Gospel in Art: Easter Friday - Jesus showed himself by the Sea of Tiberias

Jesus appears to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, from Die Bibel in Bildern, by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld © Alamy / Christian Art

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 5 April 2024
John 21:1-14

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, 'I'm going fishing.' They replied, 'We'll come with you.' They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.

It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, 'Have you caught anything, friends?' And when they answered, 'No', he said, 'Throw the net out to starboard and you'll find something.' So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord.' At these words 'It is the Lord', Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.

As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, 'Bring some of the fish you have just caught.' Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.' None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, 'Who are you?'; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.

Reflection on the Engraving

In our Gospel reading today we find the disciples returning to their occupation as fishermen. They retreated to the familiar waters and the life of fishing they had known before Jesus called them to a higher purpose. He had called them to follow him and to share in his work of drawing people into God's kingdom. However, now that Jesus had been crucified, there was nothing to do but go back to what they knew best. They were sad and returned to their past, finding comfort there.

However, they are heading in the wrong direction, just like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus: they were going back to where they had been before. The risen Lord now stood on the shore of the Sea of Galilee to redirect them, to renew the call he had made to them by the Sea of Galilee some years earlier. He first established communion with them, a communion they had broken by abandoning their friend Jesus in the hour of his passion and death. He did so by the simple invitation, 'Come and have breakfast'. We are often tempted to go back to where we have been, returning to our comfort zone when something sad has happened. Yet, the Lord is always calling us forward. He constantly wants us to move forward and fully embrace the spiritual adventure to which we have been called.

Our mid-19th-century engraving by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld depicts the moment in our Gospel reading when 'Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water'. We see Jesus depicted as the source of light, standing on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias. John and Peter have just noticed Jesus, and their expressions convey the surprise and joy in seeing him. The other disciples are on the other side of the boat, barely managing to haul in the abundant fish they caught.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-21-1-14-2024/
Competition: The Laudamus Award 2024 for Sacred Art - www.indcatholicnews.com/news/49310