Looking Unto Jesus, Book 7 · Chapter 1 · Section 8
SECT. VIII. Of Chriſt's apparition to ſome of his Apostles at the Sea of Tiberias.
John 21.1.THere is but one apparition more recorded by John; after theſe things Jeſus ſhewed himſelf again to the Diſciples at the ſea of Tiberias, and on this wiſe ſhewed he himſelf. 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 ſhew the evidence, and certainty of his reſurrection.
Ver. 21.1. 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.
2. The place, at the ſea of Tiberias; or at the lake 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 ſhewed himſelf after his reſurrection to any but to his followers; he ſhewed 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, Act. 10.41.Acts 10.41. 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, Joh. 14.19.
4. For the manner of his apparition, on this wiſe ſhewed he himſelf.
Chryſ. hom. 86. in Job.1. He ſhewed himſelf, ſo it is in this verſe twice repeated, after theſe things Jeſus ſhewed himſelf, and in this wiſe he ſhewed himſelf. Chriſt now was not ſeen, or known to the bodily eye (for his body was immortal) unleſs by diſpenſation he condeſcended thereto. 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 vail of tears thoſe glorious creatures cannot be ſeen actually, except there be ſome peculiar and divine diſpenſation. As the ayre is too ſubtile to be ſeen, or as the Sun is too glorious for a weak eye to behold; ſo are glorified bodyes too ſubtile, too ſolendid for a mortal eye to pierce:Mat. 1.43. Mat. 22.30. 1 Cor. 15.44. our Saviour tells us, that the bodyes of the Saints do ſhine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father; and that they are as the Angels. And the Apoſtle tells us, that their bodyes are ſpiritual bodies; there is a natural body, and there is a ſpiritual body? now without diſpenſation we cannot ſee ſpiritual things. And hence it is, that when Chriſt ſhewed himſelf to the two diſciples at Emmaus, it is ſaid that their eyes were opened, Luke 24.31.& they knew him, & he vaniſhed out of their ſight. Mark, firſt their eyes were opened, why, no queſtion but their eyes were open 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, 2 King. 6.17.and he ſaw, and behold the mountain was full of horſes, and chariots of fire, round about Eliſha; in like manner their eyes were ſo opened, that they knew Jeſus. And then, 2. 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 ſhews that glorified bodies, as corpulent, and commenſurable, may be ſeen of mortals; but as they are ſubtle, and ſpiritual, they cannot be ſeen actually without diſpenſation. Chriſt appeared (ſaith Damaſcene) not by neceſſity, foreign.but by his own free will; not by the law of nature, but by way of diſpenſation. It was his meer condeſcenſion, permiſſion, that he would ſhew himſelf at any time unto his Diſciples.
2. He ſhewed himſelf on this wiſe; There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas, John 21.2, 3, 4, &c.called Dydimus, &c. In the whole narration we may obſerve. 1. The occaſion; and 2. The Apparition; in the occaſion we have a council among the Apoſtles what to do; and 'tis concluded they would go a fiſhing; they did ſo, though to no purpoſe; for they fiſhed all night, but caught nothing. In the Apparition. 1. Chriſt is unknown,ver. 3. ver. 4. He ſtood on the ſhore, but the Diſciples knew not that it was Jeſus: in this condition we have Jeſus ſpeaking, and then working a Miracle;ver. 6. 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. 2. Hereupon Chriſt is known, Therefore that Diſciple whom Jeſus loved, ſaith unto Peter, ver. 7.it is the Lord: the alarm given, now all the Diſciples beſtir themſelves. 1. Peter, he caſts himſelf into the ſea. 2. The other Diſciples they come 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.