Session 31: February 25, 2023

Scripture Reading: John 20:24-21:8

24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!”

26 Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.” 28 Thomas replied to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.”

30 Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. Now this is how he did so. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael (who was from Cana in Galilee), the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of his were together. 3 Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.” “We will go with you,” they replied. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 When it was already very early morning, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 So Jesus said to them, “Children, you don’t have any fish, do you?” They replied, “No.” 6 He told them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they threw the net and were not able to pull it in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, tucked in his outer garment (for he had nothing on underneath it), and plunged into the sea. 8 Meanwhile the other disciples came with the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, only about a hundred yards.

Main Themes

Doubting Thomas

If you have ever heard of the Apostle Thomas in a church setting, you have probably heard him called “Doubting Thomas.” This scene in chapter 20 is the reason. When Jesus appears to the apostles, Thomas was missing. Later, when the apostles inform Thomas that they had “seen the Lord,” he refuses to believe “unless [he] see[s] the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put[s] [his] finger[s] into the wounds from the nails”! Otherwise, “he will never believe it.”

Before we judge Thomas too harshly, I think his response in chapter 20 has to be considered in light of his devotion to Jesus earlier in the gospel. Remember chapter 11:

So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he remained in the place where he was for two more days. 7 Then after this, he said to his disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples replied, “Rabbi, the Jewish leaders were just now trying to stone you to death! Are you going there again?” . . . Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and I am glad for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas (called Didymus) said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too, so that we may die with him.” (John 11:6-8, 11:14-16)

Thomas was ready to die for Jesus. Thomas was as committed to the cause, if not more so, than the other apostles. The death of Jesus had to be devastating for him. Not only did Thomas lose a beloved friend and teacher, he lost his purpose in life, his biggest hope, and his object of faith. Thomas must have been confused and unwilling to trust again.

Notice also that Thomas’s unwillingness to believe is paradigmatic of John’s gospel. Through the story, many only believe after witnessing a sign. “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, but if you do not believe me, believe because of the miraculous deeds themselves.” (John 14:11) Many will not believe without a sign. “So Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders you will never believe!’” (John 4:48) The sign in chapter 20, however, is different. This is the definitive sign that should lead beyond the “signs faith” we have seen earlier in the gospel to a deeper, permanent faith.

Jesus Meets Thomas

Eight days later, meaning the next Sunday (what we would call seven days later), the apostles are gathered again. The doors were locked and Jesus “came and stood among them.” We discussed the detail of locked doors last session. The fact that Jesus is not contained by such measures hints to heavenly properties of his glorified body.

The timeline described in chapter 20 suggests that the disciples remained in Judea for longer than the Feast of Unleavened Bread, perhaps waiting for Pentecost.

As Jesus did when he appeared to the other apostles, he opens with a comforting statement, “Peace be with you.” Then Jesus addresses Thomas and his demand for proof. “Put your finger here, and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.” This is a beautiful moment. Jesus could have chastised Thomas. Indeed, Jesus could have cast him out. However, Jesus continues his mission to invite all to believe.

Notice the proof that is demanded and provided. Thomas puts his hands in Jesus’ wounds, confirming this was the same Jesus who died. There is no trickery. Jesus is not a ghost; Jesus is not merely the apparition of a god (like the Greeks may have envisioned). Jesus is Jesus, body and all. He is resurrected in the flesh.

Thomas’s unbelief is not particular to himself. In the gospels, other disciples and apostles doubt as well. Some of them request the very same proof that Thomas requested. Consider the following verses (all post-resurrection):

So the 11 disciples went to Galilee to the mountain Jesus had designated. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. (Matthew 28:16-17)

Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. But these words seemed like pure nonsense to them, and they did not believe them. (Luke 24:10-11)

Then some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.” So he said to them, “You foolish people—how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things written about himself in all the scriptures. (Luke 24:24-27)

While they were saying these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified, thinking they saw a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; it’s me! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones like you see I have.” (Luke 24:36-39, emphasis added)

Perhaps we should reconsider casting only Thomas as the “Doubting Disciple.”

The Christological Confession

As Thomas sees, he no longer ‘continue[s] in [his] unbelief, but believe[s],” leading to verse 28. Verse 28 is arguably the climax of the entire Gospel of John. This is what the whole story has been building towards. Jesus has taught; Jesus has died; Jesus has been resurrected and come again; the Holy Spirit has been granted; the apostles have believed; and, what is the conclusion? “My Lord and my God.”

Why is this statement—my Lord and my God—climactic? As commentators show, it closes the inclusio that begins with verse 1:1. Study note 52 in the NET Bible explains this well:

With the proclamation by Thomas here, it is difficult to see how any more profound analysis of Jesus’ person could be given. It echoes 1:1 and 1:14 together: The Word was God, and the Word became flesh (Jesus of Nazareth). The Fourth Gospel opened with many other titles for Jesus: the Lamb of God (1:29, 36); the Son of God (1:34, 49); Rabbi (1:38); Messiah (1:41); the King of Israel (1:49); the Son of Man (1:51). Now the climax is reached with the proclamation by Thomas, “My Lord and my God,” and the reader has come full circle from 1:1, where the author had introduced him to who Jesus was, to 20:28, where the last of the disciples has come to the full realization of who Jesus was. What Jesus had predicted in John 8:28 had come to pass: “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he” (Grk “I am”). By being lifted up in crucifixion (which led in turn to his death, resurrection, and exaltation with the Father) Jesus has revealed his true identity as both Lord (κύριος [kurios], used by the LXX to translate Yahweh) and God (θεός [theos], used by the LXX to translate Elohim).

I need to emphasize the importance of Thomas using the words Lord and God in one statement. The word translated as Lord in English is the word kurios in Greek. Kurios can be used as a generic title of authority. However, kurios is the word that Jews used to translate the name of God in the Old Testament—Yahweh. So, in a Jewish setting, the term kurios takes a distinctive nature.

The word translated as God in English is the word theos in Greek. Theos means god, and it does not necessarily refer to the Jewish God. Context is needed to determine to which god the word theos is referring. But, just like kurios was used in a particular way to translate the Hebrew scriptures, so did theos. Theos was the word used to translate Elohim, the Hebrew word for god or gods. In the Old Testament, Elohim was most often used to refer to the Jewish God. (Elohim could be used in a more generic sense. The identity of the particular god being referenced would be determined by context.)

Here’s the kicker though. Any ambiguity regarding the terms kurios and theos is obliterated when they are paired together.

The use of the two words—the kurios and theos—is a distinctive and unmistakable reference to the Jewish God. It appears countless times in the Old Testament and it is translated with those exact Greek terms in the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament that was already available at the time of Jesus).

Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us and we belong to him, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 100:3, emphasis added)

[F]or I am the Lord your God, and you are to sanctify yourselves and be holy because I am holy. (Leviticus 11:44, emphasis added)

Also, in the time when you rejoice, such as on your appointed festivals or at the beginnings of your months, you must blow with your trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, so that they may become a memorial for you before your God: I am the Lord your God. (Numbers 10:10, emphasis added)

I am the Lord your God—he who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery. (Deuteronomy 5:6, emphasis added)

When all the people saw this, they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said, “The Lord is the true God! The Lord is the true God!” (1 Kings 18:39, emphasis added)

When Thomas calls Jesus, “my Lord and my God,” he is calling Jesus God, the God, the God of the Jews, the God of the Old Testament, Yahweh, the great I AM! This is the great confession that Jesus “was with God,” and “was fully God.” (John 1:1) Notice as well that Thomas’s statement is clearly confessional. Jesus says, “believe,” and this is Thomas’s response. One cannot believe in the Gospel of John and believe that Jesus and Yahweh are separate gods. This is the great truth of the Gospel.

Blessed Are the People Who Have Not Seen

Jesus does not reject Thomas, but Jesus does clarify one point. “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Thomas had the privilege of touching the hands of Jesus to make sure his wounds were there and even extend his arm into Jesus’ side! Most believers do not have that opportunity. Except for the first few apostles and disciples, only people who have had a dramatic revelation from God can claim a similar experience. For the most part, Christians must believe without seeing.

Notice two things. First, believing without seeing is not believing without evidence. Sadly, many people today, including Christians, use an incorrect definition of faith that is exactly that—believing without evidence. However, think of the disciples during the time of Jesus’ resurrection to whom Jesus did not appear. These disciples, the ones to whom Jesus did not appear, had to believe based on the testimony of their fellow disciples. And that’s not all they had. They had the scriptures that spoke of a coming messiah; they had Jesus’ ministry that was filled with miracles; and, they had the general revelation in the world that points all mankind to a personal creator. Moreover, they could observe the change in behavior of the disciples (including the apostles) who saw Jesus. That is not believing without evidence, that is believing without seeing.

Think of all the things you and I believe without seeing. I believe Mongolia exists. Why? Someone told me so. I believe that vitamin C improves the immune system. Why? Because someone told me so. I believe that in the 1400 and 1500s there was a renaissance of interest in the Greek and Roman classic disciplines. Why? Someone told me so. In fact, most things we believe we do so without seeing.

The second noteworthy fact is that Jesus gives us an unexpected beatitude. There are only two beatitudes in John—so we ought to pay attention. Jesus says blessed are those “who have not seen and yet have believed.” This would have made sense to his Jewish audience. For example, as Craig Keener points out, “in one tradition a proselyte is more praiseworthy than one born a Jew because he converted without the signs at Sinai.” I think this is intelligible for us as well. Imagine two children. One cleans his room because his mom offers him 10 dollars. The other cleans his room simply because his mother asked him to do so. Blessed is the child who cleans his room without a bribe. It demonstrates a humility of spirit.

This beatitude, to be clear, does not reject signs-faith. But signs are not always available, and when they are they do not guarantee faith. Recall:

Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. (John 6:26)

Then many of the people, who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and reported to them what Jesus had done. (John 11:45-46)

Many More Miracles

John ends chapter 20 by pointing out that many more miraculous signs were performed that are not recorded in his book. Ancient texts often spoke with similar praise towards the hero of the story. But is there reason to believe that John’s statement is more than a mere compliment? Certainly. Throughout John’s gospel we are told of the many works Jesus was performing that were not being specifically recorded. Consider the verses we just read, but let’s add two more verses:

Then many of the people, who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and reported to them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.” (John 11:45-48)

Moreover, the other gospels describe miracles that John did not record. So, yes, Jesus did perform many other miraculous signs, “which are not recorded in this book.”

This begs the question, why did John record the miracles he did and leave the other ones out? Before we answer that question, we must keep in mind the media with which John was working. He probably wrote the gospel on a scroll. There was only so much writing space in a scroll. To expand the book into a second scroll severely minimized the chances that whole book would be preserved (the scrolls could be separated) and made copying the book more difficult, expensive, and time consuming. Like writing a college paper, John had a word limit. He had to leave material out. So, how did he choose what to include? “[T]hese are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

John wrote his book that we may know who Jesus is—the Christ (the Greek word for Messiah) and the Son of God—and that by believing we may have life “in his name.” It makes sense. Jesus’ words are only true if he is who he said he was, the one and only (meaning one-of-a-kind) son of God. If his words are true, then we can rely upon them. Jesus said that those who trust him will have eternal and abundant life and become children (i.e., heirs) of God. And how shall we become heirs? In his name, by claiming that Jesus met whatever requirements needed to be met to gain that status.

As Craig Keener puts it:

Thomas had been a disciple; he was prepared to die for Jesus (11:16) and to follow where he led (14:5); but his faith was insufficient (20:29). Only when Thomas embraced the full testimony of the resurrection and offered the climactic christological confession that Jesus was Lord and God (20:28) had he become a developed model of faith for John’s audience. John is calling his audience to a full confession of resurrection faith: Jesus is God in the flesh, and therefore his claims cannot be compromised, for synagogue or for Caesar. John will settle for no faith less secure than this. Further, while Thomas’s faith by sight is accepted, the faith without sight expected of John’s audience is greater (20:29; cf. 2 Cor 5:6–7; 1 Pet 1:8). It is grounded in the beloved disciple’s testimony sampled in the Gospel (20:30–31), confirmed to hearers by the Paraclete (15:26–16:15). (Keener, Craig S.. The Gospel of John : 2 Volumes p. 1216)

As a quick side note, the verb tenses in verse 20:31 and some variations in the manuscripts have led scholars to debate whether John’s book is meant for coming to believe or to continue to believe. Put another way, is the book for proselytism or for encouragement? The aorist subjunctive tense found in the general text supports the former conclusion, the present subjunctive found in the critical (and older) texts supports the latter conclusion.

Epilogue: A Later Addition?

Many regard chapter 21 of John as a later addition. Why? The arguments are either for stylistic reasons or because the chapter is anticlimactic.

The stylistic argument is so weak, one is hard-pressed to “steel man” it. The chapter works as a literary unit, which could indicate it was not part of a larger narrative, and it uses special vocabulary, e.g., regarding fishing. However, the reason the chapter uses special vocabulary—that is, vocabulary not used elsewhere in the book—is because it deals with a novel scene, fishing. Moreover, the variation of synonyms in verses 15, 16, and 17, the double “Amen” in verse 18, the phrase “this he said, indicating” in verse 19, and the name “Sea of Tiberias” in verse 1 are distinctly Johannine. Consequently, most scholars today no longer think there are stylistic reasons to believe chapter 21 was a later addition.

The second argument, and truly the main argument, against chapter 21’s authenticity is its anticlimactic nature. The argument generally claims that the main motifs of John’s Gospel find their conclusion in chapter 20, therefore chapter 21 is unnecessary and probably a later addition. If the argument is to be persuasive, one would need to establish that an ancient author like John would have ended a book immediately after its climax. Yet, this is plainly not the case. For example, the most popular book in the Greek East was the Illiad. The closing book of the Illiad (book 24), recounts Priam’s rescue of Hector’s body, and is completely anticlimactic. Moreover, we know that ancient authors were probably writing on scrolls. The author generally wished to use the entire scroll, so he might add some “bonus” information after the natural conclusion of his book if there was any room left.

We know of some ancient books that had a final chapter added illegitimately. The reason we know that is because those chapters are not cohesive with the books in which they were included and they even reverse the authors’ views. Chapter 21 is in line with the rest of John’s gospel, and it even provides a supplementary view on ecclesiology.

Whereas we have good reason to believe, for example, that the longer ending of Mark was not originally part of the book, there is no good reason to believe that about chapter 21 of John.

Fishermen in Galilee

Chapter 21 opens with several disciples fishing in the Sea of Tiberias—that is, in Galilee—at night. The primary occupation near the lake was agriculture, but fishing was also an important industry. The other gospels mention the fact that several of the apostles were fishermen. John does not mention that detail until the very end.

We often hear the disciples described in somewhat derogatory terms as ignorant, uneducated, backwards fishermen—like the stereotype of the modern redneck or hick. This may seem like a detail, but I wish to clarify that that characterization is not entirely fair.

For example, the “sons of Zebedee” had a fishing enterprise, with employees and all.

Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. (Mark 1:20)

Peter and Andrew seemed to have formed a business partnership or cooperative enterprise with the sons of Zebedee.

For Peter and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s business partners. (Luke 5:9-10)

Moreover, all these fishermen were Jews. They would have been educated on reading, writing, Hebrew, and the Old Testament scriptures since they were young boys. My point is, the redneck stereotype does not generally involve a bilingual, perhaps trilingual (they probably knew Greek), maybe even quadrilingual (if they knew some Latin as well), person who has spent hundreds of hours reading, interpreting, and memorizing text. (By the way, this is not meant to be an insult on so-called rednecks. I am simply using the stereotype to make a point. In my experience, I have found the average “redneck” to be smarter than I will ever be.)

The apostles were fishing at night, which was not unusual. Some sources imply that night fishing may have been more profitable than day finishing. Not only could the catch be better, but the fisherman could sell his catch first thing in the morning, getting a jump on his competitors. Night fishing, when fish were more prone to be in deep water, would be done with a dragnet between two boats, unless a second boat was not available. When fishing on shallower water, a circular throwing net was used.

Apostasy and Weird Fishing

Some commentators critique the apostles as apostates, inferring that the apostles had given up on their commitment to follow Jesus and had returned to fishing. This criticism, although plausible, is not intimated in chapter 21. It is an assumption by the commentators. We need to keep in mind that the story of Jesus happens in the real world, where people need clothing, food, and shelter; they need to make a living and, so-to-speak, pay bills. For example, the Apostle Paul kept making tents to sustain himself financially (Acts 18:3). The apostles probably kept fishing for the same reason.

When Jesus approaches the fishermen, he uses the common idiom to ask fishermen or hunters whether they had any success. He phrases the question expecting a negative answer. A modern example would be, “The fish weren’t biting, were they?”

Then Jesus asks the apostles to “throw [their] net on the right side of the boat.” The oar would generally be on the right side of the boat, so the net would be cast on the left. If we are understanding the scene correctly (i.e., the set up of the boats and the net being used), then Jesus is asking the apostles to fish in an unusual way. This request would fit the general Johannine narrative.

The apostles throw the net as Jesus tells them and suddenly are not able to pull it in because of the large number of fish caught in it. The story works as a lesson in obedience and God’s plan and provision. As the chapter progresses, we will learn that it implies God has a plan to reconcile men to himself and the apostles need merely follow that plan.

Naked Peter?

When Jesus’ fishing plan works miraculously well, the apostles recognize Jesus. Peter exclaims, “It is the Lord!”, tucks in his outer garment, and swims to shore. Verse 21:7 could imply that Peter was working completely naked. Although this is possible, it is not in line with Jewish inhibitions. The term naked (“nothing on underneath it,” gymnos) often referred to having on little clothing or being less than fully clothed. But Peter had his outer garment, i.e., his full clothing, available and makes sure to grab it before leaving the boat. Perhaps Peter wanted to put it on once he reached shore so he could be dressed properly once he met up with Jesus. Perhaps, given the inconvenience of getting his outer garment wet, Peter was recalling Jesus’ action of service.

Because Jesus knew that the Father had handed all things over to him, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, he got up from the meal, removed his outer clothes, took a towel and tied it around himself. He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself. (John 13:3-5)

Once Peter meets up with Jesus, the final scene of the Gospel of John begins. We will cover that in our last session.