John 21:1-14

Omnipotent Lord

Text: John 21:1-14

1

After these things Jesus manifested himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and he manifested himself on 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 are 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.

Queries

a.

Why did Peter and the others go fishing?

b.

Why did Peter jump into the sea?

c.

Why did none of them ask, Who art thou?

Paraphrase

Now Jesus had commanded His disciples to go to Galilee and wait for Him there. After His appearances to them in Jerusalem He manifested Himself to seven of them who had gone to Galilee, to the sea of Tiberias. These were the seven disciples of Jesus who were together there on the sea of Galilee; Simon Peter, and Thomas called Twin, and Nathanael who was from Cana in Galilee, and the sons of ZebedeeJames and John, and two other disciples. Simon Peter said to the others, I need to return to my fishing business while I await the Lord's coming to Galilee. The other disciples said, We must provide for ourselves while we are waiting and we will return to our fishing also. So they embarked in a large fishing boat and sailed forth onto the sea. They fished all night and yet they did not catch one fish. In the semi-darkness of the early dawn Jesus stood on the beach a great distance away from the fishermen and the disciples did not know that it was Jesus there on the beach. Jesus called out to them, Lads, you haven-'t anything to eat, have you? They called back, No, we haven-'t. Jesus called back, Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will catch fish. The disciples, supposing that the man on the beach was familiar with the best places for fishing, threw their net over into the sea on the right side of the boat. There were so many fish caught in the net that the disciples in the large boat were unable to draw it into the boat. John, the beloved, said to Peter, It is the Lord! Peter, realizing it must be the Lord, wrapped himself in the outer clothing he had taken off (for he had stripped down to his underclothing to facilitate his fishing), and jumped into the shallow sea and began making for the beach. The other disciples who had come alongside the large boat to help with the weighted net came on to the shore dragging the net full of fishes rather than hoisting the net into the boat for they were only some one hundred yards offshore. And when the disciples all got out of their boats onto the beach they saw that a fire had been burning for some time and cooking in the fire was fish and bread. Jesus beckoned, Come, bring some of the fish which you have caught. Simon Peter hurried back to the boat and hauled in the net. There were one hundred fifty-three great fish in the net and all the fishermen were astonished that the net had not torn with such a tremendous catch. Jesus invited them, Come, let us have breakfast. All of the disciples stood still in reverent awe and none felt obliged now to question who He was for they all knew that He was their Lord. Jesus then came to the fire and taking the bread and the fish, gave some to each of the disciples. This was the third time Jesus appeared to the apostles in a body after He was risen from the dead.

Summary

Jesus shows himself alive a third time to the apostles and offers again empirical proof of His Lordship in order that He may later charge them, Feed my sheep!

Comment

Jesus showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God according to Acts 1:3 :Here in Galilee is one of those occasions, He had commanded the disciples through the women (Matthew 28:7; Matthew 28:10; Mark 16:7), to go into Galilee, They did not go immediately and Jesus appears to them in company twice in Jerusalem over a seven day period (cf. John 20:1-31). Now they have arrived in Galilee and have resumed their former occupations as they wait for the Lord's promised appearance here.

John's use of the name sea of Tiberias is another indication that he intended his gospel account to be read by readers all over the Roman world. Tiberias is the Roman name for the sea of Galilee.

Why did Peter and these other six disciples go fishing? Some say they had lost faith and interest in continuing as disciples of Jesus and simply had returned to their former occupations. Those who make this interpretation generally base it on a questionable exegesis of the question Jesus asked Peter, Lovest thou me more than these? (John 21:15). We prefer the view that the disciples were merely occupying the time while they waited for the Lord in plying their trade as fishermen. Some of them (Peter at least) would need to provide some sort of financial support for their families. Men of the sea, active, hardworking, industrious men could not remain inactive while they waited for Jesus to come.

Jesus did not condemn them for going fishing, but directed them to a miraculous catch. Peter is no more to be condemned for seeking food by this accustomed trade than Paul for supporting himself by tent-making while he preached as opportunity offered. Peter and the rest were here in Galilee in obedience to the express, repeated command of Jesus. Having come to Galilee, they could do nothing for their Master except wait His coming and further commands. To supply themselves with food by a means that was honorable and available was simple common-sense. R. C. Foster.
Fishermen had an honorable place in society. They supplied one of the most important items in the ordinary diet. They also had the reputation of being unusually pious. There were those who used hooks to fish in the days of Jesus for archeologists have found copper, brass and iron hooks of that period. But most of the commercial fishing was done with nets. The first type of net was the throwing type, a round one of perhaps twelve feet in diameter, with leads all around the edge, and it was designed to catch fish by dropping over them. The second type was the seine type which was much like our seine-nets today. One end of this net was held by a man on shore while others in a boat played the long net out in a large semi-circle winding up with the other end of the net on the same shore. Then the men on both ends drag the net to shore bringing in their catch. The disciples probably used both types of nets. But it would seem they were using the seine type net this night.
The fishing trade required large investments to commence. The nets were expensive and needed a great deal of maintenance. The boats would be even more expensive and need even more maintenance.

When the fish were caught they had to be separated. Some fish were worth more than others on the market. Also for the Jewish fishermen there would be the unclean fish they were not allowed to sellthose without scales and fins.
The fisherman's life strengthens his character: it is work that insists upon courage and firmness, as well as patience; and it is clear that those fresh-water sailors, the fishermen of the Sea of Galilee stood out from all the other workers who are mentioned in the Gospel. They seem to have been men of strong and ardent minds, open, hearty, enthusiastic spirits-Sons of thunder,-' as Christ called two of them. Even today one may see the Galilean fishermen skipping for joy at a good catch; and under the fierce sun they may be heard chanting at the top of their voices. It is understandable that for the work He meant to undertake, Christ should have called upon these strong, brave, spirited men and their loyalty. He said to them, -Come and follow me; I will make you into fishers of men.-' And Simon and Andrew and then James and John, left their nets on the ground. Henri Daniel-Rops Daily Life in The Time of Jesus.
They fished all night and caught nothing. It was a big sea. They had probably put their net into the sea over and over again in many different places. They were tired and they had spent a frustrating day and night. In the darkness of the early dawn they looked toward the shore and saw a man standing there. The darkness, the distance and a probable mist arising from the surface of the sea kept them from recognizing Jesus.
Jesus then called out from the shore, Lads, you don-'t have anything to eat do you? The Greek word paidia may be translated lads, boys, children. Jesus stated the question as if He expected a No answer. He wanted to focus their attention on the fruitlessness of their night's labor in order to emphasize the more the miraculous nature of what was about to happen, This He did to build their faith in Him and to demonstrate the divine assistance they would have during their labors in His name.

So Jesus instructed them, Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will catch fish. Still not recognizing Him as their Master, thinking perhaps He was one of the local fishermen with a knowledge of where the fishing was currently the best, they followed His instructions. To their wonderment the net became so full of fish they were unable to haul it into the boat and eventually the net, which seemed ready to burst at any moment, was towed to shore behind the boat.

John, the beloved disciple (cf. John 13:23), then recognized Jesus and told Peter, It is the Lord! Perhaps John began to recognize Him when He called out from the shore and then at the miraculous draught of fishes could restrain himself no longer and forgot the fish and pointed toward shore and cried out to Peter.

Impetuous Peter was not about to wait until the boat reached the shore. He grabbed his outer tunic (he had probably taken off all his clothing but his undergarments), wrapped it around himself and jumped into the sea and started making for the shore. Whether he swam or whether it was shallow enough for him to wade ashore we do not know. The disciples were only about 100 yards off shore in the boat. R. C. Foster notes that the Greek language here indicates Peter fastened the girdle and tucked the tunic up into his girdle before leaping into the water. This may indicate he was intending to wade ashore without getting all his clothing wet. Peter may have been impetuous but his impetuosity at this particular instance is an example we all might well follow. Would that all His disciples were so eager to be near Him and to come to Him.

Practically all the commentators show the interesting parallels between this experience on the sea of Galilee and the one some three years before as recorded in Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11. In both instances they toiled all night and caught nothing; in each case they had gone fishing of their own volition; in both they were commanded by Jesus to make another effort; in the first the nets broke; in this one the net seemed ready to break momentarily; in both Peter ex-exhibited his impetuosity; in both Jesus gives them a solemn commission to evangelize.

Why did Peter act so impulsively? Who knows? It was just his nature, it seems, to act this way. What would you have done considering all his recent experiences if you had been Peter? Perhaps you too would have leaped into the water and hurried to meet the resurrected Lord. These disciples were real mennot robots or the idealistic characters of fiction. Some of them were as different in personality and temperament as some of us today!

Now in verse eight we find an example of the Greek idiom which is not altogether familiar to the English language. We find John shifting from the regular noun to the diminutive form using both forms to describe the same thing. In John 21:6 he speaks of the ploion (boat) and in John 21:8 he speaks of the same boat only this time it is ploiarion (little boat). John does the same thing in John 6:17-20 and John 6:22. Peter went wading on ahead. The other disciples came slowly in the boat hauling the catch of fish which were still very precariously enclosed within the overtaxed net.

To their amazement, when they stepped out on shore they found the Master had a fire going, was broiling fish and preparing bread for a morning meal. How the fish were obtained by Jesus we are not told. We are neither told that He obtained them in a supernatural way or a natural way. Most commentators believe He supplied them supernaturally. The recent events and the excitement of the present hour would lead one to think this also must have come about in some supernatural way.
In their excitement and haste to meet the Lord they had forgotten their net full of fish straining on the tow rope still tied to the side of the boat and being lashed about by the waves of the surf. Jesus directed them, Bring of the fish which you have now taken. Perhaps Jesus had another reason for such directions than His concern that the miraculous catch might be lost by neglect. Perhaps He wanted to re-emphasize the magnitude of the miracle. This we believe is all the significance there is to the number153of fish caught. The number is given simply to signify the marvelousness of it all. They had fished all night and caught nothing. Jesus merely said, Cast your net on the right side of the boat, and in one cast they caught one hundred fifty-three large fish. So many the net was about to break. Many commentators, both ancient and modern, are, we believe, too taken up with allegorizing, symbolizing and spiritualizing numbers. For example Cyril of Alexandria said the 100 represents the fulness of the Gentiles; the 50 stands for the remnant of Israel which will be saved; 3 stands for the Trinity to whose glory all things are done. Augustine, according to Barclay, explains it this way: 10 is the number for the Law (10 commandments); 7 is the number of grace (7 gifts of the Spirit); 7 plus 10 equals 17; 153 is the sum of all the figures, 1 plus 2 plus 3 plus 4. and up to 17. Thus 153 stands for all those who either by Law or by grace have been moved to come to Jesus Christ.

Whether the number has a mystical meaning or not, it most certainly points out that the one who wrote the Fourth Gospel was an eyewitness for he knew every detail even to the number and size of the fish that morning. The amazing thing to the fishermen was that such an enormous catch could be contained in the net without the net breaking.
Jesus bids them, Come, have breakfast. So overwhelmed with His majesty and awed with His omnipotence now not one of them dared interrogate Him. They all knew! There were no doubts, no questionings in their minds and hearts now. Perhaps the events of the night had so awed them that they stood off in reverential fear, None dared to say, Is it really you, Lord?
In fact, the indication is that they did not even dare to come close to the fire and feed themselves at His invitation. It seems that Jesus had to take the bread and the fish and come toward them and give it to them.
The main point to get from this section is exactly the point the disciples got and the one Jesus intended: a dramatic and awe-inspiring demonstration of the omnipotence and omniscience of Jesus Christ, the resurrected Lord of heaven and earth.

John 21:14 must, of course, be understood as denominating the third appearance to the disciples (apostles) being gathered together in a body. He appeared at least a third time to other disciples (both women and men) before this but this is His third appearance to His specially called disciplesapostles.

Quiz

1.

Why were these men in Galilee?

2.

Why did they go fishing? Did the Lord approve or disapprove?

3.

Tell something about the fishing trade; the tools, the men, etc.

4.

Why did they not recognize Jesus on the shore?

5.

Why was Peter so impetuous? Is impetuosity always wrong?

6.

What is the significance of John's recording of the exact number of fish?

7.

What is the main point of the experience of the disciples here?