John

Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish

¹Afterwards Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: ²Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. ³‘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. ⁴Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. ⁵He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’‘No,’ they answered. ⁶He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. ⁷Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, ‘It is the Lord,’ he wrapped his outer garment round him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. ⁸The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred metres. ⁹When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. ¹⁰Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ ¹¹So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. ¹²Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus reinstates Peter

¹⁵When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’ ¹⁶Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’ ¹⁷The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.’ ¹⁹Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, ‘Follow me!’ ²⁰Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, ‘Lord, who is going to betray you?’) ²¹When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’ ²²Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.’ ²³Because of this, the rumour spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?’ ²⁴This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. ²⁵Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.Footnotes for the Book of Johna 4 The Greek for Woman does not denote any disrespect.b 17 Psalm 69:9c 23 Or in hima 9 Or do not use dishes Samaritans have useda 7 Greek two hundred denariib 19 Or about 5 or 6 kilometresc 31 Exodus 16:4; Neh. 9:15; Psalm 78:24,25d 45 Isaiah 54:13e 63 Or are Spirit; or are spirita 28 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.b 38 Or presence. Therefore do what you have heard from the Father.c 39 Some early manuscripts ‘If you are Abraham’s children,’ said Jesus, ‘thena 9 Or kept safeb 22 That is, Hanukkahc 29 Many early manuscripts What my Father has given me is greater than alld 34 Psalm 82:6a 5 Greek three hundred denariib 8 See Deut. 15:11.c 13 A Hebrew expression meaning ‘Save!’ which became an exclamation of praised 13 Psalm 118:25,26e 15 Zech. 9:9f 32 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.g 38 Isaiah 53:1h 40 Isaiah 6:10a 1 Or Believe in Godb 7 Some manuscripts If you really knew me, you would knowc 17 Some early manuscripts and isa 6 Greek your nameb 11 Or Father, keep them faithful toc 12 Or kept them faithful tod 17 Or them to live in accordance withe 26 Greek your namea 24 Psalm 22:18b 26 The Greek for Woman does not denote any disrespect.c 36 Exodus 12:46; Num. 9:12; Psalm 34:20d 37 Zech. 12:10a 1 Greek Tiberiasb 2 Thomas (Aramaic) and Didymus (Greek) both mean twin.