Luke 5:1-11: The Miracle of the Big Catch

Luke 5:1-11 is known best for the miracle of the big catch of fish, but I do not think that this is the central point of the text, rather it is the miracle of catching the big fish, namely Peter. It is not merely given to demonstrate the power of Jesus, but rather a demonstration of power that leads to Peter following Christ. Luke 4 has introduced Jesus as our Second Adam and the one who has authority over sickness and demons. Having established Jesus identity Luke now turns his attention to Jesus gathering His disciples, various callings and appointments sprinkle the next two chapters. 5:1-11 focuses on the calling of Peter specifically but also James and John v10; 5:27-32 focuses on the calling of Levi; and 6:12-16 list the appointment of the 12 apostles.

The focus of this text is how Jesus saves a sinner and puts them into service. Our consideration of this text will be divided under three headings, firstly, we want to consider Christ as He targets Peter and pursues him; secondly, we want to look at how Christ demonstrated His power to humble Peter; and thirdly, we want to examine how Christ puts sinners into His service and how we are to leave all to follow Him. Our examination of this text will aid as a reminder of how God’s grace works in our lives, the holiness of God which humbles us, and the high calling of serving our God with everything we have.