Gospel of John Chapter Twenty-One

21:1 Later, Jesus manifested himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He manifested himself in the following manner:
21:2 There were together Simon Peter and Thomas – called Didymus – and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, along with the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples.
21:3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing." They said to him, “We will go with you.” So they got into a boat and went out. But that night they caught nothing.
21:4 And as the morning came, Jesus stood on the shore – but the disciples did not recognize that it was Jesus.
21:5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” “No,” they answered.
21:6 And he told them, “Cast the net off the right side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, but they were unable to haul it in because of the great number of fish.
21:7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Master.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Master, he put his outer garment on – for he had removed it – and dove into the lake.
21:8 And the other disciples came in the little boat – for they were not far from the shore, about two hundred cubits1 – dragging the net with fish.
21:9 As soon as they got to the shore they saw a fire of coals there with fish laid on it, and bread.
21:10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some fish that you have caught.”
21:11 Simon Peter left and pulled the net to the shore full of large fish – one hundred and fifty-three – yet with so many the net was not torn.
21:12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Master.
21:13 Jesus appeared and took hold of the bread and gave it to them and likewise with the fish.
21:14 This was now the third time Jesus manifested himself to the disciples after he had risen from the dead body.
21:15 Thus when they finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He replied, “Yes, Master, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
21:16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He replied, “Yes, Master, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
21:17 He then said to him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was saddened because he had asked him three times, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Master you know everything; you know I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”
21:18 "Very truly I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked wherever you wanted. But when you are old, you shall reach out your hands and another will gird you, and carry you where you don’t want to go."
21:19 Now this he said to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God. And after he said this, he said, "Follow me!"
21:20 Then Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved accompanying them – the one who had also leaned upon his chest at supper and asked, “Master, who will have you arrested?”
21:21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Master, what about him?”
21:22 Jesus replied, “If it is willed that he remains here until arising,2 what is that to you? You must follow me.”
21:23 A rumor went around among the brothers that this disciple will not die: Yet Jesus did not say to him that he shall not die, rather, 'If it is willed that he remains here until arising, what is it to you?'
21:24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is truthful.
21:25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did. If every one of them was written down, the world would probably have no room for all the books that would be written.

Footnotes:

1. Verse 21:8. Approximately one hundred yards.

2. Verse 21:22. The metaphorical meaning of the Greek word ἔρχομαι (erchomai) according to the lexicon is "to come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence," and "to come from one place to another, and used both of persons arriving and of those returning." This indicates Jesus speaks of Peter's death, when Peter’s spirit will rise and return to the spiritual realm – just as one might refer to a person who is to leave from one place to another. Thus Jesus speaks of his disciple remaining on the earth later – before his body dies and before he arises from his body at the time of death.

Continue to the Gospel of James