NOTES for Joh 21:1-14
1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. |
2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. |
3 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. |
4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. |
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. |
6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. |
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. |
8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. |
9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. |
10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. |
11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, and hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. |
12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. |
13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. |
14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. |
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Today's passage shows us how the disciples changed during the three years they spent with the Teacher. They became a close-knit family, brothers hurrying to one another's aid - this is clear from the way they respond to Peter's words (John 21:3). But despite this unity, the Lord gives them no catch. The failure is meant to lead to something greater.
Before us is a scene we have seen before: tired fishermen with empty hands see Jesus standing on the shore and hear His request to cast the nets (Luke 5:4-6). And, as on that earlier occasion, they do not know who is before them. Now He is far away, and they simply do not recognize Him; the previous time they did not know what to expect from this Man.
But these men are not merely fishermen anymore - they are already apostles. In three years the disciples learned to receive and "see" a person, recognizing God and His presence in him; they learned to value each person by listening to his actions and feelings. And precisely for this reason, what they resisted the previous time they now do without delay. And they recognize the Lord.
This is how, at times, the very thing we resist in our life turns out to be the main thing that will bring Jesus into our home...
Readings for 10 April 2026
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