John 21 - Wiersbe Study Bible

21:1–8 The Lord had instructed His disciples to meet Him in Galilee, which helps to explain why they were at the Sea of Galilee, or Sea of Tiberias (Matt. 26:32; 28:7–10; Mark 16:7). But John did not explain why Peter decided to go fishing, and Bible students are not in agreement in their suggestions. Some claim that he was perfectly within his rights—that he needed to pay his bills and the best way to get money was to go fishing. Others believe that Peter had been called from that kind of life (Luke 5:1–11) and that it was wrong for him to return.

21:7 It was John who first realized that the stranger on the shore was their own Lord and Master. It was John who sat next to the Lord at the table (13:23) and who stood by the cross when his Lord suffered and died (19:26). It is love that recognizes the Lord and shares that good news with others: “It is the Lord!”

21:8 Now we can understand why Jesus had so many fishermen in the disciple band. Fishermen know how to work. They have courage and faith to go out into deep waters. They have much patience and persistence, and they will not quit. They know how to cooperate with one another, and they are skilled in using the equipment and the boat. What examples for us to follow as we seek to “catch fish” for Jesus Christ!

21:15–17 Peter and his Lord had already met privately and no doubt taken care of Peter’s sins (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5), but since Peter had denied the Lord publicly, it was important that there be a public restoration. Sin should be dealt with only to the extent that it is known. Private sins should be confessed in private, public sins in public. Since Peter had denied his Lord three times, Jesus asked him three personal questions. He also encouraged him by giving a threefold commission that restored Peter to his ministry.

21:17a In spite of his faults and failures, Peter did indeed love the Lord, and he was not ashamed to admit it. The other men were certainly listening over Peter’s shoulder and benefiting from the conversation, for they too had failed the Lord after boasting of their devotion. Peter had already confessed his sin and been forgiven. Now he was being restored to apostleship and leadership.

21:17b Sheep need feeding and leading, and that is the task of the spiritual shepherd. It is an awesome responsibility to be a shepherd of God’s flock (1 Pet. 5:2)! There are enemies that want to destroy the flock, and the shepherd must be alert and courageous (Acts 20:28–35). By nature, sheep are ignorant and defenseless, and they need the protection and guidance of the shepherd.

21:18–23 When a person has settled the matter of death, then he is ready to live and to serve! Our Lord’s own death is a repeated theme in John’s gospel: He knew that His “hour” would come, and He was prepared to obey the Father’s will. We as His followers must yield ourselves—just as He yielded Himself for us—and be “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God” (Rom. 12:1, 2), “already [being] poured out as a drink offering” (2 Tim. 4:6–8) if it is the will of God. Peter’s death would not be a tragedy; it would glorify God.

21:19 Three years had passed, and yet here were Jesus and Peter, standing by the Sea of Galilee. And Jesus was still telling Peter the same thing: “Follow Me” (see Matt. 4:19). The three years had been a series of lessons for Peter, and his performance had been far less than perfect. Yet for us who are following in Jesus’ footsteps centuries later, Peter’s struggles and Jesus’ patience offer a great deal of comfort. We are very much like Peter. We desperately need the same kind of patience and forgiveness that Peter received from Jesus. Fortunately, Jesus has promised to be just as present and available to us!

21:23 Jesus did not say that John would live until He returned, nor did He say that John would die before He returned. As it was, John lived the longest of all the disciples and did witness the Lord’s return when he saw the visions that he recorded in the Book of Revelation.

21:24,25 As he had already done in 20:30,31, John recognized how brief his account was in comparison with all that could have been written. And yet this was enough. John’s objective wasn’t to tell us everything but to tell us enough so that we “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (20:31).