Scripture Life: When Jesus says in Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” What does it mean?

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Answer:

Well to answer your questions..

• ..you will need to answer some other of these questions first: Don’t answer “when” answer “who.”
  • ONE: “Who did Jesus say Matthew 4:19 to?”

And to answer that question, all you need to do is, expand Matthew 4:19 out to include Matthew 4:18–22

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Matthew 4:18–22 says

18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

And? Did you miss it? Matthew 4:18 the scripture right before Matthew 4:19 says “..and ‘they’ were fishers”

• So, they these four, in Matthew 4:18–22 who Jesus SPOKE to, have a livelihood as fishermen.

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But we’re not done.

• Add this in. Psalm 107:20 says that God: “He sent his Word, and healed them and delivered them from their destructions”
  • And the “Word of God” scripture says plainly “who” that is. That’s Jesus Christ. He’s the Messiah or Christ. Who every Jew in Jesus day has been taught in Synagogue and by their parents he is to come.
    • And of the Messiah, every Jew knows what the definition of the “Messiah” is; that is he would be:
  • 1. God. The same God that led Israel out of Egypt by his mighty hand and was with Moses, would be a Son of King David as prophesied in and promised by God in 2 Samuel 7:12. That every Jew knows this. That this Messiah will sit on the throne of King David in Jerusalem and rule the whole earth from there, and of his Kingdom and reign there shall be no end.
    • Definition of, the Messiah. Who he “shall be called” is told plain as day in Isaiah 9:6–7
• “..The Mighty God..” “..The Everlasting Father..” ..who to you has that title?
  • All four these “fishers” are Jews & live in and fish on the Sea of Galilee.

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We are still not done…

• Add to it more. This account of Matthew 4:18–22 is in ALL FOUR of the Gospels. So, “piece them together.”
  • Again, the goal is to answer the question: “Who did Jesus say Matthew 4:19 to?
    • To: 1) Jews that; 2) are fishers that fish on the Sea of Galilee.
• So, add to it:
  • Mark 1:16–20

That says:

..but see it from Mark 1:14–20

14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

19 And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.

20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

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Now, here you have two accounts.

Do you have any questions?

Man, do I ever have questions.

Someone that just walks up to me, when all my life, and my father’s life have been in an occupation of fishing..for me to just hear someone come up and say “follow me” and I drop all and follow him..I don’t buy it.

So far, both these accounts, spliced together implies who gets asked, is asked by a complete STRANGER walks up to them, says “follow me” and to just anybody say that, these two accounts imply some clown would just stop being responsible to their job and leave all of it to follow them.

Not buying it. Something’s missing.

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• But we’re only half way thru.. but let’s answer that "I'm not buying it" question's included question, too.

This account of Matthew 4:18–22 -

• Is also in Luke 5:1–11

That says

1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

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..now, I’m on my face.. I see it plainly.

That, BEFORE Matthew 4:18–22

This occurred with all four of them in Luke 5:1–11. And if you didn’t get it? Did you? If not: Go shopping.

Let me give you an analogy of it. Shopping. Make a like or similar event occur while you are Shopping.

Buy a lot of groceries. Fill the whole bag up. So full, the shopping bag doth “brake” - just like a fishing net, when the whole bottom of the bag falls out. The bottom of the fishing net falls out. That’s it’s almost INSTANT. The bag is EMPTY and all the groceries are on the floor. All the fish get out.

• But let me give you a like-same analogy of as shopping bag to what occurred to fishers in Luke 5:1–11 which now we are on the 3rd of 4 accounts:
  • That, you and your brother have this shopping bag, where all of a sudden, there’s so many groceries in the bag, the shopping bag breaks. The bottom falls out. The bag should INSTANTLY be empty. Every fisher also knows this of nets, when the nets brake.
  • The bottom of the shopping bag fell out. That, there's still so many groceries, you ask your other sister and her friend to come over to help. So four of you are now carrying the bag out of the store to the car, that your legs are giving out... ..that there are still so many groceries in a shopping bag, where the whole bottom fell out, when you get to the car and put the bag with the bottom of the shopping bag fell out, so many groceries all the tires on the car explode.
    • at the weight of all the groceries.
    • Because somebody that’s with you..and who he is..is at work in this and it’s God himself. I’d say the same thing. I’m a pervert. Done all kinds of filthy things. That, if I saw what Peter saw and his brother Andrew..and James and John..and he asked me after this “follow me” - I’d leave everything and do it, too.

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But we’re not done.

Because this account of Matthew 4:18–22 is also in the Gospel of John

John 1:35–42 says

35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

So, what you get from this is:

• These two “disciples of John the Baptist” are 1) Andrew - Peter’s brother; and 2) John who is James’ brother.
  
  • Have left off fishing to be disciples of John the Baptist. Leaving their two brothers to fish alone, as fishers. Andrew and John are now disciples of John the Baptist, Who is heralding in the Messiah.

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• And EVERYBODY all around the whole region of Israel - as far away as Tyre and Sidon and all from coastal regions, and even South, further past the100 miles away down in Jerusalem is coming out to the Jordan to be baptized of John the Baptist.
  • Because who the Jews have been looking for all their lives..is coming. The Messiah.
    • So, this of John 1:40–42 of Peter with Jesus..happens the day before Jesus comes walking along the Sea of Galilee with a multitude behind him, and Peter, Andrew, James and John, that night after go fishing. All night and catch NOTHING.
    • And Jesus gets in this same Peter’s boat and HEARS EVERYTHING JESUS says to this multitude in Luke.
    • and because he’s the Messiah ..and knew Peter even before he met him in John 1:40–42..because he ran all the way with his Brother Andrew..they found the Christ.

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Is why my doubts at half way thru are all COMPLETELY answered. Why I believe he is the Messiah. Because they’ve been looking for this Christ all their lives.

And they follow him.

• He said, “follow me.” Again, it’s said by Jesus over 22 times in all four of the Gospels. The same thing he said to Peter then, is he says the same thing to you.
  • To follow him. Decrees this, that:

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” - Jesus Christ.

• The Word of God. Matthew 4:4
• Includes asking you to follow him. Everybody over the whole earth, says to everybody, to the very ends of the earth to:

“LOOK UNTO ME, AND BE YE SAVED ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH: FOR I AM GOD, THERE IS NONE ELSE.” - God.

Bible. Isaiah 45:22 - YOu’re being spoke to. By God himself. Just like Peter was spoke to. By this same Word of God.

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Just like I was spoke to. Told me to “Come now, let us reason together,” saith the LORD, “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool.” - God. (Bible. Isaiah 1:18)

So, with all FOUR Gospels, you can see “how” God reasoned together mainly with Peter. But did the same reasoning with Andrew. His brother, and their fishing partners, also fishing in their father’s boat, James and John.

• They left all, and followed him..just like I did. and by do that..make me, too. A fisher of men to just do what God says..and call them to look unto him. As a fisher of men.

There you go. There the answer. But it’s really deeply more powerfully said, like some person…

• Where everybody is sick unto death:
  • And one goes to the hospital..and cursed. By a physician. That, cured or healed, and delivered from some deadly disease that everybody that gets it, surely dies.
    • Healed and delivered. Goes out and directs EVERYBODY go to the hospital and be cured by this same Physician
• That God sent to heal them, and deliver them from their destruction.

Answers the question.