Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1st May
Gospel Reflection ~ Greg Sunter
Scholars suggest that the 21st chapter of the Gospel of John is a later addition to the gospel, especially given the finality of the language at the end of chapter 20. The style of chapter 21 is much more
church-oriented than the earlier chapters. The barbeque breakfast on the beach takes on a Eucharistic
feel and the passage is at pains to portray Peter as the leader of the disciples and the one chosen by Jesus to provide leadership into the future. We must remember that the Gospel of John was written
almost 70 years after the death of Jesus and if this final chapter is indeed an addition then it is likely written some time in the 2nd century. It was only in the late 1st and early 2nd centuries that the church began to adopt a structure of bishops as leaders of communities and it was important to clearly establish the authority of Peter as the first leader of the Church and the authority of his successors. Obviously, a scriptural reference to Jesus’ choice of Peter would have cemented the case and so this later addition to the Gospel of John may have been constructed to serve this purpose. Regardless of its original intended purpose, this passage provides a wonderful account of the appearance of the resurrected Jesus to his disciples. Like other post-resurrection accounts, the disciples do not at first recognise Jesus and it is not until the miraculous catch of fish that the beloved disciple declares, ‘It is the Lord’. In a beautifully everyday touch, the risen Jesus prepares breakfast on the beach for the disciples and blesses the simple food in the same way as he did the bread and
wine at their last supper.