This is the last chapter of John and the last of the gospels. Let’s finish with John 21 and verse 1 reads.
John 21:1] After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.
Amazing how his Apostles went back to fishing. Apostle means “Sent ones”. Jesus did not send them back to work on their fishing boats, he sent them to the House of Israel and the House of Judah.
John 21:2] There 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.
We have 7 of the remaining 11 apostles here, fishing.
John 21:3] Simon 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.
I wonder why.
John 21:4] But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
He can open eyes or he can close them.
John 21:5] Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
When Jesus asks about meat he is speaking of the Word of God, but they did not catch that.
John 21:6] And 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.
Teaching them how to fish. A lesson we all need to learn. There is a right way, that’s Jesus. And there is a wrong way, that would be of that wicked one. Fish on the right side.
John 21:7] Therefore 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.
Again, John speaks in the third person here, John is that one that Jesus loved. Now, Peter was not naked, but simply put his upper garment on, and jumped into the water because he could swim faster than they could row.
John 21:8] And 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.
[9] As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
Jesus didn’t need their meat, he always provides the meat, that is God’s word. Let’s look at this a little closer. Fish, in the Greek, means Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. They use to hang a sign out to show that church was in progress so that they could have church without being persecuted, for the Jews would persecute anyone that held church. And the bread, Jesus would teach us that his body was the bread of life.
John 21:10] Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
[11] Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, and hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
153 fishes. Always room for more disciples, is why the net was not broken. This is why we call it fishing when we expand our churches.
John 21:12] Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
[13] Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
Jesus fed them bread and fish, remember when they fed the multitude.
John 21:14] This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
Three times with them but does not say how long each time. We know that Jesus was with them for forty days.
John 21:15] So 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.
Simon means “hearing”, and Peter means “rock”. Jonas means “dove” referring to the Holy Spirit. Now pay attention to “lambs”, Jesus is talking about feeding his flock, his children. The lambs are the young, those new to Christianity.
John 21:16] He 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.
Feed those that are elder, with more knowledge. Give them scripture, law and prophets.
John 21:17] He 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.
Now by this point Peter must have been frazzled, maybe thinking of the cock that crowed after he denied Jesus three times. But Jesus says again “feed my sheep”. Meaning after milk give them meat. Depth of his word. Prepare them as servants to go out and feed others.
John 21:18] Verily, 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.
Teach others so that it will carry on after your death would be a simple way of saying this.
John 21:19] This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
Take up your cross and follow Him. There will be persecutions, but we will not deny his name.
John 21:20] Then 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?
[21] Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
Peter knew what his job would be. But wants to know what Jesus would do with John.
John 21:22] Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.
Don’t worry what others will do for me, worry about what you will do for me, is what Jesus told Peter. We all have different jobs to do for the Lord. Some will be pastors, some will be evangelist, (those that bring others that have no faith to the Lord). Some will help the poor or the widowed or the fatherless. To each his own, you worry about what the Lord has given to you and follow Him.
John 21:23] Then 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?
[24] This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.
John now admits it was him that was being talked about.
John 21:25] And 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.
Jesus was with them for forty days after his resurrection. I imagine there aren’t enough libraries in the world to contain what Jesus taught them. Jesus now will send them out to accomplish the beginning of his church.
Let’s do a quick recap. Chapter 1 we learned that Jesus is the Word of God. And that the Word was with God, and that the Word was God. And that the Word became flesh and walked among us. Ch.3, believe that Jesus was the Son of God and you will have life eternal. Ch.8, learn who the Kenites are. They crucified our Lord, and it was them that he talked with when he spoke with the Pharisees. Ch.9, how God can open the eyes of the blind, their spiritual eyes also. Ch.14, the Trinity, how the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one. And that if you have Christ in you, then the Father and the Comforter are in you as well. Ch.17, the True Lords Prayer. How compassionately Jesus prayed for us to the Father. Ch.18, how the Comforter is the Holy Spirit. And Ch.20-21, how humble John was that he was that one the Lord loved.
The four gospels are witnesses to themselves that the Son of God came to the earth. Isa.7:14. That He died on the cross for our sins that upon repentance we should have Salvation, Eternal Life. And that the resurrection of Jesus Christ defeated him that had power of death, that is the Devil. Heb.2:14. Let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible