28: Breakfast with Jesus — John 21:1-25

21 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way.
² Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. ³ Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

⁴ Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶ He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. ⁷ That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. ⁸ But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

⁹ When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and 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.

¹⁵ When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶ A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you. ”Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” ¹⁹ (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

²⁰ Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” ²² Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” ²³ So the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. ²⁵ But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.  NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What is going on as this story opens? Why do you suppose the disciples went fishing? How well did they do?

2. How does Jesus greet the disciples? Why do you think they didn’t recognize him? What does he tell them to do? What happens when they follow his directions?

3. Who is first to recognize Jesus? Who is first to respond to Jesus’ presence? What does he do? How deep was the
water?

4. What does Jesus do next? How do the disciples respond to his invitation? Why do you think they reacted as they did? How would you have reacted in this situation?

5. What other incidents from Jesus’ ministry does this story remind you of? Why do you think John included this story?

6. What does Jesus do after breakfast? What is significant about Jesus’ questions [see notes]? How does Peter deal with Jesus’ questions? Why do you think he gets upset with the questions? What point is Jesus making about the disciples’ future? 

7. What does Jesus do next? How does Peter react to this turn of events? What is Peter concerned about? How does Jesus respond to Peter?

8. What happened as a result of Jesus’ answer to Peter’s question about the other disciple? How does John deal with this situation?

Get Personal

How has your walk with Christ differed from the experience of others? How have you benefited from the gifts and experiences of others to grow in your own faith?

21:1. Later — Some folks see this chapter as a story “tacked on” to the end of the Gospel, but Jesus is consistent with his presence in the rest of the book and verse 24 makes an important point about John’s future. Readers in John’s culture would not have questioned the chapter.
21:3. I’m going fishing — Jesus had told the disciples he would meet them in Galilee, but since nothing had happened yet it would be natural to return to your former practices.
21:7. Stripped for work — Peter probably had a loincloth on, since Jewish men did not appear completely naked in public.
21:9. Breakfast — the fish and bread are an echo of the lunch Jesus provided for the crowd in John 6.
21:11. 153 large fish — probably just the count, which the fishermen would have made in order to divide the catch among them.
21:15. More than these — this phrase actually has three possible meanings: more than these other men love me; more than you love these other men; or more than you love these things (perhaps the fish and bread or the boat and net – the “stuff”).

21:15-17. Love . . . feed — the key point is that confirmation of our “love” for Jesus is in our actions as his follower. Peter advises other church leaders to care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God, [1 Peter 5:3].
21:18. Where you don’t want to go — Peter was also crucified, according to tradition.
21:19. Follow me — the Greek means “continue following me.”  Jesus told Peter the same thing three years before this incident – when he called Peter to be a disciple – and it’s the same thing he tells us.
21:21. What about him — Peter can’t resist asking Jesus about the other disciple’s future. Jesus’ response makes it clear that Peter’s responsibility does not compare to any other follower’s. Likewise, our task is to “follow” Jesus as he determines and not to worry about the work of another. Paul told the Galatians: We are each responsible for our own conduct,  [6:4-5].