Jesus’ Third Appearance to the Disciples
1After this, Jesus revealeda Himself again to His disciples by the Sea of Tiberias.b, c He revealed Himself in this way:
2Simon Peter,d Thomase (called “Twin”), Nathanaelf from Cana of Galilee,g Zebedee’sh sons, and two others of His disciples were together.
3“I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them.
“We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.i
4When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore. However, the disciples did not know it was Jesus.j
5“Men,”k Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you? ”
“No,” they answered.
6“Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” He told them, “and you’ll find some.” So they did,l and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish. 7Therefore the disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord! ”m
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer garment around himn (for he was stripped) and plunged into the sea. 8But since they were not far from land (about 100 yardso, p away), the other disciples came in the boat,q dragging the net full of fish. 9When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread.
10“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus told them. 11So Simon Peter got up and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish — 153 of them. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.r
12“Come and have breakfast,” Jesus told them. None of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You? ” because they knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish.
14This was now the third times, t Jesus appearedu, v to the disciples after He was raised from the dead.
Jesus’ Threefold Restoration of Peter
15When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John,w do you lovex Me more than these? ”
“Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.”
“Feedy My lambs,”z He told him.
16A second time He asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you loveaa Me? ”ab
“Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.”
“Shepherdac My sheep,”ad He told him.
17He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you loveae Me? ”
Peter was grievedaf that He asked him the third time, “Do you love Me? ” He said, “Lord, You know everything!ag You know that I love You.”
“Feedah My sheep,” Jesus said. 18“•I assure you:ai When you were young, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19He said this to signify by what kind of deathaj he would glorify God.ak, al After saying this, He told him, “Follow Me! ”am
Correcting a False Report
20So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus lovedan following them. That disciple was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray You? ”ao 21When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord — what about him? ”
22“If I want him to remain until I come,”ap Jesus answered, “what is that to you? As for you, follow Me.”
23So this reportaq spread to the •brothersar, as that this disciple would not die.at Yet Jesus did not tell him that he would not die, but, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? ”
Epilogue
24This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.
25And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if they were written one by one, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the booksau that would be written.av
Footnotes:
a. 21:1 Mk 16:12; Jn 21:14; 2Co 4:11; 5:10; 1Tm 3:16; Heb 9:26; 1Pt 1:10; 1Jn 1:2; 3:5,8
b. 21:1 The Sea of Galilee; Sea of Tiberias is used only in John; Jn 6:1,23
c. 21:1 Jn 6:1,23
d. 21:2 Lk 6:14; Ac 10:32
e. 21:2 Mk 3:18
f. 21:2 Jn 1:45-49
g. 21:2 Mt 17:22
h. 21:2 Mt 4:21; 10:2; 20:20; 26:37; 27:56; Mk 1:19-20; 3:17; 10:35; Lk 5:10; Jn 21:7; Ac 12:2
i. 21:3 Lk 5:5
j. 21:4 Jn 20:14,19,26
k. 21:5 Lit Children
l. 21:6 Lit they cast
m. 21:7 Lk 10:1; 1Co 8:6
n. 21:7 Lit he girded his garment
o. 21:8 Lit about 200 cubits
p. 21:8 Lk 12:25
q. 21:8 Mk 3:9; Jn 6:22-24
r. 21:11 Lk 5:4-10
s. 21:14 The other two are in Jn 20:19-29.
t. 21:14 Jn 20:19,26
u. 21:14 Lit was revealed (v. 1)
v. 21:14 Jn 21:1; 2Co 4:11; 1Jn 1:2
w. 21:15-17 Other mss read Simon, son of Jonah ; Mt 16:17; Jn 1:42
x. 21:15-17 Two synonyms are translated love in this conversation: agapao, the first 2 times by Jesus (vv. 15-16); and phileo, the last time by Jesus (v. 17) and all 3 times by Peter (vv. 15-17). Peter’s threefold confession of love for Jesus corresponds to his earlier threefold denial of Jesus; Jn 18:15-18,25-27.
y. 21:15 Mt 8:30,33; Mk 5:11,14; Lk 8:32,34; 15:15; Jn 21:17
z. 21:15 Rv 5:6
aa. 21:16 Lk 6:35; Rv 12:11
ab. 21:16 Lk 10:27
ac. 21:16 1Pt 5:2
ad. 21:16 Mt 7:15; Jn 10:11
ae. 21:17 Mk 14:44; Jn 5:20
af. 21:17 2Co 2:2
ag. 21:17 Jn 16:30
ah. 21:17 Jn 21:15
ai. 21:18 Jn 1:51; Rv 22:21
aj. 21:19 2Pt 1:14
ak. 21:19 Jesus predicts that Peter would be martyred. Church tradition says that Peter was crucified upside down.
al. 21:19 Jn 11:4; 17:1; 1Pt 2:12
am. 21:19 Jn 1:43; 8:12; 10:27
an. 21:20 Jn 21:7
ao. 21:20 Jn 13:21,23-25
ap. 21:22 Mk 8:38
aq. 21:23 Lit this word
ar. 21:23 The word brothers refers to the late first century Christian community.
as. 21:23 Ac 9:30
at. 21:23 Mk 9:1
au. 21:25 Lit scroll
av. 21:25 Jn 20:30