Where Jesus Told Peter to Feed His Sheep, and The Feeding of the Five Thousand

After the resurrection and events in Jerusalem, the 11 disciples returned to Galilee. Peter, James, John, Thomas, Nathanael, and two others (unnamed) decided to go fishing in the Sea of Galilee. When they were fishing about 300 feet (91 meters) off shore, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples didn’t recognize him. He asked if they had caught anything and they answered no. He then told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. When they did they had such a large haul of fish they couldn’t pull the net up onto the boat. Then John said to Peter it was the lord. Peter then swam to shore. The others drug the net full of fish to the shore. After processing all the fish at Magdala, the apostles would be able to provide funds to their families.

“As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there and fish laid thereon, and bread. … Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine.” John 21:9, 12.

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these [the fishing]? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? and said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” John 21:15-17.

Hebrew, as all Semitic languages, does not have punctuation marks. To emphasis a point that point is repeated three times. If you love me, feed my sheep, was therefore being emphasized. The Lord was making it perfectly clear Peter’s mission in life was to preach the gospel and administer the church, and not to be a fisherman.

The rock in the above photo is called the “Mensa Christi” which is Latin for “Christ’s Table.” It is the traditional site where the lord cooked and served the fish to the disciples. It is inside the Church of the Primacy of Saint Peter (pictured below), so named because Peter received the commission to take care of the Lord’s church. The Church of the Primacy of Saint Peter was built in 1933 on the site of a former Byzantine church. It as well as the next church I will discuss are at Tabgha. This is an Arabic corruption of the Greek Heptapegon meaning “seven springs.” Today, archaeologists have only found six of the springs. These springs fed warm water into the Sea of Galilee at this location, which in turn produced algae which attracted fish. Fishermen thus have frequented this area for thousands of years.

Next door to the Church of the Primacy of Saint Peter is the Church of the Multiplication. Not a church dedicated to math teachers, but the traditional site where the Lord multiplied five bread loaves and two fish to feed the five thousand.

Jesus had gone to an unpopulated place but a very large crowd followed him. By late afternoon the people were hungry. Jesus asked what food was available, to which the disciples answered, “We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.” Matthew 14: 17-21.

Many scholars believe this event probably took place in the vicinity of Bethsaida on the very northern head of the sea (about 6 miles/10 km away). The Church of the Multiplication is built over a Byzantine church and the mosaic floor at the alter is from the Byzantine church. It depicts a basket with four loaves in it and a fish on either side of the basket. The fifth loaf is supposed to be on the altar, but in fact only rarely is there.