JESUS, THE AWESOME, AMAZING, ASTONISHING

I counted and found that 13 times in the Bible the word “AMAZED” was used to describe people’s reaction to Jesus, and 14 times the word “ASTONISHED” was used.

The two words mean approximately the same thing…

ASTONISHED and AMAZED: “to shock; to strike out of one’s senses; to be utterly dumbfounded, or left "at a loss" from witnessing something incredible (causing the viewer to gape in astonishment). To be struck with a sense of wonder.”

We find people throughout the Gospels being:

Astonished at His wisdom—Matt. 13:54 “…they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom, and these mighty works?”

Astonished at His teaching—Mark 11:18 “…all the multitude was astonished (struck out of their senses, dumbfounded, struck with wonder) at his teaching.” It was His teaching that brought about this response more than any single thing.

Astonished at His works—Mark 6:2 “…many…were astonished…that such mighty works came about by his hands…”

Astonished at the majesty of God—Luke 9:43 “They were all astonished at the majesty of God…marveling at all the things which Jesus did…”

When you encountered Jesus, it was an unforgettable and life-altering experience.

It moved you to your core, shook you to the bone, rocked your entire world.

For days you couldn’t shake the experience.

For a lifetime the memory was burned onto your soul.

Now what I want to do is take a few weeks and pull from scripture some of the stories that illustrate the impact Jesus had on others.

We will only use stories that utilize the words “Astonishing” or “Amazing.”

So today I want to look at what happened to the life and future of Simon Peter after He allowed Jesus to get into his boat.

The account we read out of Luke’s gospel begins with:

A Great Need

A great multitude of hungry, desperate people “pressed about Him to hear the Word of God.”

People were as hungry then as they are now to hear the “words of life.”

Once when many people had walked away from following the Lord, Jesus looked at His disciples and asked, “Will you also go away?”—John 6:67

Peter responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You alone have the words of eternal life.”—vs.68

Jesus’ words weren’t just pithy sayings for daily living.

They were words loaded with life, words that led to eternal life.

They had promise for here, and for hereafter.

And so this crowd longed to hear not just any words, but the words that led to eternal life!

Next, we find…

A Divine Search

Jesus needed an available vessel.

He saw that the crowd was pressing in upon Him so strongly that He had to put some distance between Himself and them.

Also, the nature of water is to carry sound.

He looked and “saw two boats standing by the lake.”

APPLICATION: The need then is the need now.

Jesus is still looking for a “vessel” He can occupy and use as an instrument to reach the teeming masses.

God said to the Prophet Isaiah, “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”—6:8

Paul said that you and I are just like that boat.

“…we ourselves are like fragile jars of clay containing this great treasure.”—2 Cor. 4:7

Next, we see…

A Divine Interruption

The Bible says that “the fishermen had gone from their boats and were washing their nets.

The Bible says that they had been out “all night and caught nothing.”

They were disappointed, tired, thinking of heading home for a nice, long sleep when they were interrupted by the call of Jesus.

He got into Simon’s boat and “asked him to put out a little from the land.”

I can hear Peter, “Oh, man! I’m tired Jesus! On top of that, I’m disappointed. We had a bad night, I’ve got no fish to take home, and I want to go to bed!”

But the best decision Peter ever made was to get back into his boat and push it out into the water for the Master’s use.

He allowed himself to be inconvenienced for the cause of Christ.

You see, EVERYTHING CHANGES WHEN YOU MAKE ROOM FOR JESUS IN YOUR BOAT!

The boat represented Peter’s life. It was what he did, who he was, how he provided for his family.

He didn’t just fish, he was a fisherman.

At an inconvenient moment, in an hour of frustration and letdown, when he was empty-handed and discouraged, Jesus knocked.

“Let me into your boat, Peter. I have need of you. Give me some of your time. I know you’re tired. But join me for a moment in what I do.”

He obeyed, the crowds were taught, and so was Simon Peter!

Being where he was, the crusty old fisherman got a front row seat to listen to the greatest teacher on the planet.

When Jesus was finished, we next see Jesus issue…

A Divine Directive

Following His message to the hungry crowd, Jesus turned his attention to Peter.

“Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

Are you kidding? I have you my boat. It’s getting late. Can’t I go home now?

You almost hear the irritation in Peter’s voice when he says, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing. They’re not biting. Let’s go home.”

But he ended with a life-changing “nevertheless.” “Nevertheless at your word I will let down the net.”

Oh, if we could live that way!

I don’t understand Lord, but “nevertheless, at your Word.”

I’m down to my last dollar, but “nevertheless.”

I’ve been out job hunting for months on end, but “nevertheless.”

I really don’t feel like praying, but “nevertheless.”

I’ve knocked on that door a hundred times before, but “nevertheless.”

I’ve tried beating that habit, but “nevertheless.”

And so Peter rowed out to the deep and threw the net in.

Next, Peter receives

A Divine blessing

I can picture his tired, bloodshot eyes following the net down as it disappeared into the murky deep.

It was quiet in the boat.

Jesus was probably sitting in the helm watching Peter’s movements.

The waves lapped gently on the side of the vessel.

The sun had risen high in the east when suddenly…

The rope attached to the net gave a great yank.

Peter sat up straight and grabbed it.

But it began pulling with such force the boat tilted sideways.

Now Peter is standing.

His heart is racing.

His eyes are bulging.

He pulls with all of his might and barely budges the great load.

The Bible says, “They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.”

As one preacher put it, they had a “net breaking, boat sinking load!”

This was the catch of a lifetime.

None of the lifelong fisherman there had ever seen anything like it.

The Bible says, “All who were with him were ASTONISHED (dumbfounded, at a loss, stricken with wonder, shocked, at a loss) at the catch of fish which they had taken.”

Peter likely didn’t connect the dots at this point, but would later.

All these events had been set in motion as the result of his allowing his life to be Divinely interrupted by Jesus Christ by making his boat available for the Master’s use!

Next, Peter’s life is changed beginning with:

A Divine Conviction

“When Simon Peter saw the catch, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

At the beginning of the story, Peter called Jesus “Master,” meaning “Teacher,” or “the one in charge.”

But now he sees much more— “O Lord!” Peter cries, meaning, “O…God!”

Peter saw his sin, and recognized he was standing in the presence of the forgiver of his sin!

Right there, in the bow of that boat, surrounded by a miracle that could only be attributed to a supernatural God, Peter confessed Jesus as Lord.

The story ends with:

A Divine Summons

“Do not be afraid,” Jesus said, “From now on you will catch men.”

This was the first time Peter had ever heard such a thing about himself.

He had all his life been known as a simple fisherman.

Suddenly, his horizons are expanded.

His divine destiny is revealed.

He will no longer fish for fish.

He will enter into the Master’s business of introducing men to Jesus Christ.

What began as a life interrupted ended with a life transformed through an astonishing miracle of provision!

Before Jesus got in, Peter’s boat was empty, filled with disappointment, and marked by endless sweat and toil.

After Jesus got in, the boat was a source of hope for the multitudes, overflowed with bountiful provision, and was the scene of Peter’s salvation and calling.