Fishers of Men

Jesus leaves Jerusalem and makes his way back north to his new home in Capernaum. He most likely heads to the shores of the Sea of Galilee to meet some of his early followers, who had also returned home to their families. He arrives early in the morning, just as the sun breaks over the horizon. These fishermen have just come off 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?

Questions from your reading

• Who is Jesus calling? Was this his first encounter with these disciples?
• What is Jesus modelling in how he called them?
• When the disciples hear this call to “follow me and I will make you fishers of men,” what do you imagine is going through their minds?
• What other questions do you still have?

Reflecting on your reading

Many people have been confused by the life of Jesus because they’ve never studied it chronologically—like you are now. If someone were to read only Matthew or only Mark, it would be easy to assume that Jesus comes straight out of the desert in Matthew 4 or Mark 1, moves into Capernaum, and immediately calls disciples to become “fishers of men.” But that’s not the full picture. In fact, Jesus had already invested more than a year and a half in these men before issuing this call.

There’s a significant time gap between Matthew 4:11 and 4:12, and between Mark 1:13 and 1:14. Both gospel writers help anchor this timeline by mentioning John the Baptist’s imprisonment. This may be one of the reasons the Holy Spirit prompted the apostle John to write a fourth gospel—to clear up confusion in the early church about the process of disciple-making. John's gospel helps reveal that, even though it wasn’t a period of high visibility, Jesus’ early investment in these disciples laid the foundation for the ministry and multiplication movement that was about to unfold.

Before calling these men to become “fishers of men,” Jesus had already shared more than just a message—he had shared his life (John 3:22). This call comes after significant time, energy and relational investment. That’s why, when Jesus comes walking by, these men throw down their nets and follow him. He wasn’t a stranger—they knew him as both Messiah and friend. These weren’t naive dreamers—they were businessmen and family men. This isn’t a romanticised moment where Jesus appears out of nowhere and says, “Come, follow me” and they drop everything on impulse. These men had been waiting for this. They had likely talked it over with their families and made plans to follow him when the time came. Peter surely spoke with his wife and mother-in-law. James and John likely spoke with their parents—notice that their father doesn’t chase after them. He lets them go, and we’ll later see that Zebedee’s family are key partners in the movement.

Peter and Andrew were from a smaller fishing town just east of the larger city of Capernaum (John 1:44). James and John must have lived nearby—Zebedee had hired servants and appears to have been in business with Peter (Luke 5:10). Notice what these four left behind to follow Jesus. To follow more closely, there are always things to leave behind—even good things. Peter left his business and, as we’ll later see, also his family. James and John left their father and their role in the family business. You’ll see as the journey continues that Jesus continues to call his followers—and us—to let go of things so that the Father can use us more fully.

What might you need to leave behind?

Applying what you’ve read

Jesus invested over a year and a half in these early followers. He didn’t just preach to them—he shared his life with them. Paul, following the example of Jesus (1 Cor. 11:1), expressed this same principle to the believers in Thessalonica:

“We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well” (1 Thess. 2:8).

Let that sink in. God’s desire is not just that we pass on a message, but that we give our very lives in the process.

Spend some time with those you’re investing in and talk about how they can invest in others too. Challenge one another with the example of Jesus. Who are you investing your life in?