Page 120 - The Gospel of John - Student textbook

Study Section 17: Jesus Commissions His Disciples

17.1 Connect

Jesus met with his disciples after his resurrection, then again almost a week later. At that time, he
confronted Thomas with his unbelief. Jesus told his disciples to go to Galilee, where he would meet
with them. In John 21, seven of the disciples were in Galilee. They had returned to their trade
before their journeys with Jesus: fishing. Where the other disciples were located is not told us. Jesus
needed this time with his disciples to prepare them for his permanent departure and for the coming
of the Holy Spirit.

John concludes this book by asking one of his disciples if he truly loved him. In the same sense, He asks us the
same question. If our answer is yes, then we should be about the business of ministering to Christ’s body and in
sharing His words to a lost world. Let see if we can see how his challenge to Peter also belongs to us….

17.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to explain why Jesus asked the disciples to travel north to Galilee to
meet with Him.

2. The student should be able to decipher between the three questions asked to Peter and explain
the reason for these questions.

3. The student should be able to answer the personal questions about applying the challenges found in the
book of John to their personal life.

17.3 Jesus meets His Disciples in Galilee

John 21:1-25 (HCSB)

1 After this, Jesus revealed Himself again to His disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed
Himself in this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee,
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Zebedee’s sons, and two others of His disciples were together. “I’m going fishing,” Simon
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Peter said to them. “We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the
boat, but that night they caught nothing. When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore. However, the
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disciples did not know it was Jesus. “Men,” Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you?” “No,”
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they answered. “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” He told them, “and you’ll find some.” So they did,
and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish. Therefore the disciple, the one Jesus
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loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer garment
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around him (for he was stripped) and plunged into the sea. But since they were not far from land (about 100
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yards away), the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. When they got out on land,
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they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,”
Jesus told them.

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