Chapter One
Fish Tales
Lesson One
passage: Luke 5:1-7
Teacher to Teacher
Watch the video clip, then read the passage and continue through verse 11. Ask Jesus to show you what's most important for you to deal with here. A few questions to ponder: What did you think of Jesus before you actually met him? What did your picture of him look like? What did he do that caused this picture to change?
In the video Andrew refers to a not spot: "A spot where the fish are not ... is a not spot." While the scene in the video ends before the brothers return to that spot, the passage reveals what happens when they do: The not spot becomes a hot spot - Pete and Andy catch more fish than their net and boat can handle.
Jesus seems to revel in turning not spots to hot spots. Can you think of a time when he did this in your own life - turning an empty, fruitless or hopeless situation into one of overflowing blessing? If so, why do you suppose he did it? What was he trying to teach you about himself?
Source Notes
The Lake of Gennesaret and Sea of Galilee are one and the same. The lake is located about 70 miles north of Jerusalem, 13 miles long, eight miles wide, and surrounded by hills. The runoff from the lake forms the Jordan River, which in turn flows into the Dead Sea.
By the way, Simon receives his nickname Peter from Jesus later in the story (see Matthew 16:18), but the gospel writers refer to him as Simon or Peter or Simon Peter throughout their accounts, since they wrote them in retrospect.
Clip Notes
Fish Tales (Clip 1): Two frustrated fishermen, brothers Pete (played by Ted Swartz) and Andy (Lee Eshleman), are mending their nets after an unsuccessful fishing expedition. They're approached by someone who gives them unsolicited fishing advice.
Note that Ted and Lee finish this scene before the guys take the fishing advice; the results are revealed in the passage. It's also worth mentioning that in this scene they appear not to know that the stranger is Jesus. As we'll explore in Lesson 12, even after spending years with Jesus, the two had trouble recognizing him in a scene similar to this one (see John 21:1-6). Ted and Lee's portrayal may be considered a composite view.
lesson outline
prologue
If you fish, tell your saddest fish tale - perhaps a time when you tried all day and caught nothing ... how your hopes and plans turned to naught ... whether you doubted your abilities ... or thought you were being punished for something you did wrong. If you don't fish, chances are you've got a good story about why you don't. Perhaps you failed it as a kid ... or got grossed out by the bait or the cleaning ... or had to get a tetanus shot after someone else's cast embedded the hook in your in your ear.
Segue:
Pete and Andy are brothers and partners in a fishing business, and they have a sad fish tale too.
the clip
Show Clip 1, Fish Tales, then invite students to react to what they've just seen:
What are your impressions of the characters? How would you describe their personalities?
What kind of mood are they in? Why?
What's their initial reaction to the stranger and his fishing advice? Why?
If you had been fishing all day and caught nothing, and someone approached you with fishing advice, how would you react?
Why is it tough for most of us to take advice from others?
Why do you suppose Pete and Andy changed their minds and decided to follow the advice?
the source
Read Luke 5:1-7, point out that Simon and Peter are one and the same, then discuss the passage:
How does the real story differ from the scene in the video?
What do you suppose Peter and Andrew think of Jesus as they're heading out to deep water to try again?
What might they be thinking and feeling about Jesus as they're hauling in the huge catch?
How do you think they'd feel if they pulled in an empty net, even after doing what Jesus said?
Why do you suppose Jesus did this cool thing for these frustrated fisherman? What was the point of it all?
Pretend for a moment that all you know about Jesus is just what you've witnessed in this scene: What do you think of Jesus - who is he, what does he do, what's his personality?
How does this make you feel toward him?
the next step
Repeat Andy's line in the video where he talks about the "not spot" - "a spot where the fish are not ... is a not spot." Then tell the group about a "not spot" in your own life that Jesus turned into a hot spot ... or perhaps a condition that Jesus hasn't yet transformed. Share what you've learned, or are learning, about Jesus because of this situation. Then invite students to reflect on their own "not spots":
Can you recall a time when you had given up hope of changing a situation, and Jesus showed up and changed it radically? (Ask a few students to share their stories with the group.)
Do you have a "not spot" in your life right now? What would happen if Jesus showed up and told you to cast your net there again?
How would the situation be different? How would your life be different? How would your picture of Jesus change as a result? (You might ask a couple students to share their thoughts here, or simply ask them to reflect personally on them.)
Jesus is the teacher, you're his student: What's the Teacher want you to know from this fishing lesson? And what difference will that make in your life this week?
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding
around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water's edge two boats, left
there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the
one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat
down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to
Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Simon answered,
"Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you
say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done so, they caught such a large
number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the
other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that
they began to sink.
-Luke 5:1-7 (NIV)
(Continues...)
Excerpted from An Insider's View of Jesus Leader's Guide by Todd Temple Copyright © 2003 by Zondervan
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