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Fishers of Men
Text: Matthew 13:47-50
The parable is a simple act of commercial fishing; cast the net, pull in the net when it’s full, then make the judgment of what’s a keeper and what’s not. It’s similar to the parable of the wheat and tares except it’s a fishing analogy. What are the fish in this parable? The fish are men. Jesus Christ’s kingdom is like fishers of men. And the coming of His kingdom is like drawing the net and sorting the catch.
Jeremiah 16:10-21 Note particularly the LORD sends fishers first, then sends hunters second. Also noteworthy is Gentiles would come in as well according to verses 19-21.
Matthew 4:17-22 600 years after Jeremiah prophesied, the Lord Jesus Christ begins his ministry by inviting men to become fishers of men.
Luke 24:47 (Matthew 28:19-20) Every kind gets caught in the net according to the parable and according to scripture.
- Acts 10:34-43 Peter is preaching the gospel that he said started with John the Baptist who said, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. So Peter is not preaching a different gospel to the Jews than the Gentiles. Everything is and always was about Jesus Christ, to the Jew FIRST, THEN to the Greek.
- Romans 11:25-27 the mystery is that all nations would be gathered by Jesus Christ. His body would provide a refuge and salvation to sinners. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
- Colossians 1:23 – remember the parable says gathered of every kind, not every individual, but every kind is represented.
- 2 Timothy 4:1-5 Preaching is fishing. Preach the word. Not preach to the right people. Just like the sower and the seed parable. The seed fell in all kinds of places.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10. Read that carefully. Is that the second coming of Jesus Christ? And what is the basis of judgment there? The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. This leads us to the next aspect of this parable which is the end of this present evil world. So the parable says, So shall it be in the end of the world. The coming of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is the end of this world.
- Luke 13:23-30 Israelites unable to enter Christ’s kingdom because they’ve rejected the stone who is Jesus Christ. But now strangers are entering Christ’s kingdom because they heard the preaching and received it.
John 21:11-13 after the resurrection, 153 caught, no nets brake, and there is a supper to follow.
