The Call to Follow

Matthew 4:18-22

The Big Idea

Jesus called these fishermen to follow him, and they responded immediately. Following Jesus means listening and being ready to respond to his call.

The Bible Story

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

Matthew 4:18–22 tells how Jesus called four fishermen to follow him. Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew were casting a net into the Sea of Galilee because they were fishermen. Jesus called them and promised to make them fishers of people. They immediately left their nets and followed him. Then Jesus saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee, in a boat with their father. They were mending their nets. Jesus called them too, and they immediately left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew presents a clear sequence: Jesus calls, and the men respond at once. The passage focuses on this beginning of their discipleship, without describing later events.

Themes

Immediate response Jesus calls people to follow him Leaving ordinary work and possessions to become disciples

Bible moment

The Bible moment

Look closely

What children can notice

Focus on Jesus’s call as the central visual moment, with Simon Peter and Andrew listening beside their net and James and John visible in a boat with Zebedee in the broader Galilee setting. Keep each group visually distinct while preserving the passage’s separate scenes.

Talk together

Talk about it

What did Simon Peter and Andrew leave when Jesus called them?
How did James and John respond to Jesus?

For families, church, and class

Use this page

Use this page for family reading, Sunday school, church teaching, or classroom discussion about responding to Jesus. Invite children to retell the sequence using the net, boat, and separate groups. Keep attention on the passage rather than adding later events.

Source note