After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. 2 Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” 6 So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. 7 So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. 9 When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.
After Jesus’ appearances to his disciples in Jerusalem, John tells us that Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples, this time by the Sea of Tiberias, another name for the Sea of Galilee (v. 1). The word “revealed” is important. He is not only saying that Jesus was seen. He is showing that the risen Lord makes himself known. What follows is not just a meeting on a shoreline. It is a revelation of who Jesus is and what his disciples are now to learn from him.
Seven disciples are present: Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee, and two others (v. 2). The number may suggest the disciples as a complete group. Peter says, “I am going fishing,” and the others go with him (v. 3). They return to familiar work, but through the whole night they catch nothing (v. 3). John places that failure before the reader so that what happens next will be clearly seen as the work of Jesus, not the result of their own skill.
At dawn the risen Christ stands on the shore, but the disciples do not yet realize that it is Jesus (v. 4). This lack of recognition appears more than once in the Resurrection accounts (see Jn. 20:14; Lk. 24:16). The risen Lord is present and near, but he is not yet recognized. Then he speaks to them and tells them to cast the net over the right side of the boat (vv. 5-6). They obey, and the result is immediate. The catch is so great that they cannot pull in the net (v. 6). John shows again that fruit comes from obedience to the word of the risen Jesus.
The disciple whom Jesus loved is the first to understand what has happened. He says to Peter, “It is the Lord” (v. 7). In this Gospel, that disciple often sees quickly and clearly. Peter responds at once. He puts on his garment and jumps into the sea to reach the risen Jesus as quickly as he can (v. 7). The other disciples follow in the boat, dragging the net full of fish (v. 8). John lets both disciples serve the scene in their own way. One recognizes. The other acts.
When they come ashore, they find that the risen Jesus has already prepared a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread (v. 9). This detail matters. The disciples have caught nothing without him, but the risen Lord is not waiting for their success before he can provide for them. He is already there with what they need. Yet he also tells them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught” (v. 10). The catch they received through obedience is now drawn into the meal he has prepared.
Peter drags the net ashore, full of one hundred fifty-three large fish, and yet the net is not torn (v. 11). Many explanations have been offered for the number. John presents it as a remarkable and abundant catch. The fact that the net is not torn is also important. The great number does not destroy the unity of the net. This has often been understood as pointing to the wide reach of the disciples’ future mission and to the unity of those gathered by the risen Lord.
The risen Jesus then says, “Come, have breakfast” (v. 12). The disciples do not question him, because they know it is the Lord (v. 12). What was hidden at the start of the scene is now clear. The one standing on the shore is the risen Jesus. John then says that Jesus took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish (v. 13). This action recalls the feeding by the sea in Jn. 6:11, where Jesus also took and distributed the food. Here again the risen Lord is the one who provides, the one who gathers, and the one who feeds his own.
This passage also shows plainly that the risen Jesus is not a ghost or a memory. He stands on the shore, speaks to them, directs them, prepares food, and shares a meal with them (vv. 4-13). The Resurrection is not an idea. It is the risen life of the same Lord who was crucified and is now alive.
John closes by saying that this was the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead (v. 14). That statement links this scene with the earlier appearances in Jn. 20:19 and 20:26. The Gospel is showing continuity. The one who appeared in the locked room is the same risen Lord who now stands by the sea. He continues to make himself known to his disciples, and he continues to lead them.
Lord Jesus, you revealed yourself to your disciples by the sea and filled their empty nets with abundance. Open our eyes to recognize your presence, teach us to obey your word, and keep us faithful to you in all that we do. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Jn. 21:1-14 and notes.
- Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri, eds. Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010, 200-201.
- José María Casciaro, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008, 444-445.
- Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990, 984-985, paras. 237-240.
- José Enrique Aguilar Chiu et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018, 1181-1182.
- John J. Collins, Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid OP, and Donald Senior CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition. With a Foreword by Pope Francis. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2020, 1440-1441.
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