<h3>JESUS GIVES HIS LAST COMMANDS TO HIS HELPERS</h3>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/illus351.jpg" width-obs="600" height-obs="372" alt="The Walk to Emmaus Painted by Eugène Girardet" title="The Walk to Emmaus Painted by Eugène Girardet" /><small>© <i>1903, Braun Clement et Cie</i></small><br/> <span class="caption"><i>The Walk to Emmaus</i><br/> <small>Painted by Eugène Girardet</small></span></div>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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."</p>
<p>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."</p>
<p>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!"</p>
<p>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<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[279]</SPAN></span>
the beach, though the disciples did not know that it was he.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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."</p>
<p>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."</p>
<p>Jesus showed his disciples, by many proofs, that he still lived,
revealing himself to them duri<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[280]</SPAN></span>ng 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."</p>
<p>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."</p>
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