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THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #07
THE PARABLE OF FISH AND FISHERS (MAT 4:18-22)
- MEMORY VERSE: LUKE 5:32
- READ LUKE 5:2-11 FOR BACKGROUND
- READ MATTHEW 4:18-22 AND MARK 1:16-20
- TO WHOM WAS THE PARABLE SPOKEN?
- JESUS SPOKE THE PARABLE TO THE DISCIPLES WHO WERE FISHERMEN THAT EVIDENTLY HAD A SOFT HEART TOWARD GOD.
- WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
- GOD CALLS WHOMEVER HE WILL TO DISCIPLESHIP AT THE TIME AND PLACE WHERE HE DETERMINES THAT THE POTENTIAL DISCIPLE IS READY TO RESPOND.
- WHO DO THE FISH REPRESENT?
- THE FISH ARE THE SOULS OF MEN WHO ARE DEAD IN SIN.
- IN THE PARABLE, WHO ARE THE FISHERMEN?
- THE DISCIPLES OR THE BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST.
- WHAT IS THE NET?
- THE NET IS THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST THAT BRINGS SALVATION TO MAN.
- DO ALL FISH ENTER THE NET? NO
- NOT ALL PEOPLE ARE SAVED.
- WHAT DETERMINES WHO ENTERS THE NET?
- GOD CHOOSES THOSE WHO HAVE A SOFT HEART FOR GOD, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT DRAWS MEN TO GOD.
- READ JOH 6:44 AND JOH 15:26 AND JOH 16:14.
- COMPARE THE THREE ACCOUNTS IN MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE. WHAT DIFFERENCES DO YOU SEE?
- THERE ARE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MATTHEW AND MARK.
- THE STORY IN LUKE GIVES US GREATER DETAIL INCLUDING A MIRACLE AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE PARABLE.
| LUKE 5:2-11 | MATTHEW 4:18-22 |
| A MIRACLE OCCURS | THERE IS NO MENTION OF A MIRACLE |
| ALL FOUR DISCIPLES ARE CALLED TOGETHER | THE FOUR DISCIPLES ARE CALLED SEPARATELY IN PAIRS |
| NETS ARE USED FOR A MIRACULOUS CATCH | ONE PAIR OF DISCIPLES CAST NETS, THE OTHER ARE MENDING NETS |
| THE EVENT OCCURS IN AN ADVANCED STAGE OF CHRISTS MINISTRY | THE EVENT OCCURS WITH NO PRIOR PUBLIC APPEARANCES |
| THERE ARE MULTITUDES FOLLOWING JESUS | THERE IS NO MENTION OF MULTITUDES FOLLOWING JESUS |
- THE ORGANIZATION OF THE TWELVE DISCIPLES:
|
GROUP 1 |
GROUP 2 |
GROUP 3 |
|
| THE LEADER: | PETER, ALWAYS NAMED FIRST | PHILIP, ALWAYS NAMED FIFTH | JAMES, ALWAYS NAMED NINTH |
| THE GROUP: | ANDREW JAMES JOHN |
BARTHOLOMEW THOMAS MATTHEW |
THADDAEUS SIMON JUDAS, ALWAYS NAMED LAST |
- GROUP 1 IS ALWAYS NAMED IN THE TOP 4.
- GROUP 1 WAS CLOSER TO JESUS IN THE MINISTRY CIRCLE THAN THE OTHER TWO GROUPS.
- JOHN, IN GROUP 1, WAS THE CLOSEST TO JESUS.
- THEREFORE, WE SEE A PATTERN OF LEADERSHIP AND DISCIPLESHIP ESTABLISHED BY JESUS EXAMPLE.
- THE LEVELS OF HEIRARCHY:
|
JESUS CHRIST |
|
|
GROUP 1 |
|
|
GROUP 2 |
GROUP 3 |
|
70 SENT OUT |
|
|
120 IN THE UPPER ROOM |
|
- THE DISCIPLES IN THIS PARABLE:
- ANDREW, THE FRIENDLY DISCIPLE
- ANDREW HAD BEEN LISTENING TO JOHN THE BAPTIST AND CAME TO BELIEVE THAT JESUS WAS THE LAMB OF GOD, THE MESSIAH.
- THE FIRST THING ANDREW DID WAS TO GET HIS BELOVED BROTHER, SIMON PETER.
- ALL HIS LIFE ANDREW PROBABLY PLAYED A SECONDARY ROLE TO HIS BROTHER SIMON PETER.
- ANDREW WAS THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THE BOY WITH THE LUNCH TO JESUS WHO MULTIPLIED IT TO FEED THE 5,000. (JOH 6:9-10)
- EVERY TIME WE SEE ANDREW IN SCRIPTURE, HE IS BRINGING SOMEONE TO JESUS.
- ACCORDING TO LEGEND, ANDREW TRAVELLED TO GREECE WHERE HE WAS CRUCIFIED ON AN X-SHAPED CROSS.
- SIMON PETER, THE MAGNIFICENT DISCIPLE
- PETER WAS THE FIRST TO SPEAK AND THE FIRST TO ACT.
- HE WAS IMPULSIVE, IMPETUOUS, AND TEMPESTUOUS. HE WENT FROM UNSTABLE TO STABLE IN HIS FAITH.
- PETER WAS HUMBLE IN THAT HE REPENTED WHEN HE DENIED JESUS.
- HE WOULD ALWAYS ADMIT WHEN HE WAS WRONG.
- FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN PAUL CONFRONTED HIM IN THE BOOK OF ACTS FOR NOT TREATING JEWS AND GENTILES ALIKE. HE TOOK THE REBUKE.
- ACCORDING TO TRADITION, PETER DIED IN ROME HAVING BEEN CRUCIFIED UPSIDE DOWN BY HIS OWN REQUEST.
- JAMES, THE AMBITIOUS DISCIPLE:
- JAMES MOTHER WAS MARYS SISTER. THAT MEANS THAT JESUS WAS A COUSIN TO JAMES AND HIS YOUNGER BROTHER, JOHN.
- JAMES MOTHER WANTED A SPECIAL PLACE FOR HER TWO SONS, JAMES AND JOHN, IN HEAVEN
- JESUS NICKNAMED JAMES AND JOHN, “THE SONS OF THUNDER”.
- JAMES WAS A MAN OF STRONG PERSONALITY AND FIERY TEMPERAMENT.
- JAMES WAS THE FIRST DISCIPLE TO BE MARTYRED, HAVING BEEN KILLED BY THE SWORD OF KING HEROD.
- JOHN, THE BELOVED DISCIPLE:
- DESPITE HIS FIERY TEMPER, JOHN DEVELOPED A GENTLE, LOVING HEART.
- JOHN WAS THE CLOSEST DISCIPLE TO JESUS.
- JOHN WAS IMPRISONED AND PERSECUTED. HE WAS THE ONLY DISCIPLE TO DIE A NATURAL DEATH IN OLD AGE.
- HE WAS THE LAST DISCIPLE TO DIE.
- APPLICATION:
- IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN FISHING, WHAT ARE SOME IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES TO REMEMBER IN ORDER TO CATCH FISH?
- =1= KEEP YOURSELF OUT OF SIGHT.
- =2= KEEP SILENT SO AS NOT TO SCARE THE FISH AWAY.
- =3= YOU MUST KNOW WHAT KIND OF BAIT TO USE.
- =4= YOU MUST USE THE RIGHT BAIT.
- =5= YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO BAIT THE HOOK.
- =6= YOU MUST SET THE FISHING LINE TO THE RIGHT DEPTH.
- =7= YOU MUST FISH AT THE RIGHT TIME OF THE DAY WHEN THEY ARE HUNGRY.
- =8= YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO TAKE THE FISH FROM THE HOOK.
- =9= YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO CARE FOR THE FISH ONCE THEY ARE CAUGHT.
- DISCUSSION: HOW DO YOU APPLY THESE PRINCIPLES TO WITNESSING AND GAINING SOULS FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD?
HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF SALT AND ITS SAVOR (MAT 5:13)
THE PARABLE OF LIGHT AND A CITY (MAT 5:14-16)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
- APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF FISH AND FISHERS (MAT 4:18-22)
- WITH WHICH OF THE FOUR DISCIPLES MENTIONED IN THIS PARABLE CAN YOU RELATE THAT IS MOST LIKE YOUR PERSONALITY? WHY?
- THINK ABOUT HOW GOD USED THAT DISCIPLE IN A MIGHTY WAY. HOW CAN GOD BEST USE YOU?
- PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF SALT AND ITS SAVOR (MAT 5:13) AND THE PARABLE OF LIGHT AND A CITY (MAT 5:14-16)
- THE PARABLE OF SALT AND ITS SAVOR (MAT 5:13)
- READ MAT 5:1-16 FOR CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND.
- READ MAR 9:49-50
- READ LUK 14:34-35
- TO WHOM IS THE PARABLE SPOKEN?
- WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THIS PARABLE?
- WHAT IS MEANT BY SALT?
- HOW CAN SALT LOSE ITS SALTINESS?
- WHAT IS MEANT BY SALT THAT HAS LOST IS SAVOR?
- WHAT ARE SOME GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS AND USES OF SALT THAT APPLY TO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE?
- THE PARABLE OF LIGHT AND A CITY (MAT 5:14-16)
- WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THIS PARABLE?
- WHAT IS MEANT BY LIGHT?
- WHAT DOES THE CITY ON A HILL REPRESENT?
- WHAT DOES THE BUSHEL BASKET REPRESENT?
- WHAT DOES THE LAMPSTAND REPRESENT?
- MEMORY VERSE: 1JOHN 1:7
