Jesus Calls His Disciples
After a night of catching nothing, Simon Peter let down his nets because Jesus said to, and caught so many fish the nets began to break. Jesus said, 'Follow me,' and the fishermen left everything to follow him.
You will learn to...
- Retell how Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John.
- Explain what 'fishers of people' means.
- Understand what it means to follow Jesus.
Words to know
- Disciple
- A follower and learner of a teacher.
- Fishers of people
- Helping others come to know Jesus.
Read the full lesson (for older kids and grown-ups)
Simon Peter and his partners had fished all night by the Sea of Galilee and caught nothing. Jesus got into Simon's boat and taught the crowd from it.
Then Jesus told Simon to go into deep water and let down the nets. Simon said, 'We worked all night and caught nothing, but because you say so, I will.' They caught so many fish that their nets began to break and two boats nearly sank!
Jesus said, 'Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.' Peter, his brother Andrew, and their partners James and John left their boats and followed Jesus.
'Fishers of people' was Jesus' way of saying they would now help bring people to God, like fishermen gather fish. A disciple is someone who follows Jesus and learns from him. Jesus still invites people to follow him today.
He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men.”
Family conversation starters
- What does following Jesus look like for a kid?
- Why do you think Jesus chose fishermen?
Main people: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Jesus · Topics: Following Jesus, Discipleship, Obedience · Review status: awaiting theological review