Read the Passage: John 21

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: John 21

Jesus’ Miracle (21:1–14)

Of the thirty-seven miracles of Jesus that are recorded in the Gospels, the miracle of the second catch of fish, reported in John 21, is the only post-resurrection miracle. Further, John is the only Gospel writer who records this miracle. This miracle is referred to as the second catch of fish, as Luke notes an earlier occasion on which Jesus provided a similar miraculous catch of fish (cf. Luke 5:1–11). Note that whereas the miraculous catch of fish in John 21 occurred at the very end of Christ’s earthly ministry, the earlier catch of fish in Luke 5 was at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry. John’s phrase “after these things” in John 21:1 signals that these events occurred after Christ’s resurrection. The setting here is the Sea of Tiberius, which is the Sea of Galilee, where seven of the disciples were busy fishing. They were in Galilee as Jesus had said to go there to meet Him (cf. Matt. 28:7, 10, 16).

While they were experienced fishermen, the disciples had been fishing all night without a catch. Then, as morning dawned, Jesus appeared on the shore and commanded them to put out their nets. Either because he was reminded of the earlier miraculous catch at Luke 5:1–11, or because of the miracle itself, John said, “It is the Lord!” (John 21:7), and Peter then swam 100 yards to the shore. After the other disciples secured the large catch of fish, they joined Christ around a fire for breakfast, where there were grilled fish as well as fresh bread. John, who was present at this miracle, notes that no one dared to ask Jesus’ identity, for they all knew that it was the Lord (cf. John 21:12). Observe John’s reference to there being 153 fish in the nets emphasizes the fact that he was an eyewitness of these events. John writes that this was the third post-resurrection visit of Christ to the disciples.

Peter’s Commission (21:15–23)

John 21:15–17 is an important passage in the biography of Peter. While Jesus had earlier appointed Peter as a leader among the apostles (cf. Matt. 16:18–19), the final appearances of Peter in this Gospel, prior to this chapter, were his threefold denials of knowing Christ (cf. John 18:17–27) and his perplexity at the empty tomb (cf. John 20:6–10). Here in John 21:15–17 Jesus mercifully restored Peter by drawing out a threefold confession of Peter’s love for Him. Moreover, Peter’s leadership among the apostles, and in the early church, was reaffirmed as Christ commanded Peter three times to feed and to tend His sheep, which refers to the church (cf. John 10:1–18). Observe that Peter himself would later use this same language in 1 Pet. 5:1–4 as he instructed church leaders, “Shepherd the flock of God” (1 Pet. 5:2). Jesus stressed the need to love Him above all things (cf. John 21:15).

Whereas in John 21:15–17 Jesus confronted Peter’s past sins (and restored him), in John 21:18–23 Christ spoke about Peter’s future ministry (and commissioned him). Of course, Peter would have been familiar with Jesus’ teaching to “take up your cross and follow after Me” (Matt. 10:38). Yet, in John 21:18–19 Christ prophesied about Peter’s future martyrdom, via crucifixion, saying, “When you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish” (John 21:18). While Peter would live for more than 30 more years, he would be martyred in AD 68 (cf. 2 Pet. 1:14). After receiving this information, it is interesting at John 21:20–23 that Peter asked Jesus about John. It is not clear if Peter asked Christ about John’s future because he was genuinely concerned about him, or if he was just grappling with news of his own death.

John’s Conclusion (21:24–25)

It is interesting that nowhere in this Gospel does John identify himself by name. Yet, here in John 21:24, John does disclose, “This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and [who] wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.” The reference to “the disciple” in this verse refers to the one whom Peter had asked Jesus about in John 21:20–23, who was clearly John. Finally, this Gospel closes with John’s declaration, “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen” (John 21:25). From this statement we learn that, like the other Gospel writers, so the details that John included in his narrative are selective. While it is tempting to want more details about Jesus’ life and ministry, the material that we do have is sufficient for salvation.

Application Questions:

1. Of the eight miracles of Jesus that John records in his Gospel, which one did you find the most interesting and edifying?
2. Why were the disciples in Galilee (cf. Matt. 28:16)? Why did the disciples return to their former occupation?
3. Why did some people, such as Mary (cf. John 20:15) and the disciples (cf. Matt. 28:17) have difficulty recognizing Jesus?
4. What types of things compete in your life for ultimate love? How can we best restore believers who have strayed from Christ?
5. If you knew the day, time, and manner of your death, how would that change how you live your live today?