One of my favorite scenes is the miraculous catch of fish in Episode Four of Season One. Today, we’re going to read that account in Luke 5 and discover what it meant for Peter to follow Jesus.

Do these things apply to us as well? Let’s find out!

Image:  Sea of Galilee

Isn’t this an amazing story? Jesus calls a lowly group of fisherman to come and follow Him. Did you know that in the ancient world, it was the students who chose the teacher? The students were the ones to select which Rabbi they wanted to follow, study under and learn from. 

But here, Jesus is the one doing the choosing. In this part of Scripture, we read about Jesus calling Peter and his brother Andrew, as well as James and his brother John. Can you imagine the thrill of being chosen? And after witnessing the biggest catch of their lives, the men don’t even stay to take the fish to the market. They leave it all behind to follow Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah.

And oh, how I love Peter. He is a complex, strong-minded, imperfect man – a man of the sea who goes on to be used in such mighty ways by God.

1.  Peter Recognizes Jesus’ Authority

“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.’” Luke 5:5 [emphasis mine]

In verse 5, Peter addresses Jesus as “Master.” He recognizes the authority of the One in front of Him. When we are followers of Christ, we too need to recognize the authority of Jesus in our own lives. What does He say to do? Are we yielding to Him and submitting to His will? Or do we continue operating as our own Commander in Chief? Peter lets down his nets simply because the Master said to. 

2.  Peter Recognizes His Own Sinfulness

“When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’” Luke 5:8

In a world where we don’t want to be wrong (or told that we’ve done something wrong), Peter’s statement flies in the face of all self-righteousness and pride. Even this morning as I was reading, I was just struck by my evil, selfish heart. And while there is no purpose in going into details, this acknowledgement and confession put me in the place to repent and humble myself before God, which leads to . . .

3.  Peter Humbles Himself

What position do we find Peter in when he speaks in verse 8? He is on his knees. Humility was despised by the ancient world.[i] It was looked down upon as weakness. But what does God think about humility? He values it! (See Eph. 4:2, Col. 3:12, James 4:6, Micah 6:8.) So much sin can find its root in pride. Let’s work at developing humble hearts as we seek to follow Jesus. He is the Master Teacher and we have a lot to learn.

4.  Peter’s Life Is Redirected.

Peter used to be a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, but now there would be a new path, a new journey, a new purpose.  No longer would his life take the direction of a Galilean fisherman.  Now it would be redirected to the purpose and plan of the Master, and he would be a fisher of men.

When we follow Jesus, our life is also redirected.  We now live to the beat of a different drum – the heart beat of the One who called and chose us.  What is His plan and purpose for your life?

5.  Peter Leaves Behind His Old Ways

When students would follow Rabbis in the Jewish world, they would not only learn about the law, but they would seek to learn and imitate the character of the teacher.  Following Jesus meant that Peter would leave behind old ways and old habits.  He would learn to act like his teacher, to think like his teacher.  And while we see Peter come out with his own thoughts as he interacted with Jesus throughout the Gospels, the transformation from the man of the sea to the Gospel-preaching man of Acts is astounding.

Ultimately, as we put behind our old ways, our goal is to look more like the One we follow. 

6.  Peter’s Priorities Change.

Scripture tells us that Peter and the others left everything and followed Jesus.  They left everything.  Every personal pursuit.  Every personal goal.  Peter would now follow Jesus and prioritize what He prioritized. 

*Now please remember with me that Peter is married and this doesn’t mean that he abandoned his wife.  We read in Matthew 8 that Jesus is at their family home when he heals Peter’s mother-in-law.  It is also made known to us that Peter’s wife was able to accompany him on missionary journeys (1 Cor. 9:5).  Peter didn’t sacrifice his marriage.  He didn’t give up on his wife.  His priority changed from fishing in the sea to fishing for the hearts of men. 

7.  Peter Need Not Fear

In verse 10, Jesus tells Peter to not be afraid.  This always struck me as interesting.  Peter just witnessed such a miraculous catch of fish and yet, Jesus needs to tell him not to be afraid.  Was he afraid of being in the presence of Jesus after witnessing such a miracle?  Maybe.  Was he afraid of what would come and how his life would change after this encounter with the Messiah?  Possibly. 

How often do we see fear addressed in the Bible?  Fear is directly opposed to faith.  (That is, unless we are talking about a holy fear and reverence for God – this is biblical.) 

Peter would be able to draw near to the Messiah without fear (as we can too – Heb. 4:16), but he would also be able to live without fear, learning and trusting that God holds all things in His hands.  In Romans 8:31, we are told, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

8.  Peter Will Now Live His Life in Close Proximity to the Savior

Peter would go on to spend the next several years with Jesus – days, nights, months and years.  He would travel with Jesus.  Peter was not only one of the twelve, he was also a part of the inner circle – the three disciples closest to Jesus (Peter, James and John).  What Peter would witness between the miracles, healings, profound teaching and discussion, as well as the resurrection itself, would so greatly affect this fisherman’s life that he would ultimately give his life as a martyr for the cause of Christ. 

We too can live life close to Jesus.  Oh, how thankful I am that we don’t serve a God who keeps us at a distance!  No, He invites us to come close, to be found under the shelter of His wings, with our names engraved on His palm, to share in relationship, and to allow us to partner with Him in the work of the Kingdom.

When I taught this in Sunday School and wrote these out on our white board (because as my husband believes, white boards are the best and you can never have enough), Dan broke this list down into different categories:  the heart (#1-3), the actions (#4-6) and the blessings (#7-8).  And I hadn’t initially seen it in that way, but he was right.  When we follow Jesus, it affects and moves our heart.  It alters our actions and interactions with the world.  And it brings great blessing – even beyond what this list has to share. 

 This can help keep us in check as we follow Jesus and seek to live for His glory.

• Do you regularly recognize Jesus’ authority in your life?
• Do you recognize your own sinfulness and seek to be more like the One you follow?
• Are you humble before God and others?
• Is your life following a God-honoring direction?
• Have you left behind “old ways?”
• What do you prioritize?  Do your priorities reflect that you are a follower of Jesus?  Do they align with the heart of God and His purposes for your life?
• Are you aware that you can approach your Master without fear, as well as live confidently knowing that He is in control?
• Do you draw near to God, in heart, mind and time – living closely with Him?

I love what we can learn from this fisherman about following Jesus. Are you ready to step your game? Let’s leave the nets and follow Him too!

Dropping My Nets,

Kristen