Introduction
Jesus leaves Jerusalem and makes His way back up north to His new home in Capernaum. He most likely heads over to the shores of the Sea of Galilee to meet up with some of His early followers, who had returned home as well to their parents, wives and families. He arrives early in the morning, just as the sun breaks over the horizon. These fishermen have just come off of a long night of fishing and are hard at work washing and mending their nets. What will Jesus say to them? Will they be excited to see Him?
Reading [You can read as much as you can, depending on your availability]
Matthew 4:18-22
(or)
Mark 1:16-20
Meditating [Use these questions to start your thinking]
- Who is Jesus calling? Was this His first encounter with these disciples?
- What is Jesus modelling for us in how He called these disciples?
- When the disciples hear this call to “‘follow me and I will make you fishers of men,’” what questions do you think are going through their minds?
- What other questions do you still have?
Sharing: Text ONE of your answers to the questions above to your team. Each team should post a sharing from a team member in the comments below.
Let me begin by saying that many people have been confused by the life of Jesus because they have not taken time to study it chronologically, as you are. If you just read Matthew or just read Mark you would see how one might be confused. Both authors appear to have Jesus coming out of the desert in Matthew 4 and Mark 1 and moving right into Capernaum and making the call to become fishers of men. You would not understand that Jesus had already invested over a year and a half in these guys before this call. This is a very significant point. There is almost a year lapse in time between Matthew 4:11 and Matthew 4:12 and between Mark 1:13 and Mark 1:14. But both authors help us by giving us the reference point of John the Baptist going to prison (the latter verse in each pair). I think this is one of the reasons the Holy Spirit prompted the Apostle John to write a fourth gospel. There was much confusion in the early church as to the process of disciple making, and John really helps us see that, although it is not a period of major growth in the ministry, Jesus’ earlier investment in His disciples set the stage for the ministry and multiplication movement that we are about to see.
Can you see that before Jesus issued this call to become a “fisher of men,” He had already invested more than a year and a half of His life in these early followers? He had not just shared with them the gospel of the kingdom of God, but He had shared His very life with them as well (John 3:22). This call to follow closer comes on the heels of a huge investment of time, energy and life on Jesus’ part in these men. He spent all that time modelling for them the disciple-making process and now He calls them to join Him in it. That is why, when Jesus comes walking by, these guys throw down their nets and follow Him. Jesus was not some unknown person to them, but their Messiah and trusted friend. These were not a bunch of naive fisherman, but men with businesses and families. This is not some kind of romantic scene of Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee and saying “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men!” where these guys throw down their nets and go running after Him. Jesus had a deep relationship with these guys and it is obvious they had made plans to follow Him and were simply waiting for Him to come and call them. It is something they must have talked about much during the last couple years together. Peter must have talked it over with his wife and mother-in-law. John and James must have talked it over with their father and mother. Notice that their father doesn’t run after them or call them back. He lets them go, and we will find out that Zebedee’s family is made up of believers, strong supporters of the ministry and key partners in the movement.
Peter and Andrew were from a smaller fishing town just east of the big city of Capernaum (John 1:44). James and John must have lived nearby because their father Zebedee had many hired servants and was in some sort of business partnership with Peter (Luke 5:10). Notice what these four left behind to follow Jesus. Yes, it is true to follow Jesus more closely you must leave some things behind. Even good things. But nonetheless, you must leave them behind if you are to truly follow Jesus and His Father’s will. Peter left behind his business, and we will find out later that he also left his family behind. James and John left behind their father and their part in the business to follow after Jesus. You will be discovering as we go along what else Jesus calls these guys, and us, to leave behind so that the Father can use us. What do you need to leave behind?
I want to repeat what I said earlier. Jesus invested more than a year and a half of His life in these early followers. He did not just share with them the gospel of the kingdom of God, but He shared His very life with them as well. Paul, always following the example of Jesus (1 Cor. 11:1), shares the same sentiment with his dear friends in the town of Thessalonica. Take a look at 1 Thessalonians 2:8. Let it sink in deep. God desires that you impart life and not just the message of the gospel. Spend some time discussing with the people you are investing your life in about how they can invest in others as well. Challenge them today with the life of Jesus and follow His lead. Who are you investing your life in?
What Jesus modeled when calling Simon and Andrew was where and how he called them. He wasn’t calling people who were already following and wanting to be around him, he called people in the places they were comfortable in. Another thing he did was phrase his calling towards their occupations. They know fishing, and Jesus is saying it will be similar to that. Obviously they didn’t know what exactly they were getting into, but they were still willing.
Although today’s devotion is short there is a lot of things to consider. First would be the immediacy that was shown through the actions of the followers. When Jesus told them to follow Him, they left their place without asking or hesitating. Even when John and James were asked, they immediately left the boat and their father. Now that is something I cannot comprehend. Regardless, you can see how much power Jesus has and the great amount of faith to take that leap into the unknown. As I reflect on my own life, I wonder if I could do the same. Am I ready to leave behind the life that I have already established to follow Jesus? And if so, am I able to do it immediately. No hesitations or questions asked.
Surely, for a normal person if Jesus were to ask us, “follow me” we would follow up with questions but for these four men, it seemed as though they did not have any questions to ask possibly thoughts but from the actions that were shown they were confident in Jesus and trusted His plan for them. I hope to continue to model that commitment as the four followers have shown and hopefully be able to follow Jesus with full confidence.
What is Jesus modelling for us in how He called these disciples?
As Bumble shared, Jesus invested in the disciples long before His calling to them to come and follow for Jesus to make them fishers of men. It shows that disciple making is so much more than ministry, but it involves every aspect of life and is a huge commitment on both ends, for the investor but also the new disciples to give up old parts of their lives. And even with the invitation, Jesus doesn’t send them off on their own quite yet, but invites them to be close to learn from Him
What is Jesus modelling for us in how He called these disciples?
– I feel it’s pretty interesting to me that we’re left here with many unknown answers in these verses. Did Zebedee support his son’s decisions? Or did the businesses of the families survive and what not? Yet of course we know it was all worth it.
The complete blind faithfulness truly is admirable and shows a great deal about their character.
But more than their character, it shows what Jesus was modeling in how he called them. It is truly showing how Jesus has hopes for us to remove and cast aside this temporal world and seek the kingdom of heaven.