Jesus Gives His Last Commands To
While the two disciples were speaking, Jesus himself stood among them.
And they were frightened and believed that they saw a ghost; but he said
to them, "Why are you so frightened? Why do you doubt? See my hands and
my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a ghost has not
flesh and bones as you see that I have." While they were still unable
for very joy and wonder to believe, he said to them, "Have you anything
/>
to eat here?" And when they gave him a piece of broiled fish, he ate
before them.
Then he said to them, "This is what I told you when I was still with
you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the
prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he helped them to
understand the scriptures, and said, "It is written that the Christ must
suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that in his name all
nations must be called upon to turn from their sins and gain God's
forgiveness. You yourselves, beginning at Jerusalem, are to tell men
about these things."
Now Thomas, one of the twelve disciples, who was called "The Twin," was
not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, "We have
seen the Master." But he said to them, "Unless I see the marks of the
nails in his hands and put my finger where they were and put my hand in
his side, I will not believe."
Eight days later Jesus' disciples were again together, and Thomas was
with them. Though the doors were closed, Jesus came and stood among them
and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger
here and look at my hands, and put your hand here in my side. Do not be
a doubter but a believer." Thomas answered him, "My Master and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "You believe because you have seen me? Blessed are
those who believe though they have never seen me!"
Later Jesus appeared to his disciples by the Sea of Galilee, and in this
way. As Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, and the
sons of Zebedee, were together with two other of his disciples, Simon
Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." "We will go too," they said,
and they set out and went on board the boat; but that night they caught
nothing. At daybreak Jesus stood on the beach, though the disciples did
not know that it was he.
He said to them, "Children, have you anything to eat?" They answered,
"No." And he said, "Throw your net over on the right side of the boat
and you will catch something." So they threw over the net, and now they
could not haul it in because of the great number of fish. Then the
disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Master." As soon as
Simon Peter heard that it was the Master, he put on his fisherman's coat
(for he was stripped for his work), and jumped into the water; but the
other disciples, being only about one hundred yards from the shore, came
in the small boat dragging the net full of fish.
When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire burning, and over it a fish
cooking, and some bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish
that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard the boat and
hauled the net ashore filled with large fish; and although there were so
many, the net was not torn. Then Jesus said to them, "Come and eat
breakfast." Not one of the disciples had courage to ask, "Who are you?"
for they knew that it was the Master. Jesus came and gave them the bread
and also the fish. This was the third time he appeared to his disciples
after he had risen from the dead.
After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you
love me more than these?" He said, "Surely, Master, you know I love
you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." Then he asked him a second
time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" And he answered, "Surely,
Master, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep."
Jesus said to him a third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me with
all your heart?" Peter was grieved because Jesus asked a third time, "Do
you love me?" And he answered, "Master, you know everything, you know
that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep."
And Jesus said to them, "All authority has been given to me in heaven
and on earth. Go you, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you;
and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world."
Jesus showed his disciples, by many proofs, that he still lived,
revealing himself to them during forty days and telling them about the
Kingdom of God. When he and his disciples were together he told them not
to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised--"the
promise," he said, "of which you have heard me speak; for John baptized
with water, but before many days have passed you will be baptized with
the Holy Spirit."
While they were together they asked him, "Master, is this the time when
you are going to restore the rulership to Israel?" Jesus said to them,
"It is not for you to know the time or the season which the Father has
fixed by his own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses at Jerusalem,
throughout all Judea and Samaria and to every part of the earth." When
he had said this and while they were still looking at him, he was lifted
up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were staring
into heaven, as he went up, two men clothed in white stood beside them,
who said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This
Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the
same way as you have seen him go."
On the Day of Pentecost, as they were all together, suddenly, there came
from heaven a sound like the rushing blast of a mighty wind which filled
the whole house where they were seated. And they were filled with the
Holy Spirit and began to speak in a strange way and to cry aloud and
shout.
When this was reported a crowd gathered, astonished and perplexed, and
asked one another, "What can it mean?" Others with a sneer said, "They
are full of new wine!"
But Peter, together with the eleven apostles, stood up and addressed
them: "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, understand this and
listen to what I say: these men are not drunk as you suppose, for it is
only nine in the morning, but this is what was foretold by the prophet
Joel:
"'In the last days,' God declared,
'I will pour out my Spirit on all mankind;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions.
"'And your old men shall dream dreams,
Even upon my slaves and slave-girls
In those days I will pour out my Spirit,
And they shall prophesy.'"
"Men of Israel, hear these words: By the help of lawless men you nailed
to the cross and murdered Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was proved to be
from God through the deeds of healing and the wonderful acts which God
performed by him among you, as you yourselves know. But God released him
from the bonds of death and raised him to life, for death could not hold
him. Lifted on high at God's right hand and having received from the
Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured it upon us as you now see
and hear. Let the whole nation of Israel know beyond a doubt that God
has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
When they heard this, their conscience troubled them, and they said to
Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what are we to do?" Peter
answered, "Say that you are sorry for your sins, and let each of you be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, that your sins may be forgiven;
then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, for it is promised to
you, and to your children, and to all in distant lands, to any and to
all whom the Lord our God shall call."
With many other words he warned and urged them to save themselves from
this wicked time. So those who believed what he taught were baptized;
and on that day about three thousand were added to the brotherhood.