Appendix: the appearance of Jesus by the lake
1 ① After this Jesus revealed himself to the disciples by the Lake of Tiberias. He appeared to them in this way. 2Simon Peter, Thomas who was called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples were together; 3and Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They replied, “We will come with you” and they went out and got into the boat. But they caught nothing that night.
4When day had already broken, Jesus was standing on the shore, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5Jesus called them, “Children, have you anything to eat?” They answered, “Nothing.” 6Then he said to them, “Throw the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they had lowered the net, they were not able to pull it in because of the great number of fish.
7Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” At these words, “It’s the Lord,” Simon Peter put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and jumped into the water. 8The other disciples came in the boat dragging the net full of fish; they were not far from land, about a hundred meters.
9When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it, and some bread. 10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught.” 11So Simon Peter climbed into the boat and pulled the net to shore. It was full of big fish – one hundred and fifty-three – but, in spite of this, the net was not torn.
12Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast,” and not one of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” for they knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and he did the same with the fish.
14This was the third time that Jesus revealed himself to his disciples after rising from the dead.
15After they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” And Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16A second time Jesus said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” And Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Look after my sheep.” 17And a third time he said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was saddened because Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus then said, “Feed my sheep.
18Truly, I say to you, when you were young you put on your belt and walked where you liked. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and another will put a belt around you and lead you where you do not wish to go.” 19Jesus said this to make known the kind of death by which Peter was to glorify God. And he added, “Follow me.”
20Peter looked back and saw that the disciple Jesus loved was following as well, the one who had reclined close to Jesus at the supper and had asked him, “Lord, who is to betray you?” 21On seeing him Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” 22Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain until I come, does that concern you? Follow me.”
23Because of this the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus had not said to Peter, “He will not die,” but “suppose I want him to remain until I come.”
24It is this disciple who testifies about the things he has recorded here and we know that his testimony is true. 25But Jesus did many other things; if all were written down, the world itself would not hold the books recording them.
- Jn 21,1 Jesus appeaars this tiem near Lake Tiberias. This delightful story is filled with divine presence of Christ stands on the lonely lake shore in the light of dawn. The aposteles see a stranger but John, the prophet, recognizes Christ. The apostles pulled in a net full of 153 big fish. This number had a symbolic value; it expressed pelentitude and universality. such will be the apostolic work: all nations of the earth will be brought to Christ. The triple questioning of Peter by Jesus may be thought of as the undoing of the triple denial during Jesus' passion. Peter, too, being the shepherd of the shepherds, is a forgiven sinner. Jesus entrusts the whole Church to him: the same as in Matthew 16:18. Do you love me? This is the first condition to be fulfilled by a shepher in the Church. This dialogue between Jesus and Peter expresses what being a Christian is all about. Jesus asks us every day if we love him in a special and exclusive way: do you love me more than these? We answer Yes, despite our miseries, as Peter did; Jesus then invites us to follow him anew, out of love (v. 22), and to share with him the responsibility of caring for the people of God. There is no better way of following Jesus than by giving up our lives for his mission. Jesus orders Peter to care for the Church and, with this, orders us to obey. We obey freely and conscientiously, not because the shepherds are always capable and infallible, but rather because they perform a necessary function of authority. We believe that historically they are the successors of the apostles, and for that reason have received their mission from God. The gospel ends with a prediction of the different fates that will be Peter's and John's. Peter died a martyr's death in rome in the Year 66 or 67; John was still living in the year 90. He was the last of the witnesses of Christ and many thought he would not die until the Lord would come again: hence, the gospel insists that Jesus had not made such a promise. The last paragraph was placed there by those associated with John at the time of his death. 22
