Matthew 4:19

‘And he says to them, “You come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” '

So Jesus approached them and called them to leave everything and follow Him. Once they had done so, He promised, He would make them ‘fishers of men'. All knew what He meant. He was calling them to a long term commitment. They were to learn from Him and then become evangelists and teachers, themselves calling men to follow Him, and passing judgment on those who refused to do so (Matthew 10:14). By this He was making clear His own unique authority, and His right to call men to do His bidding without question. Only Someone very conscious of God's authority would have felt able to behave in this way, for we note that the only reward was to be that they would be fishers of men, in His Name (Matthew 5:11).

The call for them to become fishers of men may be seen as connecting with Jeremiah 16:16, which were words spoken concerning ‘the last days' (and therefore, to the Gospel writers, the days of Jesus). ‘Behold I will send for many fishermen, says the Lord, and they will fish them'. However, the words of Jeremiah primarily had judgment in mind, and while that would certainly be one of the responsibilities of the disciples (Matthew 10:14) it was only the darker side. For Jesus had now come with a more positive message as well. Before judgment must come the offer of salvation (Isaiah 61:2 a, compare its use by Jesus in Luke 4:19). In contrast to Jeremiah we have the prophecy in Ezekiel 47:10 where the outflowing of the river of life from the Temple results in many fish which will be fished by the Lord's people who will spread their nets to take them. So the acceptable year of the Lord and of salvation is to precede the Day of vengeance (Luke 4:19). And as always when God is about to judge men, some are also to be won to righteousness by His judgments. Thus these Apostles will have a twofold ministry, being called to win men to righteousness, while also consigning those who refuse their words to judgment. Even while taking men alive for Christ, they would necessarily become the cause of judgment on those who refused (Matthew 10:14). For they are drenched not only with the Holy Spirit but with fire (Matthew 3:11).

We can also compare here the parable of the casting of the net in Matthew 13:47. That too has fishers of men in mind. But there those who cast the net are the angels at the end of the age. Nevertheless the same principles apply. The net catches both good and bad, and those caught are judged by how they have responded to the Good News of the Kingly Rule of Heaven. By this it is made clear that what the people of God will begin and continue, the angels will finalise.