Jesus Calls James, John, Peter, and Andrew at the Sea of Galilee

"Fishers of Men"

Matthew 4 Jesus walked along the sandy shore of the Sea of Galilee, the hem of His robe damp from the wet sand, the smell of the salty air refreshing Him. Fishermen were busy, mending their nets, loading their boats, checking the sails. He was looking for someone. A few someones. His eyes landed on two brothers, casting their net into the water. They were well known; one was called Simon Peter and the other Andrew. He had spoken with Andrew a few days earlier. Andrew was a follower of John the Baptist, and had found Jesus after talking with John. Jesus stopped walking. “Follow me,” He called to them, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Andrew looked up and recognized Jesus immediately. He nudged Peter and said something to him. Peter was suddenly excited as well. They both dropped the net and jumped out of their boat to follow Christ. Jesus smiled and continued to walk along the shore. Soon, they came upon two other fishermen, also brothers. Their names were James and John. They were working with their father, Zebedee, in the family boat. Again, Jesus called out, “Come, follow me.” James and John knew of Jesus too. They embraced their father, saying something to him, and then sloshed through the shallows of the sea to join the group, leaving their nets and their father behind.