John 21:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.

NIV: Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.

NASB: Jesus *came and *took the bread and *gave it to them, and the fish likewise.

CSB: Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish.

NLT: Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish.

KJV: Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.

NKJV: Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.

The simple act of sharing a meal, especially in the ancient world, represents friendship and trust. Jesus told His disciples to wait for Him in Galilee (Matthew 28:9–10). They obeyed (John 21:1–2), after Jesus had made at least two appearances to gatherings of His followers (John 20:19, 26). This latest meeting (John 21:9–12) has a more casual, friendly feel than earlier incidents.

After breakfast, Jesus will address an important issue: Peter's embarrassing denial of Christ (John 13:36–38; 18:25–27). Some years before, Jesus had demonstrated a miracle, using fish (Luke 5:5–8) to call Peter to be a "fisher of men" (Luke 5:10–11). In the upcoming conversation, Jesus will poignantly remind Peter of his sin, while restoring him to his calling (John 21:17–19).

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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 5/2/2024 12:48:53 PM