Calling The First Apostles

Luke 5:1-11

The day after Jesus was baptized, John the Baptist pointed Jesus out as the Messiah. The apostle John and Andrew were there and heard him, and followed Jesus, as John 1:35-37 describes. “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.”

Excited about what they heard, they began to share what they learned with their friends and relatives. Andrew talked to his brother, Peter. “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 Messias, 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 Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” (John 1:40-42)

Apparently, they spread the word beyond that, reaching a man named Philip. John 1:43-47 tells of his response when he met Jesus. “The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"

Jesus then spent the forty days in the wilderness being tempted, and the disciples resumed their normal lives for that period. After his return from the temptation, both Matthew and Mark mention Jesus calling Peter, Andrew, James and John. Matthew 4:18 -22 recounts, “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.”

Both Matthew and Mark make it clear that this took place before Jesus cast out the demon in Nazareth in Luke 4:33-36. Apparently neither Luke, Matthew or Mark was present, but Luke uncovered and reveals more detail than either Matthew or Mark. It was this second encounter that fully convinced this first group of Apostles.

"And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. Lu 5:6 And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.” (Luke 5:1-11)

Many are like the Apostles were at first, believing the words and getting involved to the point of going along for a while, but never fully committing themselves. Only when they step out by faith in obedience and see the results do they make that final commitment. Unfortunately, churches are full of people who have made professions, and even been baptized, yet never made that commitment of faith in their heart. The writer of Hebrews was addressing this very problem in the first six chapters.