In His Image - 7: The Master Fisherman

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14

Opening Thought
The Word Became Flesh

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the Word, the essence of God – there at the beginning, the Creator of all things, the True God. The Word is the expression of His person, Who He is, how He feels and expresses Himself. The Word is how He reaches out and seeks to have a relationship with us, His precious creation.

Through all of man’s history, God has worked to draw us to Himself. He spoke to us in many different ways, revealed His ways to us, accomplished many wondrous acts. The Old Testament Tabernacle was a marvelous picture of pitching a tent and dwelling among His people. Yet now, we have the pinnacle act of reaching out to us – He took on a body of flesh and came to dwell among us.

That is not the end of the story however. Christ accomplished His mission, the provision of salvation. But the message to desperately needy men & women must continue to be “evangelized”. You and I are expected to continue the great work of the Word becoming flesh. By the gracious power of the Holy Spirit, we become the person of Christ so that the church can be strengthened, and more can be drawn to Christ and His salvation.


Study Notes
The Master Fisherman

1. A Miraculous Catch - Luke 5:1-11

• Review where Luke is with his story -- Luke 4, the Temptation, and the rejection in Nazareth, is likely before the wedding in Cana. Then several miracles, preaching in a synagogue, and from Peter's boat.
• The men follow Jesus after a remarkable challenge -- This "following" apparently came in stages - see John 1:35-51, Matthew 4:18-22 and Luke 5:11. "Follow" is a strong word for the Gospel writers, and very rarely used in the rest of the New Testament. It has the meaning of attaching oneself, following a person as an attendant or disciple, to take that person's "side".
• Remarkable! The God of the universe chooses to call us mere mortals, enjoining us to work with Him in His divine program. His work is the only investment that will last eternally, yet He does this by His entering our work! Remember that He above all others understands our work -- He "crafted" the craft we take as our own.
• The people were "pressing in" - He must have enjoyed that, just an election candidate wants to feel the people showing their support. But these people were pressing in because they knew they were hearing the Word of God.
• "Let down the net" -- Jesus lays down a test of obedience for Peter and the others. Obedience is often a chore. So much logic and emotion get in the way! And then there's physical preference. These guys were tired, after fishing all night, the normal way the fish were caught. They had probably just finished going to all the "holes", the places that should have had fish -- nothing. Now Jesus just casually says "Let's go over here...!" -- "Launch out into the deep!"
• Go by faith, follow His lead, allow Him to work. Each of must come face to face with Jesus' authority and power, then see that He fully desires to empower us to successfully accomplish His mission.
  

2. John's Seven Signs -- One of John's distinctives is that he uses the term "sign" in reference to Jesus' miracles. These 7 distinctive references to sign/miracles help us to learn much of John's view of the Savior.

• John 2:1-11
• John 4:46-54
• John 5:1-18
• John 6:5-14
• John 6:16-21
• John 9:1-7
• John 11:1-45

For some extended study time, take a sheet of paper, write the key words of each passage, and at least one key characteristic of the Lord Jesus. Remember the goal of these studies is to enable us to "be Christlike" so we need to be learning "what Christ was like."

For further study:

1. Use the Harmony of the Gospels and review the events in Jesus’ life after the Sermon on the Mount through Matthew 11. Be sure to consider what additional events are covered in the other Gospels.
2. If someone were to write “The Gospel According to YOU”, what would the message of that gospel be?
3. Think more about the person of Christ in the events we have studied thus far. Are we learning more about the Savior? Perhaps spend a little extra time this week quietly reflecting on Him.