Plants and Foods of the Bible · The Bible Table · Food

Fish

The food of the fishermen of the Sea of Galilee, whom Jesus called to follow Him

Key verse
Matthew 14:19
Where we find it
The Sea of Galilee and the fishing villages on its shore, like Capernaum
What it reminds us of
Jesus’ care and the call to follow Him
Illustration: Fish

Stories from Scripture

Fish in the stories of the Bible

  1. Peter and Andrew

    Fishers of men

    By the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw Simon Peter and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea. He said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They straightway left their nets and followed Him.

    Matthew 4:18-20

  2. Simon Peter

    The nets full at the word of Jesus

    Simon had fished all night without catching anything. Still, he told Jesus, “at thy word I will let down the net.” They caught so many fish that the nets began to break, and they filled two boats.

    Luke 5:4-7

  3. The risen Jesus and the disciples

    Breakfast on the seashore

    After the resurrection, the disciples found on the shore a fire of coals with fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Come and dine.” Then He took the bread and the fish and gave them to the weary disciples.

    John 21:9-13

From the world of the Bible

Did you know?

  • The Sea of Galilee is really a big freshwater lake, about 21 kilometers long.

  • In the time of Jesus, fishermen caught fish with nets cast from the shore or from wooden boats, often at night.

  • Fish was eaten fresh, roasted over coals, or it was salted and dried so that it could be carried and sold in other towns.

From the Holy Scriptures

What do we read in the Bible about fish?

19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

In kids’ words: Jesus looked up to heaven and blessed the food before He shared it. The little that there was became enough for many, because He blessed it.

19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

In kids’ words: Jesus called the fishermen to follow Him and to bring other people to God too. He calls us as well.

Verses are quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Read each passage in the context of its chapter in the Bible.

What fish teaches us

Jesus cares and calls disciples

Jesus chose ordinary people, fishermen who worked with their hands, to be His disciples. He fed the crowds, filled the empty nets and prepared a warm meal for His weary disciples. Jesus takes care of our needs and calls us to follow Him.

How we can live this out today

Be a “fisher of men” too: invite a friend to Sunday school or tell them a story about Jesus.

Mini-Quiz

What did you learn about fish?

In which miracle do loaves and fishes appear?

For parents and children

At home and in Sunday school

A question for parents and children

Whom could we invite to learn more about Jesus? How can we show them His care by what we do?

My prayer
“Lord Jesus, thank You for taking care of me as You did of Your disciples. I want to follow You and tell others about Your love. Amen.”

Activity at home

Bread and fish

Draw five loaves and two fish. Count them and tell how Jesus fed thousands of people with so little.