Telling the Beads Bead 17 Returning Home

Bead Seventeen Returning Home

This was a strange time for the close friends and followers of Jesus. Although they had seen him on two occasions, they still felt at a loss as to what to do next. Jesus had told them that they were to be his witnesses but how were they to find the strength, feeling inadequate and helpless as they did. There was talk about some of them going back to Galilee so Peter made up his mind to go with his brother, Andrew, the brothers, James and John, and Thomas, Philip and Nathaniel.

They set off early the next morning and after spending time with their family and friends, telling them all about everything that had happened, they decided to go fishing one evening but caught nothing all night long. As the sun rose over the water, they saw a man standing on the shore but didn't recognise that it was Jesus himself. He called out to ask them if they had caught anything. They shouted back to tell him they hadn’t, so he said, “Cast your net out on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find some fish there.” When they did as he suggested, the net became so full that they couldn’t even haul it into the boat.

John then realised it was Jesus. He told Peter who immediately jumped into the water to wade to the shore, as they were only about a hundred yards from land. The others brought the boat in, dragging the net behind them. When they came ashore they could see that the man had a charcoal fire burning and was cooking some fish on it and there was a basket of bread beside him. ‘’Come and have some breakfast,'' he said cheerily, ''and bring some of the fish you’ve caught.’’

Peter climbed back into the boat to help unload the huge catch of fish and they were amazed to find that, despite the unusually heavy weight, the net hadn’t been torn or damaged at all. Jesus passed the bread and fish around to them all but although this was the third time they had seen him since his death on the cross, none of them dared to ask him who he was although they all knew it was Jesus.

They had finished their breakfast and were sitting around talking to each other when Jesus quietly motioned Peter to join him a little further away from the group. Gently probing him, he said, “Peter, do you love me more than these others do?” Peter replied, “Lord, you know I love you.” “Then, feed my lambs,” came the reply but Jesus asked him a second time, “Peter, do you love me?” Peter replied again, “Yes, Lord, you know I do,” and this time, Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

When he asked him the same question a third time, Peter was upset and said, “Lord, you know everything; you know I love you!”, to which Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” Over time, Peter was to realise that he had been able to declare his love for his Master three times to compensate in some way for the memory of having denied knowing him three times, besides a charcoal fire too.

Jesus began to warn him about what his future would hold when he left his life as a fisherman to become ‘’the rock” on whom Jesus would build his church, a life which would ultimately lead to his death. “When you were young,” he told him, “You could go wherever you wanted but when you are old, someone will tie your hands and take you where you would rather not go!”

Peter looked up and saw John approaching them and knowing how much Jesus loved him, asked, “What will happen to him?” to which Jesus replied, “If I have a different plan for him, what is that to you? All you need to do is to follow me.” John was to record years later that Jesus said and did so many things during this time with them that there wouldn't be enough books in the world to contain them all! 

These days would be remembered by them all as the happiest days of their lives. After the almost unimaginable cruelty and pain of his death, Jesus, their Leader, their Lord and their friend, had come back to them. He visited them on many occasions, often joining them in the upper room which had become their base. Not once did he mention the fear that had made them run away from him in his hour of need. His one desire was to encourage and strengthen them for the task which lay ahead. 

He constantly reminded them of everything he had taught them over the three years of his ministry and explained how they were to fulfil his work on earth by spreading the message of God’s love for all people and by bringing healing and comfort to the suffering. They asked him many questions during this time, such as whether Israel would be set free from the Romans but he told them in no uncertain terms that they were not to concern themselves with such matters but should leave them in God's hands. 

He promised them that they would receive wisdom and power for the task ahead at the right moment and that they should remain in Jerusalem until then. He explained that God’s Spirit would fill them with all the gifts they would need for their future lives, no matter what difficulties and troubles they encountered. Forty days from the day of his return to life, he set off with the apostles, leading them out towards Bethany which lay on the hillside of the Mount of Olives. 

When they reached the top of the hill, Jesus spoke his final message to them. “My Father in heaven has given me the authority to send you out into the world to spread the good news of his love wherever you go and to baptise everyone who comes to believe in me in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” He promised them that he would be with them in spirit until the end of time then raised his hands in blessing and disappeared from their sight as if lifted up into a cloud which had descended on them all.