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This disciple is the one who speaks the truth about these events and who wrote them down. We confirm the truth of his testimony.
Jesus did many other things which were so numerous that, if they were written down, would fill up so many books that I believe there wouldn’t be enough room for them throughout the world.
JN 21:24-25
Peter noticed John, the disciple Jesus loved, following along behind them. That was the same disciple who had leaned in and asked Jesus at the supper which one of the disciples was going to betray him. Noticing him, Peter asked Jesus “What will happen to him, Lord?”
Jesus replied “If I want him to stay until I come again, what concern is that of yours? Your task is to follow me.”
So this message spread throughout the community of believers that John would not die. Yet Jesus did not say that, but only “If I want him to stay until I come again, what concern is that of yours?”
JN 21:20-23
After they ate breakfast, Jesus asked Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the others?”
“Of course, Lord,” Peter replied. “You know that I love you.”
“Feed my lambs.” Jesus said.
Then a second time he asked, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter answered “Yes, Lord. You know I love you.”
“Shepherd my sheep.” Jesus said. Then Jesus asked him for the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was upset and even a little sad that Jesus had asked him three times if he loved him. He said “Lord, everything is revealed to you! Surely you know that I love you.”
“Feed my sheep.” Jesus said. “Listen to me closely. When you were young, you could do anything you wanted to do however you liked, but when you grow old you will reach out your hands and others will take you where you don’t want to go.” In saying this, Jesus indicated how he would die that would glorify God.
Then after saying this he said to Peter “Follow me!”
JN 21:15-19
The disciples saw Jesus perform many other signs that are not recorded here, but these which have been included are written so that you will believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah, and that through this belief you will have life in his name.
JN 20:30-31
Jesus also revealed himself to his disciples by the Sea of Galilee. This is what happened: Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, James and John (Zebedee’s sons) and two other disciples were together. Peter announced “I’m going fishing.” The rest of them decided to go with him. They caught nothing that night.
At daybreak, Jesus stood on the shore, but they did not recognize him. He called out to them, saying “Boys, don’t you have any fish?” “No,” they replied. He said “If you cast your net on the right side of the boat, you’ll find some.” They cast their net as he said, and the net was so full of fish they were unable to haul it in. John, the disciple Jesus loved, said to Peter “It is the Lord!”
When Simon Peter heard this, he tied his tunic around him (he was bare-chested) and jumped into the sea to swim ashore. The other disciples decided to steer the boat ashore instead, since it was only about a hundred yards away. They dragged the net full of fish with them.
When they came ashore they saw a charcoal fire with fish cooking over it, along with some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring over some of those fish you just caught.” Simon Peter got up and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish – 153 of them – but even though there were so many fish, the net did not tear.
Jesus invited them to have breakfast with him. None of them were brave enough to say “Who are you?” to him. They all knew it was Jesus. He then served them the bread and fish.
This was the third time he had revealed himself to his disciples after he had been raised from the dead.
JN 21:1-14
My grandmother wanted to continue to work as a translator and a teacher after she got married but it would shame Papa. He said “No wife of mine will ever work.” Mama’s mother wanted the same thing, and had the same problem, for the same reason.
These men were embarrassed that others would think they could not provide for their families. Perhaps they were also concerned that their wives would be independent from them and develop power, money, ideas. They wouldn’t need them. As if they stayed in the marriage because they had no other choice. Not out of love, but economic stability. Leave and be homeless, jobless, powerless.
This is economic shackling, foot binding. This is transforming a perfectly able person into a dependent cripple, having to be hand fed. Some entire cultures do this as a matter of course. This is enforced dependence. They fear their wives will leave them. They fear that their wife’s love is tied to their wallets. The women stay only because the alternative is worse. An unmarried or divorced woman is invisible and powerless in some societies.
Independent women frighten men, so they try to shame them or worse, they try to frighten them with sex. They threaten to either remove it, saying “we won’t date you” or impose it, saying “we will rape you” if you don’t get in line, which means under a man’s control and authority.
Awareness is the first key to unlocking the jailhouse door.
Thomas, the disciple known as “Twin” was not with the others when Jesus appeared before them. They kept telling him “We have seen the Lord!” He kept saying “I’ll never believe unless I see the nail marks in his hands with my own eyes and touch them with my own fingers and put my hand into the spear wound on his side!”
Eight days later the disciples were again indoors, but this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but then Jesus suddenly stood among them, saying “Peace to you!”
Looking at Thomas, he said “Look at my hands – touch them! Put your hand into my side as well. Don’t be without belief – be a believer!”
Thomas replied “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said “Have you believed only because you have seen? Blessed are those who believe without seeing.”
JN 20:24-29
The 11 disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. They worshiped him when they saw him there. Then Jesus approached them and said “Peace to you! My Father has given me authority over all the earth and heaven. As my Father has sent me, so I send you.”
Then he breathed on them, saying “Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive their sins, they are not forgiven. Go preach the gospel and disciple everyone throughout the world, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, instructing them to follow everything I have commanded you to do. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved, but anyone who does not believe will be lost. These signs will follow believers – they will cast out demons in my name, they will speak new languages, they will handle snakes and not be harmed if they drink poison, and the sick will be healed when they lay hands on them. Look! I am always with you, to the end of this era.”
MT 28:16-20, MK 16:15-18, JN 20:21-23
That same evening, the disciples were all together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Jesus suddenly appeared among them saying “Peace to you!” They were terrified, convinced that they were seeing a ghost.
“Why are you upset?” he asked. “Why do you doubt that I’m real? Look at my hands and feet. Touch me and know for sure that I’m real. A ghost doesn’t have a body like I do.” He then held out his hands and feet for them to look at. Even though, they still had a hard time believing that he was really there because they didn’t dare believe it was true. He then asked if they had something to eat, so they gave him some broiled fish and a piece of honeycomb, and he ate it while they watched.
Then he said “Here is what I told you before, about how everything written about me in the Scriptures must come to pass.” He then opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He then said “It was written that the Messiah must suffer and then rise from the grave on the third day, and there would be repentance and forgiveness of sins declared in his name, beginning in Jerusalem and spreading to the whole world. You are all witnesses of these facts. Behold, I will send to you what my Father promised. But for now, stay here in Jerusalem until you receive that heavenly power.”
LK 24:36-49, (MK 16:14, JN 20:19-20)
The same day, two of Jesus’ followers were on the way to a village named Emmaus. It is about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were discussing everything that had happened while they were walking. While they were talking and arguing, Jesus began to walk along with them but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. Jesus asked them “What are you two arguing about on your way?” They stopped walking and looked dejected.
Cleopas answered, “Are you the only person visiting in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard the news?”
“What news?” Jesus asked.
They said “All the news about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet that was powerful in word and deed before God and everyone, and the fact that our own Temple priests and leaders handed him over to the civil authorities to be sentenced to death and then crucified. We had hoped that he was the promised Messiah who had come to liberate Israel. In addition to all of this, three days have passed. Also some of the women in our group told us something amazing. They went out early in the morning to the tomb and didn’t find his body there. They told us that they had seen an angel who said he was alive! A couple of people from our group went to the tomb to check and found it as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”
Then Jesus said to them “How slow you are to believe everything the Prophets said was to happen! Didn’t they clearly say that the Messiah had to endure everything that has happened before entering into his glory?” Then he began telling them everything that the Prophets had said about him, starting with Moses and going through all the Scriptures, explaining what everything meant.
By this time they were almost to Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus gave the impression that he had further to go, but they urged him to stop for the evening because it was so late. So he went in with them to where they were staying.
While he was reclining at the table to eat, he took the bread, gave thanks for it and broke it, and then gave it to them. Suddenly their eyes were opened and they recognized him but then he immediately vanished before their eyes. They began to discuss this, saying “Weren’t our hearts full of fire while he was explaining the Scriptures to us on the road?” They immediately returned to Jerusalem and found the rest of Jesus’ followers who told them “The Lord is risen! He has appeared to Simon!” Then the two who had returned from Emmaus began to share what had happened to them and how he had revealed himself to them while breaking bread.
LK 24:13-35, (MK 16:12-13)
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