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Jmmanuel's Meetings With His Disciples

32. In the evening of the same day, the disciples were gathered in the room in the city where they had taken their last meal with Jmmanuel before Passover.

33. And they were in the room speaking to each other about what had happened that day when, behold, the door opened and a stranger entered whom they had never seen before.

34. And they were afraid that he might be one of the Israelites who wanted to betray them.

35. But then the stranger said, "Peace be with you:' and when he took the cloth from his face, they recognized him as Jmmanuel.

36. After he had said that, he showed them his hands, his loin and his feet; and when they saw his wounds, they were happy he was among them.

37. But Thomas believed a ghost to be in front of him. So he said, "lf I could touch your wounds, I would know that you are not a ghost."

38. Then Jmmanuel said to him, "Reach out and place your hand on my wounds, so that you of small mind may recognize the truth:'

39. So Thomas did as he had been told, and he touched his wounds and said, "Truly, it is you."

40. Then Jmmanuel departed, saying, "Guard the secret of my return, so it will not be known that I am alive.

41. And behold, the next day the disciples set out for Galilee to spread the joyful news among Jmmanuel's supporters.

42. As other followers went along, behold, an itinerant joined them and for part of the way walked with them.

43. They were sad and talked among themselves about how Jmmanuel had been forced to die on the cross.

44. Then the itinerant, a stranger, said to them, "Why are you mourning?" And they told him what grieved them.

45. But the itinerant said, "How little knowledge you yet have; Jmmanuel told you he would rise from near-death after three days and nights.

46. "So just as he has said, it has happened.”

47. After he had spoken he removed the cloth from his face and they recognized him as Jmmanuel.

48. But he said nothing more, and again covering his face, he withdrew. And he was not seen for a long time.

49. Long after Jmmanuel had disappeared, it came to pass that the disciples were fishing on the Sea of Tiberias,

50. and they caught nothing the entire night, so by daybreak they were exasperated.

51. And when they approached the shore, there stood a stranger who asked, "Haven't you anything to eat? I'm hungry."

52. They answered, "No, we have not caught one fish in our nets."

53. Then the stranger said, "Throw the net out to the right side of the boat, and you will have a large catch."

54. The disciples were astonished by what he said, but nevertheless cast the net. And behold, they could not pull it in because of the multitude of fish.

55. And they came ashore and prepared a meal, for like the stranger they, too, were hungry.

56. But when he uncovered his face, behold, it was Jmmanuel.

57. And while they were eating and in good spirits, he said to them, "Go to Galilee to such-and-such mountain; there I will join you, because our time together has ended and each of us may go his separate way.”