Why Would Fishermen Make This Up?
Month 3: Come, Follow Me · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: Mark 1:16-20 & 2 Peter 1:16
16 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 18 And at once they left their nets and followed Him. 19 Going on a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat, mending their nets. 20 Immediately Jesus called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him. — Mark 1:16-20
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. — 2 Peter 1:16
Memory Verse
““Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.””— Mark 1:17 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Judges 15-17
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 70 of 365 — Samson's strength and downfall.)The Heart of It
Stop and ask a simple, honest question about these fishermen. What did they get out of following Jesus? They didn't get money. They walked away from a working business. They didn't get safety. Most of them were eventually arrested, beaten, or killed for refusing to stop telling people about Jesus. They didn't even get respect from the people they once looked up to. The religious leaders called them "uneducated and untrained men" (). If the resurrection were a hoax these men cooked up, they were the worst con artists in history. They paid everything and gained nothing this world counts as valuable.
Years later, one of those fishermen, Peter, picked up a pen and wrote, "we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty" (). That's the whole point. Peter isn't passing along a story he heard third-hand around a fire. He's telling what he saw with his own eyes. People will tell a lie to save their own lives. But almost no one will suffer and die for a lie they know they made up. The disciples were willing to lose everything. That is one of history's strongest hints that they were telling the truth.
Around the Table
Peter and his friends really saw Jesus. They weren't making up a pretend story. They told the truth even when it was hard.
Let's do it: Cover your eyes, then open them wide and say, "I saw it with my own eyes!" That's what Peter could say about Jesus.
The fishermen gave up their jobs and got into big trouble for following Jesus. If it were all fake, why would they stick with it?
Let's talk: Have you ever told the truth even though it cost you something? Why did you do it?
People sometimes die for things they wrongly believe are true. But the disciples were in a place to actually know whether they had seen the risen Jesus. Why does that make their willingness to die so powerful?
Let's go deeper: Read again. What's the difference between an "eyewitness" and someone just repeating a rumor? Which one were the disciples?
💬 Conversation Starter
Imagine you knew a secret was a lie. What would it take to make you keep telling it, even when people threatened to hurt you?— That's exactly what the disciples would NOT do.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "The disciples just made up the resurrection," you can kindly answer like this. "Then they were the only liars in history who got nothing for it and gladly died for it. People will die for what they sincerely believe. But they don't get tortured and killed for a story they know they made up." Peter says plainly that he was an eyewitness, not a story-teller (). Offer it gently and respectfully, "with gentleness and respect" (). We're inviting people to look, not trying to win an argument.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The early witnesses would rather die than take back their story. That is a sturdy plank in the case for the resurrection. But be careful how you frame it for your kids. The point isn't that being sincere makes something true. Sincere people are sometimes sincerely wrong. The point is that the disciples were in a unique place to know whether they had really eaten with, walked with, and touched the risen Christ. And they bet their lives on the answer. As New Testament historians point out, terrified deserters turned into fearless martyrs. That needs an explanation, and "they saw Him alive" is still the best one. Teach your children that real faith is not a leap into the dark. It's a step toward the light of solid evidence.
Draws on: J. Warner Wallace, Cold-Case Christianity.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that our faith rests on real people who really saw Jesus. Give us courage to tell the truth about You, no matter what it costs us. And help us be kind when we explain why we believe. In Jesus' name, amen."
The men who knew the truth best gave their lives for it. That's worth trusting.