Bible Study “Come Fish For People”
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
Epiphany is shimmering glimpses of the abundance of the Kingdom of God. Perhaps you, too, noticed a star and followed it. Or maybe someone led us to the gift of faith. Now we take the Light – the Good News – out into the world. Will others see the light shimmering in us? Will they risk taking a journey into faith with us?
This week, Jesus has a boat as a pulpit. Amid the crowd are two exhausted fishermen who had worked all night long without catching anything. Casting nets, pulling in empty nets, all night long. Jesus uses these two men as his "sermon illustration." Jesus tells them to let down their nets for a catch. They muster up the courage to try yet again. They take the risk and find abundance.
Have you had a time when you tried and tried to do something and just could not do it; for example a really hard homework assignment, something in sports, music lessons, etc. Think about it and share that experience with someone.
Opening Prayer: God, as we gather to hear and wonder about your ministry, help us to see ourselves in this story we have today. Amen.
Please open your Bibles to Luke 5:1-11 and read or read the scriptures below.
Luke 5: 1-11
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He 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.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5 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.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So 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.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and 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 fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
- How do you hear this story?
- What do you think the person that wrote this would say to us today?
- What word or phrase stands out to you when you read this?
Reflection Questions:
- What was Jesus teaching to those gathered? (Verse 1, the word of God.)
- Why did Jesus want to speak to the crowd from a boat? (There were so many of them, that he needed to get where all could see him, and so they would not hem him in. Maybe he wanted to be closer to Simon.)
- Why did Jesus tell Simon to let down his nets for a catch? (Maybe to demonstrate what he was just teaching to the people. Maybe to make his point that there were lots of fish to be caught. Perhaps also out of compassion for Simon who had worked so hard for nothing, or as a recruitment test into his inner circle.)
- What do you think went through Simon's mind when Jesus told him to let down his nets? (I just told you they are not swimming into the nets. Oh well, what's one more failure? Or maybe this Jesus knows something I don't know about fishing.)
- What happened when Simon did let down his net? (So many fish got into the nets that they were about to break. He had to ask for help from his friends. It took two boats to hold all the fish.)
- What was Simon's response to Jesus? (You don't want to be seen with me, I am not a good man.)
- What did Jesus say about that? (Nothing. Jesus had obviously already made up his mind that he wanted Simon to work with him.)
- What did Jesus say to Simon? (Verse 10b.) I wonder what that means?
- What did Simon, James and John do then? (They simply left their boats right there on the shore and followed Jesus.)
- Where are you in this story?
- What does it say to you about times when you are discouraged about how hard things are for you?
- What can this say to you about taking risks?
- What does it say about hoping for things?
- Are you, also, being called to "catch" people?
- What might that look like for you?
- What do think about this statement: "You may be the only Gospel people ever see."
Click here for the young learner’s lesson
Videos (Click on the words or url)
Luke 5:1-11 Jesus Calls the First Disciples - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82RtoNnW6FU
Lectionary Study on Luke 5:1-11 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx0yZbRAWss
Overview: Luke 1-9 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIb_dCIxzr0&t=268s
Music
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54VrglT2NLA
I have decided to follow Jesus – Lyric video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brd6WYerW_k
Activities
Bookmarks: Take a blank bookmark (I think that index cards work just fine for this). Copy the Bible verse onto the bookmark and decorate it using whatever materials are available. Put the bookmark somewhere so you will see it often and be reminded that God can use them to amazing things. “Luke 5:10b-11 Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will fish for people." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”
Sink or Float: Fill a large, clear, plastic container with water and use it to play sink or float. When the fisherman caught the large load of fish, their nets became so heavy that they began to sink. Find some items such as small toys (blocks, toy cars, crayons) or any item. Ten predict if it will sink or float in the water. Put the item in the water and find out what happens.
Crossword Puzzle: Jesus Calls the Disciples – https://sermons4kids.com/fishing_for_people_luke_crossword.htm?fromSermonId=188
Word Search: https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/3267143/come-fish-for-people/
Prayer: Thank you, God, for reminding us again and again that we do not need to be afraid. Help me to do your work, as Simon did, and show us how I can “catch” people today. Amen
