John 21 - Preacher's Commentary

Worldwide Mission: Fishing and Tending Sheep

John 21:1–25

21:1-14

Fishing for Men

This Gospel does not end with the faith of Thomas in the risen Lord, “but with a confident statement that Jesus’ mission to the world undertaken at His command and under His authority will be the means by which many are saved.”¹ It is as if John had second thoughts after seeming to conclude the Gospel by stating the purpose of his writing (20:31). He must now conclude his testimony by making it clear that the church has been given an urgent, worldwide mission by the resurrected Lord. This mission is set forth in the familiar imagery and setting of fishing and caring for sheep.

How much later this passage may have been written we do not know, but the language throughout is Johannine. In this last chapter, he uses such phrases and words as “after these things” and “showed Himself,” which he used throughout the rest of his book. He also uses the word “catch,” a word not used in the first three Gospels, but used six times in this Gospel. And Thomas and Nathanael are spoken of uniquely in this Gospel.

Seven of the disciples have gone back to the well-known haunts of the Tiberias to fish. Once again the lake is given its Greek name, for the mission is to the world. These men need time to work things through. The events of the last days have been overwhelming. Their whole world has been shaken, and they are baffled and confused. What can they do next? So when Peter says, “I am going fishing,” six of the other disciples join him (v. 3). Here is something they know and understand and feel comfortable doing. Even the way they refer to “the boat” rather than a boat indicates they have used it before.

But after fishing all night—this is the best time for a good catch—they are empty-handed. It must have been a long, dismal night. One can almost imagine snatches of conversation breaking into long periods of silence. “Where do you suppose He is now?” “What could have gone wrong?” “Why didn’t the other four join us?” They may have remembered what Jesus had said earlier, “Without Me you can do nothing” (15:5).

Then there is a figure on the shore they do not recognize who cries out, “Children” (or it can be translated “fellows”), “have you any food?” How suggestive the physical and spiritual implications of that question are. And when they answer, “No,” the “Stranger” commands them to “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some” (v. 6). How often, like these disciples, we have been fishing on the wrong side, making our own decisions, trying to get things done in our own strength and wisdom, really saying on our own, “I am going fishing.”

Now they take such a multitude of fish in their net that they are not able to draw it in. What tremendous, unexpected things happen when they obey the Lord. It is when I surrender this beloved church, which I am so eager to see become a spiritual center of power in the city, to the Lord that His Spirit moves and “fish are caught.” The more tightly I seek to control the program, insisting the fishing must be done my way, the more often the net is pulled up empty.

Now John the Beloved must have taken a long look at this Man on the shore only one hundred yards away and in the dawning of this new day recognized Him and joyfully cried out to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Again it is the one who sees with love that first recognizes the risen Christ. Jesus has come to show Himself again to the disciples and to call them from their fishing trip to their apostolic mission. Peter, on hearing the good news, hastily covers his body with an outer garment and impulsively plunges into the sea to greet his Lord (v. 7). He cannot meet Jesus in his state of spiritual nakedness, so he seeks to hide his shameful failure in the courtyard. Peter must have been longing to meet with Jesus one more time, hoping for some kind of restoration.

There is a fire glowing on the beach, not the alien fire by which Peter had tried to warm himself earlier, but a flame kindled by the risen Lord who now invites these men to join Him for breakfast.

After the Lord asks for some of the fish which the men have just caught, Peter helps finish hauling in the full net, which has been dragged to the shore by the other disciples. He is still the leader of these men. And every one of the fish has been counted by these fishermen. Yet none of these fish are eaten, for the Lord has already made provision of bread and fish. And why the unusual number of fish—one hundred and fifty-three? Jerome, the church father, has pointed out that this was the perfect catch, for at that time there were only one hundred fifty-three different varieties of fish known in that world. Furthermore, he points out that this was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Ezekiel 47:10, “It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many.”

This may be a fanciful interpretation, but it is an intriguing one. It underlines the worldwide mission Jesus has given to these men. They were first called by Jesus to be “fishers of men.” Now that mandate is being renewed and clarified. These disciples are to fish for the souls of men throughout the whole world, to go to all men. This venture will be under the Lord’s authority. They are to cast the net on the right side by His command and bring Him the fish.

And in spite of the great catch of one hundred fifty-three, the net has not torn. So the disciples are to remain one. The unity for which Jesus has prayed will be manifested in their apostolic mission.

Now Jesus has breakfast with these men. “Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish” (v. 13). He feeds them as He fed the hungry crowd. As He graciously shares His food with them, their covenant with Him is renewed. They are drawn together in love by His Resurrection power after having been scattered. Their unity is restored.

21:15-19

Peter the Shepherd

But there is still unfinished business. Jesus now draws Peter aside to deal with him personally. This is a searching time of healing and restoration. The “backslider” is not only welcomed home, but commissioned by the great Shepherd to care for His sheep. The mission is not only to evangelize, to catch fish, but to disciple, to feed the sheep.

The question that Jesus addresses to Simon Peter—and the seriousness of the encounter is underlined by Jesus’ use of Peter’s full name—is not concerned with impulsive action, however courageous, but with Peter’s heart, “Do you love Me more than these?” This is the most important question. Does Peter love Jesus unselfishly and unconditionally more than he cares for fishing with all of its trappings, or anything else? Peter’s immediate response is affirmative, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You” (v. 15). He makes no reference to any other claims on his love. But words are not enough, for there is a mission. Converts are to be cared for. The lambs are to be fed.

Twice more Jesus asks Peter the question, “Do you love Me?” without making reference to any other matters. Each time there is a positive answer. Finally Peter responds, “Lord, You know all things” (v. 17). Jesus knows Peter’s heart, whether his act of repentance has truly brought him back in undying love. Jesus is not asking about an ascending or descending scale of love here, but whether Peter loves Him so deeply and personally that he will faithfully obey Him in the mission which he is being given. It is not a question of how many green leaves come forth in Peter’s life, but how much fruit he will bear because he is abiding in Jesus’ love. Peter will care for all the sheep—feed the young ones, discipline the stubborn ones, and tenderly watch over the old ones.

There is restoration and healing. Peter is home! Now Jesus predicts that He will die a martyr’s death to the glory of God. That eager, untimely offer Peter had made earlier, “I will lay down my life for Your sake” (13:37), will be fulfilled. In following Jesus all the way, Peter will finally be tied down and carried to his death by others. The only security any of us has in following Jesus is His everlasting presence, but that is enough.

21:20-25

The Other Disciple and His Witness

Peter drops back into his old impulsive ways even here. Seeing John nearby, he wants to know about his destiny. What will his future be? But John, who loves Jesus so deeply, has already obeyed and now is following Him. He needs no further commands. How much like Peter so many of us are. We are so prone to run other people’s lives, to work out the arrangements for what a father, a daughter, a pastor, or a deacon should be doing.

But John’s future is not Peter’s concern. That is all in the hands of the Lord, who could let him live until He returned if He so willed. A rumor got around that John would live until Jesus returned because people misunderstood what Jesus said. So the writer had to clarify what Jesus had really said. What an honest and instructive detail. People then, too, even in the believing community, did not hear correctly and therefore would pass on confusing information which had to be corrected. Times have not changed.

The testimony of “the disciple,” the writer John, is true (v. 24). He has given us his witness out of the believing community in which Jesus dwells. And they say “we know that his testimony is true.” The witness we bear to Jesus is never made alone, but always out of that company who know He is alive. And in a larger sense, we are surrounded and encouraged by all the hosts of heaven.

John has borne witness to an “unlimited Christ.” He supposes that if all that Jesus did were recorded there would not be enough books in the world to contain the whole story. Perhaps this is why we need eternity so that we can praise God for all His acts of grace. But John’s testimony is complete, all we need to bring us to faith and life.