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John 21

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Jesus Appears by the Sea of Galilee 1–14

1
After these things Jesus manifested himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and he manifestedhimselfon this wise. ​
2
There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.
3
Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also come with thee. They went forth, and entered into the boat; and that night they took nothing. ​
4
But when day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach: yet the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5
Jesus therefore saith unto them, Children, have ye aught to eat? They answered him, No. ​
6
And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
7
That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his coat about him (for he was naked), and cast himself into the sea. ​
8
But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits off), dragging the net full of fishes.
9
So when they got out upon the land, they see a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. ​
10
Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now taken.
11
Simon Peter therefore went up, and drew the net to land, full of great fishes, a hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, the net was not rent. ​
12
Jesus saith unto them, Come and break your fast. And none of the disciples durst inquire of him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
13
Jesus cometh, and taketh the bread, and giveth them, and the fish likewise.
14
This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. ​

"Feed My Sheep" 15–19

15
So when they had broken their fast, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. ​
16
He saith to him again a second time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Tend my sheep.
17
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. ​
18
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. ​
19
Now this he spake, signifying by what manner of death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. ​

The Destiny of the Beloved Disciple 20–23

20
Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; who also leaned back on his breast at the supper, and said, Lord, who is he that betrayeth thee?
21
Peter therefore seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? ​
22
Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. ​
23
This saying therefore went forth among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, that he should not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?

Epilogue and Author's Testimony 24–25

24
This is the disciple that beareth witness of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his witness is true. ​
25
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that should be written. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for John 21

Verse 1

shewed himself again — Phaneroo, to make manifest; the verb returns in v.14, where the count is taken. The place is Galilee, where the angel's word was 'he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him' (Matt 28:7). 'Sea of Tiberias' is the name used in John 6:1.

Verse 3

that night they caught nothing — Halieuo, to fish. Peter's boat had known an empty night before: 'we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing' (Luke 5:5), and Christ then said 'from henceforth thou shalt catch men' (Luke 5:10). The empty night is the setting for v.6.

Verse 5

Children, have ye any meat? — Paidion, little children, a term of address. 'Meat' is prosphagion, food eaten with bread, here fish. The question is put so that the answer is 'No'. The same Lord asked 'Have ye here any meat?' in Luke 24:41.

Verse 7

It is the Lord — The disciple 'whom Jesus loved' (agapao) is the one who leaned on his breast (13:23; 21:20). Peter 'girt his fisher's coat' (ependytes, an outer garment) about him and 'did cast himself into the sea', while the others came in the boat (v.8).

Verse 9

a fire of coals — Anthrakia, a bed of burning coals; it occurs only here and in John 18:18, where 'Peter stood with them, and warmed himself' at such a fire. Fish and bread were already laid there before the catch was brought (v.10); Jesus then serves them (v.13).

Verse 11

an hundred and fifty and three — The number is given exactly, as of a catch that was counted. 'Not… the net broken' (schizo, to split) differs from the earlier catch, when 'their net brake' (Luke 5:6). Peter alone is named as drawing it to land.

Verse 14

the third time — Tritos; the verb is phaneroo again (v.1). Appearances to 'his disciples' as a group are counted: the evening of the first day (20:19), eight days later with Thomas (20:26), and this one. Appearances to individuals, such as Mary (20:14), are not in the count.

Verse 15

lovest thou me more than these? — Jesus asks with agapao; Peter answers with phileo, 'I love thee' as a friend. 'Feed' is bosko, to pasture, and 'lambs' arnion. He is addressed as 'Simon, son of Jonas', by his family name, not as Peter.

Verse 17

Lovest thou me? — Here Jesus takes up Peter's own word phileo. The third asking matches the threefold denial foretold in 13:38, 'till thou hast denied me thrice'. 'Thou knowest all things' echoes the disciples' confession in 16:30, 'Now are we sure that thou knowest all things'.

Verse 18

thou shalt stretch forth thy hands — Ekteino, to stretch out. 'Gird' is zonnymi. The young man dresses himself and goes where he will, while the old man is girded by 'another' and carried where he 'wouldest not'. Peter later wrote that he must 'put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me' (2 Pet 1:14).

Verse 19

signifying by what death he should glorify God — Semaino, to indicate by a sign; doxazo, to glorify. 'Follow me' (akoloutheo) is the verb of the first disciples' response, 'followed him' (Matt 4:20), now given after the word 'thou shalt follow me afterwards' (13:36), to which Peter had answered 'I will lay down my life for thy sake' (13:37).

Verse 21

what shall this man do? — Peter turns and sees the disciple 'which also leaned on his breast at supper' (v.20). The question is about what is appointed for another. A question about times to come in Acts 1:6, 'wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?', was likewise turned aside: 'It is not for you to know the times or the seasons' (Acts 1:7).

Verse 22

If I will that he tarry till I come — Meno, to remain, abide. The reply is a conditional, not a promise, as v.23 states. 'Follow thou me' carries the pronoun su (thou) in emphasis; the command of v.19 is repeated to Peter, whatever is appointed for the other.

Verse 24

testifieth of these things, and wrote these things — Martyreo, to bear witness, and grapho, to write. The same witness-language stands at 19:35, 'he that saw it bare record, and his record is true', and in 1 John 1:2, 'we have seen it, and bear witness'. 'We know' is oida.

Verse 25

the world itself could not contain — Choreo, to have room for; biblion, a roll or book. 'I suppose' (oiomai) marks it as the writer's estimate. It returns to 20:30–31: 'many other signs… which are not written in this book', and these 'are written, that ye might believe'.