Story Thirty-Eight

 •  10 min. read  •  grade level: 4
 
THE STRANGER ON THE SHORE
Matt. 28:16 to 20; Mark 16:14 to 20; Luke 24:50 to 53; John 20:26, to 21:25; Acts 1:1 to 11; 1 Cor. 15:3 to 8.
WHEN Jesus showed himself to the disciples on the evening of the day of his rising from the dead, only ten of the disciples saw him, for Jū́ das was no longer among them, and Thomas the Twin (which is the meaning of his other name, Dĭd́ y̆-mŭs) was absent. The other disciples said to Thŏḿ as, "We have seen the Lord!" But Thŏḿ as said, "I will not believe that he has risen unless I can see in his hands the marks of the nails on the cross. I must see them with my own eyes, and put my finger upon them, and put my hand into the wound in his side, before I will believe.”
A week passed away, and on the next Sunday evening the disciples were together again, and at this time Thŏḿ as was with them.
The doers were shut, but suddenly Jesus was seen again standing in the middle of the room. He said, as before, "Peace be with you.”
Then he turned to Thŏḿ as, and said to him, "Thŏḿ as, come here, and touch my hands with your finger, and put your hand into my side; and no longer refuse to believe that I am living, but have faith in me!" And Thŏḿ as answered him, "My Lord and my God!”
Then Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
You remember that the angels had said to the women at the tomb of Jesus, that his disciples should go into Găĺ ĭ-lee and there they would see the risen Lord. They Went to and waited for some days without seeing Jesus. Finally Pḗ te͂r said, "I am going fishing.”
"We will go with you," said the others. There were with Pḗ ter the two brothers, Jāmes̝ and Jŏhn, Thŏḿ as and Nā̇-thăń a-el, and two other disciples. They went out upon the lake in the fishing-boat, and worked all night, but found no fish. Just as the day was breaking they saw someone standing on the beach. It was Jesus, but they did not know him. He called out to them, as one friend calls to another, "Boys, have you caught anything?”
They answered him, "No.”
He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and you will find some fish.”
They may have thought that standing on the shore he could see the signs of a shoal of fish, which they from the boat could not see. But the quick eyes of Jŏhn, the beloved disciple, were the first to see who was this stranger on the shore. He said to Pḗ ter, "It is the Lord!”
When Pḗ ter heard this, he flung around him his fisherman's coat, and leaped into the water, and swam to the shore to meet his Lord. But the other six disciples stayed in the boat, and rowed to the shore, dragging after them the net full of fishes. When they came to the land, they found burning a fire of charcoal, and a fish broiling upon it: and a loaf of bread beside it. They all knew now that it was the Lord Jesus, and he said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have now caught.”
Sī́ mon Pḗ te͂r waded out to where the net was lying, filled with fish, and drew it to the shore. Afterward they counted the fish that were in it, and found them one hundred and fifty-three large fishes, besides small ones. Yet the net was not broken with all these fish in it. Jesus said to them, "Come now and breakfast.”
He took the bread, and eve it to them, and gave them fish also; and the seven disciples at a breakfast with their risen Lord. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples in a company after rising from the tomb, the seventh of the times that he was seen.
After the breakfast, Jesus turned to Sī́ mon Pḗ te͂r, the one who three times had denied that he knew Jesus, and he said to him, "Sī́ mon, son of Jṓ nas, lovest thou me?”
Pḗ te͂r answered him, "Yes, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.”
Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs.”
Then after a time Jesus said again, "Sī́ mon, son of Jṓ nas, dost thou love me?”
Pḗ te͂r answered him as before, "Yes, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.”
And Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep.”
The third time Jesus said to him, "Sī́ mon, son of Jṓ nas, lovest thou me?”
Pḗ te͂r was troubled to have this question asked again and again, and he answered, "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.”
Then Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep." And Jesus added, "Follow me!”
And thus Pḗ ter, after his fall, three times declared his love to Christ, and was again called to his place among the disciples.
After this the followers of Jesus met on a mountain in Găĺ ĭ-lee, perhaps the same mountain where Jesus had before given the teachings called "The Sermon on the Mount," of which we read in Story Thirteen. More than five hundred people were gathered ' at this time; and there Jesus showed himself to them all. He said to them:
"All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and preach my gospel to all the nations of the earth, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to keep all the commandments that I have given you. And I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”
This was the eighth time that Jesus was seen after he rose from the dead. The ninth was when he showed himself to Jāmes̝, not the apostle of that name, but another Jāmes̝, who was called "The Lord's Brother," and may have been a son of Jṓ s̝eph, the carpenter of Năź a-rĕth, and of Mā́ ry̆ his wife. We do not know what was said at this meeting; but from this time Jāmes̝ was a strong believer in Jesus.
Once more, the tenth time, the risen Savior showed himself to all his eleven disciples. It may have been in Jē̇-rṳ́ sā̇-lĕm, for he told them not to leave the city, but to wait until God should send down upon them his Spirit, as he had promised. And Jesus said to them:
"When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you shall have a new power, and you shall speak in my name in Jē̇-rṳ́ sā̇-lĕm, and in Jū-dḗ ȧ, and in Sā̇-mā rĭ-ȧ, and in the farthest parts of the earth.”
Jesus led his disciples out of the city and over the Mount of near to the village of Bĕth́ a-ny̆. And he lifted up his hands in blessing upon them; and while he was blessing them, he began to rise in the air, higher and higher, until a cloud covered him, and the disciples saw him no more.
While they were looking up toward heaven, they found two men, like angels, with shining garments, standing by them. These men said "O ye men of Găĺ ĭ-lee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you, shall come again from heaven to earth, as you have seen him go up from earth to heaven!”
Then the disciples were glad. They worshipped their risen Lord Jesus, now gone up to heaven; and they went again to Jē̇-rṳ́ -sā̇-lĕm. And they were constantly in the Temple, praising and giving thanks to God.
Lesson 32. Jesus on the Shore and on the Mountain.
(Tell Story 38 in Part Sixth.)
1. After the first Easter day, when did the risen Jesus show himself again to his disciples? On Sunday, a week later.
2. Which of the disciples saw Jesus then for the first time? Thomas.
3. Where did the disciples of Jesus go to meet him? To Galilee.
4. Where was the risen Christ first seen in Galilee? At the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
5. What did Jesus say to Peter at that time? "Feed my lambs.”
6. Where was the risen Jesus seen again by many of his followers? On a mountain in Galilee.
7. How many saw Jesus at that time? More than five hundred.
8. What did Jesus tell his disciples to do? To preach his gospel to all the world.
9. Where was Jesus seen by his disciples for the last time? On the Mount of Olives.
10. What did the risen Jesus do on the Mount of Olives? He went up to heaven.
11. What promise was then given to the disciples? That Jesus will come again.
Lesson 33. Review of People in the Gospel Story.
1. What great prophet was born a few months before Jesus? John the Baptist.
2. Who was the father of John the Baptist? Zacharias.
3. Who was the mother of John the Baptist?
4. Who brought the news that Christ would soon come? The angel Gabriel
5. Who was the mother of Jesus? Mary
6. Who heard the first news that Jesus Christ was born? Shepherds.
7. Who came from a far country and brought gifts to the child Jews? Wise men.
8. Who took up the child Jesus in the temple and gave thanks to God? Simeon.
9. Who baptized Jesus? John the Baptist.
10. Who tried to tempt Jesus to do wrong? Satan, the evil spirit.
11. Who talked with Jesus at night in Jerusalem? Nicodemus.
12. Who met Jesus by a well? The Samaritan woman.
13. With what two sisters did Jesus stay near Jerusalem? With Martha and Mary.
14. What brother of these two sisters did Jesus raise to life? Lazarus.
15. To what blind man did Jesus give sight at Jericho? To Bartimæus.
16. What rich man at Jericho took Jesus to his house? Zacchæus.
17. Who poured costly perfume on the head of Jesus at a supper? Mary, the sister of Lazarus.
18. What disciple of Christ sold him to his enemies for money? Judas.
19. What ruler ordered that Jesus should be put to death on the cross? Pilate.
20. Who first saw Jesus after he rose from the dead? Mary Magdalene.
Lesson 34. Review of Places in the Gospel Story.
1. Where was Je'sus born? At Bethlehem.
2. To what land was he taken, that his life might be saved from King Herod? To Egypt.
3. Where did Je'sus live as a boy? In Nazareth.
4. In what place was he found when twelve years old? In the temple.
5. In what river was he baptized? In the river Jordan.
6. Where was he tempted by Satan? In the wilderness.
7. Where was his first miracle? At Cana in Galilee.
8. In what land did Jesus preach during the first year of his teaching? In Judea
9. Where did Jesus talk with a woman by a well? In Samaria.
10. Where did Jesus preach during the second year of his teaching? In Galilee.
11. Where did he live while he preached in Galilee? At Capernaum.
12. On what sea did he still the storm? The Sea of Galilee.
13. At what pool in Jerusalem did he heal a man who could not walk? The Pool of Bethesda.
14. To what other pool at Jerusalem did he send a blind man to wash? To the Pool of Siloam.
15. At what place in Galilee did he raise to life a widow's son? At Nein.
16. Where did he feed five thousand people? Bethsaida.
17. On what mountain did he show his glory? On Mount Hermon.
18. At what place did he raise Lazarus to life? At Bethany.
19. At what place did Jesus die on the cross? At Calvary.
20. From what mountain did Je'sus go up to heaven? From the Mount of Olives.