Jesus Helps the Fishermen – A Luke Bible Lesson about The Big Catch
Have you ever gone fishing and caught more than you could carry home? If you ask a few fishermen, you might hear a story or two about *the one that got away!* 😄
To be honest, I’ve never been much of a fisherman myself. Sure, I went out a few times on Saturday mornings as a kid—but I don’t remember ever catching anything worth bragging about. Still, we had fun just being out there.
Thankfully, our lives didn’t depend on the catch.
But for Peter, James, and John—the men in this Luke Bible lesson—fishing was more than fun. It was their livelihood. So imagine how frustrating it must have been to work all night and come up empty.
That is, until Jesus showed up.
The Miracle – Jesus Helps the Disciples Catch Fish
Our story today comes from Luke 5:1-11, where Jesus performs one of His most powerful, yet intimate miracles:
“Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets.
And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little distance from the land. And He sat down and continued teaching the crowds from the boat.
Now when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
Simon responded and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”
And when they had done this, they caught a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to tear; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.
And they came and filled both of the boats, to the point that they were sinking.
But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; and likewise also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear; from now on you will be catching people.”
When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.”
~ Luke 5:1-11 (NASB)
Peter’s Honest Reaction to Jesus’ Miracle
“If you can …walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch;” ~ Rudyard Kipling
Peter’s reaction says it all. He witnessed one of Jesus’ miracles up close—nets overflowing with fish after a long, empty night—and his response wasn’t excitement or pride. It was humility. He fell to his knees and said, “I’m not worthy.”
Why? Because he couldn’t believe that the Son of God would care enough to help with something as ordinary as catching fish.
Does God Care About Our Small Struggles?
Ever felt the way Peter did? Like your problems are too small for God to bother with?
We sometimes think, “Sure, God cares about world peace and church stuff, but my job stress? My bills? My struggles?”
Here’s the truth: God cares deeply about every part of your life—big and small. Just as Jesus cared about those tired fishermen, He cares about your daily needs too.
Why We Can Trust Jesus with Everything
Like a loving parent who helps their child tie their shoes even though they could figure it out eventually—God steps into our lives with grace, kindness, and power.
God May Not Always Answer the Way We Expect
Does that mean we’ll always get what we ask for? Not necessarily.
As someone once said:
“If you want to make God laugh, tell Him about your plans.” ~ Woody Allen
No, we may not always understand His timing or His method, but this story reminds us: Jesus helps the fishermen—just like He helps us.
When life gets tough, when the nets come up empty, don’t give up. Jesus is still in the boat—and He still knows where the fish are.
Love in Christ
– Bob
If you have never made the commitment to receive the love and life-changing experience of Jesus Christ, please take a moment to Read John 3:16 to learn how.