Reading the Gospels Together

The Resurrection – Part 7

We have just noted that John’s gospel has ended – but there is one more chapter to deal with. There were alternate endings to Mark’s gospel and I dispensed them as not being authentic or helpful. Is the same true about John’s “second ending?” Certainly not! Mark’s alternate endings were clearly produced by someone other than Mark and were poor attempts to “fix” Mark’s gospel. The “second ending” of John’s gospel is clearly written by the same John who last edited the whole gospel. The “second ending” belongs to the gospel! So we will treat this ending as we have the whole gospel.

John provides his readers with a fourth bodily resurrection appearance of Jesus. Like Luke, all of John’s appearance stories so far have been in Jerusalem. Restricting these appearances to Jerusalem and nearby was crucial for Luke who has centered his gospel on Jerusalem and the Temple and will move out from there in the book of Acts. The urgency of remaining in Jerusalem is not important to John – his resurrection appearance stories happen there simply because they are connected so closely with the time of the crucifixion and resurrection. This fourth appearance story happens in Galilee and apparently some time has passed. We will recall that Mark, who provides no resurrection appearance stories for his readers, had recorded Jesus words to his disciples predicting that they would see him in Galilee. Matthew who faithfully follows Mark throughout most of the Passion Narrative had also recorded Jesus prediction that the disciples would see the resurrected Jesus in Galilee. After providing a brief appearance story in Jerusalem at the tomb, Matthew provides his readers with the appearance story of the resurrected Jesus in Galilee Jesus had predicted. Luke had removed Mark’s reference to the disciples seeing the resurrected Jesus in Galilee so he has no need to tell that story – in fact he has likely suppressed information in order to preserve his storyline centering on Jerusalem. John shares none of these concerns or problems. One might ask why John has told this story. As we enter into it we find an answer. This story in John is important mostly because it is about the redemption of Peter.

John’s story begins with seven disciples of Jesus gathering at the Sea of Tiberius (Sea of Galilee). John identifies three disciples by name – Simon Peter, Thomas, and Nathaniel of Cana – and mentions four others who are unnamed – the sons of Zebedee and two others. This is the first and only time John mentions the sons of Zebedee in his gospel. We have met Nathaniel before in John’s gospel and need to note that he is not one of the named Twelve in the synoptic gospels. In a short time we will learn the identity of one of the unnamed disciples – though he will remain unnamed since he is the “beloved disciple.” This is one of the places where some have wanted to equate the beloved disciple with John the son of Zebedee but we have already discounted that for plenty of other reasons earlier. It is likely that John understood the beloved disciple as one of the other two unnamed in this story.

We soon discover that the disciples have returned to fishing as Peter tells them his plans and they join him. Are readers of John’s gospel supposed to think that the disciples have become disillusioned and have abandoned following Jesus? That is certainly a possibility although John does not say that specifically – the scene in ambiguous so we are probably better off not jumping to that conclusion. So the disciples engage in a fishing expedition and readers soon realize that we have heard a version of this story before. Luke had told a story of Peter and his friends fishing on the Sea of Galilee and having no success. Jesus tells them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat and their nets are filled with fish. Peter’s response is to fall at Jesus’ feet and tell Jesus to leave him since he is a sinful man. Instead Jesus lifts Peter to his feet and calls him to become a disciple. We remember Luke’s story of the call of Peter. Clearly this is the same story – although John will use it in a very different way. In John’s story Peter and his friends are equally unsuccessful in their fishing expedition. Jesus is on the shore and tells them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. They do and there is a great catch of fish. At this point John introduces his readers to the beloved disciple who recognizes that it is the resurrected Jesus. When he tells Peter, Peter plunges into the sea and comes to Jesus. Jesus has prepared breakfast for his disciples and welcomes them to come and eat. John tells his readers that they all know this is the resurrected Jesus but none dares to ask him.

The story continues as Jesus confronts Peter. Readers are reminded of the three times Peter denied Jesus around the charcoal fire in the court of the high priest. Peter probably remembers too – especially as his encounter with Jesus unfolds. There is a charcoal fire in this story too. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him. Three times Peter responds that he does. Three times Jesus tells Peter to feed his sheep. This is a skillful story woven by John to tell his readers of the redemption of Peter. Mark had left Peter weeping at the end of his denial. John has not provided his readers with that information and we should not comingle Mark and John here but the result of John’s story is to say to Peter and to every other follower who has failed Jesus that redemption is possible and sought by Jesus for his followers. After the three exchanges between Jesus and Peter John tells his readers that Jesus tells Peter that his life will end when he has grown old and someone else will stretch out his arms and take Peter where he does not want to go. Most readers of John’s gospel have understood this as a reference to Peter’s own death which tradition outside the Bible recalls to have been by crucifixion in Rome. John is ambiguous about that but his description makes the connection plausible. Jesus’ last words to Peter are “Follow me” – they are the words of Jesus to all who believe in him. And with this story John wraps up his gospel for a second time. John will provide his readers with one more piece of information that is connected with the appearance story regarding the fate of the beloved disciple. We will save that story for our discussion regarding “How do you end a gospel?”

We have now heard the resurrection stories of all four gospel writer. We have noted many similarities among them. All place at least one woman, Mary Magdalene, at the tomb on the first day of the week. All four tell their readers the empty tomb story. Mark stops there in order to spring his trap on his readers. Likely Mark knows much more but chooses not to tell his readers. The remaining three gospel writers tell their readers a variety of bodily resurrection appearance stories. Most of these stories diverge from one another – although Luke and John tell the same story of Jesus and his disciples in a room in Jerusalem on the evening of the day of resurrection. We might ask ourselves what was the main point each gospel writer wanted to convey to their readers. Matthew seems intent on doing two things. First he is aware of false rumors that Jesus had not really been raised at all and that his disciples had stolen his body. Matthew’s story of the guards is his way of defending his readers from the false and sinister accusation of non-believing Jews who lived nearby. Matthew’s gospel reveals a dangerous and bitter rivalry between Jews and Jewish Christians of his community that we need to handle with care lest anti-Semitism raise its ugly head. And Matthew’s second purpose is to provide his readers with the story of the resurrected Jesus meeting his disciples in Galilee just as he had said he would. That story then evolves into Matthew’s concern about how the followers of Jesus should think about the presence of the unseen Jesus once bodily resurrection appearances had ceased. Matthew concludes his gospel by telling his readers that Jesus is with them down on earth till the end of the age. Luke also has at least two things in mind. First Luke is intent on telling his readers that the resurrected Jesus they now encounter is the same Jesus who lived bodily among them before his crucifixion and still exists bodily among them though Jesus’ resurrected body is not quite of the same nature as before. He can be unrecognizable and pass through closed door appearing and disappearing suddenly – yet his resurrected body can still be touched and can eat – it is still a real body. Luke is also concerned about moving his story into his second volume which is the book of Acts. Luke also knows about the challenge of speaking of the presence of the resurrected Jesus as time goes forward. He ends his gospel by bridging it into his book of Acts where he will speak of ascension and the story of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit empowers the follower of Jesus. John shares much of the same concern as Luke. He has already begun to address the absence of the “seeable” Jesus earlier in his gospel. His resurrection appearance stories continue that concern ending with his statement of purpose that those who hear might believe or continue to believe.

Before we leave these resurrection stories it is important that we take a brief look at what Paul wrote to the Corinthians. There Paul tells the Corinthians these words: “Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you – unless you have come to believe in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised to life on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. Then he appeared to more than 500 brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me also.” What is the testimony of Paul? Jesus died. Jesus was buried. Jesus was raised from the dead. Jesus appeared. Many have noticed that this is the Passion Narrative in miniature. None of the details are provided. None are needed. But it is important that Paul bears witness that this claim – Jesus died, was buried, was raised, and appeared – is at the center of the Christian proclamation and has been so from the very earliest time. Regardless of what else we might think about the story of Jesus this essential proclamation remains. All four gospel writers come together to proclaim exactly what Paul has said so briefly. All four believe that this is exactly what happened. To be sure it remains a matter of faith and not proof. But we are called to believe with them that Jesus was crucified and died, that he was buried, that he was raised from the dead, and that he appeared. Nothing else matters.