And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19 KJV
This section of the gospel of Matthew describes Jesus calling two pairs of brothers to follow him as disciples. Each of the four men worked as fishermen. Andrew and Peter as well as James and John fished the Sea of Galilee. Upon Jesus’ command to follow him, they each gave up their occupation and left their former lives to serve the Lord.
John relates in his gospel that Jesus had met Andrew and Peter at least once before. John the Baptist proclaimed in Andrew’s presence that Jesus was the Lamb of God. Upon hearing this Andrew sought after Jesus.
John records Jesus meeting Andrew and Simon Peter in John 1:40-42 which reads, “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jonah: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. KJV”
They Follow Me
Believing that Jesus was the Messiah who came to establish God’s kingdom here on earth explains why they were so quick to follow him. Jesus simply says, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” and they follow. Calling James and John, they responded likewise. Jesus says in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. KJV” Without so much as a question, the disciples of Christ dropped everything and followed him just as sheep follow their shepherd.
John the Baptist had disciples of his own. In fact, Andrew was one of John’s disciples before Jesus called him to be his follower. These men would have understood what Jesus meant by making them fishers of men. Although the concept may seem strange, it was not unusual for teachers or rabbis to have disciples. And so, it would have been apparent that Jesus meant to use them to gather fellow followers into service of the kingdom of heaven.
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for the fishers of men. Thank you for Jesus who instructed them and sent them out to spread the good news of the gospel. Give me wisdom in planting the seed of salvation in the hearts of men and women. Help me to encourage others to repent and serve your kingdom. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: The Living Bread
