John 21 - The King James Study Bible

21:7. Naked (i.e., stripped for work): Peter was wearing no outer garment. He swam the hundred yards to shore.

21:8. Little ship is the small skiff attached to the main fishing vessel.

21:14. This is the third appearance to the disciples, although there had been appearances to other people (cf. comments after 20:18).

21:15–17. This interview was probably conducted within the hearing of the other six disciples. Peter had publicly professed his loyalty before the Crucifixion and Jesus wants the other disciples to understand Peter’s restoration. Jesus uses his old name Simon, not “Rock,” his new spiritual name. More than these is a reference to the other disciples (cf. Matt. 26:33, where Peter claimed he would be loyal when all others failed). Jesus repeats the question three times, no doubt to remind Peter of his three denials of his Lord.

21:18,19. Jesus predicts the manner of Peter’s death. A late tradition suggests that Peter was crucified upside down in Rome by Nero (c. A.D. 68), but this is questionable since it is not recorded until the fourth century.

21:20–23. Perhaps John added this account to counteract a commonly believed notion that Jesus had predicted that John would not die. He did outlive all of the other disciples. In fact, all of the others were probably dead by the time John wrote this beloved gospel in about A.D. 85.