This site was not far from the Church of Beatitude on the bus ride, of less than than 15min away within the town Tabgha. The other site of Tabgha is the Church of Loaves and Bread, not far from this location, where the miracle of loaves of bread were multiplied for thousands of people at a moment notice. This makes northwest shoreline Jesus’ favorite place of ministry, or there was other reasons of Jesus frequent visits? Perhaps it was out of the way of town or a location for many advantages.
The church houses Mensa Christi, Table of the Lord or a rock situated inside by the altar. The church is located at a peaceful, seCluded shoreline of the Lake. Jesus stood at this Mensa Christi rock, waited for disciples coming ashore and invited them to a fish lunch, John 21, after the crucifixion. Jesus talked and prophesied Peter’s next assignment for a far distance missions; Peter’s destiny was fixed from this rock onward, so were the rest of the disciples. The fishermen thought there was not much left after Jesus death, this site was the beginning of Christianity, the disciples came back strong and laid the lives down for the eternal Kingdom.
HISTORICAL SITES.
The Church of the Primacy of Peter is a modest Franciscan chapel that incorporates part of a 4th-century church. It is located at Tabgha on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee and commemorates Jesus' reinstatement of Peter after a fish breakfast on the shore.
~~~~~~~~~~IN THE BIBLE ~~~~~~~~~
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.
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.
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.
History of the Church of the Primacy of Peter
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.
~~~~~~~~~~WHAT TO SEE ~~~~~
The Franciscan chapel is small and made of grey stone, with a modest tower in one corner. It is pleasantly located right on the northwest shoreline of the Sea of Galilee.
At the bas
