CHAPTER 21
Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. John 21:1-2
When we began our study of this gospel we noted that that the first eighteen verses of chapter one made up the prologue. Now we can note that this whole chapter makes up the epilogue of the gospel.1
Jesus had commanded his disciples to meet him in the Galilee (Matt. 28:7; Mk. 16:7). The Galilee was much less dangerous for them than Jerusalem. Jesus appeared to them there by the Sea of Galilee. In the Greek, and in most of the translations, the body of water is called the Sea of Tiberias. Since the City of Tiberias was the Roman administrative center it appears that later in the century this name gradually became applied to the whole Sea.
We can almost feel the restlessness of the disciples. Jesus was no longer with them as their physical leader and perhaps he had not appeared to them as soon as they had thought. Their minds no doubt began to ponder how they would care for themselves and their families.
When the Lord called our family to Israel, we went for a two-year period initially, just to scope out the land and learn a little Hebrew. After the two years we returned to our home of origin wondering how our ministry would develop. We were also wondering how we would feed the family and get the children into college. It seemed that the only reasonable option was to go back into the family business, although we had no interest or calling in that direction. Finally, in desperation we began to make plans to enter the business.
At that time a meek and very scared little lady at church came forward and gave us some scripture in prophecy: “If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea” (Isa. 48:18). She gave us several verses in this passage and ended her appeal with verse 48:20: “Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians! Announce this with shouts of joy and proclaim it. Send it out to the ends of the earth; say, ‘The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob.’” With that verse we left the natural Babylon that was calling to us and ultimately began many years of ministry back in Israel. Our ministry became mostly focused upon publishing, and with God’s help we literally proclaimed the news concerning Israel to the ends of the earth.
Here we see that seven of the disciples had decided to join Peter for a night of fishing on the lake. Burge feels that two boats from their original family fishing operation may have been involved for this was the usual procedure when fishing with compound or trammel nets. With the boats the nets were able to encircle a school of fish and secure their harvest. 2 In New Testament times it was necessary for fishermen to do their work at night because fish could see the nets in the daytime. By the 1960s, fishnets began to be manufactured with synthetic threads which fish could not see, thus allowing the fishing work to go on in the daytime as well.3 When we look more closely at this situation it seems that the disciples were in only one boat and we have no mention of trammel nets but only of cast nets. These would have been the easiest nets to have taken on this impromptu fishing trip.
In the last few decades much has been learned about the boats of New Testament times. In the 1970s, excavation was begun on the western port and boat-building city of Magdala, also known as Migdal Nunya (tower of fish) or Taricchaea (place of salting fish). At that period a well-preserved mosaic of an ancient fishing boat was found.4 That mosaic was later put on permanent display at Capernaum and can be seen there today. However, a much better idea of early boats was gained when such a craft was actually discovered in 1986, buried and preserved in the shoreline sands not far from Magdala. This ancient relic was carefully excavated from the sand, covered with foam and floated to Kibbutz Ginosar. For several years it underwent treatment for preservation and is now on permanent display at the kibbutz.
This Kenneret Boat or Jesus Boat as it is called was measured at 26 feet (8 m.) in length; 8 feet (2.5 m.) in breadth; and 4 feet (1.25 m.) in depth.5 The remains were dated between 100 BC and AD 70, which would have fit well into the time of Jesus. The boat had a sail as was common in fishing boats and was propelled by four oars, two on each side.6
We know from other sources that the boat could have held about fifteen people. It probably required a crew of five, and that it was likely designed for seine fishing and thus had a deck on its aft part. It is probable that the pillow Jesus once rested on was a sandbag that was used for ballast.7
It appears that most of the men involved here were fishermen by trade. Since Nathanael was from Cana he may not have been a fisherman originally. Disciples with other professions, like Matthew for instance, did not come along on this trip. Wiersbe feels that at least seven of the original twelve were probably fishermen.8
“I’m going out to fish,’ Simon Peter told them, and they said, ‘We’ll go with you.’ So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing” (21:3). Morris says of this fishing trip: “The fishing expedition plainly reveals the uncertainty of the disciples, an uncertainty which contrasts sharply with their assured sense of purpose from the day of Pentecost on.” 9 After a night of very hard work the disciples caught nothing, not even enough fish for their breakfast. They must have been greatly discouraged.
“Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered.” (21:4-5). We have spoken before of the apparent difficulty the disciples had in initially recognizing the resurrected body of Jesus and that continues here. Jesus called out to them tenderly. The “Friends” rendered here in the NIV is the Greek paidia, meaning “children,” a loving term sometimes used of young adults.10 His question is framed in the negative indicating that Jesus already knew that they had no fish. Perhaps the NAS does a better job of translating this verse: “Jesus therefore said to them, ‘Children, you do not have any fish, do you?’ They answered Him, ‘No.’” Having been a sport fisherman myself I know that fishermen are quite sensitive about confessing that they have no fish.
“He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish” (21:6). It is most likely that the scene of this fishing trip was at the popular “old fishing hole” at Tabgha, in the northwest corner of the lake. At least long tradition places it in that area. New Testament fishermen loved this spot since the water was heated by natural warm springs. The net fish was the Musht, known today as the Tilapia. The Musht was a tropical fish that gathered in great numbers at Tabgha’s warm springs during the cooler months of the year. Occasionally, modern fishermen still cast their nets in this area.
Barclay conveys an account of one H. V. Morton, who witnessed a net fishing expedition in the area many years ago:
…H. V. Morton describes how he saw two men fishing on the shores of the lake. One had waded out from the shore and was casting a bell net into the water. “But time after time the net came up empty. It was a beautiful sight to see him casting. Each time the neatly folded net belled out in the air and fell so precisely on the water that the small lead weights hit the lake at the same moment making a thin circular splash. While he was waiting for another cast, Abdul shouted to him from the bank to fling to the left, which he instantly did. This time he was successful…Then he drew up the net and we could see the fish struggling in it…” 11
It is possible that Jesus could see the fish from the shore and it is also possible that as Lord of heaven, earth and sea, that he had instructed the fish to all assemble at that spot. On some cool winter mornings I have personally seen these fish working together in the water and enjoying its warmth. We cannot help but note how this miracle closely corresponds to an earlier one when Jesus first met his disciples (cf. Lk. 5:1-11).
JESUS IS RECOGNIZED
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. John 21:7
Ever-perceptive John was quick to recognize his beloved on shore and he quickly conveyed this information to Peter. It seemed that suddenly Peter lost all interest in fishing. His one focus and concern was the stranger on the bank. He immediately wrapped his outer garment over him and jumped into the water, intent on making his way to the Lord. We cannot assume that Peter was completely naked. Jewish people avoided being naked in public. He probably had on an inner garment or at least a loincloth. In other words he was stripped for work. He quickly wrapped himself in his outer garment (Gk. ependutēn), wanting to be presentable before his Lord.12 With that, he impetuously jumped into the water and made his way the distance of some 100 yards (91 m.) to shore.
“The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards” (21:8). No doubt the boat was making much slower progress than was Peter. Barker and Kohlenberger say, “A net full of fish swimming toward the depths rather than toward the shore would be difficult to manage.” 13
“When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread” (21:9). No doubt the cheerful sight of fish and bread on burning coals and the smell of food were welcome to cold, tired and very hungry fishermen. This was clearly a miraculous meal. The fish is in the Greek singular and so is the loaf.14 However, the disciples knew by now that no one would ever leave hungry from the Master’s table.
The sight of the charcoal fire might have pained Peter just a little as he remembered another charcoal fire where he had denied his Lord (cf. 18:18).15
“Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught’” (21:10). We note consistently in Jesus’ miracles that he wishes his people to participate in the miracles with whatever means they may have. Jesus usually starts with that little and turns it into much.
The fishermen probably felt proud that the fruits of their night’s labors would now become acceptable and used by the Lord. They probably did not just feel like poor fishermen any longer.
“So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn” (21:11). This feat tells us a great deal about the physical strength of Peter. He dragged the net ashore by himself. Barker and Kohlenberger estimate, “One hundred and fifty-three fish plus a wet net would probably weigh as much as three hundred pounds.” 16 John notes that the fish were large ones.
When we lived in the Galilee I became well acquainted with Mendel Nun, the resident expert on fishing in New Testament times. Interestingly, his last name “Nun” means “fish” in Hebrew. He assures us that the net fish was indeed the Musht or St. Peter’s Fish as it is called today.17 One of these delicious grilled fish can fill a large plate at the En Gev Fishing Kibbutz restaurant on the eastern shore. Tourists flock there many hundreds at a time to enjoy this delicacy, which is generally free of small troublesome bones.
Over the centuries Bible commentators have tried to assign spiritual significance to the number of fish caught. This effort has ended in a lot of confusion and a great waste of the Lord’s time. Guzik says, “…The truth is that all we know for certain is that 153 stands for the number of fish that they caught!” 18
The great theme that Christ can make us fishers of men is evident everywhere in this story (cf. Matt. 4:18-19). Wiersbe remarks, “…A fisherman catches living fish, but when he gets them, they die. A Christian witness seeks to catch ‘dead fish’ (dead in their sins), and when he or she ‘catches’ them, they are made alive in Christ!…” 19 We note how the gospel net, although completely filled with the catch, never breaks.20
“Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish” (Jn. 21:12-13). Barker and Kohlenberger again comment: “Their attitude was peculiar. They desired to ask his identity, but they dared not do so because somehow they ‘knew’ he was the Lord.” 21 Once more we are confronted with the slight difficulty human beings seem to have with recognizing the resurrected physical/spiritual body. Bruce says, “…there was something quite unfamiliar in the company of one who had returned from the dead…they knew him quite well, and yet in a sense they saw him as a stranger, one who henceforth belonged to another order of existence.” 22
This meal was no doubt wonderful but John tells us nothing about it, not even if Jesus ate with the disciples. We do not know if they cooked and ate any of their own fish or whether the one fish and one loaf miraculously fed the multitude once more.
“This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead” (21:14). John notes that this was the third time Jesus had appeared to the group of his disciples (cf. 20:19-23, 24-29) after his resurrection. He had appeared to several individuals, even to Peter prior to this (Lk. 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5).
THE LORD RESTORES PETER
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” John 21:15
By a charcoal fire Peter had denied his Lord three times on that dreadful night (cf. 18:18; 18:25; 18:27). Now, by another charcoal fire the Lord seeks to publicly reaffirm his erring disciple. He had once bragged that he would never betray the Lord, even if the other disciples did (Mk. 14:29). Jesus asks him now if his love is greater than the others. His meek reply is “you know that I love you.” We do not know what all is implied in the question “more than these.” “These” could be other disciples, fishing boats, fish or whatever. As we ourselves ponder the question we must decide what the “these” are in our lives. “These” could include houses, lands, professions, bank accounts, etc.
Jesus then asks Peter to feed his lambs. The Greek word for feed is boskō and it means to feed as a herdsman would do.23 Sheep and lambs need a lot of personal care. They need to be led to green pastures and still waters. So it is with Christian sheep and lambs. Today one of the greatest professions in the world is that of shepherding the sheep of God.
Over the years much has been made of the Greek words used in Jesus’ three questions and in Peter’s three answers. In his first two questions, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him, using what is generally considered to be the highest form of love, the Greek agapaō. In each case Peter answers with the more common form of love phileō, the love of a friend. Finally with his last question Jesus drops down to this phileō type love. Many scholars today feel that nothing can be made of these changes and that they are only stylistic.
Tenney says: “…the conversation between Jesus and Peter, though recorded in Greek, probably was carried on in Aramaic. The contention is that in Aramaic no such differentiation occurs, for there is only one word for love…Again, the two words at times are used interchangeably in this gospel…” 24
“Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep’” (21:16). Here for taking care of the sheep the Greek poimainō is used. Morris says of this, “The verb used here has a somewhat broader meaning. It means ‘Exercise the office of shepherd’ over against simply ‘Feed.’” 25
“The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep’” (21:17). Peter had denied Jesus publicly and now before the disciples Peter is restored. Pfeiffer and Harrison say, “Peter had already been restored in the sense of receiving forgiveness (Lk. 24:34). But the leadership of an erring disciple could hardly have been accepted for the days ahead, either by Peter or his brethren, apart from Christ’s explicit indication.” 26 Morris says, “…There can be little doubt but that the whole scene is meant to show us Peter as completely restored to his position of leadership…Jesus was restoring Peter to a place of trust.” 27 Kostenberger comments: “Supreme love and loyalty to Jesus is the prerequisite for significant service to our Lord.” 28
“‘Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.’ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, ‘Follow me!’ (21:18-19). The service to Christ comes at great cost and Peter would have to pay that price. Jesus’ cryptic words indicate that when Peter was old he would stretch forth his hands. Morris says, “There is evidence that the stretching forth of the hands was held in the early church to refer to crucifixion.” 29 The church father Tertullian (c. 213) remarks, “Peter is girded by another when he is fastened to the cross.” 30 Church history reflects that fact that Peter was martyred by Nero in about the year AD 64. There are even stories that Peter requested to be crucified upside down since he was not worthy to be crucified as his Master, but these accounts cannot be verified. Nevertheless, Peter was to follow. The words here indicate that he was to “keep on following” the Lord.31
FOLLOWING AFTER THE LORD
Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, ‘Lord, who is going to betray you?’). When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’” John 21:20-21.
Although the Beloved John is obviously the author, he continues in his effort to conceal his identity. This was his writing style, to emphasize Jesus and not himself. We are prone in the Christian world to look at others and their ministries and sometimes to judge them. We often forget the Bible instruction about this: “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand” (Rom. 14:4).
Sometimes we are prone to look at certain TV ministers and wonder if they are really sincere. It would be better for us to look to the Lord and keep a close eye on our own ministry rather than to judge others. The best thing we can do with the others is to set them free to do what God called them to do. We need to stay out of their way.
“Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me’” (21:22). Jesus is simply saying here, “Peter, that is none of your business!” If Jesus desired, John could even remain alive and minister until the return of the Lord. This statement of Jesus was obviously misinterpreted by the church in following years. Barker and Kohlenberger say, “Jesus’ reference to his return is one of the few clear references to the Second Coming in this gospel.” 32
“Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?’” (21:23). It seems here that John, who is now very old and writing this letter, was eager to dispel the myth that he would not die. It appears likely that John may have been the only disciple who would be allowed to die a natural death.33
“This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true” (21:24). Pett says, “These words are the equivalent of a witness’s signature.” 34 They no doubt refer back to the whole gospel that John has written. In the last part of this verse we seem to have an added testimony of other witnesses speaking for John’s truthfulness. Perhaps these are some esteemed members of the great church at Ephesus where John finally lived, or else some of John’s disciples. We simply cannot know. Greco/Roman documents often ended with the testimony of certain witnesses to their validity.35
“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (21:25). Although this section makes up the longest account of any of Jesus’ appearances in the Galilee it still leaves much unsaid. Apparently Jesus did a great deal of work with his disciples in the Galilee after his resurrection. He appeared on one occasion to more than 500 people at once (1 Cor. 15:6). In the Book of Acts we read: “After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Obviously, Jesus taught many times with his disciples. In Matthew 28:19-20, it appears that the Great Commission was given to them on a Galilee mountain. They apparently often ate and fellowshipped with him (Acts 1:4).
The final statement of John is considered as a hyperbolic statement by several commentators. We have to be careful with this. Morris says that John “…makes us aware that there is much more about Jesus than we know.” 36 It may be a factual statement that the whole world cannot contain all the books that should be written about him. After all, he who made the world with his spoken word cannot likely be contained by it.