Lesson#07

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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 CHRIST’S 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 MARY’S 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 FOR CORRECTION.

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