John 21:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

NIV: This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

NASB: This was now the third time that Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

CSB: This was now the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

NLT: This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.

KJV: This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.

NKJV: This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

After Jesus' crucifixion, the disciples hid in fear. And yet, the resurrected Christ was able to appear to them, in his glorified body (John 20:19, 26). Most recently, Jesus has arrived in Galilee, calling out to the disciples as they fish (John 21:1–8). Between the miracle of a netful of fish and seeing Him up close, there is no question that this is really Christ (John 21:9–13).

While Jesus had shown Himself to others (Luke 24:13–16), including the women who came to His tomb (Matthew 28:9–10), this is the third time He has appeared to a group of disciples. His purpose here is not merely to meet His followers, but to give Peter an important message (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 4/29/2024 12:27:13 AM