If you asked me about fishing, I wouldn’t be able to tell you much. It’s not that I don’t like or enjoy fishing, it’s simply that I haven’t done a whole lot of it. We had a pond at my farm growing up, but the most time I spent there was when I had my skates on. I did try my hand at catching some fish out of that pond a few times, but the one time my hook actually caught one…my line broke. Yup, that’s about as close to catching a fish as I’ve ever been. These days, when I find myself in a boat it’s usually to strap on my water ski, to watch friends and family wakeboard or just to relax on the lake. It’s not too often I find myself holding a fishing rod or net.

As I was reading through the first chapter of Mark the other day, I read a simple statement made by Jesus in the middle of chapter 1 that we’ve all probably read or heard at one time or another. The verse reads:

“And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’” (Mark 1:17)

This is one of those familiar verses that we sometimes skim over without stopping to ponder. But, like I said, something about it just struck me as I read it. What was Jesus talking about? What did it mean to these guys as He said those words?

Simon and Andrew and James and John were fishermen, but they certainly weren’t fishers of men. They (unlike me) knew what fishing was all about. It was very much a part of who they were, it was what they did. Fishing was their livelihood. Some of them may have been self-employed, but for James and John it was the family business. So these guys knew a thing or two about fishing.

One insight into Mark’s gospel account is that he wastes no time in revealing who Jesus was and is and what He came to do. In the very first verse, Mark tells us that Jesus “the Son of God.” Eight verses later we see Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist and in the verses that follow we see the Trinity involved as the Son comes up out of the water, the Spirit descends on Him like a dove, and the Father speaks, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Mark doesn’t spend a lot of time on the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (but it’s there for two verses). Then, at verse 14 Jesus begins his public ministry “proclaiming the gospel of God”! As the rest of the chapter unfolds Jesus alls His first disciples, Jesus heals people, His fame begins to spread throughout the land and then in verse 38 Jesus says, “Let us go on to the nest towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” Mark packs a lot into this fast-paced glimpse into the life of Jesus.

Now, back to fishing.

As I said before, fishing was very much a part of who these new followers of Jesus were and what Jesus seems to be saying here is that truly following Him entails fishing for men. Throughout the gospels Jesus calls, commands, assigns, and teaches His followers to do all sorts of different tasks. But, the biggest task of all that we see is this mission to reach other people.

The very fact that Jesus was even on the scene reveals God’s love for people. Christianity is the only worldview in which God comes to the rescue Himself. We just don’t see this anywhere else. From beginning to end, the Bible paints this picture and tells this story of redemption that all culminates in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. God is on the scene and His mission has begun. He’s out to fish for people, He’s out to save the world and in verse 17 of the first chapter of Mark, He invites His followers in on the mission.

If we are followers, we gotta be fishers.

To follow Jesus is to be a fisher of men. This is intrinsic to our very identities as Christ followers. The more I look at Jesus and what He calls us to, the more that truth just seems to jump out. Our very identities as believers in and followers of Jesus are tied to this mission that he alludes to as early as Mark 1:17 and fleshes out in the rest of His earthly ministry.

As I pondered this idea I read a tweet on twitter that said this:

“You can’t call yourself a disciple of Jesus if you’re not a fisher of men.”

I believe this is what Jesus is saying. Let’s go fishing.