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NT Doctrine -- John 21 - Ed Hurst - 11-12-2022
John was humble enough to make his final chapter about Peter, the appointed leader of the Twelve. This was his endorsement of that appointment, though he published his Gospel long after Peter and the others were dead for at last a decade or more. There's more to this final narrative than meets the eye.
John tells us that this was the third time after His resurrection that Jesus met with His disciples. The previous two meetings were in Jerusalem around both ends of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. They left the city after that, and we find seven of them sitting around in Peter's house in Capernaum, on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Peter must have had a million questions in his mind about his place in the scheme of things. So as the sun began to set, he decided to return to the only thing he was sure about: fishing. It was his profession before both John the Baptist and Jesus showed up. It was the same profession for some of the others, but all of them must have worked at it some, as they all decided to join Peter for a night of fishing. It's when fishing was done in those days. It's when the fish would come up close to the surface to feed.
There would have been two boats -- the larger for carrying the nets and their catch, and a dingy used to drag the net out and into a closed loop, sweeping any fish in the water back toward the bigger boat. Then the net was hauled up into the larger craft with whatever they caught. They were at it all night, catching nothing.
At the earliest light, a fellow on the nearest shore asked if they had caught anything. This would normally be a rather aggressive fish vendor trying to get first shot at their catch. Or maybe this was shore fisherman, because he suggested they try the other side of the boat, as if he knew where the fish were lurking. They tried it. Lo and behold, the net was so laden with fish they couldn't haul it back up into the larger boat. At this point, John being in the crew on the boat that couldn't lift the net, turned and told Peter it was Jesus.
Who could have forgotten a similar scene three years prior, when after a teaching session from the bow of their boat, Jesus suggested they take a run with the net in daylight when the fish had normally dropped in the depths away from the heat of the sunlight? The net that day began to tear from the massive catch.
But not this time. Still, it was too heavy to pull into the larger boat, so they dragged it ashore with the dingy. In his excitement, Peter had grabbed his outer garment -- fishermen worked nearly naked -- and dove into the water, swimming to shore to meet Jesus. The one who might question his commitment to Jesus was ready once again to abandon fishing to fish for men. He was there to meet the small boat with the net. Showing off for his large size and strength, Peter dragged it up on the beach. No, it was not torn this time, so it was easier to keep the whole catch together. They counted 153 unusually large specimens.
Jesus had already built a fire, with small fish cooking in the coals and some bread with it. He suggested they pick out something from their catch to add, so they could all have breakfast together. They knew it was Jesus, even if He didn't appear quite the same as before His death. He served them breakfast as they all sat together in fellowship, just like old times.
When the meal was finished, right in front of everyone, Jesus turned to Peter. The big man's heart must have stopped. Is this when he gets dismissed for his failure? It would only be justice. Instead, He simply asked if Peter loved Him. But typical of Jesus, He used a word John translated into the Greek word agape -- in the context meaning a sacrificial kind of passionate commitment. Did Peter love Jesus above the rest of the group?
Peter had always been a big guy, with big boasting, worried too much what people thought of him, yet not really knowing himself. He often failed to follow through, as he had the night Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin. Over the past couple of weeks, that man had died, and here sat a new Peter, no longer deceived about what kind of man he was. He responded using a word John translates as phileo -- he was still a friend of Jesus, but would not promise to sacrifice for Him.
It was almost as if to say, "That's okay, Peter, pasture my flock" -- take charge of the disciples. A few minutes passed, and then Jesus turned to Peter and asked the same question. Peter gave the same careful response. And again Jesus asked him to assume leadership of this group.
Yet again a few minutes, and Jesus turned to ask if they were still friends. Peter caught on to the change in words Jesus used, coming down to Peter's level. While it stung, Peter was a chastened man and stood his ground for once. He was still willing to serve Jesus from his position as a flawed man. For once Peter was the solid rock about something. And again, Jesus said it was okay, that He still wanted Peter to assume leadership of the group. It was good enough for now.
Three times Peter had denied Jesus, and three times Jesus had affirmed that He still wanted Peter to take charge of this new ministry, despite Peter's admitted imperfections. Then Jesus added that, all too soon, Peter would be forced to face death for even this level of commitment. He would be arrested and led to that death, same as his Lord. It was a prophecy that John saw come true some years later.
And what of the man who wrote this Gospel, the cousin of Jesus who seemed closer to Him personally than anyone else on earth? Jesus told Peter not to worry about it. John's time would come, and it would be much later. Peter was the chief apostle for now. But the way Jesus said it was twisted by others into a myth, that somehow John would live until Jesus returned. John identifies himself as that man, and assured his readers that Jesus had done and said so many things that he still remembered, but writing it all down was an inhuman task.
By the time John published this Gospel, he was himself not far from dying as the last of the Twelve. His Gospel stands as a testimony to John's urgent drive to teach the otherworldly, mystical approach to faith for a new generation that had never known Jesus or other other apostles.
RE: NT Doctrine -- John 21 - jaybreak - 11-15-2022
I remember arguing with someone online (where else?), when he claimed they were up to gay antics on the fishing boat. His only real argument, after some back and forth questioning and getting to what he was really saying, was that he couldn't see a bunch of men nearly naked on a boat for any other reason. I think I just left it there--no use continuing with someone who's imagination can't grasp that a culture half a world away a few thousand years ago wouldn't have the exact same customs and beliefs about the human body that we moderns do.
RE: NT Doctrine -- John 21 - Ed Hurst - 11-16-2022
Agreed. Most people who attack Scripture suffer from a very narrow view of life. It's funny now wokie ideology is so very anti-cosmopolitan.