The four fishermen

The first disciples of Jesus were fishermen from the Sea of Galilee. First, Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew were called. Then, James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, were also called. They too were fishermen. Before reaching this stage, Simon and his companions had already experienced a turning point in life. Once, Jesus taught the crowds from Simon’s boat. After finishing, Jesus told Simon, “Put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Following His word, despite it being daytime, they caught a miraculously great quantity of fish. Through this miracle, Simon began to see the divine nature within Jesus. Their encounter with Jesus brought a turning point in their lives. Anyone, upon encountering the living Christ, would experience a transformation. New purpose and motivation are bestowed upon them.

Fishers of people

(1) Jesus called them while they were engaged in their daily labor. He calls those who are faithful laborers. (2) Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will have you become fishers of people.” When you follow the authority of Jesus, all of the experiences and learned skills will be used. Fishermen fished paying close attention to the nature of fish, weather, and time. These experiences would be directly applied to winning souls for the gospel. (3) The four fishermen immediately followed His call. Moreover, it was a dedication that involved leaving behind their livelihoods. With this call, the four fishermen transitioned from being part-time disciples to full-time disciples. There is no such thing as “part-time” in the Christian life. Every Christian is full-time. Regardless of what we are doing, we are disciples of Christ. Let’s reaffirm that the living Christ is with us now. Let’s also remember the wonderful goal that are given to those who follow Christ. There are no work as glorious as leading souls into God’s kingdom. Today, let’s go out into the world as messengers of the gospel.