John 21:1-25

John tells the Good News about Jesus

Gospel of John

Marion Adams

Chapter 21

Jesus appears to 7 *disciples 21:1-14

v1 Afterwards, Jesus appeared again to his *disciples by the Sea called Tiberias. This is what happened. v2 Simon Peter, Thomas, and Nathanael from *Galilee were there. The brothers James and John (the sons of Zebedee) and two other *disciples were there, too.

v3 Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going out to fish.’

The other *disciples said, ‘We will go with you.’

They went out in a boat. But they did not *catch any fish that night.

v4 At dawn, Jesus stood on the shore. But the *disciples did not realise that it was Jesus.

v5 He shouted to them, ‘Friends! Have you *caught any fish?’

‘No’, they answered.

v6 Then he said, ‘Throw your net over the right side of the boat. Then you will *catch some fish.’

So they did this. And they could not pull the net up again, because there were so many fish in it.

v7-8 Then the *disciple whom Jesus loved spoke to Peter. He said, ‘It is the *Lord!’

When Simon Peter heard this, he put on his outer clothes. (He had taken them off while he was working.) The boat was only about 100 metres (100 yards) from the shore. He jumped into the water and he swam to the shore. The other *disciples stayed in the boat in order to bring the net with the fish.

v9 When the *disciples arrived at the shore, they saw a fire. Also, they saw that fish was cooking above the fire. There was bread, too.

v10 Jesus said to them, ‘Bring to me some of those fish which you have just *caught.’

v11 Simon Peter went back into the boat. He pulled the net to the shore. There were 153 fish in it. The fish were large and the net was full. But, although there were so many fish, the net did not tear.

v12 Jesus said to them, ‘Come here. Have something to eat!’

None of the *disciples was foolish enough to ask him who he was. They knew that he was the *Lord.

v13 Jesus took the bread and he gave it to his *disciples. Then he took the fish and he gave that to them, too.

v14 This was the third time that Jesus appeared to the *disciples after his *resurrection.

Some experts think that the author added this last chapter to the rest of the *Gospel later. Other experts think that somebody else added this chapter. They think this because John 20:30-31 seems to be the end of the book. But this chapter is in nearly every early copy of this *Gospel. Only one copy does not include it. So it must be important.

There were many other events in Jesus’ life that the author could write about. So the author had to choose carefully which ones to include in his book (John 21:25). So he included this one for good reasons. We shall realise this as we look at the chapter.

Verses 1-6 ‘The Sea called Tiberias’ was another name for Lake *Galilee. That night, Simon Peter had decided to go out to fish. This used to be his occupation before he met Jesus. The other *disciples joined Peter. They fished at night because that was the best time to *catch fish. But they did not *catch any fish. This was unusual. Probably, they felt tired, hungry and confused. They did not recognise Jesus’ voice when he shouted to them. However, they obeyed his instructions. And they caught many fish in the net.

Verses 7-8 Jesus had done a similar *miracle before (Luke 5:1-11). But, on that occasion, the net was so full that it had torn. Perhaps the *disciple whom Jesus loved remembered the previous incident. This may be why he suddenly recognised Jesus.

Immediately, Simon Peter put on his outer clothes and he jumped into the water. Perhaps he knew that he needed to speak to Jesus more than the other *disciples. The other *disciples had run away when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. Only one *disciple, probably John, had remained. The other *disciples had not been loyal to Jesus. Perhaps Peter felt that he had been even less loyal. This may have been because he had promised to die for Jesus. But, only a few hours later, he had told people that he did not even know Jesus. He was afraid of what they would do to him. When he saw Jesus again, Peter probably felt very guilty about this. But he did not hide. Instead, he rushed to meet Jesus.

Verse 9 This account is more than just a story about when the *disciples were *catching fish. Like the other *miracles in John’s *Gospel, it is a *sign. It shows to us more about who Jesus is. And there are several things that we can learn from it.

Sometimes when we do work for God, we use only our own strength and skills. But we really need God’s help to guide us. The *disciples had worked hard by themselves all night. But they had no success. They needed Jesus to tell them what to do. They needed his power and authority. And when they obeyed him, a *miracle happened.

Already Jesus had fish, which he was cooking on a fire. So he did not actually need the fish that they had *caught! This teaches us an important lesson. Jesus can give us what we need. He does not need our help to do this. But we need his help to work for him.

Verses 10-14 When Simon Peter went to bring the net to the shore, there were 153 large fish in it. We do not really know why John recorded the exact number. But earlier, after Jesus had done a similar *miracle, Peter, James and John had become his *disciples. And then Jesus had told Peter that they would ‘*catch people’, not fish! (Luke 5:10-11). He meant that they would bring many people into God’s *kingdom. The *miracle that John recorded emphasised this. 153 was a large number of fish.

John’s *Gospel contains many details like this. These details remind us that the author was a witness at these events. He actually saw what happened. And his book is a record of the things that he saw.

Jesus and Peter 21:15-19

v15 After they had eaten, Jesus spoke to Simon Peter. Jesus said, ‘Simon, son of John. Do you really love me more than the other *disciples love me?’

Simon Peter answered, ‘Yes, *Lord. You know that I love you.’

Jesus said, ‘Then feed my *lambs.’ (In other words, ‘Provide for the weakest people who follow me.’)

v16 Jesus asked again, ‘Simon, son of John, do you really love me?’

Peter answered, ‘Yes, *Lord. You know that I love you.’

Jesus said, ‘Then look after my sheep.’ (In other words, ‘Take care of my *followers.’)

v17 Jesus asked a third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’

It upset Peter to hear Jesus’ question again. Jesus had asked Peter three times if Peter loved him. So Peter said, ‘*Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!’

Jesus answered, ‘Then feed my sheep.’ (In other words, ‘Provide for my *followers.’) v18 Jesus continued, ‘I tell you the truth. When you were a young man, you dressed yourself ready to go out. Then you went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will hold out your hands. Somebody else will dress you. Then that person will lead you where you do not want to go.’

v19 Jesus said this to tell Peter how he (Peter) would die. And Peter’s death would bring *glory to God.

Then Jesus said to Peter, ‘Follow me!’

Verses 15-17 After breakfast, Jesus walked away from the other *disciples (verse 20). He took Simon Peter with him. Jesus wanted to talk to Peter in private. In this conversation, Jesus called Peter by his original name: ‘Simon’.

Outside the *High Priest’s house, Peter had said three times that he did not know Jesus. So, three times, Jesus asked Peter if he (Peter) loved him (Jesus).

Jesus did this because of several reasons. He wanted Peter to know that he (Jesus) had forgiven him. Also Jesus wanted Peter to say aloud that he loved Jesus. This was the opposite of what Peter had said outside the *High Priest’s house. Jesus was giving Peter the opportunity to declare that he (Peter) was Jesus’ loyal *follower. But Jesus did more than just forgive Peter. Jesus gave Peter a very important job. This showed that Jesus trusted Peter. Even after what Peter had done, Jesus still trusted Peter.

The ‘*lambs’ and the ‘sheep’ that Jesus referred to meant his *followers. Jesus had called himself ‘the good *shepherd’ (John 10:11). He told Peter to look after his *followers. Peter obeyed this command. Soon after this, he became a leader of the *disciples and of the *church in *Jerusalem. Peter said that he loved Jesus. Then Peter obeyed Jesus to show that he really meant this. If we really love Jesus, we will obey him, too.

Jesus used two different *Greek words for the word that we translate as ‘love’ in this passage. In verses 15 and 16, Jesus used a form of the word ‘agape’. This refers to love that is completely unselfish. It means to love without a thought about our own desires. It means to love without a desire to receive any reward. ‘Agape’ describes the kind of love that God has for us. ‘Agape’ is the word that John used in John 3:16.

But the three times that Peter answered Jesus, he (Peter) used the *Greek word ‘phileo’. This refers to the kind of love that friends have. It means to care for somebody. It is a weaker kind of love than ‘agape’. Perhaps Peter felt that he was not yet ready to declare that kind of ‘agape’ love for Jesus. Once, Peter had said that he would die on behalf of Jesus (John 14:37-38). Perhaps Peter was remembering how, instead, he had lied to protect himself. In verse 17, Jesus used the word ‘phileo’, too. Perhaps he was saying, ‘Are you even my friend?’ Perhaps that was what upset Peter.

But Peter knew that Jesus did not really have to ask these questions. Jesus already knew how Peter felt. Jesus knows how we feel, too. He knows how much we love him. But still he wants us to tell him.

Perhaps we feel that our love for him is too weak. We can never love him as much as he loves us. If we ask, he will increase our love for him. But we must spend more time with him. We must *worship him, alone and with other Christians. We must learn more about him from the Bible. We must pray often. Then we will realise that our love for him is increasing. We will know him more. Our love for him will increase every day of our lives, if we let this happen.

Verses 18-19 This was a *prophecy about how Peter would die. There is a traditional story that the *Romans *crucified Peter because of his *faith in Jesus. Jesus was warning Peter about what would happen. But still Jesus asked Peter to follow him. Peter did follow Jesus, and he (Peter) became a great leader.

Jesus and the *disciple whom he loved 21:20-25

v20 Peter turned. He saw the *disciple whom Jesus loved. The *disciple was following them. (This was the same *disciple who had leaned close by Jesus at the supper. He had asked, ‘*Lord, who will *betray you?’)

v21 When Peter saw this *disciple, he (Peter) asked Jesus, ‘*Lord, what will happen to him?'

v22 Jesus answered, ‘It does not matter to you. Even if I want him to live until my return, it should not affect you. You must follow me!’

v23 This is how a rumour spread among the other *disciples. The rumour was that this *disciple would not die. (A rumour is something that people say. It might not be true.) But Jesus did not say that this *disciple would not die. He said, ‘Even if I want him to live until my return, it should not affect you.’

v24 (This *disciple is the same *disciple who is giving evidence about these things. He recorded them. We know that his record is true.)

v25 There were many other things that Jesus did. It would not be possible to write down all these things in books. I think that not even the world itself could contain so many books.

This passage gives us important information about the *disciple whom Jesus loved. As we have already said, that *disciple was probably John himself.

Some people in the early *church believed that John would live to see Jesus’ return to the earth. This idea started because of Jesus’ answer to Peter’s question (verses 21-22). But this idea was wrong. So John wanted people to know what Jesus had really said. John wrote down the exact words. Then people would know the truth. John’s death did not mean that Jesus would not return to the earth!

Verses 20-23 Jesus had just told Peter that he (Peter) would die because of his *faith. And Peter immediately wanted to know what would happen to the other *disciple (probably John). This was a very natural reaction. We often compare ourselves with other people. Perhaps we think that another *Christian is more clever or more *spiritual. Or perhaps we think that we have more problems than other *Christians. Or we may be jealous of other *Christians. But this is not the right attitude to have. Jesus told this to Peter. How John would die was not Peter’s affair. Peter just had to obey Jesus’ command to follow him.

It is the same for us. God has a different plan for each one of us. He has a special purpose for each one of us. We should not try to compare ourselves with other *Christians. Instead, we should just follow Jesus. Our lives and deaths will be different from other people’s lives and deaths. But if we follow him, we will all be with him *forever.

Verse 24 This verse is strong evidence that the author of this *Gospel actually saw these events. And, therefore, John was ‘the *disciple whom Jesus loved’. We cannot be completely sure about this. However, we can be sure that this record of events is completely accurate. This record comes from a person who actually saw the events. He was a witness to these events. And he wrote this book to tell other people about these events.

Verse 25 The other *Gospels describe many other things that Jesus did. But he did many more wonderful things that people did not write down. But perhaps John really meant that books could never tell to us everything about Jesus. It is important to read about him. But the purpose of this book is so that we will *believe in him. And then we will know him personally.

That is the purpose of John’s *Gospel.

disciple ~ a person who wants to do the same things as another person and to learn from them. Jesus had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples, too.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people.

baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show that the person wants to obey God. Christians receive baptism as a sign that they want to follow Jesus.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Galilee ~ an area and a large lake in northern Israel. The home area of Jesus and several of his disciples.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
disciple ~ a person who wants to do the same things as another person and to learn from them. Jesus had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples, too.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people.

baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show that the person wants to obey God. Christians receive baptism as a sign that they want to follow Jesus.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
catch ~ to take fish from the sea, either in a net or by a line. Or, to bring people into God’s kingdom.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
resurrection ~ to come back to life after death.
Gospel ~ one of the 4 books at the beginning of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They record Jesus’ life.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
miracle ~ wonderful works that only God can do by his power. A wonderful event that shows that a person’s message is from God.
sign ~ the word that John often uses in his Gospel to mean a miracle. A sign gives evidence and it points to something beyond itself.
Gospel ~ one of the 4 books at the beginning of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They record Jesus’ life.
miracle ~ wonderful works that only God can do by his power. A wonderful event that shows that a person’s message is from God.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
lamb ~ a young sheep. The Jews sacrificed lambs. Jesus is called the ‘Lamb of God’ because he died on our behalf. He did this so that God could forgive our sins.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
sacrifice ~ a gift to God to ask him to forgive sins; or a gift to thank him for something. The Jews killed animals as sacrifices. This word also means to make a sacrifice.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
follower ~ a person who accepts another person as their guide and their teacher; like a disciple.
disciple ~ a person who wants to do the same things as another person and to learn from them. Jesus had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples, too.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people.

baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show that the person wants to obey God. Christians receive baptism as a sign that they want to follow Jesus.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
glory ~ everything that makes God great and beautiful. A bright light that comes from God or Jesus to show that they are beautiful and holy.
holy ~ what God is like. God’s character: perfect, completely good with nothing bad in it. Separate from sin.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.

'High Priest ~ the most important priest in the Jewish Temple.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
temple ~ a building where people went to worship God. Jesus referred to his body as a temple. This was because God was living among people in his Son, Jesus.
Temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews went to worship God.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
worship ~ to give thanks and honour to God and Jesus. To show to him that we love him very much.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
shepherd ~ a person who looks after sheep as his job.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Greek ~ a person from Greece; the language in which the authors wrote the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
worship ~ to give thanks and honour to God and Jesus. To show to him that we love him very much.'prophecy/prophecies ~ the words that a prophet speaks or writes by God’s power. Often, they tell about events before they happen.
prophet ~ a person who hears God’s words and tells them to other people. Some prophets wrote books in the Old Testament. Sometimes, they told about events before they happened.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the Jewish *scriptures. The writers wrote this before the birth of Jesus.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
faith ~ to *believe in someone or something; to be really sure about the things of God and Jesus.
betray ~ to give information about a friend to their enemy.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
spiritual ~ something that belongs to the spirit rather than to physical things.
forever ~ always.