Fishers of Men

The prophet Jeremiah gave us this well-known prophecy from the Lord about the work of gathering the house of Israel: “Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks” (Jeremiah 16:16).  It seems likely that the Savior was alluding to this when He invited Peter and Andrew on the shores of the Sea of Galilee: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19).  Here these two were, understandably focused on providing a livelihood for their families, and the Savior came to invite them to shift the focus of their lives outward and heavenward.  He was a Fisher of them, literally bringing them out of the water into a new life of discipleship, and He invited them to follow Him and do the same.   

             The fish became an important symbol in the New Testament associated with the miracles of the Savior.  After Peter and his brethren had toiled all night in search of fish but had captured nothing, Jesus told them, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught” (Luke 5:4).  They caught so many fish that their nets broke—a miracle indeed.  On another occasion when Jesus suggested that they feed the large multitude who had listened to Him, He was given “five loaves, and two fishes” (Matthew 14:17).  Those He miraculously multiplied in order to feed the five thousand with their families.  In another instance when He desired again to feed the multitude, they brought Him seven loaves “and a few little fishes” (Matthew 15:34).  This He again multiplied in order to feed the four thousand with their families.  Once more fish were a part of a great miracle.  When Peter was asked about paying tribute money, Jesus provided the miracle of money to pay it: “Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee” (Matthew 17:27).  Peter was able to miraculously find a piece of money in the mouth of a fish and pay the tribute.  After His death the Savior came back and with fish helped to prove to them that He was indeed resurrected.  We read that “they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them” (Luke 24:42-43).  He was truly alive again in the greatest miracle of all, and He used a fish to help prove it to them.  It’s no wonder that the sign of a fish became a symbol of Christianity.  As we ponder these miracles of the Savior we are invited to follow Him and seek to continue the miracles in our day as we too strive to be fishers of men.