Resurrected Christ Appears a Third Time to His Disciples

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(John 21:1) After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself.

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had appeared for the second time to all His disciples in a closed room, and had shown "Doubting" Thomas His wounds so that by seeing, Thomas would believe.  He now appeared to His disciples again, this time at the sea of Tiberias which is the Sea of Galilee.  What follows is how He showed Himself to them.

(2) There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of His disciples.

John named the disciples who were there, Peter, Thomas, James and John (the sons of Zebedee), Nathanael who was probably the disciple Bartholomew, and two other disciples not named.  Bartholomew or Bar-Tolmai means "son of Tolmai," which makes it probably a surname, with Nathanael his given name.

(3) Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We also are going with you." They went forth and entered into a ship immediately, and that night they caught nothing.

Peter had decided to go fishing and the other disciples went with him.  They boarded a ship or fishing boat and it seems caught no fish all night.

(4) But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

When morning had come and they were still aboard the ship, they saw Jesus standing on the shore, but they did not know it was Him.  Perhaps they were not close enough to see Him clearly, and it may have still been dim light.

(5) Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any meat?" They answered Him, "No."

Jesus called out to them, calling them "Children," a term of endearment that would seem to intimate that it was Jesus speaking to them, but it appears they still didn't know it was Him.  He asked them if they had any meat or fish, meaning had they caught any, and they told Him they had not.

(6) And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the ship and you will find." They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

Jesus told them to cast their net on the right side of the ship and they would find fish.  Although it doesn't appear that they yet knew it was Jesus who spoke to them, they took His advice and cast where He told them, and they were not able to draw their net back in because of the weight of all the fish that were in it.

(7) Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat (for he was naked), and cast himself into the sea.

John was the first to recognize that it was their Lord who had told them where to cast their net, and he told Peter it was the Lord.  When Peter heard that, he put on his fishing garments, as he had been shirtless, in his undergarments only, and jumped into the sea, surely eager to get to Jesus.  You would think that he was previously better attired for swimming, but I'm sure out of respect to His Lord, he put his clothes on.

(8) And the other disciples came in the little ship (for they were not far from land but as it was two hundred cubits) dragging the net with fishes.

The other disciples came to shore in their little ship dragging the net with all the fish.  They had been only about a hundred yards from the shore, a cubit being about 18 inches.

(9) As soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. (10) Jesus said to them, "Bring of the fish which you have now caught."

When the disciples came to land, they saw a fire of coals on the shore with fish laid on it, and also bread.  Jesus told them to also bring some of the fish they had just caught.

(11) Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three, and although there were so many, yet the net was not broken.

Peter went back up to the ship and drew the net onto land.  It was full of 153 large fish, but although there were so many, their fishing net was not broken.  Jesus had preserved their net for them.

(12) Jesus said to them, "Come, dine." And none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord.

Jesus called the disciples to come to where He had fish cooking on the coals and told them to eat.  None of the disciples asked who it was who had told them where to cast their net and was now inviting them to eat, as they all knew by that time it was their Lord.

(13) Jesus then came and took bread and gave them, and fish likewise.

Jesus came to them and gave them all bread and fish.

(14) This is now the third time that Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was risen from the dead.

John made a point to tell his readers that this was the third time that Jesus had appeared to His disciples after He had risen from the dead.  Throughout the Bible, we are told that by the mouth of two or three witnesses, a thing is established.  Therefore, by these three appearances, it was firmly established as truth that Jesus had risen from the dead and had shown Himself to His disciples.

(15) So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord, You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs."

After they had dined, Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him more than the rest of the disciples did.  Peter had said in Matthew 26:33 that although all men might be offended by Jesus, he would never be offended.  However, Peter had gone on to deny he knew Jesus three times.  But now his love for Jesus made him jump into the sea to be the first to come to Him.  Peter answered Jesus that he indeed loved Him, and that Jesus knew he did.  Jesus then told him to feed His lambs which meant to care for His flock of new Christians.

(16) He said to him again the second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord, You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My sheep."

Jesus again asked Peter if he loved Him, and Peter answered as before that he did love Him, and that Jesus knew that he loved Him.  Again Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep.  Although it appears that Jesus told Peter pretty much the same thing, the word translated as "feed" is actually two different words in the two different passages.  The first time, Jesus told Peter to "bosko" (feed) His lambs, "lambs" probably denoting new baby Christians.  The second time, Jesus told Peter to "poimaino" (tend, govern) His sheep, indicating a sense of guiding and caring for His sheep, Jesus's flock of Christians.

(17) He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep."

Jesus asked Peter a third time if he loved Him.  Peter was dismayed that Jesus had to keep asking him whether he loved Him or not.  It's possible that Peter thought Jesus saw something in him which he did not see, something that would lead to another denial of Jesus, and Jesus was about to tell him about it, as He had done when He told Peter he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed.  He said to his Lord that He knew everything, so He knew that he loved Him.  Jesus said to Peter again, "Feed My sheep."  Jesus had returned to "bosko" His sheep, to feed His flock, His Christian followers.  I believe there was significance in having Peter declare three times that he loved the Lord and he would care for His flock.  For one, he had denied his Lord three times, and Jesus was giving him the chance to now confess Him three times, restoring him to his former position as Jesus's trusted apostle.  Also as discussed before, by declaring his love three times, it was established as a truthful fact.

(18) "Verily, verily, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you wished, but when you are old, you shall stretch forth your hands and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." (19) This He spoke, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."

Jesus told Peter that when he was young, not that he was old then, but while he was young, he was able to gird himself, that is clothe himself and bind himself with a belt.  But when he was old, indicating Peter would live to an old age, someone else would gird him and take him where he did not wish to go.  Jesus was telling Peter what sort of death he would suffer.  Because we have the knowledge of history, we can know that Jesus meant that Peter's arms would be outstretched and bound to a cross and he would be carried to his death where he would not naturally desire to go.  It's not that Peter would be unwilling to die for Christ, but it was not what he sought, and it stood in opposition to the freedom he had when he was young.  Note that Jesus said his death would honor God.  After Jesus had told Peter this, he told him to follow Him.

In Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible, he stated that ancient writers stated that Peter lived 34 years after this and then was crucified, "and that he deemed it so glorious a thing to die for Christ that he begged to be crucified with his head downwards, not considering himself worthy to die in the same posture in which his Lord did." 

(20) Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at supper, and said, "Lord, who is he who betrays you?" (21) Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?"

Peter then turned around and saw John following.  John wrote that the disciple who followed was the same one who had leaned on Jesus's breast at the Passover supper and had asked Him who it was who would betray Him.  We know this was John, also because he always called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved.  At first glance, it seems egotistical that one should call himself the one Jesus loved, as if Jesus loved him above all others.  John never mentions himself by name, but always as that other disciple or the disciple whom Jesus loved.  Far from being full of himself, I think John felt his self-worth was only in the fact that he was loved by Jesus.  He never says the disciple Jesus loved the most, but only that Jesus loved him, and he knew it and felt it.  

Note that Jesus told Peter to follow Him, and it appears that John did not wait for an invitation, but followed, as well.  When Peter saw John following, he asked Jesus what would happen to John.

(22) Jesus said to him, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me."

Jesus asked Peter what concern was it of his if He willed that John should live until He returned.  Jesus pretty much told Peter that it was none of his business what happened to John.  Jesus had told Peter his concern was to follow Him.  

(23) Then went this saying abroad among the brethren that that disciple would not die, yet Jesus did not say to him, "He shall not die," but, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to you?"

It appears that because of what Jesus said and the way He said it that the other disciples thought He meant that John would not die.  However, John makes it a point to tell us that Jesus had not said that at all, but only that if Jesus willed he should not die, that was no concern of Peter's.

(24) This is the disciple who testifies of these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

This statement proves that John was the disciple whom Jesus loved.  John wrote that he himself testified of the things he wrote and knew them to be true as he was an eye and ear witness to what he wrote.  The fact that he wrote "we know" might mean that he was well known as a man of truth and what he wrote could be trusted as fact.

(25) And there are also many other things which Jesus did which if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

What a beautiful end to John's Gospel!  He acknowledged that Jesus had done so many other noteworthy things that if every one of them was written down that the world itself could not hold all the books it would take to record them all.  Of course, he used hyperbole, but by this, he told us Jesus Christ did more works and miracles during His short time in ministry on earth than could ever be all recorded.

So ends what I consider to be one of the most beautiful books in the Bible, and also my study of the Gospels.  I took a break from my chronological Bible study to study the four Gospels as I was challenged to read what Jesus said about certain modern cultural things as if to see that because Jesus did not address homosexuality and transgenderism specifically, that meant it was okay.  While Jesus definitely taught us to love all people regardless of their sexual sin (the woman at the well, for example), He made it clear that He was the only way to be saved from our sins and enjoy eternal life in heaven.  We are not to judge people, as we tend to judge by outward appearances, but God judges their hearts.  By showing love and living like Jesus, people will be naturally drawn to Him.  And once they have asked forgiveness and asked to have Jesus within their hearts, His Holy Spirit will meet them where they are and will show them truth as they become new creations in Christ.  Like Peter above, what is it to us what God decides about one we consider to be a sinner?  After all, we are all sinners, but we are to do what Jesus called us to do, follow Him.  And His example is to love them and if we love them and want them to be saved from eternal damnation, we will pray for them to come to Jesus and let Him take it from there.

However, that being said, I do not see that Jesus approved these sexual deviations.  He definitely affirmed God's design for just two sexes, male and female, and His design for marriage that a man and a woman be joined together as one, quoting Old Testament scripture (Matthew 19:4-6).  He also referred to sexual immorality as being something that defiles a person (Matthew 15:19-20) and that nothing unclean may enter into paradise (Revelation 21:27).  Although Jesus didn't speak specifically about all the different laws of God, He made it clear that He did not come to do away with any of them (Matthew 5:17), but He had come to fulfill the law by giving us a way to be saved from our discretions against the law.  And if He didn't do away with the Old Testament laws, then we can refer to the Old Testament to see what God considered sexual immorality, and that included adultery (Exodus 20:14), homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22), bestiality (Leviticus 18:23), sex with mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, or sister (Leviticus 18:11, 12, 17).  Additionally, cross-dressing is forbidden (Deuteronomy 22:5), definitely a sign that transsexual expression is nothing new.  God created male and female only (Genesis 5:2), and science tells us that “Human sexuality is an objective biological binary trait: “XY” and “XX” are genetic markers of male and female, respectively – not genetic markers of a disorder. The norm for human design is to be conceived either male or female. Human sexuality is binary by design with the obvious purpose being the reproduction and flourishing of our species. This principle is self-evident." (The American College of Pediatricians)  The X and Y chromosomes are what determine male and female, not what one feels.

So, in conclusion, I learned much about the love of Jesus toward all people, but His love did not mean that He approved of sexual deviations.  I will return to my chronological study in the next post.

Jesus Calls His First Few Disciples

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels: 

(John 1:19) And this is the record of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

In verses 6 and 7 in the last post, the evangelist John had told us that John the Baptist had been sent by God to bear witness of Jesus.  He now began to tell about John and just how he bore that witness.

(20) And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."

It seems that at least some of the priests and Levites who came to him must have thought he was the Christ, but John told them freely and truthfully that he was not Christ, the Messiah.

(21) And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you that prophet?" And he answered, "No."

If he wasn't the Christ, they wanted to know just who he was.  They asked if he was Elijah, and he said he was not.  From the accounts in Matthew and Luke we learned that they had also asked if he was the prophet Jeremiah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead.  So whichever prophet they were asking John about in this verse, he answered he was not that prophet.

(22) Then they said to him, "Who are you? That we may give an answer to them who sent us. What do you say of yourself?"

Then who was he?  They wanted to know so that they could tell the people who sent them to find out.  They asked what he had to say for himself.

(23) He said, "I am 'the voice of one crying in the wilderness, "Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as the prophet Isaiah said."

Quoting Isaiah 40:3, John told them he was the one Isaiah spoke of when he spoke about the voice of one crying in the wilderness to make straight the way of the Lord.

(24) And they who were sent were of the Pharisees.

Those who were questioning John were Pharisees who were a very legalistic sect zealous for the traditions of the elders.  They were knowledgeable of the scriptures and were anticipating their coming Messiah.

(25) And they asked him and said to him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not that Christ, nor Elijah, nor that prophet?"

There were baptisms done before John came on the scene, but they were for pagans who had converted to Judaism and ordered by the Sanhedrin.  They never baptized Jews so they wondered by whose authority he was doing it now, if he was not Christ, Elijah, or some other important prophet.

(26) John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands one among you whom you do not know."

John answered that he did indeed baptize with water.  The account in Matthew 3:11 said a good bit more about this.  He baptized with water for repentance of sins, but there was one among them whom they did not yet know who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

(27) "He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's strap I am not worthy to unloose."

John explained that the one among them they did not yet know was the one coming after him who was preferred before him, so great in fact that he was not worthy to even loosen His sandal strap.

(28) These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan where John was baptizing.

This conversation between John and the Pharisees took place at a place called Bethabara where John was baptizing.  "Bethabara" literally means "house of the ford" or "house of passage," and was thought to be the place where the Israelites passed over the Jordan River under Joshua.  There could be symbology in this that this is where an opening was made for people to pass through to the Gospel of Jesus, and ultimately to be able to pass through to the kingdom of heaven.

(29) The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

The day after John had been conversing with the Pharisees, Jesus came to John and John accurately and prophetically declared Him to be the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world, that ultimate Lamb sacrifice that would atone for all sin when He was crucified.

(30) "This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"

John went on to say that Jesus was the one he had been talking about when he said that one would come after him who was preferred above him because He had been there before him in time and was before him as the foremost superior One.

(31) "And I did not know Him, but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore I come baptizing with water."

Although Jesus and John were cousins (Luke 1:36), it appears that John had not known Jesus previous to His baptism and the beginning of His ministry.  John had spent his time in the hill country in solitude and Jesus had been in Nazareth.  John explained that his purpose had been to proclaim Jesus's coming and make Him known to Israel, preparing the way for Jesus.

(32) And John bore record, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and it dwelt on Him."

John gave testimony that he had seen the Holy Spirit descending from heaven in the form of a dove that rested on Jesus.

(33) "And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water, the same said to me, 'Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, the same is He who baptizes with the Holy Ghost.'"

John again said that he had not known Jesus before His baptism, but God who had sent him to baptize with water had told him that when he saw the Spirit descending from heaven and resting on Jesus, he would know that He was the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

(34) "And I saw and bore record that this is the Son of God."

John had been a witness to the Spirit descending like a dove onto Jesus and remaining there, so he had therefore heard the voice from heaven declaring that Jesus was His beloved Son (Matthew 3:17), so he knew and testified that Jesus was the Son of God.

(35) Again the next day after, John stood and two of his disciples.

The day after John had seen Jesus and had revealed Him as the Son of God, he was standing with two of his disciples.

(36) And looking upon Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"

When John saw Jesus walking, he directed his disciples to see the Lamb of God.

(37) And the two disciples heard him speak and they followed Jesus.

Upon hearing John's declaration, his two disciples followed Jesus.

(38) Then Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, being interpreted, Master), "Where do You dwell?"

When Jesus turned and saw the two disciples following Him, He asked them what they were looking for.  They referred to Him as Rabbi which the evangelist John interpreted for his readers telling them it meant Master.  A Master among the Jews was a title for a learned teacher.  The disciples then asked where Jesus dwelt, as if asking where they might go to learn from Him.

(39) He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He dwelt and stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

Jesus invited the two disciples to come with Him to see where He dwelt, which they did.  The Jewish clock began at dawn, at 6:00 in the morning, so the tenth hour would have been 4:00 in the afternoon.  The disciples wound up spending most of the day with Jesus.

(40) One of the two who heard John and followed Him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

One of the two disciples of John who had followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  This was apparently before Jesus officially called the two brothers to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19).

(41) He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah," which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

It seems the first person Andrew wanted to tell was his brother Simon.  He found him and told him that they had found the Messiah.  Once again, the evangelist John seems to be translating for his readers.  He wrote that the Messiah was the same as the Christ.  The Hebrew word "Messiah" was interpreted in Greek by the word "Christ" and both words mean "Anointed."

(42) And he brought him to Jesus.  And when Jesus beheld him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah; you shall be called Cephas," which is by interpretation, a stone. 

Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus.  When Jesus looked at Simon, he declared his name to be Simon, the son of Jonah, Simon Bar-Jonah as Jesus called him in Matthew 16:17.  However, He told him he would be called Cephas, which was the Hebrew word for "rock" or "stone" as John interpreted it.  The Greek word John used for "stone" was "Petros" or "Peter" as Anglicized.

(43) The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee and find Philip and say to him, "Follow Me." 

The day after Peter's introduction to Jesus, as Jesus was going to Galilee he found Philip and told him to follow Him.

(44) Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

Philip was from Bethsaida which was where Andrew and Peter were from.  John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible pointed out that there were three apostles of Jesus called out of Bethsaida, which Jesus later lamented and declared woe upon because it was a wicked place that rejected the word, miracles, and person of Jesus (Matthew 11:21), proving, as he would say, that a man's native place did not honor him, but a man honors his place, and having three apostles of Jesus coming from Bethsaida was no small honor for it.  I just love how God always seems to use flawed people and lowly places!  It gives hope and encouragement to all people from wherever they might hail!

(45) Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

Nathanael is probably the same person Bartholomew.  "Bartholomew" means "son of Tolmai," "Bar-Tolmai," like Jesus called Peter Simon Bar-Jonah in Matthew 16:17.  Therefore, it is likely that Bartholomew had another name.  The three previous gospels mention Bartholomew and John does not.  John mentions Nathanael and the other three do not.  Additionally, the three previous gospels name Bartholomew directly following Philip, and John names Nathanael following Philip.  So it does seem reasonable to assume that Nathanael and Bartholomew are two different names for the same person.  In a later passage in the gospel of John, Nathanael is listed among the disciples whom Jesus appeared to after His resurrection.  Although Jesus had many more disciples than just His chosen twelve, the 21st chapter of John does seem to concern only those of His chosen twelve.

After Jesus told Philip to follow Him, Philip went and found Nathanael and told him they had found Jesus of Nazareth about whom Moses and the prophets had foretold.

(46) And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

Nathanael questioned how anything good could come out of Nazareth as it was a wicked place in his mind.  Additionally, he surely knew the Messiah was to come from Bethlehem as prophesied in Micah 5:2, not Nazareth.  The prophesy had stated that Jesus would come out of Bethlehem even though she was little among the thousands of Judah.  Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but He grew up in Nazareth, a place so miserable that Nathanael could not imagine anything good coming from there.  Once again we have God using the lowliest places to bring forth something magnificent!  Philip only answered Nathanael's doubt by telling him to come and see for himself.

(47) Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him and said of him, "Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile!"

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, He said of Nathanael in the hearing of Nathanael himself and all who were present that he was indeed an Israelite, not only by birth, but worthy of the name.  He found no deceit or fraud in him; he was what he professed to be, and probably didn't tolerate fraud in anyone else, which might be why Jesus may have been giving him a small zinger because he had doubted that anything good could come from Nazareth.

(48) Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."

Nathanael asked Jesus how He knew anything about him.  Jesus answered that even before Philip had summoned him, He had seen him under a fig tree.  Of course, He did not mean that He was bodily present to see Nathanael, and Nathanael obviously realized that:

(49) Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

Realizing that Jesus could not possibly have seen him under the fig tree unless He was the Son of God, he declared him so and also to be the King of Israel.  He called Him Rabbi, which meant Master, and that title belonged to no one else but Christ, as Jesus said in Matthew 23:10.

(50) Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' you believe? You will see greater things than this."

It's as if Jesus said to Nathanael, "You believe I am the Son of God just because I saw you under the fig tree? You haven't seen anything yet!"  Indeed, Jesus told him he would see much greater things.

(51) And He said to him, "Most assuredly I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."

Jesus told Nathanael he would see heaven open up and see angels descending upon Him and ascending back to heaven.  Whereas it would literally happen at His baptism, this was probably meant to be in a spiritual sense.  Through Jesus, the secrets of heaven would be made known to His disciples and it would be evident that He had the full favor of God in heaven and His ministering angels.  With Jesus's sacrifice, there would be an open channel to God and His angels for His believers.  There would certainly be no doubt that Jesus was their promised Messiah!