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"Church of Peter's Primacy"
Tabgha, Israel

Thursday, ‎December ‎26, ‎2013

Sixth Day of my Holy Land Trip, Mount Zion, Jerusalem

My Holy Land Trip

"Church of Peter's Primacy"

Tabgha, Israel

Es ahnt der see die grosse stund,

Und leise raunt der Wallen Mund:

Der Herre, Er Rommt wiede!

Wr sieht die ersten Felder grun

Und Baume, Pflanzen wieder bluhn,

Sein Wellenschlag wird lauter.

Err aunt: Erfullung ist nun nah,

der Tag des Herren ist bald da-

O komme bald, Messias!

The waves are whispering of the hour,

The greatest that will ever be.

The Lord he cometh down again.

He sees the fields to harvest white,

The trees, the flowers in beauty light.

They call: The promise is fulfilled!

The day of the lord is now fulfilled!

O come, Lord Jesus, come!

Front view of the Church of St Peter's Primacy in Tabgha was built by the Franciscans in 1934 on the foundations of a Byzantine church housing, Tabgha, Israel:

This church is located roughly 500 yards from the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes Church in the same compound of "seven springs". It commemorates the post-resurrection sighting of Jesus in John's Gospel when, seeing the disciples fishing, he calls them over to the lake side to have breakfast, at the same time forgiving Peter for his weakness on the night of the trial. The church is built over the rock where the fire was lit.

Courtyard of the Church of St Peter's Primacy in Tabgha was built by the Franciscans in 1934 on the foundations of a Byzantine church housing, Tabgha, Israel:

From the Scriptures

​John Chapter 21:

1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberi-as; and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathana-el of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing.

A statue beside the Church of St Peter's Primacy depicts Jesus after his death and Resurrection, appearing before St. Peter, Tabgha, Israel:

4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

Sea of Galilee, view from Church of St Peter's Primacy was built by the Franciscans in 1934 on the foundations of a Byzantine church housing the Mensa Christi Rock, Tabgha, Israel:

9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Sea of Galilee, view from Church of St Peter's Primacy was built by the Franciscans in 1934 on the foundations of a Byzantine church housing the Mensa Christi Rock, Tabgha, Israel:

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Sea of Galilee, view from Church of St Peter's Primacy was built by the Franciscans in 1934 on the foundations of a Byzantine church housing the Mensa Christi Rock, Tabgha, Israel:

20 Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his breast at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” 23 The saying spread abroad among the brethren that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

Sea of Galilee, view from Church of St Peter's Primacy was built by the Franciscans in 1934 on the foundations of a Byzantine church housing the Mensa Christi Rock, Tabgha, Israel:

24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

25 But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Sea of Galilee, view from Church of St Peter's Primacy was built by the Franciscans in 1934 on the foundations of a Byzantine church housing the Mensa Christi Rock, Tabgha, Israel:

In John 21, Jesus appears to his disciples for the third time after his resurrection on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. The night before, Peter and several other disciples had sailed out on the lake to fish, but caught nothing. In the morning, a man appeared on the shore and called out to them to throw their net on the right side of the boat. Doing so, they caught so many fish they couldn't drag the net back into the boat.

Remains (old foundations) of a Byzantine church housing on the shore of Sea of Galilee, Church of St Peter's Primacy in Tabgha, Israe:

At this point Peter recognizes Jesus, and promptly jumps out of the boat to wade to shore to meet him. The other disciples follow in the boat, dragging the net behind them. When they land, Jesus has prepared a charcoal fire for the fish and provided bread, and they have breakfast together (John 21:9). This is believed to have taken place on the Mensa Christi, a large rock incorporated in the chapel.

Remains (old foundations) of a Byzantine church housing on the shore of Sea of Galilee, Church of St Peter's Primacy in Tabgha, Israe:

After breakfast, Jesus reinstated Peter (after his three-time denial of Jesus at the crucifixion) with the words "Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-19). This is the event for which the modern church is named, which is interpreted by the Catholic Church to give the Pope (as the successor of Peter) authority over the worldwide Church

Church of St Peter's Primacy, on the shore of Sea of Galilee, in Tabgha, Israel:

Sometime around 381, the Spanish pilgrim Egeria visited the area and reported that next to the Church of the Loaves and Fishes "are some stone steps where the Lord stood" (John 21:4).

Egeria does not mention a church here, but one was built on the site by the end of the 4th century. It was roughly the same size and shape as the original Church of the Loaves and Fishes and its east end enclosed a flat rock identified as the table on which Jesus offered breakfast to the disciples (John 21:9).

In the 9th century, the church is referred to as the Place of the Coals. By this time (first mentioned 808 AD), the Twelve Thrones had been placed along the shore to commemorate the Twelve Apostles. The church survived longer than any other church in the area, and was finally destroyed in 1263. The present Franciscan chapel was built on the site in 1933.

Jesus cooked breakfast

Nearby, on the Tabgha beach, stands the Church of the Primacy of St Peter. This squat building of black basalt, built in 1934, is where Jesus is believed to have made his third appearance to his disciples after his Resurrection.

As the event is described in the 21st chapter of St John, Peter and six other disciples had been fishing all night without catching anything. Just after daybreak Jesus stood on the beach, though they did not recognize him.

Jesus told the disciples to cast their net on the right side of the boat and the net filled with 153 fish. When the disciples dragged the net ashore, they found that Jesus had cooked them breakfast on a charcoal fire.

The rock incorporated in the church floor is traditionally believed to be the place where Jesus prepared breakfast. It was known to medieval pilgrims as Mensa Christ (the table of Christ).