1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a]with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3He 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.
4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down[b] the nets for a catch."
5Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7So 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.
8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10and 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." 11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
The experience recorded in John 21 surely reminded Peter of a previous encounter with Christ in a fishing expedition at the beginning of his walk with the Savior. Read about it in Luke 5:1-11 from The New Testament in Modern English by J. B. Phillips.
One day the people were crowding closely round Jesus to hear God’s message, as he stood on the shore of Lake Gennesaret. Jesus noticed two boats drawn up on the beach, for the fishermen had left them there while they were cleaning their nets. He went aboard one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to push out from the shore. Then he sat down and continued his teaching of the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Push out now into deep water and let down your nets for a catch."
Simon replied, "Master! We’ve worked all night and never caught a thing, but if you say so I’ll let the nets down." And when they had done this, they caught an enormous shoal of fish—so big that the nets began to tear. So they signaled to their friends in the other boat to help them. They came and filled both boats to the sinking point. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell on his knees before Jesus and said, "Keep away from me, Lord, for I’m only a sinful man!"
For he and his companions (including Zebedee’s sons, James and John, Simon’s partners) were staggered at the haul of fish that they had made. Jesus said to Simon: "Don’t be afraid, Simon. From now on your catch will be men." So they brought the boats ashore, left everything and followed him."
What are your observations about lessons and truths from this story for Peter and us concerning ministry and evangelism?
• The Lord’s commands and our obedient responses -_____________
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• The promised results implied in His commands -________________
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Tuesday, January 15, 2008
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