Mark 1:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

NIV: Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will send you out to fish for people.'

NASB: And Jesus said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will have you become fishers of people.'

CSB: "Follow me," Jesus told them, "and I will make you fish for people."

NLT: Jesus called out to them, 'Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!'

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

NKJV: Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

Luke 5:1–11 gives the full account of Jesus' call of Andrew, Simon Peter, James, and John. Jesus is teaching on the shores of Gennesaret, south of Capernaum, when the crowd becomes overwhelming. Simon Peter and the others are washing their nets, and Jesus asks him if he can use his boat as kind of a stage. Jesus sits in the boat and teaches for a while, but then tells Simon to go out farther into the lake to fish. Peter explains that they'd gone out the night before and found nothing, but Jesus insists. When Simon Peter lets down his nets, the catch is so great it threatens to swamp both his and James and John's boats. Simon Peter's response is to instantly worship Jesus.

Mark, being a man of action, only records the call issued by Jesus. The call to "follow me" is also used with Levi (Matthew) in Mark 2:14, to a crowd in Mark 8:34, and to the rich young ruler in Mark 10:21. It's also found in Matthew 11:28 when Jesus says, "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." This is Jesus' call to us, as well. Not all will answer the call of Christ, yet those who do experience changed lives, including Peter, Andrew, and Matthew, along with James and John (Mark 1:19–20), who would all serve as part of the twelve apostles.

The apostles, as "fishers of men," grow to understand this. They fished with nets, which were dropped or thrown over the side of the boat. The net would collect a wide variety of creatures, not all of which were good for food. In a similar way, Jesus promises Andrew and Simon Peter that they would "catch" or reach many people with the good news of Jesus. Jesus expounds on this idea in the Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47–50). The kingdom of heaven is like a net that catches many people, but some will not have a saving faith and will be rejected. Jesus calls Andrew and Simon Peter (and James and John) to sacrifice their lifestyle and their lives to change the world rather than run a business. In return, many, but not all, lives would be changed forever.

Mark 1:14–20 describes Jesus' call of the first disciples. First, Jesus approaches Simon—later named Peter—and Andrew, and then speaks to James and John. Both pairs of men choose to leave their fishing businesses behind, in order to follow Jesus. As the following passage shows, this means abandoning everything, as Jesus' ministry will take Him away from this region. Other Gospels give additional details on these encounters (Matthew 4:18–22; Luke 5:1–11; John 1:35–42).

John the Baptist is introduced as a figure preparing the world for the arrival of the Messiah. John's baptism teaches people about their need for repentance. When Jesus arrives, and is baptized, it signals the coming of God's fulfillment and the need of people to recognize their Savior. Mark briefly notes Jesus' baptism, desert temptation, and the calling of the first four disciples. After this, Jesus begins teaching in the synagogue and performs miraculous healings which spread His fame around the region.

The first chapter of the Gospel of Mark sets the tone for the rest of the story. Mark's writing is concise, action-packed, and short on details. Within a few verses, Mark establishes the transition from the wilderness ministry of John the Baptist to the healing and preaching of Jesus Christ. This first chapter includes the calling of Jesus' earliest disciples, His early miracles, and His early teaching. This establishes the pattern shown throughout the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus mingles His teaching with miraculous signs.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.