The Appearances of Jesus Christ

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Theme: "The Appearances of Jesus Christ."

Text: John 21:1-14

1. After this, Jesus appeared again to the disciples at the Sea of ​​Tiberias. He appeared in this way: 2. Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other of Jesus' disciples were together. 3. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are also going with you." They went out and got into a boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4. When morning came, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5. Jesus said to them, "Children, have you anything to eat?" They answered him, "No." 6. He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it in, and were unable to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" And Simon Peter, as soon as he heard that it was the Lord, put on his own garment and girded himself with his belt, for he was naked, and threw himself into the sea. 8. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were only about two hundred cubits from the land. 9. When they had gone ashore, they saw coals lit there, and fish on them, and bread. 10. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught." 11. Simon Peter went into the boat and dragged the net to land full of 153 large fish. Although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12. Jesus said to them, "Come, eat." And none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" knowing that it was the Lord. 13. Jesus came and took the bread and gave them some, and likewise the fish. 14. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had risen from the dead.

Remember:

Jesus' appearances were an opportunity for him to bring his disciples back to the mission of saving souls. Seeing that they had returned to their old lucrative activities, Jesus began to visit them to show them that nothing was lost; rather, that a new era was beginning. The new life that was beginning was not that of fishing, for that is older than the one Jesus asked for. The new life is that of fishing for souls to save them from drowning in sin. The disciples needed to be convinced that Jesus' help would always be there. By making his appearances, Jesus wanted to equip his disciples with faith and motivation. They needed to understand that even when fishing, Jesus knows the inner workings of fish best. He knows the mangroves where the fish hide best. Jesus even knew the fish habitats. He demonstrated this to his disciples by multiplying his appearances. While Peter had already recruited nearly ten of his fellow disciples to go fishing with him, Jesus appeared to redirect them toward fishing for the lost souls of the house of Israel. The disciples' lack of revelation was glaring and disturbing. Their eyes were clouded, unable to recognize their master on the shore. Each appearance of Jesus is a revelation allowing them to see clearly. Jesus performed a miracle at this apparition to feed his disciples. He also wanted to convey the message that after death and resurrection, He could still perform miracles. He performed the miracle of the precise location of the fish and the miracle of the net that did not break. Excellent Thursday. Amen.

Alain Louz.-