John 21:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

NIV: Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

NASB: But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

CSB: When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus.

NLT: At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was.

KJV: But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

NKJV: But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

Peter and six other disciples have returned to Galilee after Jesus' resurrection (Matthew 28:9–10; John 21:1–2). Most of these were fishermen before Christ called them (John 1:35–42). In one of His earlier lessons, Jesus directed Peter to make what seemed to be a pointless change in his technique: to cast the net on the other side of the boat (Luke 5:3–5). The result was a catch of fish so large it nearly sank two boats (Luke 5:6–7). Peter recognized that this wasn't just a lucky guess, but a supernatural miracle, and reacted accordingly (Luke 6:8).

The current fishing trip may have been meant to simply pass time, or to earn money. Either way, it was unsuccessful (John 21:3). As the sun comes up, they see a figure on shore, who calls out. What He tells them will echo Jesus' earlier instructions (John 21:4–5), and Peter will once again understand that it is the Son of God who is speaking (John 21:6–7).

John 21:1–14 begins by describing another encounter between the disciples and Jesus, after His resurrection. Seven of them have an unsuccessful night fishing; this is possibly a sign that their calling is to be evangelists, not anglers. A figure on the beach tells them to cast their net to the other side of the boat, resulting in a massive catch. John realizes the man is Jesus, and Peter dives overboard to swim to shore. There, the other disciples arrive to find a breakfast of bread and fish waiting for them, along with Jesus.

After Jesus' resurrection, a group of disciples goes fishing while they wait in Galilee. From a distance, a figure appears and tells the men to cast again. Despite a fruitless night, they obey, and the net is immediately overflowing with fish. This confirms that the man on the shore is Jesus. As the disciples eat a meal with Christ, He presses Peter to reaffirm His faith. Jesus then predicts the nature of Peter's death; He does not do so for John. The gospel of John ends with an affirmation of its source, and a reminder that no single book could contain every detail of Jesus' ministry.

The final chapter of the gospel of John evokes the recent trend of a "post-credits scene" from films. After the main story has been told, John includes one last scene to further add details about what is to come. After Jesus' resurrection and appearances, He meets with the disciples near Galilee. A major outcome of this meeting is Peter's restoration to his former status. No finite work could fully explain Jesus' ministry, so John's eyewitness account is only part of those truths.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 9/7/2024 8:04:00 PM