Psalms 4-6
Acts 17:16-34

“…they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break….When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord…’” —Luke 5:6, 8

Simon was a fisherman by trade; he knew how to fish. When Jesus, who was not a fisherman, told him to “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.” At Simon’s obedience, he caught so much fish that the nets began to tear and he had to signal his partners in another boat to help. Before long, both boats began to sink because of all the fish. Looking all around him, Simon fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:4-8, emphasis added). This was a significant moment in Simon’s life because this was the start of Simon’s transformation from simply knowing about Jesus to following after Jesus.

Simon recognized that Jesus was no ordinary man; He was someone special. In fact, when he was contemplating whether to obey what Jesus said, he called Him “Master.” The title “Master” is used in the same way as the title “teacher” or “rabbi.” But after witnessing such a miraculous catch, Simon called Him “Lord.” The title of “Lord” is

significant because, in the Old Testament, God had many names, such as El Shaddai or El Roi, but the personal name of God that He revealed to Moses was “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14), which is the Hebrew word Yahweh. In English, Yahweh is translated as “LORD.”

Simon realized that Jesus was more than a Master, He is Lord. Simon got this revelation and knew in his heart that his Teacher was his Lord and his Master was his God. From that moment onward, Simon’s life would never be the same. In fact, if we were to take a closer examination of this passage, we will notice that Luke, under divine inspiration, referred to Simon as “Simon Peter” when Simon realized who stood before him. This foreshadows later, when Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say I am?” and Simon boldly answers, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter…” (Matthew 16:15-18). Jesus not only gave Simon a new name, but He transformed Simon’s life from being a fisherman and gave him a new purpose as His disciple.

As we acknowledge the lordship of Jesus Christ in our life and choose to follow Him, our lives will never be the same.

Dear Jesus, You are more than a Master or Teacher, You are Lord. My life will never be the same again because You are the Lord and Saviour of my life. Praise You!

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