M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

21 The next time the disciples saw Jesus was at the Sea of Tiberias [Galilee]. This is how Jesus showed himself to them.

² Some of the disciples were in one place. They were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of Jesus.

³ Simon Peter said to the others, `I am going fishing.' The others said, `We are going with you also.' They went out in a boat right away. That night they caught nothing.

⁴ Early in the morning, Jesus was standing there by the sea. The disciples did not know it was Jesus.

⁵ He said to them, `My children, did you catch any fish?' They answered, `No.'

⁶ He said to them, `Throw out your net on the right side of the boat, then you will catch some.' They threw out their net and caught many fish, so that they were not able to bring in the net.

⁷ That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, `It is the Lord!' As soon as Simon Peter heard it was the Lord, he put on his coat and his belt. He had taken off some clothes to work. Then he jumped into the water.

⁸ The other disciples came in a small boat. They were pulling the net. It was full of fish. They were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards.

⁹ When they came to the land, they saw a small fire. Fish and some bread lay on the fire.

¹⁰ Jesus said to them, `Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.'

¹¹ Simon Peter went to the boat. He pulled the net to land. It was full of big fish. There were a hundred and fifty three fish. But even with so many fish the net did not break.

¹² Jesus said to them, `Come and eat.' The disciples were all afraid to ask him, `Who are you?' They knew it was the Lord.

¹³ Jesus came. He took bread and gave it to them. Then he took fish and gave it to them.

¹⁴ This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after he had risen from death.

¹⁵ After they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, `Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?' He said, `Yes, Lord. You know that I like you. I am your friend.' Jesus said to him, `Feed my lambs.'

¹⁶ He asked him the second time, `Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter said, `Yes, Lord. You know that I like you. I am your friend.' Jesus said to him, `Take care of my sheep.'

¹⁷ Then he asked Peter the third time, `Simon son of John, do you like me?' Peter was sad because of the way Jesus asked him the third time. So he answered him, `Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you as a close friend' Jesus said to him, `Feed my sheep.

¹⁸ I tell you the truth. When you were young, you put on your own belt. You went where you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will put out your hands. Others will put your belt on for you. They will take you where you do not want to go.'

¹⁹ Jesus said this to show how Peter would die and make God's name great. When he had finished saying this, he said to him, `Come and follow me!'

²⁰ Peter turned around. The disciple whom Jesus loved was coming with Jesus also. He was the one who was at Jesus' right side at the supper table. He had said to Jesus, `Lord, who will give you over to people who hate you?'

²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, `Lord, what about this man?'

²² Jesus said to him, `If I want him to wait till I come, what is that to you? I want you to come and follow me.'

²³ So the report went around among the brothers that that disciple would not die. Jesus had not said to him, `You will not die.' But he had said, `If I want him to wait till I come, what is that to you?'

²⁴ The same disciple said these things and wrote them. We know what he said is true.

²⁵ Jesus did many other things also. If every one were written down, I think that the world would be too small to hold all the books that would need to be written. Yes, it is so!

1 I am Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ. God wanted me to be an apostle.

² Timothy our brother, and I are writing this letter to God's people, the Christian brothers in the city of Colossae. May the kindness of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.

³ We give thanks to God. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we ask God to bless you, we always thank him for you.

⁴ We have heard that you believe in Christ Jesus and love all of God's people.

⁵ And also, you are looking ahead to what you will have in heaven. You have heard about it already when the good news was told to you.

⁶ That message has reached you. It is doing good and it is spreading everywhere in the world. It is doing the same among you. It began the day you heard and understood God's blessing, which came to you in a clear way.

⁷ Epaphras taught you the truth. He is Christ's servant, as we are also, and we love him. He is a good worker to help you.

⁸ Also, it is he who told us of your love in the Spirit.

⁹ That is why we keep on talking to God about you since the day we heard about you. We ask him that you may know everything he wants you to do. We ask him that you may be very wise and that the Spirit will help you to understand.

¹⁰ We ask him that you will live the way the Lord wants you to live, so that you will please him in everything you do. We ask that you will do everything that is good. We ask that you will see the fruit from what you do. We ask that you will know more and more about God.

¹¹ God has wonderful power. And we ask him to give you all the strength you need to go through all your troubles, to be very patient in them, and to be happy.

¹² Thank the Father who has made us ready to be with the people of God who live in his light.

¹³ He has set us free from the kingdom where it is dark. And he has put us into the kingdom where his dear Son rules.

¹⁴ Because of his Son, we are set free and the wrong things we have done are forgiven.

¹⁵ The Son is like God who cannot be seen. He was his Son before anything was made.

¹⁶ He made everything in the sky and on the earth. He made the things which can be seen and the things which cannot be seen. That means angels, kings, great powers, and rulers. They were all made by him and for him.

¹⁷ He himself was before all things. And he holds all things together.

¹⁸ He is also the head of the body which is the church [the people who believe in Jesus Christ]. He is the beginning, the first one to rise from death, so that he would be the first one in everything.

¹⁹ God wanted Christ to have everything in himself.

²⁰ And God chose him to be the one who would bring all things back to himself. God made peace by the blood which Christ gave on his cross. He would bring back all things on earth and in heaven.

²¹ At one time you were far away from God. You hated him in your hearts and you did wrong things.

²² But now Christ himself has died on a cross, and he has brought you back to God. Christ will bring you before God holy, clean, and good.

²³ But you must keep on believing and stand strong and true. Let nothing shake the hope which the good news brought you. You heard the same good news as is told to everyone in the whole world. I, Paul, was given the work of telling that same good news.

²⁴ And now, even though I suffer for you, I am happy. There are still some things for Christ to suffer in his body, which is the church. So I am glad to take my share of his suffering in my body.

²⁵ God gave me work to do for the church people so that you might know all of God's message.

²⁶ This message is about the secret plan of God. People who lived in all the past times of the world did not know about this plan. But now it has been told to God's people.

²⁷ He wanted them to know that his plan is very great and wonderful for those who are not Jews. And this plan is that Christ is in you! He is your hope for all the wonderful things that are to come.

²⁸ We tell about him. We tell everyone to be careful to live in the right way. We teach everyone all he needs to know. We do this so that we can bring everyone before God and he will be grown up in the things of Christ.

²⁹ And I am working for this with all the strength that God gives me.