After three several appearances of Christ to his disciples, which hitherto were all of them in Jerusalem, Christ showed himself again to them in Galilee, whither he had ordered his disciples to go, promising there to meet them, Matthew 26:32; Mark 16:7. Here the occasion and circumstances of this his third appearance are related by St. John. read more
EXPLANATORY AND CRITICAL NOTESJohn 21:1. After these things (see John 5:1, etc.).—I.e. after the events recorded in chap. 20. The Sea of Tiberias.—See John 6:1. Showed Himself.—Rather manifested (ἐφανέρωσεν) Himself. Again.—Pointing back to John 20:14; John 20:19; John 20:26. In each case it was a manifestation of Himself to His disciples. This word is quite Johannine, and is one of the marks of genuineness of this chapter (see John 2:11, etc.).John 21:2. There were together, etc.—The names are... read more
John 21:1 I. In the touching incident related in this chapter, the first thing which strikes us is the grace of the Lord Jesus. Penitent as Peter was, it was needful to set him right with his brother apostles, whom he had first of all wronged by his forwardness, and next scandalised by his fall; and how admirably this is accomplished by the question: "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these?" a question to which Peter replied so humbly, as to show that he claimed no pre-eminence... read more
John 21:1-14 I. It had been by a miraculous draught of fishes, like the one now before us, that, at the outset of His ministry, Christ had drawn away three at least of the seven now around Him, from their old occupations, and taught them to understand that in following Him they were to become fishers of men. Why was that miracle repeated? Because the lesson which it enforced was needed to be again given and enforced. Now that, bereft of the companionship of Christ, deprived of the means of... read more
John 21:0 We Learn from this Chapter I. The wide range of the pastoral office. Whenever the minister is exclusively a fisherman and neglects the labour of the shepherd, he is only doing half his work. He is like a man in a boat who seeks to propel it with one oar, and who succeeds only in making it spin round in a ceaseless circle. He will make no progress, and his people will lack intelligence. II. The true motive for Christian work, "Lovest thou Me?" The most potent principle in the Christian... read more
Chapter 21Now after these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and this is how it happened. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus [the twin], and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee [James and John], and two other [unnamed] disciples. Simon Peter said unto them, I'm going fishing. They said unto him, We'll go with you ( John 21:1-3 ).Now, here's a classic example of human leadership. Simon was evidently a natural... read more
John 21:2 . There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, a word which designates a twin; and Nathanael, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. Here are seven; the four absent ones might be Matthew, Jude, Simeon, and James. This college of apostles were men of honest trades. Let us talk no more of blood and noble birth: “the Lord hath regarded the lowly, and sent the rich empty away.” Rupert contends that Bartholomew was Nathanael, a man learned in the law. John... read more
John 21:1-14After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the sea of TiberiasThe Sea of Tiberiastwelve full miles in length by nearly seven in breadth, formed by the widening of the river, and lying almost seven hundred feet below the level of the Mediterranean; is a beautiful expanse of clear, shining water, transparent to considerable depths.Viewed from different points and at different times, it is now a deep blue mirror among the mountains, now lustrous and glittering in... read more
1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself . Ver. 1. After these things Jesus showed himself ] Some have been of the opinion that this chapter was not written by John (because he concluded his history in the end of the last chapter), but added by some other, as the last chapter of Deuteronomy was to Moses’ writings. These should have observed, that in the former chapter those arguments only are set down by the... read more
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Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - John 21:1-14
John 21:1-2 Chronicles : . The Appearance by the Lake of Tiberias.— As Josephus speaks of the lake as the “ lake near Tiberias,” the name used here cannot be pressed as a proof of late date. The verb used for “ manifested” is not found in the gospel in connexion with the Resurrection appearances. There is also no mention of the sons of Zebedee. The last extant sentence of the Petrine Gospel shows that it contained a similar story. “ I Simon Peter and Andrew my brother taking our nets went... read more