Luke 5:1-11
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, 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.
When Jesus calls His Original Disciples they were not perfectly good men...They were sinners...Jesus handpicked twelve men who would be very common by their days standard...Four of His Disciples were fishermen...None of Jesus' Disciples were sin free...Each would have their own issues in their lives...When Peter first meets Jesus he seems to know that He is Divine, after some fishing advice...Peter falls to his knees and tells Jesus, "Go away from me, LORD; I am a sinful man!"...For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners...But Jesus told Peter not to be afraid...From now on Peter would fish for men...So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him...
The Twelve men minus one would advance the gospel throughout the world...They would teach the good news to others in the Roman Empire, and after awhile the Roman Empire would acknowledge Jesus and Christianity as their official religion...The Original Disciples would take Jesus' teachings to the world and start a new religion...
Author Philip Yancey said, “God uses the talent pool available...None lived without sin and embarrassing failures...Yet somehow God used them to advance the cause of the kingdom.”...