MIRACLES: The Miraculous Catch of Fish
Today’s episode is about fish.
Do you like fishing?
Jesus is teaching crowds at Lake Galilee.
Jesus uses Simon’s boat as a stage for teaching.
Then they row out to the deep water and catch fish.
Then something amazing happens!
Luke 5:1-11 “Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret,[a] teaching the people as they crowded around him to hear God’s message. 2 Near the shore he saw two boats left there by some fishermen who had gone to wash their nets. 3 Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon and asked him to row it out a little way from the shore. Then Jesus sat down[b] in the boat to teach the crowd.
4 When Jesus had finished speaking, he told Simon, “Row the boat out into the deep water and let your nets down to catch some fish.”
5 “Master,” Simon answered, “we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if you tell me to, I will let the nets down.” 6 They did it and caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart. 7 Then they signalled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. The men came, and together they filled the two boats so full that they both began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this happen, he knelt down in front of Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t come near me! I am a sinner.” 9 Peter and everyone with him were completely surprised at all the fish they had caught. 10 His partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised too.
Jesus told Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you will bring in people instead of fish.” 11 The men pulled their boats up on the shore. Then they left everything and went with Jesus.”
Have you ever tried to tame an animal? Or teach your pet to do a trick? Jesus can tell all the fish to go to a certain area of a lake and they do!
Why did Jesus help Simon, James and John? He proved who he is - someone who gets power from God.
They weren’t exactly sure who he was at that point but were sure enough of Jesus that they left everything to follow Jesus. They dropped their nets on the beach and left everything.
Following Jesus means being Jesus’ student. The disciples lived with Jesus and travelled with Jesus, listened to him teach the crowd and were also taught privately by Jesus. They left their families and their homes to be Jesus’ students.
Discussion Questions:
If you were fishing all day with a professional fisherman and caught nothing, and then a stranger who had never fished before came into the boat and told you how to catch more fish than you’d even seen before, what would you think? If Jesus asked you to follow him in the same way he asked Simon Peter, what would you do? How does Jesus want us to follow him in 2020?
