John Chapter Twenty-One
Back in Galilee
21:1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael 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.
John once again uses the phrase “meta tauta,” (“after this”)[1] but does not report when this post-resurrection event took place. He once again refers to the Sea of Galilee as the Sea of Tiberias (see John 6:1).[2] Apparently still not engaged in God’s work, seven of the disciples were gathered together near the coastline of the lake. Not knowing what to do, Peter, undoubtedly bored, decides to go fishing, the others decide to join him. But they caught nothing.
21:4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have 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, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 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.
As the first light of the day was beginning to break, Jesus stood on the shore and called out to them asking if they had caught any fish. After hearing them say, “No,” Jesus told them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. When they did, they could not pull the net out of the water due to the weight of the vast number of fish. It is likely that John remembered a similar event (see Luke 5:4-7) and realized that the person who told them to cast their net on the right side of the boat was Jesus. So he announced to the others that it was the Lord. When Peter heard it was Jesus he put on his outer garments that he had taken off for fishing, jumped in the lake and swam to shore. While the others dragged the net full of fish to the shore, which was only 200 cubits away (approximately 300 feet).
21:9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out 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, 153 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.
When the disciples arrived, they found Jesus cooking fish on a charcoal fire. He told them to bring over some of the fish they just caught. So Peter went back to the boat and hauled in the catch. John notes that there were 153 fish in the net. Many have tried to connect that number to something significant, or use numerology to find some hidden meaning. It is likely that the number simply represents the number of fish caught, nothing more. Some ask was it normal to count fish after fishing? It probably was a standard practice since that was their livelihood. But in this case it may have been driven by pure curiosity.
Jesus tells them to come and have breakfast. John notes that no one dared ask Him who He was, as they knew it to be Jesus. The natural question anyone reading this will ask is, why couldn’t they recognize Him? No one knows for certain, not enough information is given. Ideas range form the practical, saying the light level was still low, to the more fanciful as some believe He wasn’t fully manifested (not in a physical body). John records that this was the third time Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples after His resurrection. Perhaps the Greek word that is translated here as ‘revealed’ can help answer that question. The word is ‘ephanerōthē’[3] which means “to make apparent (visible), to show openly,” from the same root word found in verse one. Perhaps only able to be seen or recognized by those chosen by God (see also John 20:14).
Considerations
These seven disciples were obedient to Jesus as He had told them, “ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” (Mark 14:28, see also Matthew 28:7, 10, 16; Mark 16:7) But now being in Galilee there was no Jesus and no further instructions. So they waited, for a while. Having patience and a willingness to wait are critical attributes for every believer. Most Christians will experience at least one period of time when they will need to wait for God. Even during urgent times, but our definition of urgency is often different than His. The question is what do you do during that time? Do you keep your eyes on Jesus and keep praying? Do you assess the situation on your own and act based on your own understanding of what needs to be done? Or do you go back to doing something that you used to do in the past to pass the time? Of course you wait, keeping your eyes on Jesus. But what did Peter and the other disciples do? They got tired of waiting and went fishing. Perhaps not the best model for new believers, but at least they did not try to “help God” or find a solution on their own authority. Perhaps instead of finding fault with these seven, the question should be, where were the other four?
Jesus Restores Peter
21:15 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.”
After eating, Jesus turned to Peter, calling him “Simon, son of John,” a formal, if not a hint of admonishment in this title used only these three times (compare to Matthew 16:17). He asks him, “Do you love me more than these?” Undoubtedly referring to the boat, the fishing equipment, and all things related to fishing, since Peter, after three years with Jesus went back to fishing. Peter replied, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus then told Peter to, “Feed my lambs.” Since Jesus on a number of occasions referred to believers as sheep (a lamb being a young sheep, see Matthew 18:5-10; John 10:7-16; see also Psalm 95:7; 100:3; Ezekiel 34:31), He is telling Peter that his priority now is to take care of young believers, perhaps as a mentor.
21:16 He said to him a second time, “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.”
Jesus then asks Peter again if he loved Him and he answered with the same phrase as before, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus tells Peter to, “Tend my sheep.” The Greek word translated here as ’tend’ is ‘poimaine’,[4] is most often translated as ’shepherd’, figuratively used to refer to providing for those under their care. The word is considered a synonym for ‘boske’,[5] previously translated ‘feed’ in verse 15.
21:17 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.
Jesus asks Peter one more time if he loved Him. John notes that this question grieved Peter because he was asked a third time. Peter replies, acknowledging Jesus’ omniscience, that since He knows everything, that He would know that he loves Him. Jesus returns to the Greek ‘boske’ (verse 15) and tells Peter to feed His sheep.
Why three times? It is likely this was God’s way to restore Peter after he denied Jesus three times during His trials (see Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:54-62; John 18:15-18, 25-27, see Considerations below for additional information regarding this conversation).
21:18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Jesus concludes by giving Peter a prophecy regarding his future. He tells him that while he is young he could do whatever he pleased, whenever he pleased. But later in life he will stretch out his arms and be dressed by someone else and be carried somewhere that he doesn’t want to go. While this can happen to most, losing their ability to dress themselves and and lose mobility later in life, John interprets what Jesus said to be a reference to how Peter will die, with his hands stretched out on a cross. He would die in a death that would glorify God. Legend records Peter was crucified upside down.[6]
Jesus then told Peter to, “Follow me.” John records Jesus’ last instruction, important words not just to Peter, but to all. Being a disciple requires us to follow Jesus at all times.
Considerations
The full story of this three-tier conversation appears to be concealed by a translational deficiency. Its not an error, it comes from the fact that the Greek language is more explicit than English. For example, in the Greek language there are eight Greek words that are typically translated as ‘love’ in the English language. Four of which can be found in the New Testament. The word ‘love’ can convey everything from a preference (for example, “I would love to have a cup of coffee”) to a romantic embrace.
When Jesus asked Peter the first time, He used the highest form of love (Greek ‘agapas’,[7] unconditional love) in His question, “Do you love me more than these?” Peter, replied, “You know that I love you,” with the Greek word ‘philō’,[8] referring to a “brotherly love.” Some prefer to translate that as, “You know that I like you,” to emphasize that Peter did not respond using the same unconditional love. The same two words were used in the second round. But during the third round, Jesus changed His question, He asked if Peter loved Him using ‘phileis’ instead of ‘agapas’. The fact that Jesus lowered His expectations and matched Peter’s level of love may explain why Peter was grieved. Since the English does not have a single word (or even a good phrase) to translate the Greek ‘phileō’ to, most Bibles do not note a change. Is that critical to understand? No, however, it does allow us to see that God is willing to meet us wherever we are. Peter did become a great evangelist and teacher, he demonstrated many times in the book of Acts that he truly loved Jesus unconditionally, but at this time, especially after denying Jesus three times, he wasn’t ready to admit or commit. Jesus met Peter where Peter needed Him the most. God’s timing is always perfect, even if we are not ready.
Bearing Witness
21:20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during 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? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers 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?”
After hearing how he was going to die, Jesus and Peter were apparently walking together, and John was following them. When Peter noted that John was following, he asked Jesus what about John, how is he going to die? Jesus said, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” Jesus was saying to Peter if He allowed John to never experience death, what difference will it make to him? In other words, it was none of his concern. He was to stay focused on Jesus, not John or anyone else. The statement that John will not die became a rumor among believers. John Foxe wrote about John in his book, The Book of Martyrs:
He was distinguished as a prophet, an apostle, a divine, an evangelist, and a martyr. He is called the beloved disciple, and was brother to James the Great. He was previously a disciple of John the Baptist, and afterwards not only one of the twelve apostles, but one of the three to whom Christ communicated the most secret passages of his life. He founded churches at Smyrna, Pergamos, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Thyatira, to which he directs his Book of Revelation. Being at Ephesus, he was ordered by the Emperor Domitian to be sent bound to Rome, where he was condemned to be cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. [This was a punishment which the philosopher Seneca refers to as being suitable for a slave who had been convicted of a very serious crime.] But here a miracle was wrought in his favour; the oil did him no injury, and Domitian, not being able to put him to death, banished him to Patmos, to labour in the mines, in AD 73. He was, however, recalled by Nerva, who succeeded Domitian, but was deemed a martyr on account of his having undergone an execution, though it did not take effect. He wrote his epistles, gospel and Revelation, each in different style, but they are all equally admired. He was the only apostle who escaped a violent death, and lived the longest of any, he being nearly 100 years of age at the time of his death.[9]
21:24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
John indirectly identifies himself as the author, and that he was an eye-witness and he accurately recorded all that he had seen. He further notes that his testimony, what we call today the gospel according to John, is indeed true.
21:25 Now there are also many other things that 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.
John concludes by writing that Jesus did many other things that were not recorded. He makes an interesting observation, that if someone were to write everything Jesus did during His ministry, the book (or books) would be huge (definitely too heavy to carry around). We need to understand that the Bible was never intended to answer all questions or give us information about all things. It was designed to only reveal God and His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. The Bible gives us everything we need to know, nothing more and nothing less.
⇐Previous Chapter (Introduction/Index) Next Chapter⇒
[1] See Considerations under John 7:20-24 "The Phrase “After This…”"
[2] See also commentary under John 6:1.
[3] Strong’s Greek 5319.
[4] Strong’s Greek 4165.
[5] Strong’s Greek 1006.
[6] John Foxe, The Book of Martyrs, revised with notes and an appendix by W. Bramley-Moore, London, 1869, p 6. reprinted in Water, M. (2001). The New Encyclopedia of Christian Martyrs (p. 32). John Hunt Publishers Ltd.
[7] Strong’s Greek 25.
[8] Strong’s Greek 5368.
[9] John Foxe, The Book of Martyrs, revised with notes and an appendix by W. Bramley-Moore, London, 1869, p 7. reprinted in Water, M. (2001). The New Encyclopedia of Christian Martyrs (p. 33-34). John Hunt Publishers Ltd.