Teacher Notes

Bible Stories for Adults

Peter's Catch of Fish

Luke 5:1-11



Welcome and Announcements
    Next Week - Jesus Heals at Capernaum (Mark 1:21-39; Luke 4:31-31)
    Bible Words to Remember:
      Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 2 Corinthians 3:4-5

Opening Prayer


Welcome Home? - Review of Last Week (Luke 4:14-30)
    After being baptized and resisting Satan's temptations, where did Jesus go to begin His ministry?
      Luke 4:14 = Galilee (Hebrew galil is circle), area encircled by Gentile nations
    What did He do there?
      Matthew 4:23-25 = Taught in synagogues, preached the good news, healed

    Was He welcomed as the Messiah or as a traveling rabbi? = Synagogue (called together place)
      Luke 4:15-16, 20 = Taught in synagogues as visiting rabbi; stood to read, sat to teach
    Did the people in His hometown synagogue understand His message?
      Luke 4:22 = No, they were too focused on His eloquence to hear His message
    How did Jesus respond to His past neighbors watching a show and ignoring His message?
      Luke 4:24-27 = Gentiles will receive God's salvation that the Jews reject
    Did the people understand any of Jesus' sermon?
      Luke 4:28 = They heard His last point on the Gentiles being saved and were furious
    How upset were they? = Lynch mobs were illegal
      Luke 4:29 = They were ready to kill Him for blasphemy, even on the Sabbath
    How far did they get?
      Luke 4:30 = Not far, God protected Him and he just walked through the crowd
    Why were they unable to kill Him?
      John 2:4b = My time has not yet come

Home Base (Luke 4:31-32)
    After such rejection by His hometown, did Jesus go off by Himself to re-assess His ministry?
      Luke 4:31-32 = No, His ministry was right, rejection was their loss
    How are we to respond to rejection when we bring the good news of Jesus to others?
      Matthew 10:14-15 = They have rejected God, not you, and will be rejected by God
    Was Capernaum just a stopping point on the way to other places?
      Matthew 4:13 = No, he stayed there a while and made it His home base
    What was significant about Jesus living in Capernaum? = More Gentile than Jewish
      Matthew 4:14-16 = Fulfilled Isaiah's prophesy of Light in lands of Zebulun & Naphtali
    Did Jesus settle back and spend most of His time in Capernaum?
      Luke 4:42-44 = He resisted temptation to take it easy and fulfilled His calling to others

People, People Everywhere (Luke 5:1)
    Did this popularity create any other problems for Jesus besides a lack of privacy?
      Luke 8:42b = He had trouble getting around because people crowded in on Him
    What problem did the crowds present to Jesus in today's story?
      Luke 5:1 = They were crowding Him into the water

    Notes: Sea of Galilee was also called Lake of Gennesaret and Sea of Tiberias, Up to 150' deep
      Gennesaret was a 3x5 mile fertile plain S of Capernaum & NW of Sea of Galilee
      Tiberias was a city named after Roman emperor on SW shore of Sea of Galilee

A Creative Idea (Luke 5:2-3)
    What did Jesus see that let Him creatively solve His problem and still minister to the people?
      Luke 5:2 = A couple of fishing boats - fishing was a lucrative business

    Notes: Fish was a common part of Palestinian diet, Sea of Galilee was full of various fish
      Galilee fish stayed in the depths during the day
        Rose at night to feed on the surface in shallower water
      Fishers pulled nets near shore at night and went ashore at daylight
        Fish were separated and taken to market early in the morning
      Fishers mended their nets and cleaned them by casting them into the shallow water
        Fish nets would have various debris and tears after a night of dragging
        Nets had to be washed and stretched out to dry or they would rot and break

    What was Jesus' creative solution? = Lakeshore would have been an acoustic amphitheater
      Luke 5:3 = Got into a boat, put out a little, sat down as a rabbi and taught

Hearing Rock (Luke 5:4)
    Simon is Greek for hearing. Had this boat owner heard of this Jesus before?
      John 1:40-42 = Soon after Jesus returned from wilderness, brother Andrew intro'd him
    Peter is Greek for rock. Why did Jesus call Simon a rock?
      Matthew 16:15-18 = Peter's confession is the foundation of Jesus' church
    What did Simon Peter experience soon after meeting Jesus that began to build his faith?
      John 2:1-2, 7-11 = Jesus' first miracle of turning water into wine

    Did Simon become a full-time follower of Jesus from the moment he met Jesus?
      Matthew 4:18 = No, he went back to work as a fisherman (casting nets to clean them)
    How did Jesus nudge Simon's faith and make sure he was hearing the faith-building gospel?
      Luke 5:3 = Asked him to put out a little, had a captive audience
    After Simon heard this gospel message, how did Jesus further push his growing faith?
      Luke 5:4 = Told him to go fishing - even at daytime in unknown deep water

An Unlikely Miracle (Luke 5:5-7)
    How did Simon react to this crazy idea from a rabbi/carpenter who knew nothing about fishing?
      Luke 5:5 = We know there are no fish to be had and we're tired, but I'll obey
    Was this experienced fisherman foolish to go along with this ignorant suggestion?
      Luke 5:6 = No, they quickly caught more fish than they could handle
    Were any other prospective disciples able to witness this amazing miracle?
      Luke 5:7 = Simon & Andrew's partners James & John came to help and saw

Letting Down Our Nets (Luke 5:5-7)
    Have we been given a crazy-sounding command like Simon's command to go out?
      Luke 10:2-3 = Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
    This sounds scary. How can we accept such a difficult calling?
      John 14:16, 27 = Jesus sends the Spirit to help us and gives us His peace
    How are we to respond to this call to go out?
      Isaiah 6:8 = Reply, Here am I. Send me!

    What results can we expect as we accept Jesus' call and go out as fishers for Him?
      Acts 2:46-47 = He will add to our number daily those who are being saved
    Are we to assume our faith is lacking if the people we witness to don't become Christians?
      1 Corinthians 3:6-9 = We are to plant seeds and water them, God will make them grow
    What does the help Simon got from his partners tell us about our activities as Jesus' fishers?
      Matthew 18:19-20 = Jesus will be with and support us as we work together for Him

I'm Unworthy (Luke 5:8-10a)
    How did Peter respond to this miracle that only a professional fisherman could fully understand?
      Luke 5:8 = He recognized who Jesus really was and fell down unworthily
    Why did he react so severely?
      Luke 5:9 = He and all his companions were astonished at what had happened
    What did his partners who had come with the second boat think about what had happened?
      Luke 5:10a = They were also astonished

    What other leaders of God's people felt unworthy and undeserving to be called by God?
      Exodus 3:4-6, 11 = Moses hid his face, "Who am I to go to Pharaoh?", 5 excuses
      Judges 6:14-15 = Gideon said he was least of the weakest family, asked for proof
      Jeremiah 1:4-6 = Jeremiah said he couldn't speak and was only a child
    What other leader expressed unworthiness because of his sinfulness?
      Isaiah 6:5 = Isaiah said, "I am a man of unclean lips..."

    Are we worthy of our calling?
      Luke 17:10 = We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.
    Who, then, is worthy?
      Revelation 5:2-5 = No one in heaven or on earth is worthy but the Lamb who was slain
    So how can we then be worthy of the callings God has given us?
      Romans 5:8, 11 = While we were still sinners, Christ died for us - reconciled us

Simon's Risky Response (Luke 5:8-11)
    What risky statement did Simon make when he confessed his unworthiness?
      Luke 5:8 = He told Jesus, Go away from me, Lord.
    How was this so risky?
      Matthew 10:32-33 = By rejecting Jesus, Simon would be rejected
    How did this play out in Jesus' statement to the Nazarenes that the Gentiles would be saved?
      Acts 13:46-48 = The Jews rejected Christ's salvation and it was taken to the Gentiles

    How did Jesus show He understood Simon's confession and was ready to call Him further?
      Luke 5:10b = He said, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will be fishers of men"
    How did Simon, Andrew, James and John respond to this huge call to be full-time disciples?
      Luke 5:11 = They left everything and followed Him
    Note: A fishing business with partners and employees would have been very lucrative
      This business was a family business headed by fathers Jonas and Zebedee
      The decision to leave everything would cost financially and personally

Closing Prayer



Copyright © 1998 by Kurt Rosenhagen

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