The Call of Peter Luke 5:1-11

LESSON NOTES AND QUESTIONS:

Summary: In Luke 5:1-11, we see Jesus calling His first disciples, demonstrating His love and authority over their lives. The call of Jesus in this passage reflects the divine love and sovereignty of Christ, foreshadowing His ultimate sacrifice on the cross for humanity's salvation. Jesus' call is rooted in His deep love for us, calling us to trust Him, obey Him, and follow Him with faith and surrender.

Application: This passage reminds us that the call of Jesus is a call of love, inviting us to follow Him with trust and obedience, knowing that He has a purpose for our lives. This sermon teaches us about the compassionate and powerful nature of Jesus' call, urging us to respond with faith and surrender.

Background on Disciple: The list of disciples is in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Interestingly, each of the lists begins with Simon (also known as Peter). Some argue that the order in which the disciples are listed are based upon the level of intimacy they had with Christ. We know that Peter, James, and John were part of the inner circle. They were present at many major events in Jesus’ ministry when the other disciples may not have been present.

Peter is known as being eager, aggressive, bold, and outspoken - with the habit of revving his mouth while his brain was in neutral (referred to as the apostle with the foot-shaped mouth). Luke 6:14 tells us that Jesus gave Simon a new name, “Simon, whom He also named Peter.” Peter, not a replacement for Simon (hence the use of the word also) was sort of a nickname meaning rock. Pay attention to when Jesus refers to him as Simon vs Peter - there’s some deeper meaning there (only for future discussion Simon was often used when he needed rebuke/correction).

1. Personal Call to Partnership

Luke 5:1-3

This is likely the third time that Jesus interacted with these men (Peter, Andrew, James, and John). Jesus came to Peter, knowing he was a fisherman. Jesus entering Peter's boat signifies His desire to be involved in our everyday lives. This point could illustrate Jesus' personal approach to each of us, inviting us to let Him into the 'boats' of our lives for a divine purpose.

QUESTION: How has Jesus personally been involved in your life? How have you experienced Jesus or Jesus working through someone, personally getting into your boat to minister to you?

2. Promise of Abundant Provision

Luke 5:4-7

You can explore the miracle of the catch of fish as a metaphor for Jesus' call to a life of abundance and faith. Look at Peter’s response: Though he was an experienced fisherman, Peter was sure he would not catch anything at that time of the day when the fish were deeper in the lake, yet he obeyed Jesus’ word. This showed a significant amount of faith. The resulting catch began to break the nets, so they filled Peter’s and another boat with the fish till both boats began to sink. This miraculous catch reflects Jesus' power and sovereignty, encouraging listeners to trust in His guidance even when it contradicts our understanding or experience.

QUESTION: Describe a time when Jesus asked you to do something that seemed to contradict the world’s wisdom but the result demonstrated the life of abundance to which Christ calls you.

3. Profound Transformation in Christ

Luke 5:8-10

Back in verse 5 Peter calls Jesus Master (Ἐπιστάτα - Epistata), a word found only in the Gospel of Luke. In all seven of its occurrences it is used in addressing Jesus. The term is not specific like ‘Rabbi’ (which Luke never uses), but denotes anyone in authority (royal officials, rulers, taskmasters - someone in authority but with limited authority). But then in verse 8 Peter falls to his knees and call Jesus Lord (Κύριος - Kurios) and his phrasing exalts the Lord God to express the divinity of Jesus. Peter had experienced the unimaginable grace of God and that drove him to realize his own sinfulness. Prior to Peter’s profound profession of Jesus as Lord, Luke refers to Peter as Simon and in almost every instance after Luke 5:8 he is referred to as Peter.

QUESTION: When have you experienced Jesus' deep love and sovereignty in your life in a way that led you from self-aware unworthiness into a deeper discipleship relationship where you were forced to depend on Christ instead of your own self-worth?

4. Prioritized Response to Love

Luke 5:11

Conclude with the disciples' response to Jesus' call, emphasizing their decision to leave everything and follow Him. This act of faith and surrender mirrors our called response to Christ's compelling love, prioritizing His mission above all else. Jesus’ teaching, combined with His miraculous acts, showed that He had the authority to call the men and have them respond by leaving everything.

QUESTION: What steps can you take to prioritize your response to Christ's compelling love, as seen in the disciples' decision to leave everything and follow Him?