Jesus, God the Christ

“And as He stopped speaking, He said to Simon, Launch out into the deep and let your nets down for a haul.” (Luke 5:4)

We see God’s intentional actions. There is a purpose for everything Jesus did. A brief summary: There were already crowds following Jesus because of the miracles He’d done. After being tempted by the devil, He was anointed of the Holy Spirit. Already He was the talk of the area for His preaching. It was nothing like the Pharisees’ and the Sadducees’ preaching. It touched their souls. It gave hope. It was full of love. “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. And a report went out throughout all the neighborhood concerning Him. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.” (Luke 4:14-15)

He goes to Nazareth where He is rejected. (Luke 4:16-30) The crowds followed Him. And His compassion healed the man with the demon and many others. (Luke 4:31-41) Jesus continued to preach in the synagogues. He was on His mission to preach the Gospel to many in different cities. “And He said to them, I must proclaim the gospel, the kingdom of God, to other cities, because I was sent on this mission, And He proclaimed in the synagogues of Galilee.” (Luke 4:43-44) That’s when He finds Himself by the lake of Gennesaret. (Luke 5:1) Fishermen were there washing their nets after fishing all night long. His wisdom leads Him to preach from one of the boats. It’s a known fact that water amplifies sound. But when He is finished speaking, He tells the fishermen to cast their nets for fish. (Luke 5:4)

I can imagine the incredulous voices of the fishermen. They know the best fishing is at night. And they didn’t catch anything that night. They didn’t expect to catch anything in the day. But they obey Jesus probably just to show that they wouldn’t catch anything. And of course, it’s Peter who always speaks out what everyone is thinking but won’t say. “And answering, Simon said to Him, Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing. Yet at Your word I will let down the net.” (Luke 5:5) And that day they haul in so many fish they need to call other fishermen to come and help them with the bounty. (Luke 5: 6,7)

Jesus demonstrated a few things here. He is God, the Christ. We should obey Him. We should have faith in what He says. And He abundantly blesses more than we ask. Jesus did this miracle and called these fishermen. These were uneducated men who realized that Jesus was not merely a teacher of the Gospel, but that He is the Messiah Whom the whole Jewish world was waiting for. This miracle cemented in their hearts a desire to follow and obey Him. He became their Lord. “And seeing, Simon Peter fell at the knees of Jesus, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord. For he and all who were with him were astonished at the haul of fish which they had taken, and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Do not fear, from now on you will be taking men alive. And bringing their boats onto land, forsaking all things, they followed Him.” (Luke 5:8-11) These fishermen never left Jesus except when the Romans arrested Him. They scattered.

The fishermen made Jesus their Lord because He demonstrated that He was God. And God demonstrated to our hearts that He is God when we heard the Gospel. When we heard the Truth, it resonated with our spirit. Like Peter we recognized our sinfulness. This is what the Word of God does. It convicts our sinfulness but is full of love and compassion. “All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfected, thoroughly furnished to every good work.” (2Timothy 3:16-17)

The incident at the lake of Gennesaret also showed that Jesus is God. He demonstrated His power over nature. The fishermen were reluctant to obey, but they obeyed. Sometimes the Lord will show us what we have to do, but it’s so “humanly” different from what our reasoning tells us. But if we obey, like the fishermen, we will be abundantly blessed. How do we know it’s God asking us to do something we can’t reason in our little minds? Whatever God asks you to do will be in line with His Word. He will ask you to do things that are humanly foreign like forgive those who hate you, to give those who steal from you and to allow others to take credit for your work. Doing these things is something people on this earth do not do. Yet, the Lord asks us to do that. He tells us to do things that are supernatural because with the Holy Spirit indwelling, we are supernatural. “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, so that He may be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him nor know Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you.” (John 14:16-17)

If Jesus is God, it’s wise to obey Him. The fishermen obeyed and were blessed. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) This Scripture is powerful because the opposite is also true. If you don’t keep His commandments, you really don’t love Him. God knows those who love Him and those who do not love Him. And those who don’t love Him do not belong to Him, but to the enemy. “Jesus said to them, If God were your father, you would love Me, for I went forth and came from God; for I did not come of Myself, but He sent Me.” (John 8:42) Paul’s declaration is not a curse, but a declaration of Truth. “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. The Lord comes!” (1Corinthians 16:22) The fishermen learned immediately that to obey Christ is a blessing.

What Jesus taught was Truth. It was Truth with love, compassion, hope, mercy and grace. The commandments He gives us are for blessing and not cursing. They are for life and abundance. “The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) He demonstrated it to the fishermen. Jesus doesn’t give meagerly but abundantly. “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, forever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

In review, we see how the incident at the lake of Gennesaret demonstrates that Jesus is God the Christ, in Whom we should have faith and obey. Jesus demonstrated that He came to bless abundantly. The fishermen recognized this and followed Him as Lord. We can see this and should obey and follow Him.

Let us pray:

Father God, I thank You for sending Jesus to redeem me. I do believe He is Who He said He is. He is my Lord and King, Savior and Redeemer. Help me to follow Him as He said I could, dying daily to myself and taking up my cross. Help me to obey Him. His Word is Truth, love and mercy. It is light, opening my eyes to Your Truth. It shows me my defects and failings, but because of Jesus, it doesn’t condemn me but helps me to reject the world and the flesh. It helps me to live in righteousness. (Philippians 1:9-11) I am grateful for Your love and Your mercy through Jesus my Lord. In the Name of Jesus I pray, amen.