). The Simon’s s first confession of sin was a bold step to come to God and a giant step to become a man of God. If you despair and suffer due to your hidden sins, do not pretend that you are not a sinner. Do not think I am better than that guy or that woman. You are a sinner no matter how good you are. Your goodness is relative. Come to Jesus and confess your sins because Jesus will forgive your sins. (1 John 1:8-9) One government official was indicted because he lied. But Jesus will not indict you but rather he is standing beside you to heal your wounds and guilty feelings. Jesus gave up his life to forgive our sins.
PART III FROM NOW ON YOU WILL CATCH MEN (8-11)
Look at verse 10b. “Don’t be afraid...” Jesus saw Simon’s fear in his inner man. Outwardly, Simon looked bold as a man of the sea. But inwardly he was fearful when his sin was revealed. Jesus alleviated Simon’s fear by saying, “Don’t be afraid.” Fear is the opposite of faith. As long as we are fearful, we cannot do the work of God. We need to trust Jesus in our helplessness. Jesus drove out fears from Simon and accepted him as he was. Jesus did not go away from Simon but instead gave him a new life direction. When our sheep asked us, “please go away. I am not worthy to follow Jesus, we should not go away but give our sheep the word of Jesus. What did Jesus mean by saying, “from now on you will catch men” Look at verse 10b. “Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’” “Catch men” had a bad connotation because of T.V. series “Desperate housewives.” But spiritually it has a deep meaning. Matthew and Mark said, “fishers of men,” instead of “catch men” (Mt 4:19; Mk 1:17). It is better to think a little more about “from now on you will catch men.” Through this command, God gave him new life in Jesus. In the past, Simon was a fisherman. He caught fish and made fish burger and ate them. Now, he will catch men and lead them to God. What a difference it was. One night, he tried all night to catch fish but he caught nothing. In spite of his hardworking life, he felt he was fruitless and unhappy. In reality, he had a cursed life without mission. Now, Jesus called him to have a great life by being a fisher of men. Peter will become a powerful Bible teacher and disciple-maker. He will work as Jesus’ harvest worker in the harvest fields. Jesus appointed Simon to be a shepherd of God’s flock of sheep. When we study the gospels, Peter was very ambitious and competitive. But he was raised as a humble shepherd of God’s flock of sheep in the early Christian days. Peter said, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care” (1Pe 5:2). The purpose of calling Simon was to send him to preach the gospel of Jesus to the people and become witness of Jesus. Jesus called him from his shallow life to deeper life with God. Later, Simon caught three thousands men in one fishing trip. (Acts 2:41) God called Tommy P. to preach the word of God. God called Sarah B. to bring her friends in E.R.H to Jesus. Mary team members became expert fishers of men these days. MDJ had many sessions how to do fishing so that they can obey Jesus’ word “from now on you will catch men.” We will have the harvest festival to learn how to catch men for Jesus’ kingdom
Why did Jesus call Simon out of so many millions of people in this world? That’s a good question because we have the same question why God called me to become the disciple of Jesus. Was Simon qualified to become the disciple of Jesus? No, it was not his qualification. But the calling of Simon was out of Jesus one-sided grace. It was not because Simon was great but because Jesus chose him by his divine plan. Jesus called Simon out of darkness into his wonderful grace so that he could become the servant of God for God’s people. Jesus also wanted to establish him as the foundation stone of the Christian church (Mt 16:18). Jesus called us by his grace. M. Elijah did not choose Jesus but Jesus chose him as a leader. Steve did not pass a qualification exam to be a disciple of Jesus but Jesus chose him to become a servant of God by his grace. God’s calling comes from above and it is irrevocable. Apostle Paul said, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” (1 Cor. 15:10a) God called each of us for campus world mission by his grace.
What was Peter’s response to Jesus’ calling? Look at verse 11. “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” Before meeting Jesus, Peter had a small hope to catch fish in order to eat three meals a day. After meeting Jesus, he had a great hope to catch men for the kingdom of God. In order to follow Jesus, he left everything including a large number of fish he just caught. In the postmodern world, some people follow fun in the world. Some people follow money like Donald Trump. Some people follow pleasure of the world. Some people follow fame and power. Some people follow their small American dream. But following Jesus gives us a greater hope. Of course, in order to follow Jesus, we must put our priority in Jesus. It is costly in following Jesus. But it is a great honor to follow Jesus. We learn why Jesus put his priority in calling his disciples. From verses 1-3 we see huge crowds and now in verse 11 we see only four disciples who left everything and followed Jesus. There are many crowds who come and go but there are few disciples who follow Jesus because it is very costly to follow Jesus. It is important for us to listen to the word of Jesus with obedience so that we can experience his power as the mighty God. May God bless you to hear Jesus’ calling “from now on you will catch men” through this message. I pray that God may raise up many disciples among us to make America a missionary sending and Bible believing nation.
Let’s read the key verse 10b.