Disciples Making Disciple Part II (Luke 5:1-11)
Verse 1 He has already begun the discipleship process with the people He is meeting.
• It says He is teaching them the word of God, which would have been the OT.
o He is of course using the Old Testament to point to Himself.
Verse 2 Jesus starts with ordinary low-income people, peasants.
• Quote “Fishing was second to Agriculture as the economic staple of the region, so they were relatively well off in the Palestinian peasant culture. Which would put them near the top of the lower classes.” ~Grant Osborne
• None of us can dismiss ourselves from this saying we don’t have enough talent, money, or social status.
Verse 3 Jesus sits down and teaches the people. (The boat on the water also provided good acoustics)
o Again, He is starting with discipleship.
• Notice that Jesus went to where the people were, to where they were working and taught them there.
Verse 4 Jesus now goes right to an obedience test.
o Jesus is testing to see if Simon will follow, is he receptive to Jesus and what He is asking.
• I believe that if Simon had given a stern no, Jesus would have moved on.
o Later in Luke 10 Jesus teaches us to shake the dust off of our feet if people are not receptive.
Verse 5 Peter argues a little but then he does as Jesus as asked.
Verse 6-7 Their obedience lands them a miraculous and windfall catch.
• This miracle not only reveals what Jesus’s nature and character is, it also shows what is possible for the disciples if they follow Jesus. They will do the same.
Verse 8-9 And now, worship! In response to all that have seen, they now worship Jesus.
• The verb “to fall” down can also be seen as worship.
Verse 10 Now Jesus puts a call on Simon’s life.
• Notice it starts with don’t be afraid.
o Some of Simon’s worship was driven by fear. He could tell he was in the presence of true Holiness.
• But Jesus calls Simon to follow Him and to do what Jesus is doing, making disciples.
o He uses language that is familiar to Simon, “catch men.”
o The imagery in the term though is not fishing but rescue from danger.
Because the word Jesus uses here means “to capture” or “take alive.”
It’s also an active participle, “to be taking alive.”
And in the context Jesus is using it, it means to snatch alive from the grips of death.
• But here is the thing we really have to notice, Jesus just made a disciple.
o But right away He tells that disciple that you will make disciples. Disciples making disciples.
Verse 11 The text says they left everything.
• To be a disciple who makes disciples, you have to be all in. They won’t follow you, if you only have one foot in the game.
