John 21

New Testament for Everyone

Jesus on the beach

21 After this, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the sea of Tiberias. This was how he showed himself.

² Simon Peter, Thomas (known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples, were all together.

³ Simon Peter spoke up.

“I’m going fishing,” he said.

“We’ll go with you,” they replied.

So they went off and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing.

⁴ As dawn was breaking, Jesus stood beside the seashore, but the disciples didn’t know that it was Jesus.

⁵ “Children,” said Jesus to them, “haven’t you got anything to eat?”

“No!” they replied.

⁶ “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he said, “and you’ll find something.”

So they cast the net; and now they couldn’t draw it in because of the weight of the fish.

⁷ So the disciple that Jesus loved spoke to Peter.

“It’s the master!” he said.

When Simon Peter heard that it was the master, he wrapped his cloak around him (he had been naked for work), and threw himself into the sea. ⁸ The other disciples brought the boat in to land, dragging the net full of fish. They weren’t far from shore, about a hundred yards away.

Breakfast by the shore

⁹ When they came to land, they saw a charcoal fire laid there, with fish and bread on it.

¹⁰ Jesus spoke to them.

“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” he said.

¹¹ So Simon Peter went and pulled the net onto the shore. It was full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three in all. The net wasn’t torn, even though there were so many.

¹² “Come and have breakfast,” said Jesus to them.

None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the master.

¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so also with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time that Jesus had appeared to the disciples after he had been raised from the dead.

Jesus and Peter

¹⁵ So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus spoke to Simon Peter.

“Simon, son of John,” he said, “do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Master,” he said. “You know I’m your friend.”

“Well, then,” he said, “feed my lambs.”

¹⁶ “Simon, son of John,” said Jesus again, for a second time, “do you love me?”

“Yes, Master,” he said. “You know I’m your friend.”

“Well, then,” he said, “look after my sheep.”

¹⁷ “Simon, son of John,” said Jesus a third time, “are you my friend?”

Peter was upset that on this third time Jesus asked, “Are you my friend?”

“Master,” he said, “you know everything! You know I’m your friend!”

“Well, then,” said Jesus, “feed my sheep.

¹⁸ “I’m telling you the solemn truth,” he went on. “When you were young, you put on your own clothes and went about wherever you wanted. But when you are old, you’ll stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you up and take you where you don’t want to go.”

¹⁹ He said this to indicate the sort of death by which Peter would bring God glory. And when he had said this, he added, “Follow me!”

The beloved disciple

²⁰ Peter turned and saw, following them, the disciple that Jesus loved. This was the disciple who had leaned back against Jesus’ chest at the supper, and had asked, “Master, who is it that’s going to betray you?”

²¹ “Master,” said Peter to Jesus, seeing him there, “what about him?”

²² “If it’s my intention,” replied Jesus, “that he should remain here until I come, what’s that got to do with you? You must follow me!”

²³ So the rumor went around the Christian family that this disciple wouldn’t die. But Jesus didn’t say he wouldn’t die. What he said, rather, was this: “If it’s my intention that he should remain here until I come, what’s that got to do with you?”

²⁴ (This is the disciple who is giving evidence about these things, and who wrote them down. We know that his evidence is true.)

²⁵ There are many other things which Jesus did. If they were written down one by one, I don’t think the world itself would be able to contain the books that would be written.