Peter the Fisherman Bible Story
Read Peter the fisherman Bible story with children. Explore Jesus calling the fishermen and the catch of fish, with WEB Bible references and free coloring pages.
Peter was a fisherman before he became one of Jesus' twelve apostles. The Gospels call him Simon and Simon Peter. Read how Jesus called him beside the Sea of Galilee, what happened when Jesus told him to let down the nets, and how he left his fishing work to follow Jesus.
Download six Fishers of Men coloring pages to use alongside the Bible passages.
Peter and Andrew were fishermen
Matthew names two brothers working beside the Sea of Galilee: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea. Matthew tells us plainly that they were fishermen.
Read Matthew 4:18 (WEB).
Jesus calls the fishermen
Jesus saw Peter and Andrew and called them to follow him.
He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men.”
They immediately left their nets and followed him. Farther along, Jesus saw James and John in a boat with their father Zebedee. They were mending their nets. Jesus called them, and they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Read the complete account in Matthew 4:18–22 (WEB). Mark 1:16–20 (WEB) also records the calling of the fishermen.
Jesus teaches from Simon's boat
Luke 5 gives an account that includes a remarkable catch of fish. The crowd was pressing on Jesus to hear the word of God beside the lake of Gennesaret. Two boats were by the lake, and the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.
Jesus entered Simon's boat and asked him to put out a little from the land. He sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he told Simon to put out into the deep and let down the nets for a catch.
Simon answered him, “Master, we worked all night and caught nothing; but at your word I will let down the net.”
The nets fill with fish
When they let down the nets, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help. They filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
Simon Peter fell down at Jesus' knees.
But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.”
Peter follows Jesus
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were partners with Simon. Jesus spoke to Simon:
and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be catching people alive.”
When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Jesus. Read Luke 5:1–11 (WEB) together.
Read and color together
Our Fishers of Men coloring collection follows Matthew 4:18–22: the brothers fishing, Jesus calling them, and the fishermen following him. Choose a page, read its linked Bible verse, and put the finished pictures in order.
For a short conversation, ask: What work did Peter and Andrew do? What did they leave when Jesus called? Who helped Simon with the catch of fish in Luke 5?
You can also explore The Twelve Disciples Coloring Pages.
