BOOK 7. THE RESURRECTION.
CHAPTER 1.
7.1.8. Of Christ's apparition to some of his Apostles at the sea of Tiberias.
Of Christ's apparition to some of his Apostles at the sea of Tiberias.
There is but one apparititon more recorded by John. "After these things, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias, and on this wise showed he himself," John xxi. 1. In these apparitions, the evangelist useth one and the same method; as in the former, so here again is set down the time when, the place where, the persons to whom, the manner how he appeared: not one of these circumstances must be wanting, to show the evidence and certainty of his resurrection.
1. The time after these things; after the three former apparitions, he comes to a fourth, and he concludes with this, as therein making some mention of himself, with which he concludes the whole book, "This is the disciple which testifieth these things, and wrote these things, and we know his testimony is true," verse 24.
2. The place, "at the sea of Tiberias," or at the lake of Genezareth, where he had called them to the apostleship, there now he appears to these apostles; they were at first fishers, and now they are at their calling upon the sea, Christ standing on the shore.
3. The persons to whom he appears, they were disciples, their names are in the next verse. All Christ's apparitions were to the disciples of Christ; we read not that ever he showed himself after his resurrection to any but to his followers; he showed himself openly, "not to all the people, but unto witnesses, chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead," Acts x. 41. Strangers to Christ must be no witnesses of Christ's resurrection, and this was his meaning, "Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more, but ye see me," John xiv. 19.
4. For the manner of his apparition, "on this wise showed he himself."
(a). He showed himself: so it is in this verse twice repeated, "After these things Jesus showed himself, and in this wise showed he himself." "Christ now was not seen or known to the bodily eye, (for his body was immortal) unless by dispensation he condescended thereto." (Chrys. hom. 86. in Joh.) I deny not, but that glorified bodies are ever actually seen of bodies that are glorified; but of mortal men, who are yet in this vale of tears, those glorious creatures cannot be actually seen, except there be some peculiar and divine dispensation. As the air is too subtile to be seen, or as the sun is too glorious for a weak eye to behold, so are glorified bodies too subtile; too splendid for a mortal eye to pierce; our Saviour tells us, that the bodies of the saints "do shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father," Matth. xiii. 43, and that they are as the angels, Matth. xxii. 30. And the apostle tells us, that their bodies are spiritual bodies, "there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body," 1 Cor. xv. 44. Now without dispensation, we cannot see spiritual things. And hence it is, that when Christ showed himself to the two disciples at Emmaus, it is said, that "their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight," Luke xxiv. 31. Mark, first their eyes were opened; why, no question but their eyes were opened before, they did not walk with him, and talk with him, and sit with him, and eat with him, but their eyes were then opened; ay, but now their eyes were opened in another manner, as it is said of Elisha's servant, that at the prayers of Elisha, "the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold the mountain was full of horses, and chariots of fire round about Elisha," 2 Kings vi. 17, in like manner their eyes were so opened, that they knew Jesus. And then,
(b). He vanished out of their sight; in a strange unusual manner they lost his sight, and they could not tell what was become of him; in a moment he was invisible to them whose eyes he had opened, it plainly shows that glorified bodies, as corpulent, and commensurable, may be seen of mortals, but as they are subtile, and spiritual, they cannot be seen actually without dispensation. "Christ appeared, (saith Damascene) not by necessity, but by his own free will; not by the law of nature, but by way of dispensation." (Ougoma phuseos alla tikonomas topo, - Damas l. 4, c. 1.) It was his mere condescension, and permission that he would show himself at any time unto his disciples.
(c). He showed himself on this wise, "there were together, Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, etc. John xxi. 2, 3, 4, etc. In the whole narration, we may observe, (a). The occasion, and, (b). The apparition.
(i). The occasion. In the occasion, we have a council among the apostles what to do; and it is concluded they would go a fishing, they did so, though to no purpose; for they fished "all night, but caught nothing," verse 3.
(ii). The apparition.
- Christ is unknown, "he stood on the shore, but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus," verse 4. In this condition we have Jesus speaking, and then working a miracle; he bids them "cast the net on the right side of the ship, and then draw, but they were not able to draw for the multitude of the fishes," verse 6.
- Hereupon Christ is known, "therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved, saith unto Peter, it is the Lord;" the alarm given, now all the disciples bestir themselves: Peter, "he casts himself into the sea," verse 7. The other disciples, they came in a little ship to the land, and there they dine, and commune with Jesus, which is the end of the history, and so ends this book of our evangelist John.
Thus far we have propounded the object, our next work is how to direct you to look unto Jesus in this respect.