The phrase “fishers of men” comes from Jesus’ calling of his first disciples in the Gospels. In Matthew 4:19, Jesus says to Simon Peter and Andrew, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” This metaphor of fishing for people illustrates the disciples’ role in spreading the Gospel and bringing people into the Kingdom of God.
The background and meaning of this phrase can be understood in several ways:
1. Fishing as an occupation and skillset: As fishermen by trade, Peter and Andrew were skilled at finding and catching fish. Jesus calls them to direct these same skills towards catching people for the Gospel. Fishing requires patience, effort, and skill – the same diligence and perseverance would be needed to bring people into God’s Kingdom.
2. Fishing metaphor in the Old Testament: In prophetic books like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, God’s judgment on sinful nations is compared to being caught in a fisherman’s net. So fishing already had a symbolic meaning of gathering people for judgment or blessing. Jesus is calling his disciples to the positive mission of gathering people for the blessing of salvation.
3. Mission of gathering people: The central mission Jesus gave his followers was to spread the good news of the Kingdom to the whole world, making disciples in all nations. The fishing metaphor captures this mission of going out, spreading the Gospel widely, drawing people in, rescuing them from death, and bringing them into God’s Kingdom.
4. Calling and equiping disciples: By calling these fishermen specifically, Jesus was equipping average people for his work. Though fishing was a common, working-class occupation, Jesus elevated it to be an illustration of God’s work through ordinary followers. He takes their existing skills and reorients them towards an eternal purpose.
5. Cost of discipleship: Like fishing, following Jesus would require hardship and sacrifice. Fishing was difficult and dangerous work. The disciples were called to leave behind their livelihoods and way of life to embrace Jesus’ calling. The metaphor reminds believers that following Jesus demands our whole lives and involves cost.
6. Universal appeal: Like fishing with a wide net, the Gospel call goes out widely and indiscriminately to all people. Jesus’ disciples would share the message far and wide, not just among their own people but extending to the ends of the earth. The inclusive fishing net represents God’s desire that every human be drawn into his Kingdom.
7. Dependence on God: While fishing requires skill and diligence, success ultimately depends on God’s provision and blessing. The metaphor indicates that only God can empower the faithful efforts of believers to bring people into his Kingdom. Converting and saving people is God’s work through his people.
So in summary, Jesus’ command to become “fishers of men” calls ordinary believers to the extraordinary task of extending God’s Kingdom across the world. This requires sacrifice, skill, and dependence on God’s grace to spread the Gospel net broadly and draw all peoples in. As Christ’s disciples seek first God’s Kingdom, they can trust that He will use their efforts to make disciples of every nation on earth.
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus expands on what it means to follow him and participate in his mission of fishing for people:
– It requires total commitment and obedience to him. “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17)
– It involves building relationships with people and associating with them, not avoiding them. “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’” (Matthew 11:19)
– It means proclaiming the good news simply and boldly like casting a net. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)
– It requires persevering through difficulty and opposition. “Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’” (Luke 5:5)
– It promises deep spiritual satisfaction and purpose. “‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Matthew 4:19-20)
– It means representing Christ well through love and purity. “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15)
– It involves making disciples across all nations. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)
Jesus gave practical strategies for fishing for people:
Go to where lost people are and meet their needs – like Jesus went to Samaria to meet the woman at the well when Jews avoided Samaritans (John 4).
Welcome and associate with the outcasts of society like Jesus did – “When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matthew 9:11)
Simplify the message for easy understanding, using parables and illustrations. “With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.” (Mark 4:33)
Confront and expose false religion while offering the truth – like Jesus rebuked the arrogant Pharisees and taught the spiritual kingdom.
Invest relationally in a small group to train them for evangelism, as Jesus did his twelve disciples. “He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.” (Mark 3:14)
Lovingly warn people of the danger of rejecting God’s salvation through Jesus. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” (John 3:36)
Remain patient and persistent in proclaiming the message, despite resistance. “Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.” (Acts 13:46)
The early disciples embraced Jesus’ call and multiplied as fishers of men after His resurrection:
– Peter preached the Gospel boldly and 3000 were saved after his first sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:41). Later through Peter and John, 5000 more believed (Acts 4:4).
– Scattered believers “went about preaching the word” after persecution, spreading the Gospel widely (Acts 8:4).
– Saul, after his conversion to become Paul, immediately “at once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.” (Acts 9:20).
– The church at Antioch was full of teachers actively winning unbelievers to the faith and training new disciples (Acts 11:26).
– Paul summarized his evangelistic mission by saying “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” (1 Cor. 9:22)
Every believer is called to carry on Jesus’ mission of fishing for people by casting the Gospel net among their relational spheres of influence. While it may look different in various contexts, the essential calling is the same – proclaiming and demonstrating Christ’s love in hopes that others will be brought into God’s Kingdom.
Jesus Christ himself modeled the pursuit of the lost and offered the example all disciples must follow:
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21)
Some key principles from Jesus’ life for how believers can fish for men include:
– Love people as Jesus did. He associated with and showed compassion to those rejected by the religious elite – lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors, adulterers and more.
– Build genuine friendships with unbelievers. Don’t just see people as projects. Jesus formed real connections that enabled him to speak change into people’s lives.
– Identify needs and help people. Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry, freed the oppressed, provided for needs. Meeting practical needs softens hearts to the Gospel.
– Meet people where they are, don’t wait for them to come. Jesus traveled to Samaria, Galilee, Gentile regions, anyplace with receptive people. Go!’
– Call to repentance. Jesus didn’t shy away from warning about sin and need for repentance. But he did so with grace and earnestness.
– Expose religious hypocrisy but offer the life-changing truth. Jesus rebuked hypocritical religious leaders while sincerely offering the life-giving message of the Kingdom to ordinary people.
– Warn of the danger of unbelief. Jesus gave sober warnings of the danger of rejecting him and God’s offer of salvation.
– Make disciple-making disciples. Jesus invested deeply in his twelve disciples and trained them to carry on the mission after him.
– Pray diligently for open hearts. Jesus instructed his disciples to pray for God to send out workers for the harvest, open doors and receptive hearts.
– Persevere when persecuted or rejected. Jesus endured opposition and suffering while continuing to pursue lost people. He warned disciples would face the same.
– Call for total commitment. Jesus’ call was to absolute surrender of one’s life and will to follow him obediently. Half-hearted followers struggle to bear Gospel fruit.
Believers must depend fully on the Holy Spirit to empower them in the mission of fishing for people. Jesus himself did his ministry in the Spirit’s power (Luke 4:1). In order to witness effectively to Christ, disciples must walk in step with the Spirit dynamically working in and through them.
When the church prayed at Pentecost, “all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly” leading crowds to faith in Jesus (Acts 4:31). The Spirit gave them power, wisdom, courage, miraculous gifts, prophetic words to reach the lost.
Paul declared, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)
Relying on programs, presentations or intellect alone results in limited fruit. Effectively fishing for men requires trusting in the Spirit’s power and gifts to affirm the truth of the Gospel and draw unbelievers to salvation.
The apostle John records Jesus appearing to his disciples after the resurrection, having caught nothing again all night. Jesus calls to them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” They did as instructed “and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish.” (John 21:4-6)
This final miraculous catch of fish reminds Christ’s followers of important truths for fishing for men:
– Apart from Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5). Trust in His power and wisdom rather than self-reliance.
– Obey Jesus’ voice and direction to find fruitfulness. Don’t rely on personal experience or assumptions.
– Success in ministry requires perseverance through seasons of fruitlessness. Jesus restored and recommissioned Peter after he had denied Him.
– Divine guidance and revelation is key for catching people. Our strategies alone will come up empty.
– Partnership in community produces greater harvest as they worked together. The lone fisherman cannot haul in the catch – teamwork is required.
– God often brings increase suddenly and surprisingly. Do not give up hope in seeming dry seasons.
– God provides abundantly, beyond expectations! Ministry efforts should anticipate supernatural size harvests.
– Equip fellow believers and develop teams to handle the great harvest coming in. Mentor and train others to bear lasting Gospel fruit.
Fishing for men must be motivated by Christ-like love, not selfish ambition. Paul warns, “If I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. Necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16) The love of Christ must compel His followers to call others into relationship with Him (2 Cor. 5:14).
Without sincere love for people, evangelistic efforts can become programs, obligations or even exploitative. Believers must first ask God to fill their hearts with compassion for the lost, weeping over the condition of those without hope (Luke 19:41, Romans 9:2-3). Praying for and engaging with nonbelievers in genuine love softens their hearts to receive the Gospel.
As His disciples seek to become fishers of men, Jesus Christ promises to guide the way. He will instruct, empower, embolden and equip his church in the mission He began – to seek and save the lost across all nations. Faithfully following Christ’s model and depending on the Spirit’s enablement, believers have the joy of partnering in God’s plans to draw every people to Himself until He comes again.
