John 21 - Introduction

Useful In The Lord's Work John Twenty One

John 21:1-25 allows us to observe another appearance of Jesus to the apostles. Peter led several of the apostles on a fishing trip. It is of interest that Jesus found them now as He had at the beginning. They were doing the work of a fisherman. At first they did not recognize Jesus. John said that it was the Lord on the shore. Then Peter casted himself into the sea and went to Him. Jesus told the fishermen to cast their net on the right side of the boat. They caught 153 great fish. When the disciples brought their fish to shore the Lord was there with some fish already cooked. These men had all run away when Jesus was tried but now He is again in fellowship with them. This is seen in Jesus' words, "Come and dine."

Peter is restored to fellowship with the Lord. He is commanded to feed the Lord's sheep. This is Peter's commission to be the apostle to the Jews. The Lord asked him, "Lovest thou me more than these?" Peter had boasted that even if the others denied the Lord he would not. But God knew the facts. Peter is humbled by his personal fall and amazed at the grace of God. He will no longer have confidence in himself. His confidence will now be in God. What Peter had promised to do and could not, he would now do; he would follow Christ to prison and to death.

In John 21:25 we are again reminded that the works of Jesus could not be numbered. "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 could not contain the books that should be written. Amen."