Just a few days ago, we went fishing along with my grandson, for the first time this year. It was a fine day and we were looking forward to catching a few fish. After first casting out into the lake and waiting for 10 or 15 minutes, we tried casting to another spot and after a further time, yet another spot. After a hearty breakfast roll and 2 cups of coffee, still we waited. Finally, after over 3 hours of waiting we decided to pack up our gear and go home. No fish graced our landing nets on this day. Of course, I couldn’t help thinking how great it would have been if a stranger had come along and said ‘Try casting your line over there’, with the result that I would catch a fish.
That’s what happened to the disciples who were out fishing all night after Jesus had been crucified and reappeared among them in his resurrected body. At first, after a fruitless night of fishing they might have been a little unsure, but when they did cast their nets on the other side of the boat, as Jesus had commanded, they were rewarded with a huge haul of fish, so many that they couldn’t haul the net into the boat.
It had been Peter, Andrew, James and John who Jesus first approached and called them to be his followers at the start of his ministry. They were fishermen and Jesus said ‘Come, follow me and I will send you out to fish for people. (Matthew 4:19) These followers, known as disciples were to accompany Jesus throughout his time on earth, learning from him and acting in his strength and power. As the time came for Jesus to ascend to heaven once more he gave them this further command ‘
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
This ‘great commission’ has been passed down through the ages to all who believe today and it is a call to ‘cast our nets’, and become like the disci-ples, fishers of men, women and children – acting in the certain knowledge that Jesus is by our side.
As we come to worship over the Easter period, we have much cause to be thankful for our own salvation, gained through the blood of Jesus, who gave his life that our sins might be counted against us no more. Yet, just as we give sorrowful thanks on Good Friday and rejoice in praise on resurrection Sunday, we must also act on those words he gave us to ‘go and make disciples’, seeking those who are lost and do not have the love of Christ within their hearts. Please pray for our Easter worship and outreach, both within the church building and as we hold the book table in the Carfax on April 12th. Jesus has a plan for each of us and knows exactly where to cast our net. Make sure that it is Him you listen to and follow this Easter.
Stuart
Elder
April 2025
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