Ok, Jesus has "suffered, died, and arose on the 3rd day".....now what? We wait. How long?...About 50 days...this year Pentecost Sunday is May 27th, 2012.
What are we waiting for, or perhaps more exact...who are we waiting for?......
Here in the Gospel of John, Jesus is at the shore of Galilee, about a week after Resurrection Morning, and here is how John records it. (One note: I am in a continual battle within myself on my sarcasm, I am always catching myself making a sarcastic remark to someone....now, I realize I am not alone...check out how Jesus starts His conversation with the disciples)....
A couple other notes before I get to the Gospel of John:
1. After the disciples had returned from Mt. Olivet, people were likely to expect the disciples to have expressions of sorrow, maybe confusion, and even a sense of defeat.
2. The disciples did not have indications of a deep mourning, despair, or even disappointed hopes. They had seen Him...and His Words were still fresh within their own hearts.
3. They had been instructed to go to Jerusalem for the "Promise of the Father"...which was to be the "Outpouring of the Holy Spirit."
So, what did they do? Well, they did not remain idle. I'm sure it was a time of reflection, perhaps a time to adjust some of the misapprehensions they had of Christ Jesus, and maybe begin to repent of any unbelief they might have had of Him.
They probably thought the way we think at times in our own lives: "Man, if I could just do this over..."
Here in John 21, Jesus appears to 7 of His disciples on the shore of Galilee one morning. Here is how this event evolved: Peter had suggested to the disciples he was going fishing, and a number of the disciples had decided to go with him...why?...don't know. Was Peter just killing time, was Peter feeling he had been a failure, or was Peter just returning to his trade?....I really don't know... what I do know is the disciples ended up fishing throughout the entire night and had caught nothing..."nada"..no fish at all...
Gleanings from St. John 21:5-25
"Jesus spoke to them: "Good Morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?" (Note: now if this is not a classic sarcasm, I don't know what is.) They answered, "No".
Jesus replies: "I'll tell you what, throw the nets off to the right side of your boat, and let's see what happens!"
So, they did what He suggested, and their nets suddenly contained so many fish, the disciples did not have the strength to pull the nets in.
Then, the disciple whom Jesus loved, spoke to Peter and said: "It's Him." Simon Peter grabbed his outer tunic, slipped it on, and dove in...! The boat wasn't too far from land, about a 100 yards or so, so the rest of the disciples guided the boat to shore pulling this "unbelievable" amount of fish along side the boat still in their nets.
When the disciples had got ashore and were getting ready to get out of the boat, breakfast was waiting for them! Jesus had fish cooking over a charcoal fire along with some fresh, warm bread. (Note: the scriptures do not say if Peter and Jesus spoke since Peter had swam in to shore, but one thing is of interest; the charcoal fire. The last time Peter had perhaps smelled a charcoal fire was the night he betrayed Christ 3 times...the guards used charcoal at night to stay warm).
Jesus then says: " Hey, bring over some of those fish you just caught." So, Simon Peter went back to the boat and helped drag the net loaded with fish (153 in all) to the shore. Even with this enormous amount of fish, their nets had not tore!
Then Jesus says to the disciples: " Come on...Breakfast is now being served!" The disciples came to the breakfast Jesus had prepared, but not one dared even ask: "Who are you?" They knew who it was.
Jesus took some bread He had warmed on the fire, and served the disciples, and He did likewise with the fish. This was actually the 3rd time the disciples had seen Him since the morning of the Resurrection.
Everyone ate in silence, and then afterwards, Jesus confronts Peter and says: "Simon Peter, do you love Me more than others do?" Peter replies: "Yes Lord, You know that I love You!" Then Jesus replies:" Feed My lambs."
After a moment of silence, Jesus speaks again to Simon Peter:" Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter once again replies: " Yes Lord, You know that I love You!"Jesus replies this time: "Then take care of My sheep, guide them like a shepherd."
Again, there was a pause, and Jesus speaks to Peter a 3rd time: "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" This time it "cut Peter a little deep", for it was the same question...as if maybe there was some doubt...Peter replies: "I do Lord, and You know everything...and somewhere in all that You've got to know I love You." Jesus replies once more: "Then feed My sheep."
Jesus went on and elaborated more with Peter:
" Here then is the real truth of the matter. When you were "young and free", you dressed yourself how ever you wanted and you would go wherever you wanted. But, when you grow old, you can only stretch out your hands while someone else dresses you and takes you places you really don't want to go." It is at this point of the conversation a little "reality was beginning to sink in" to Peter, the way he would meet his death and give honor to the Lord. Then, Jesus looked straight into Peter's eyes and said: "Come, follow Me!"
Peter then turned his head, for they had been walking together during this conversation alone, and Peter noticed John had been walking close behind them. This, by the way is the very same John that had leaned on Jesus during the Last Supper and asked Him: " Lord, who is it that would betray You?"
So, Peter looked at John, and then turned his attention back to Jesus and asked: " What about this guy?"
Jesus then said to Peter: " Don't worry about him. If I need him to stay here until I return, what concern is that to you? Here is what you are to do...Follow Me."
So, word then spread that John would not see his own death, but that was not what Jesus was saying. But, that is human nature...and it doesn't take much to spread a rumor. What Jesus had actually said was: "IF I need him to stay...what is that to you?"
Now this same disciple that was the recipient of this rumor, is an eyewitness of what actually went on during this "Breakfast at the Shore" with Christ Jesus, and have written this sequence of events that it might prove reliable and accurate.
If the truth be told, Jesus did many other things beside this...after He had resurrected! In fact, if every event were written down like this one, every book in the world would be filled with the things He did.
Note: Peter had denied Christ Jesus 3 times on the night before He was suffer on the Cross. Here, Jesus asks Peter....3 times "Do you love Me?"
What are we waiting for, or perhaps more exact...who are we waiting for?......
Here in the Gospel of John, Jesus is at the shore of Galilee, about a week after Resurrection Morning, and here is how John records it. (One note: I am in a continual battle within myself on my sarcasm, I am always catching myself making a sarcastic remark to someone....now, I realize I am not alone...check out how Jesus starts His conversation with the disciples)....
A couple other notes before I get to the Gospel of John:
1. After the disciples had returned from Mt. Olivet, people were likely to expect the disciples to have expressions of sorrow, maybe confusion, and even a sense of defeat.
2. The disciples did not have indications of a deep mourning, despair, or even disappointed hopes. They had seen Him...and His Words were still fresh within their own hearts.
3. They had been instructed to go to Jerusalem for the "Promise of the Father"...which was to be the "Outpouring of the Holy Spirit."
So, what did they do? Well, they did not remain idle. I'm sure it was a time of reflection, perhaps a time to adjust some of the misapprehensions they had of Christ Jesus, and maybe begin to repent of any unbelief they might have had of Him.
They probably thought the way we think at times in our own lives: "Man, if I could just do this over..."
Here in John 21, Jesus appears to 7 of His disciples on the shore of Galilee one morning. Here is how this event evolved: Peter had suggested to the disciples he was going fishing, and a number of the disciples had decided to go with him...why?...don't know. Was Peter just killing time, was Peter feeling he had been a failure, or was Peter just returning to his trade?....I really don't know... what I do know is the disciples ended up fishing throughout the entire night and had caught nothing..."nada"..no fish at all...
Gleanings from St. John 21:5-25
"Jesus spoke to them: "Good Morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?" (Note: now if this is not a classic sarcasm, I don't know what is.) They answered, "No".
Jesus replies: "I'll tell you what, throw the nets off to the right side of your boat, and let's see what happens!"
So, they did what He suggested, and their nets suddenly contained so many fish, the disciples did not have the strength to pull the nets in.
Then, the disciple whom Jesus loved, spoke to Peter and said: "It's Him." Simon Peter grabbed his outer tunic, slipped it on, and dove in...! The boat wasn't too far from land, about a 100 yards or so, so the rest of the disciples guided the boat to shore pulling this "unbelievable" amount of fish along side the boat still in their nets.
When the disciples had got ashore and were getting ready to get out of the boat, breakfast was waiting for them! Jesus had fish cooking over a charcoal fire along with some fresh, warm bread. (Note: the scriptures do not say if Peter and Jesus spoke since Peter had swam in to shore, but one thing is of interest; the charcoal fire. The last time Peter had perhaps smelled a charcoal fire was the night he betrayed Christ 3 times...the guards used charcoal at night to stay warm).
Jesus then says: " Hey, bring over some of those fish you just caught." So, Simon Peter went back to the boat and helped drag the net loaded with fish (153 in all) to the shore. Even with this enormous amount of fish, their nets had not tore!
Then Jesus says to the disciples: " Come on...Breakfast is now being served!" The disciples came to the breakfast Jesus had prepared, but not one dared even ask: "Who are you?" They knew who it was.
Jesus took some bread He had warmed on the fire, and served the disciples, and He did likewise with the fish. This was actually the 3rd time the disciples had seen Him since the morning of the Resurrection.
Everyone ate in silence, and then afterwards, Jesus confronts Peter and says: "Simon Peter, do you love Me more than others do?" Peter replies: "Yes Lord, You know that I love You!" Then Jesus replies:" Feed My lambs."
After a moment of silence, Jesus speaks again to Simon Peter:" Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter once again replies: " Yes Lord, You know that I love You!"Jesus replies this time: "Then take care of My sheep, guide them like a shepherd."
Again, there was a pause, and Jesus speaks to Peter a 3rd time: "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" This time it "cut Peter a little deep", for it was the same question...as if maybe there was some doubt...Peter replies: "I do Lord, and You know everything...and somewhere in all that You've got to know I love You." Jesus replies once more: "Then feed My sheep."
Jesus went on and elaborated more with Peter:
" Here then is the real truth of the matter. When you were "young and free", you dressed yourself how ever you wanted and you would go wherever you wanted. But, when you grow old, you can only stretch out your hands while someone else dresses you and takes you places you really don't want to go." It is at this point of the conversation a little "reality was beginning to sink in" to Peter, the way he would meet his death and give honor to the Lord. Then, Jesus looked straight into Peter's eyes and said: "Come, follow Me!"
Peter then turned his head, for they had been walking together during this conversation alone, and Peter noticed John had been walking close behind them. This, by the way is the very same John that had leaned on Jesus during the Last Supper and asked Him: " Lord, who is it that would betray You?"
So, Peter looked at John, and then turned his attention back to Jesus and asked: " What about this guy?"
Jesus then said to Peter: " Don't worry about him. If I need him to stay here until I return, what concern is that to you? Here is what you are to do...Follow Me."
So, word then spread that John would not see his own death, but that was not what Jesus was saying. But, that is human nature...and it doesn't take much to spread a rumor. What Jesus had actually said was: "IF I need him to stay...what is that to you?"
Now this same disciple that was the recipient of this rumor, is an eyewitness of what actually went on during this "Breakfast at the Shore" with Christ Jesus, and have written this sequence of events that it might prove reliable and accurate.
If the truth be told, Jesus did many other things beside this...after He had resurrected! In fact, if every event were written down like this one, every book in the world would be filled with the things He did.
Note: Peter had denied Christ Jesus 3 times on the night before He was suffer on the Cross. Here, Jesus asks Peter....3 times "Do you love Me?"
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