John 21

21 ¹Afterward Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias—this is how he showed himself. ²Simon Peter, Thomas called Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee's sons, and two other disciples were together. ³Simon Peter told them, "I'm going fishing." "We'll go with you," they said. So they went out and got into the boat, but caught nothing that night.

⁴At daybreak Jesus stood on the shore, yet the disciples didn't know it was Jesus.

⁵Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No."

⁶He told them, "Cast the net on the boat's right side, and you'll find fish." So they cast it, and were no longer able to haul it in for the sheer number of fish.

⁷The disciple Jesus loved told Peter, "It's the Lord!" Hearing it was the Lord, Simon Peter wrapped his coat around him—he'd taken it off to work—and threw himself into the sea. ⁸The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, since they were only about one hundred yards from shore. ⁹When they went ashore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it, and bread.

¹⁰Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."

¹¹So Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore, full of 153 large fish; despite so many, it didn't tear.

¹²Jesus said to them, "Come, eat 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 the fish as well. ¹⁴This was now the third time Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after being raised from the dead.

¹⁵After they ate breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me with all your heart, more than these?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know I love you as a friend." Jesus told him, "Feed my lambs."

¹⁶A second time Jesus asked, "Simon son of John, do you love me with all your heart?" He replied, "Yes, Lord, you know I love you as a friend." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

¹⁷A third time Jesus said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me as a friend?" Peter was hurt that Jesus asked him a third time, "Do you love me as a friend?" and said, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you as a friend." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep."

¹⁸"Truly, truly, I tell you: when you were young, you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you're old, you'll stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and take you where you don't want to go." ¹⁹Jesus said this to show by what kind of death Peter would glorify our Father. Then he told him, "Follow me."

²⁰Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved following—the one who leaned back against Jesus at supper and asked, "Lord, who is going to betray you?" ²¹When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?"

²²Jesus told him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what's that to you? You follow me." ²³So this word spread among the brothers and sisters that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not tell him he would not die, but, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?"

²⁴This is the disciple testifying to these things and who wrote them; we know his testimony is true. ²⁵Jesus did many other things too. If each were written down, I don't think the world itself could hold the books written. ^a a v25 A deliberate figure of speech for how much Jesus did — not a literal measurement.