CXL.
SEVENTH APPEARANCE OF JESUS.
(Sea of Galilee.)
dJOHN XXI. 1-25.
d1 After these things Jesus
manifested himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and he
manifested himself on this wise.
2 There was together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael
of Cana in Galilee [see p.
111], and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his
disciples. 3 Simon [754] Peter
saith unto them, I go a fishing. [As usual, Peter was the leader.]
They say unto him, We also come with thee. They went forth, and entered
into the boat; and that night they took nothing. [These apostles, thinking
that their apostleship had terminated, had returned to their old like as
fishermen.*] 4
But when day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach: yet the disciples
knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus therefore
saith unto them, Children, have ye aught to eat? [Jesus does not use
the affectionate teknia--"children," but the familiar and colloquial
paidia--"boys." His question was like that of a stranger, or neighbor,
who wished to buy fish.] They answered him, No. [Their brevity bespeaks
their disappointment at having a purchaser, but nothing to sell him.]
6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and
ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw
it for the multitude of fishes. [The movements of large bodies of fish
in the waters of Galilee are frequently visible to one standing on the
shore. Supposing that the stranger thus saw fish upon the right side of
the boat, the disciples readily obeyed his command, without suspecting
who it was that gave it.] 7 That disciple
therefore whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. [Even
the wonderful draught of fishes did not at once arouse all the disciples
to realize that a miracle had been wrought, and that Christ stood upon
the shore. But John, having believed in the resurrection of Jesus even
before [755] he had seen the risen Lord, may
rightly be presumed to have had a livelier expectation of meeting him in
Galilee, and this expectation made him more alert for signs of the Lord's
presence. During the night he had probably thought much of that other night
when they took nothing, and of the day which followed and on which the
Lord filled their nets for them. At any rate, the similarity of the two
occasions now flashed through John's mind, and he recognized that it was
Christ who had but now bade them cast the net.] So when Simon Peter
heard that it was the Lord, he girt his coat about him (for he was naked),
and cast himself into the sea. [The arduous task of fishing had caused
Peter to lay aside his upper garment; but as he prepares to meet the Lord
he puts it on, moved by reverence and respect for the Master, though it
encumbered him greatly in his efforts to swim.]
8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far
from the land, but about two hundred cubits off), dragging the net full
of fishes. [The other disciples restrained their emotions, and attended
to the duties of the hour. They were about a hundred yards from the land.]
9 So when they got out upon the land, they see a fire of coals there, and
fish laid thereon, and bread. [The sight gave a new meaning to the
Lord's question in verse 5; he had not come to buy, but to supply.]
10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now taken.
11 Simon Peter therefore went up, and drew the net to land, full of great
fishes, a hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many,
the net was not rent. [Peter, being already wet, could lend material
assistance in bringing the net to shore. John tells us the exact number
of the fishes to show the magnitude of the miracle, both as to the catch
and as to the unbroken nets. The latter form a sharp contrast to the broken
nets of Luke v. 6. Possibly when the hour approached when they would become
fishers of men, Jesus meant to show them that a greater and fuller miraculous
power would attend and bless their efforts.]
12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and [756] break
your fast. And none of the disciples durst inquire of him, Who art thou?
knowing that it was the Lord. [It was not, as some suppose, because
they stood in a new and special awe of him, that they durst not question
him, but it was the nature of the question itself. They feared a mild rebuke
like that once administered to Philip--John xiv. 9.]
13 Jesus cometh, and taketh the bread, and giveth them, and the fish likewise.
[Thus he gave to them when he fed the multitude and thus it may be hundreds
of times he had given to them when they sat at meat together--Luke xxii.
17-20; John xiii. 26.] 14 This is
now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after that
he was risen from the dead. [It was his seventh appearance, but his
third appearance to a group of disciples, and the third appearance
witnessed by John. John counts as follows: 1. An appearance to the apostles
without Thomas; 2. an appearance to them with Thomas; 3. this appearance.]
15 So when they had broken their fast [after the eating of a meal together
had calmed and quieted the excitement of the disciples, and made them susceptible
of teaching], Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of
John, lovest thou me more than these? [Jesus here means: Do you love
me more than these fishes and this fishing business? *]
He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith
unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith
to him again a second time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me?
He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto
him, Tend my sheep. [For if you love me [757] [better
than fishing, you are a fisherman no longer, but a shepherd.*]
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of John, lovest
thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest
thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest
that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. [The Greek here
has subtle shades of meaning which the English does not express. In the
first two questions addressed to Peter our Lord uses the strong verb agapan,
and Peter replies by the weaker verb philein. See p.
519. Peter, as we have seen, had professed the most unparalleled devotion
for the Master, but when the Lord now asks him if he has that devotion,
he humbly describes his love as of a far weaker order--a mere instinctive
affection or strong attachment, but nothing approaching adoration. In his
third question, Jesus drops the agapan and takes Peter's own word--philein:
as if he said, "Peter, are you even sure that you have a high regard for
me?" It grieved Peter to have the Lord thus apparently doubt that he had
even a tender regard for him, and he appealed to Christ himself as a searcher
of hearts to bear witness that, poor and meager as his love was, it was
at least as intense as he had represented it to be. In response to each
of Peter's professions of love Jesus lays a command on him, as if he had
said, "If you love me as you say, prove it thus." These three commands
also contain subtle linguistic distinctions which, however, are fairly
represented by the English. Lambs and sheep are to be fed, and sheep are
to be tended. The former means that young and old in the church are to
be provided for, and, since the word "tends" mean to be shepherd unto,
the latter may mean that Peter is to play the shepherd to the wandering
and the erring, bringing them into the fold. Before leaving this scene,
we should note that it has close relationship to other incidents in the
life of Peter: 1. Jesus here calls him by the name [758] by
which he had first called him, noting the more honorable name which he
had given him. 2. Jesus recalls Peter under circumstances very similar
to his first call. Compare verses 1-14 with Luke v. 1-11. 3. In a group
around a fire of coals Peter here thrice professes his love for Christ,
thus revoking the threefold denial which he had made under similar circumstances--Luke
xxii. 54-62.] 18 Verily, verily,
I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst
whither thou wouldest [Peter had just shown this freedom by girding
himself and plunging into the sea]: but when thou shalt be old,
thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry
thee whither thou wouldest not. [Thus our Lord, by delicate but unmistakable
suggestion, shows Peter that the freedom which he now enjoyed would be
taken from him, and that he would lift his hands to permit others to bind
him that they might lead him to martyrdom to which his flesh (though not
his spirit) would go unwillingly.]
19 Now this he spake, signifying by what manner of death he should glorify
God. [John, who wrote after Peter's death, tells us what the words
of Christ meant. His words show that tradition is true in saying that Peter
suffered martyrdom, but it is no voucher that tradition is true as to the
time (about thirty-four years after this), place (Rome), or manner (crucified
head downward) of Peter's death. There is certainly no trustworthy evidence
that Peter was ever at Rome.] And when he had spoken this, he saith
unto him, Follow me. [This saying bore the usual double sense in which
Jesus employed it. Peter was to follow him now (and he did arise and follow),
and he was also to follow Jesus to a violent death and a glorious immortality.]
20 Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved [John]
following; who also leaned back on his breast at the supper, and said,
Lord, who is he that betrayeth thee? [John xiii. 25.]
21 Peter therefore seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this
man do? [Peter and John were near friends (Acts iii. 1), and understanding
that the [759] Lord had prophesied a violent
death for himself, Peter was naturally interested in the fate of his dear
companion.] 22 Jesus saith unto him,
If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow
thou me. [It was none of Peter's business whether John's earthly lot
was easier or harder than his own; his business was to be faithful in the
pathway whither the Lord led him.]
23 This saying therefore went forth among the brethren, that that disciple
should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, that he should not die; but,
If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? [Our
Lord's words were a puzzle when John wrote his Gospel, and to many they
are a puzzle still. For an able treatment of the various interpretations
of this difficult passage, see B. W. Johnson's Commentary
on John. There is no question that John died. The site of his grave
at Ephesus was well known to early Christians. The coming of the Lord for
which he tarried was that in the isle of Patmos, of which he tells us in
the Book of Revelation. This passage, therefore, shows that John wrote
his Gospel before his exile in Patmos.]
24 This is the disciple that beareth witness of these things, and wrote
these things: and we know that his witness is true.
25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which if they
should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself would
not contain the books that should be written. [Since the "we know"
differs from the "he knoweth" of John xix. 35, most of the critics hold
that this verse was added by the elders of Ephesus to whom John committed
his Gospel, and that it is the attestation of the church there to the truth
and authenticity of the Gospel. But the first person singular, "I suppose,"
of verse 25 is hard to account for such an hypothesis. Besides, none of
the elders at Ephesus could suppose any such thing. Only an eye-witness
who saw the fullness of our Lord's ministry would be led to pen these words.
We find in the first Epistle of John a condition of affairs similar to
these two verses. The first chapter opens with and continues to use the
editorial plural, [760] while the second chapter
drops in the first person singular. We think, then, that John finished
his own book. Considering the wilderness of literature which has accumulated
around the sayings and doings of our Lord contained in the brief Gospels,
it is little wonder that John thought a full record of the Lord's life
would fill the world with books.]
* NOTE.--We
can not agree in this. Jesus had said too many things indicating his future
need of the apostles for them to think that he was through with them (Matt.
xvi. 19; xxiv. 9-13; Luke xxii. 32; John xv. 16, 20, 27; xvi. 1-3). He
had told the apostles to go to Galilee, and that he would appear to them
there; they had done this and were waiting for his appearance. Peter, because
of his denials, may have wavered in his loyalty, but the others surely
did not. By going a-fishing they did not mean to abandon their apostleship;
they were merely putting in the time, while they waited for developments;
but by thus returning to their old occupation they were subjecting themselves
to strong temptation (Luke ix. 62).--P. Y. P.
* NOTE.--Here
again we dissent. See Hengstenberg, Alford, Meyer, etc. and especially
Godet. Peter had boasted of a love toward Jesus superior to that of any
of the other disciples (Matt. xxvi. 33; Mark xiv. 29; John xiii. 37), and
by refusing to have Jesus wash his feet, by being the first to draw a sword
in his Master's defense, and by even now conspicuously deserting the others
to swim to meet Jesus, he had endeavored to prove his boast. Jesus therefore
asks him if it is indeed true that his love is greater than that of his
fellow-disciples--"Do you love me more than these love me?"--P. Y. P.
* NOTE.--Rather,
"If you love me better than the others do, take the place which I have
assigned you as chief servant of the flock"--Matt. xvi. 18, 19; Luke xxii.
26.--P. Y. P.
[FFG 754-761]
