"No," they answered him.

"Throw out your net on the right side of the boat," said the stranger, "and you will find some fish."

They threw out the net as the man told them, and at once it was filled with large fish, so full that they could not at first haul it in. Then John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, said to Peter:

"That is our Lord!"

When Simon Peter heard that this man on the sh.o.r.e was the Lord Jesus, he slipped on his coat--for he had taken it off while working--and leaped into the water to swim ash.o.r.e. The other disciples came ash.o.r.e in a smaller boat, dragging the net, full of fish; for they were not more than a hundred yards from the beach.

When they landed on the sh.o.r.e, they saw a charcoal fire burning, with some fish cooking upon it and some bread beside it. Jesus said:

"Bring some of the fish that you have caught."

Peter went to the boat and pulled the net ash.o.r.e, full of large fish.

They counted them afterward, and found that they numbered one hundred and fifty-three; but although there were so many, the net was not torn anywhere. Jesus said to them:

"Come and have breakfast."

They sat down on the beach beside the fire; and Jesus pa.s.sed the bread around to them, and also the broiled fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was seen by his disciples after rising from the dead; for he had already appeared to them on two Sunday evenings in Jerusalem; and in all, this was the seventh appearance of Jesus after his rising from the dead.

After they had eaten their breakfast, and were still sitting together, Jesus said to Simon Peter:

"Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me more than the others?"

"Why, Master," answered Peter, "you know that I am your friend."

"Then," said Jesus, "feed my lambs."

There was a moment's pause, and then Jesus a second time asked Peter:

"Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me?"

"Yes, Master," he replied; "you know that I am your friend."

"Then," said Jesus, "be a shepherd to my sheep."

Then, a third time, Jesus asked him:

"Simon, son of Jonas, are you my friend?"

Peter felt hurt that his third question was "Are you my friend?" and not "Do you love me?" and he answered:

"Master, you know everything! You know that I am your friend!"

"Then feed my sheep," said Jesus; and he went on, "I tell you in truth, when you were young you put your own girdle around your waist, and went wherever you chose. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands for someone else to put a girdle around you, and you will be taken where you do not wish to go."

Then Jesus added, "Follow me."

As Peter on the night of his Master's trial had three times denied that he knew Jesus or was his disciple, so now Jesus wished him to say three times before them all that he was his friend. And when he had spoken this three times, the Lord said to him, as he had said long before by the Sea of Galilee, "Follow me." Thus Simon Peter was again given his old place among the disciples of Jesus.

What Jesus said to Peter about stretching out his hands and being carried where he did not wish to go, was spoken as a prophecy or foretelling of the manner by which Peter should die for the sake of Christ. Nearly forty years after that time, when Peter was an old man, he was put to death at Rome by being crucified as Jesus had been. It is said that when he was about to be fastened upon the cross, he said to the soldiers, that one who had denied his Master as he had, was not worthy of dying in the same manner as Jesus had died; and he begged them to set up his cross with his head downward toward the ground; and thus Peter died.

But to go back to that breakfast by the Sea of Galilee, after those words had been spoken by Jesus to Peter, he looked at John, who was standing near. Peter and John, though very different in their natures, loved each other greatly. In the story of Jesus and his disciples, and in the days that came after, we find that almost always Peter and John were together. Seeing John, Peter said to Jesus:

"Master, you have told me about myself; now tell what this man shall do."

But Jesus said to Peter:

"If I choose that he shall wait until I come back to earth, what has that to do with you? Do you follow me, as I said."

John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, lived a long time after that day.

When all the rest of the twelve disciples of Jesus had died--nearly all of them were slain by enemies of Christ--John was still living. And from these words of Jesus many thought that John would not die. But Jesus did not say that John would not die. He only said that if he chose to let John live until he, Jesus, came again, it was not Peter's matter, but the Lord's.

[Ill.u.s.tration: He rose into the air, higher and higher, until a cloud covered him from their sight, and Jesus the Lord of glory was seen no more.]

Jesus Rising up from Earth to Heaven

CHAPTER 103

SOON AFTER the appearance of Jesus to the seven disciples by the Sea of Galilee, a great meeting was held of many who believed in Jesus, on the mountain, in Galilee, where Jesus had told them to come together. It is said that at this meeting more than five hundred people who were followers of Jesus gathered in one place. There Jesus showed himself to the whole company. When they saw him they bowed down to the ground before him; but even then some of them were in doubt whether they had really seen the Lord.

At that time Jesus drew near to this company and said to them:

"All power as the Son of G.o.d, and the King of G.o.d's Kingdom in heaven and on earth has been given to me by my Father. I command you, therefore, to go and preach the gospel to all the world, and make disciples of all nations and in all lands. Those who believe on me, baptize in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and teach them to obey all the commands that I have given you. Whoever believes on me as his Saviour shall be saved from his sins; but whoever will not believe, shall suffer the guilt of his sins. And these powers shall be given to those who believe; in my name they shall drive out evil spirits; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up poisonous snakes in their hands and shall suffer no harm; if they drink any poison it shall not hurt them; they will place their hands on sick people, and they shall become well. And I will be with you all the time, even to the very end of the world."

After this there was a ninth appearance of Jesus to James; not James the brother of John, but another James who was the son of Joseph and Mary, and a younger brother of Jesus. What was said at that appearance has not been told, but from that time James was one of the foremost followers of Jesus, and for many years a leader in the church at Jerusalem. Long after this, James wrote one of the books in the New Testament, the Epistle of James.

Jesus was seen from time to time during forty days by his disciples and followers. We know of ten times in all when Jesus appeared; but there may have been other times of which no mention is made in the gospels or in the other writings of the New Testament. His tenth appearance, as far as we know, and his last, may have been at the upper room in Jerusalem, forty days after he had risen from his tomb. At that time he said:

"When I was with you, I told you this, that everything written of me in the books of Moses, and the psalms and the prophets must come to pa.s.s."

Then he opened their minds to understand what was written in the Old Testament.

"Thus," he said, "it is written that Christ the King of Israel must suffer, and die, and rise again the third day, just as has come to pa.s.s.

And now you are to go forth and preach that men must everywhere turn from their sins to G.o.d, and be forgiven of their sins through the power given to me. And you are to begin your preaching here in Jerusalem, the very place where I have been crucified. I will soon send down on you the Holy Spirit whom my Father has promised. But wait in this city until the power comes upon you from on high."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."]

Then the risen Christ led them out of the city to the Mount of Olives.

No one except those who believed in him could see him, for he was unseen to all other people. As he drew near Bethany he lifted up his hands and blessed his followers. While they were looking at him, and his hands were held out, he rose into the air, higher and higher, until after a time a cloud covered him from their sight, and Jesus the Lord of glory was seen no more.

While they were looking upward, two men dressed in shining white, angels of G.o.d, were seen standing beside them. These angels said to the followers of Jesus:

"Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking up towards the heavens? This Jesus, who has been taken from you, will come again to earth in the very same way that you have seen him go up to heaven."