John Chapter 21

Updated: September 14, 2025

Jesus Appears at the Sea of Galilee

1After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2There 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. 3Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

4But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. 8And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

9As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 11Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

12Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.

Jesus Reinstates Peter

15So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

18Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

Jesus and the Beloved Apostle

20Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. 23Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?

24This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.

25And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

King James Bible

Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

Jesus Appears by the Sea of Tiberias

1 After these things, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They told him, “We are also coming with you.” They immediately went out, and entered into the boat. That night, they caught nothing.

4 But when day had already come, Jesus stood on the beach, yet the disciples didn’t know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus therefore said to them, “Children, have you anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” They cast it therefore, and now they weren’t able to draw it in for the multitude of fish. 7 That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around him (for he was naked), and threw 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 away), dragging the net full of fish.

9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of great fish, one hundred fifty-three; and even though there were so many, the net wasn’t torn.

12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” None of the disciples dared inquire of him, “Who are you?” knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Then Jesus came and took the bread, gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus was revealed to his disciples, after he had risen from the dead.

Jesus and Peter

15 So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?” Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, “Do you have affection for me?” He said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

18 Most certainly I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself, and walked where you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you, and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Now he said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Jesus and the Beloved Disciple

20 Then Peter, turning around, saw a disciple following. This was the disciple whom Jesus sincerely loved, the one who had also leaned on Jesus’ breast at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray You?” 21 Peter seeing him, said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.” 23 This saying therefore went out among the brothers, that this disciple wouldn’t die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to him that he wouldn’t die, but, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things. We know that his witness is true.

25 There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they would all be written, I suppose that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written.

Jesus Appears by the Sea of Tiberias

1 Later, by the Sea of Tiberias, a Jesus again revealed Himself to the disciples. He made Himself known in this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, b Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.”

“We will go with you,” they said. So they went out and got into the boat, but caught nothing that night.

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not recognize that it was Jesus. 5 So He called out to them, “Children, do you have any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

6 He told them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it there, and they were unable to haul it in because of the great number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it) and jumped into the sea. 8 The other disciples came ashore in the boat. They dragged in the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, only about a hundred yards. c

9 When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it, and some bread.

10 Jesus told them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many, the net was not torn.

12 “Come, have breakfast,” Jesus said to them. None of the disciples dared to ask Him, “Who are You?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and He did the same with the fish.

14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after He was raised from the dead.

Jesus and Peter

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.”

Jesus replied, “Feed My lambs.”

16 Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.”

Jesus told him, “Shepherd My sheep.”

17 Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?”

Peter was deeply hurt that Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?”

“Lord, You know all things,” he replied. “You know I love You.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

18 Truly, truly, I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else d will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.

And after He had said this, He told him, “Follow Me.”

Jesus and the Beloved Disciple

20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them. He was the one who had leaned back against Jesus e at the supper to ask, “Lord, who is going to betray You?” 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you? You follow Me!” 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. However, Jesus did not say that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who has written them down. And we know that his testimony is true.

25 There are many more things that Jesus did. If all of them were written down, I suppose that not even the world itself would have space for the books that would be written.

Footnotes:

1 a That is, the Sea of Galilee
2 b Didymus  means the twin .
8 c Greek about two hundred cubits away ; that is, approximately 300 feet or 91 meters
18 d Or others
20 e Greek reclined on His bosom

Jesus Appears at the Sea of Galilee

1After these things did Jesus manifest himself again to the disciples on the sea of Tiberias, and he did manifest himself thus: 2There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas who is called Didymus, and Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3Simon Peter saith to them, 'I go away to fish;' they say to him, 'We go -- we also -- with thee;' they went forth and entered into the boat immediately, and on that night they caught nothing.

4And morning being now come, Jesus stood at the shore, yet indeed the disciples did not know that it is Jesus; 5Jesus, therefore, saith to them, 'Lads, have ye any meat?' 6they answered him, 'No;' and he said to them, 'Cast the net at the right side of the boat, and ye shall find;' they cast, therefore, and no longer were they able to draw it, from the multitude of the fishes. 7That disciple, therefore, whom Jesus was loving saith to Peter, 'The Lord it is!' Simon Peter, therefore, having heard that it is the Lord, did gird on the outer coat, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea; 8and the other disciples came by the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but as it were about two hundred cubits off, dragging the net of the fishes;

9when, therefore, they came to the land, they behold a fire of coals lying, and a fish lying on it, and bread. 10Jesus saith to them, 'Bring ye from the fishes that ye caught now;' 11Simon Peter went up, and drew the net up on the land, full of great fishes, an hundred fifty and three, and though they were so many, the net was not rent.

12Jesus saith to them, 'Come ye, dine;' and none of the disciples was venturing to inquire of him, 'Who art thou?' knowing that it is the Lord; 13Jesus, therefore, doth come and take the bread and give to them, and the fish in like manner; 14this is now a third time Jesus was manifested to his disciples, having been raised from the dead.

Jesus Reinstates Peter

15When, therefore, they dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of Jonas, dost thou love me more than these?' he saith to him, 'Yes, Lord; thou hast known that I dearly love thee;' he saith to him, 'Feed my lambs.' 16He saith to him again, a second time, 'Simon, son of Jonas, dost thou love me?' he saith to him, 'Yes, Lord; thou hast known that I dearly love thee;' he saith to him, 'Tend my sheep.' 17He saith to him the third time, 'Simon, son of Jonas, dost thou dearly love me?' Peter was grieved that he said to him the third time, 'Dost thou dearly love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord, thou hast known all things; thou dost know that I dearly love thee.' Jesus saith to him, 'Feed my sheep;

18verily, verily, I say to thee, When thou wast younger, thou wast girding thyself and wast walking whither thou didst will, but when thou mayest be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another will gird thee, and shall carry thee whither thou dost not will;' 19and this he said, signifying by what death he shall glorify God; and having said this, he saith to him, 'Be following me.'

Jesus and the Beloved Apostle

20And Peter having turned about doth see the disciple whom Jesus was loving following, (who also reclined in the supper on his breast, and said, 'Sir, who is he who is delivering thee up?') 21Peter having seen this one, saith to Jesus, 'Lord, and what of this one?' 22Jesus saith to him, 'If him I will to remain till I come, what -- to thee? be thou following me.' This word, therefore, went forth to the brethren that that disciple doth not die, 23yet Jesus did not say to him, that he doth not die, but, 'If him I will to remain till I come, what -- to thee?'

24this is the disciple who is testifying concerning these things, and he wrote these things, and we have known that his testimony is true.

25And there are also many other things -- as many as Jesus did -- which, if they may be written one by one, not even the world itself I think to have place for the books written. Amen.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples by the Sea of Galilee

¹ Afterward, Jesus appeared again to His disciples by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: ² Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. ³ “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.

⁴ Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. ⁵ He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

⁶ 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.*

⁷ 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. ⁸ The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.* ⁹ When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” ¹¹ 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. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

Jesus Reinstates Peter

¹⁵ 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.”

¹⁶ 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.”

¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ 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.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then He said to him, “Follow Me!”

Jesus and the Beloved Disciple

²⁰ 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?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

²² Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow Me.” ²³ 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?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

Conclusion

²⁵ 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.

Footnotes:

21:6: Jesus’ command to cast the net on the other side mirrors an earlier miracle and emphasizes His divine provision, even when human efforts have failed.

21:8: The distance mentioned—about 100 yards—underscores the disciples’ eagerness to reunite with Jesus, even before fully understanding what had happened.

21:11: The specific number of fish (153) has long fascinated scholars, but it most likely highlights the abundance of the catch and the eyewitness nature of the account.

21:17: Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him, mirroring Peter’s three denials. This moment serves as Peter’s restoration and reaffirmation of his mission.

21:19: The phrase “stretch out your hands” is often interpreted as a reference to crucifixion, foreshadowing Peter’s martyrdom.

21:22: Jesus’ words to Peter—“You must follow Me”—emphasize personal responsibility in discipleship, regardless of what others may face.

21:25: The hyperbolic statement that “the world would not have room” to contain all of Jesus’ deeds conveys the profound and boundless impact of His life and ministry.

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The F.O.G Commentary

The Breakfast That Changes Everything

What’s John 21 about?

After Jesus’ resurrection, Peter and the disciples go fishing but catch nothing all night. Jesus appears on the shore (though they don’t recognize him at first), tells them where to cast their nets, and they haul in 153 fish. Then Jesus cooks them breakfast on the beach and has that pivotal conversation with Peter about feeding his sheep – restoring him after his three denials.

The Full Context

John 21 sits in this fascinating literary space – it almost feels like an epilogue that John couldn’t resist adding. The Gospel technically ends at John 20:31 with that beautiful statement about believing and having life in Jesus’ name. But then we get this incredibly intimate chapter that feels like John saying, “Wait, I have to tell you what happened next.”

The timing is crucial here. This is post-resurrection Jesus, but the disciples are still processing everything. They’ve seen him alive, but what does that mean for their daily lives? Peter, especially, is carrying the weight of his three denials (Luke 22:54-62). The last time he really interacted with Jesus, he was warming himself by a fire and claiming he didn’t know the man. Now here they are, and there’s another charcoal fire on the beach. John’s literary genius is showing us that Jesus doesn’t just forgive – he redeems our failures and transforms them into our calling.

What the Ancient Words Tell Us

The Greek word for “love” that dominates the conversation between Jesus and Peter has sparked countless scholarly debates, but here’s what’s really fascinating: Jesus uses agapao (self-sacrificial love) in his first two questions, while Peter responds with phileo (brotherly affection). It’s like Jesus asking, “Peter, do you love me with the kind of love that would die for me?” and Peter, burned by his recent failure, essentially saying, “Jesus, you know I’m fond of you.”

Grammar Geeks

When Jesus finally switches to Peter’s word (phileo) in the third question, it’s not Jesus accommodating Peter’s weakness – it’s Jesus meeting him exactly where he is. The verb tense also shifts here, suggesting Jesus is acknowledging Peter’s genuine, if limited, love as the foundation for restoration.

But there’s another word that’s absolutely crucial: bosko and poimaino. When Jesus tells Peter to “feed my sheep,” he alternates between these two Greek words – one meaning “to feed” and the other “to shepherd.” Jesus isn’t just talking about providing food; he’s commissioning Peter to be a leader who both nourishes and guides. After Peter’s spectacular failure as a follower, Jesus is calling him to be a shepherd.

What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?

Picture this: you’re a first-century reader hearing this story. Fishing wasn’t just what these guys did for fun – it was their livelihood, their identity. When Peter says “I’m going fishing” (John 21:3), he’s not suggesting a leisure activity. He’s essentially saying, “I’m going back to my old life.”

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What is the F.O.G?

The detail about 153 fish has puzzled readers for centuries, but ancient audiences would have immediately caught something we miss: this wasn’t just a good catch, it was an impossibly perfect one. Some scholars suggest 153 represented the number of known fish species – symbolically, this catch represents all the nations Jesus came to save.

Did You Know?

The charcoal fire (anthrakia) in John 21:9 is the same word used to describe the fire where Peter denied Jesus in John 18:18. John is the only Gospel writer to use this specific term, and he uses it exactly twice – creating a literary bookend between Peter’s failure and his restoration.

Ancient readers would also recognize the profound symbolism in Jesus cooking breakfast. Masters didn’t serve servants – but here’s the resurrected Lord of the universe flipping fish over a charcoal fire, preparing a meal for his friends. It’s a beautiful picture of the incarnation continuing even after the resurrection.

But Wait… Why Did They Go Fishing?

Here’s what’s genuinely puzzling: these guys have seen the risen Jesus twice already (John 20:19-29). They know he’s alive. So why are they back to fishing like nothing happened?

This isn’t spiritual backsliding – it’s human processing. They’ve experienced the impossible, but they still need to eat. They still need to figure out what comes next. The resurrection has shattered their categories for understanding reality, and sometimes when we can’t process the extraordinary, we retreat to the familiar.

Wait, That’s Strange…

Jesus asks them if they have any fish (prosphagion) – but this Greek word specifically refers to what you eat with bread, like a side dish. He already has bread and fish cooking (John 21:9). So why ask? Some scholars suggest Jesus is giving them a chance to contribute to the meal – treating them as partners, not just recipients of his provision.

What’s even more intriguing is that they don’t recognize him initially. This isn’t the first time post-resurrection Jesus isn’t immediately recognizable (Luke 24:13-35). There’s something about his resurrected body that’s both familiar and mysteriously different.

How This Changes Everything

This chapter demolishes our neat categories about failure and restoration. Peter doesn’t get a simple “you’re forgiven” – he gets a recommissioning. Jesus takes Peter’s threefold denial and matches it with a threefold calling. It’s not just about forgiveness; it’s about transformation.

The breakfast scene shows us something profound about how Jesus works. He doesn’t wait for us to get our act together before he serves us. He meets us in our confusion, in our return to old patterns, and he cooks us breakfast. The God of the universe tends a charcoal fire and flips fish while his confused disciples try to figure out what resurrection means for a Tuesday morning.

“Jesus doesn’t just forgive our failures – he transforms them into our calling.”

But here’s the kicker: when Jesus tells Peter he’ll be crucified (John 21:18-19), Peter immediately looks around and asks about John’s fate. Even in this moment of restoration, Peter’s still comparing himself to others. Jesus’ response is perfect: “What is that to you? Follow me.” Your calling isn’t comparative – it’s personal.

Key Takeaway

Failure isn’t the end of your story with Jesus – it can become the beginning of your greatest ministry. The same fire where you denied him might become the fire where he restores you.

John Chapter 21

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