From John 21:1-23 The next time Jesus appeared to his disciples it was at the Sea of Galilee. Jesus' followers had all returned to Galilee and had each gone back to their home towns. Several of them were from Cana and had returned there. They were Simon the Rock along with Thomas “the twin”, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, and two of the other disciples along with Nathaniel. One day, after they had been there for a while Peter told the others that he was going fishing. They all said they wanted to go too, so they all got in a boat and went fishing on the Sea of Galilee. But after spending the entire night out there, they hadn’t caught anything. When morning came and they could see the beach again in the daylight, Jesus was standing there. They didn’t realize it was him because they still couldn’t see him clearly. “Have you caught any fish, my friends?” Jesus yelled to them. “No,” they all answered. “Throw your net down on the right side of the boat and you will catch plenty of fish,” Jesus directed them. “They all looked at each other and decided it couldn’t hurt so they did what he said. When they did, they couldn’t bring their net back on board because it was so full of fish. Then John, the disciple who had such a special relationship with Jesus, realized who it was. “It’s the Lord,” he announced to the Rock. When Simon the Rock heard that it was the Lord, he pulled on his outer garment that he had removed for work. He then dove into the water and swam ashore. The other disciples though stayed with the boat and towed the net full of fish to shore. It was only about three hundred feet and they got there about the same time the Rock did. They all noticed that Jesus already had charcoal fire going and was cooking some fish and had some bread there too. “Bring me some of the fish you caught,” Jesus suggested. Simon the Rock went over and helped the others pull the net full of fish onto the beach. It had 153 large fish in it, yet it had not broken. When they had finished, Jesus said, “Come over and eat breakfast with me.” None of the disciples had to ask him who he was because they were sure now that it was Jesus. Jesus gave them each some bread and fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to the disciples since he had risen from the dead. After they had eaten breakfast, Jesus took Simon the Rock for a walk along the beach. As they passed by the beautiful catch of fish they had made, Jesus pointed to them and asked, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?” “Yes Lord,” he answered, “You know I love you like a brother.” “Then I want you to feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. They continued in silence for a few minutes then Jesus asked again, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me unconditionally?” “Yes Lord,” the Rock answered again, “You know I love you like a brother.” “Then I want you to take care of my sheep,” Jesus told him. After few minutes Jesus stopped and looked at the Rock, “So, Simon, Son of Jonah, do you really love me like brother?” The Rock was saddened by the way Jesus asked this time whether he loved him or not. “Lord you know everything so you know that I do love you like a brother,” he answered as he looked at the ground. “Then feed my sheep,” Jesus told him. They started walking again and he continued, “The truth is when you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted but when you get old, you will reach out your hands and someone else will dress you and carry you to a place you do not want to go.” Jesus told him that to let him know what kind of a death he was going have. Then he charged him, “Follow me.” The Rock looked back and saw John following them. He was the disciple that Jesus had such a very special relationship with, the one who had leaned against him at their last supper together and asked Jesus who from among them was going to betray him. “What about him, Lord?” the Rock asked. “If he were to live until I come back again, what does that have to do with you?” Jesus replied. “You just have to follow me.” From that time on the rumor spread among the followers that John was not going to die, but that is not what Jesus said at all. He simply said, “If he were to live until I come back again, what does that have to do with you?” |
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