A sermon based on Luke 5:1-11, Rev. Dr. Jon Diefenthaler, Sr Pastor Emeritus, Our Savior Lutheran Church.
For centuries, the Christians have associated themselves with the symbol of a fish. Perhaps you have seen the “Jesus fish” as the bumper sticker on the back of the car in front of you. It may have also prompted you to ask, “What does this mean?”
In the early Christian world, people were familiar with the Greek word for “fish.” Using the letters in our English alphabet, it is “Ichthus.” Each of the letters in this Greek word for fish meant something: “I” = Jesus; “ch” = Christos; “th”= God’s; “u” = Son; “s” = Savior.
During seasons of persecution, this “fish” became a way by which Christians were able to identify each other. During more favorable times, this same “fish” became a way by which they could provide their neighbors with a witness to their faith.
The Gospel for this coming Sunday is Luke 5:1-11. Within this text, there is more than one “fish story” to be told. Actually, four is the total number that I have found.
0 Comments