John 21:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

NIV: I'm going out to fish,' Simon Peter told them, and they said, 'We'll go with you.' So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

NASB: Simon Peter *said to them, 'I am going fishing.' They *said to him, 'We are also coming with you.' They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

CSB: "I'm going fishing," Simon Peter said to them."We're coming with you," they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

NLT: Simon Peter said, 'I’m going fishing.' 'We’ll come, too,' they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.

KJV: Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

NKJV: Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.

Prior to being called by Christ, many of the disciples were fishermen (John 1:35–42). After His resurrection, Jesus told the men to meet Him in their home region of Galilee (Matthew 28:9–10). Prior to this moment, He has already appeared to these men (John 20:19, 26), but we're not told if they were given further directions. Seven men are in a group (John 21:2), including Peter. He once again takes charge and plans to resume fishing. Whether he's simply looking to earn money, or catch food, or stave off boredom, Scripture does not say.

Nighttime fishing is not unusual (Luke 5:5), and it's not abnormal for experienced fishermen to come up without much of a catch on some trips. In this case, however, the lack of fish will serve to make a useful point. Jesus has called these men to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). That is, their purpose is now to evangelize others. When Christ appears on the shore, and miraculously directs their net (John 21:4), it's proof He can provide for their needs. Unless their efforts are aligned with His purpose, they won't succeed.

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.