John 21 - The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible

21:1 sea of Tiberias. Sea of Galilee. shewed. Literally, “revealed.” this wise. This way.

21:5 meat. Food of any kind.

21:7 It is the Lord. Peter realized that what had just happened mirrored what Jesus had done when He had first called them to discipleship and ministry (Luke 5:1–11). girt his fisher’s coat unto him. Clothed himself in his outer garment. naked. Probably in at least a loincloth. Peter had been working without his normal outer garments so as to be freer in his movements.

21:8 two hundred cubits. About one hundred yards or ninety meters.

21:9 fire of coals. Christ was cooking breakfast for them, acting as a loving host (v. 13). fish . . . bread. The same foods mentioned in the feeding of the five thousand (6:5–13).

21:11 an hundred and fifty and three. This number does not seem to have any symbolic meaning, indicating simply a very large catch of fish. not . . . broken. Another indication of God’s intervention.

21:12 durst. Dared.

21:15–17 Peter had three times denied his Master (18:17,25,27) and now was required three times to affirm his love for Him, a painful (grieved ) but gracious restoration. At the same time Christ renewed Peter’s commission to shepherd (Feed ) the flock for whom Christ had died (10:1–18; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1–2). thou knowest all things. Christ, in His knowledge of everything past, present, and future (omniscience, 16:30; 18:4), knew the heart of Peter (Jer. 17:10; Rev. 2:23) and so confirmed the sincerity of his love for Him.

21:18–19 When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest. When you were young, you used to dress yourself and go wherever you chose. stretch forth thy hands. Likely a reference to death by crucifixion. History records that Peter was crucified upside-down. glorify God. Peter’s death as a faithful apostle would honor the Lord, as Christ’s had (12:27–28), though in a much smaller way. Follow me. The call to discipleship, involving faith, obedience, and imitation of Christ (1:43; 8:12; 10:4,27; 12:26; Luke 9:23), is essential to ministry (Matt. 4:19).

21:22 will that he tarry. Choose that he remain. Not all of Christ’s servants are required to die as martyrs, but each lives and dies according to the will of the Lord Jesus, implying His divine sovereignty over our circumstances (James 4:13–16). follow thou me. Christ repeated His call to discipleship (21:19). Christians must not be preoccupied with future unknowns but are to devote themselves to living for their Lord (Rom. 14:8; Phil. 1:20–21).

21:23 went this saying abroad. The disciple who wrote this gospel (v. 24) was well known in the early church. Some early Christians (brethren; 20:17) wrongly interpreted Jesus’ statement to mean that John would not die, so John here corrects them.

21:24 we know. A confirmation from John’s associates, perhaps the elders of the church at Ephesus.

21:25 the world itself could not contain the books. Certainly this would be the case if one were to attempt a written record of all Jesus’ acts as Creator and Lord (1:3). However, we do not need to know everything Jesus did, for God has given us evidence enough. Our duty is to believe it and to assert, with Thomas, “My Lord and my God!”

Thoughts for Personal/Family Worship: Chapter 21

1. The miracle of catching 153 fish, like the feeding of the five thousand, is a sign of Christ’s all-sufficient power to enable the apostles (and other gospel preachers) to experience great success as fishers of men (Mark 1:17; Luke 5:10). Yet their fishing all night and catching nothing reminds us that success is not from the preacher or on his terms but subject to Christ’s sovereignty. Each servant of God has a future determined by the will of Christ, in some cases a life ending in martyrdom. However, our calling is not to guess about the future but to devote ourselves to following Him by faith. What lessons are there here to encourage you to serve the Lord?
2. Peter’s restoration plays a vital role in the conclusion to this Gospel because the risen Christ would soon ascend (20:17), having delegated the visible leadership of His people to the apostles and the elders of each church. The apostle Peter was a man broken over his sins against Christ, motivated by his love for Christ, and called to shepherd the people of Christ. Why are all these qualities essential for a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ?