Bible teaching on John 21:1–14, exploring new beginnings and the disciples' dependence on Jesus
A sermon from the Latimer: Listen channel working through John chapter 21, verses 1 to 14.
Summary
This is a sermon delivered at an evening church service, part of a series working through John's Gospel that has been running for over two years. The speaker takes John 21:1–14 — the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to the disciples by the Sea of Galilee — and argues that this epilogue is not an anticlimactic afterthought but a carefully constructed passage that ties together threads from earlier in the Gospel and lays a foundation for the church's ongoing mission. The central argument is that the disciples' inability to catch fish without Jesus, and Jesus' subsequent provision of both the catch and a prepared meal, teaches that every aspect of the Christian life — spiritual and physical, fruitful and failing — remains entirely dependent on Jesus. The sermon closes with two practical lessons: that the fruitful Christian obeys Jesus, expressed above all in loving one another, and that the failing Christian runs toward Jesus rather than away.
Key Takeaways
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Introduction and Prayer
Good evening, everyone. It's wonderful to be with you, and a privilege as we come to this final chapter of John to be able to speak to you from his word. Let me pray again and then we'll get stuck into it.
Gracious Heavenly Father, your word is living and active, and may it be active here this evening. May we see the glories of your Son Jesus, who you sent down to earth because you loved us, to die for our sins and to rise to be our King. We pray that we see his glories anew this evening. In his name we pray. Amen.
Two Years in John's Gospel
As a church — I don't know how long you've been here — we've been intermittently working our way through John's Gospel, if you can believe it, for over two years now. And this week, we finally get there. This week and next, we're going to be looking at this wonderful last chapter together.
Now, the whole Gospel is full of the incredible details of Jesus' life as he reveals to us God's glory as the one who is the Word, God himself made flesh. All of this culminates in these last few chapters as we've been looking at them — as Jesus fulfils his ultimate purpose for coming down from heaven in dying as the one true Lamb of God, a willing sacrifice for the sins of the world, so that all who believe in him might not perish but have eternal life. And then, as sin has been dealt with on the cross by the payment of Jesus' death, victory over death is revealed as Jesus rises from the dead in power. We saw this last week, as he appears to multiple people and changes not just their lives but the course of history itself.
And in light of the gravity and magnitude of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, what did the disciples do? They go fishing. What would you do?
The Purpose of John 21
At first glance, chapter 21 of John can seem a little anticlimactic — maybe an odd sort of afterthought in some ways. But I hope we'll see this evening that this epilogue, such as it is, serves a wonderful purpose in drawing together a number of threads from earlier in the Gospel in order to lay a foundation for what will follow. Like any good movie — although this is real life — this epilogue ties up a few loose threads and sets itself up for the sequel. That's what is to follow as Jesus builds his church.
We're going to look at it in two parts. This week, in verses 1 to 14, it's the idea of new beginnings — as the church begins, and it forms a picture of how followers of Jesus must continue in their life and in their witness of him. What we find is that it's still a life entirely dependent on Jesus from start to finish. So although he's about to go and prepare a place for his disciples, he's still integral to them continuing his mission now. It's Jesus who will continue to reveal himself. It's Jesus who will continue to direct them by his word. It's Jesus who will continue to provide for them and care for them. And he wants them to know that. They, of course — and we'll see this too — are part of his work. He invites them in. But the point is it remains Jesus' work, Jesus' mission, that they are included into, in and through his disciples. And they cannot do anything without Jesus. Theologically, we understand that later this comes by the gift of his Spirit and his Spirit at work with us — but even that is Jesus' Spirit at work.
Then next week — although we're going to see the beginnings of this in our verses today — it's very clear that John is concerned that people know of the reconciliation between Simon Peter and Jesus. Peter, if you remember, publicly rejected Jesus, even though he was one of his disciples. And John doesn't want his readers to be left with the picture of Peter in the time of his greatest weakness, but to remember him in a restored relationship with his Lord and back where he belongs as the rock on which Jesus will build his church, and what that will look like. That's chapter 21 in a nutshell.
Walking Through the Narrative: Verses 1–3
Now today we're going to work through the narrative verse by verse, see what it shows, and then close with two lessons we can take from it. So it'll be helpful if you've got your Bibles or your devices open to John 21 so that you can follow along.
Beginning in verse 1, John writes: Afterward — that is, after his previous appearances — Jesus appeared again — that is, literally revealed himself again — at the Sea of Galilee, the area where Jesus first appeared to his disciples in John. The disciples Jesus reveals himself to are then detailed in verse 2. And here's where you get a hint of John wrapping things up, but with the concept of new beginnings. Let me just note a few things.
Simon Peter is mentioned first. This is typical. Whenever you get a list of the disciples, Peter's right up there, first or in the first few. But then less typical is the mention of Thomas. Now it's likely that what John wants to affirm here is that while Thomas — if you remember from a week ago — was separate from the disciples in Jesus' first appearance, he's now permanently back with them in light of Jesus' undeniable second appearance to Thomas, where Thomas recognised Jesus as his Lord and his God. It's important for us to know that Jesus never lets any of his sheep out of his hand.
Even less typical is Nathanael, who comes next. Nathanael only crops up twice in any of the four Gospels — here and in the first chapter of John. It's another reason I think this chapter parallels these first new beginnings in these men. But I think it does more than that. It also fulfils a promise which Jesus made to Nathanael back then, which was that he would see greater things than he was seeing at that time. And he is just about to be witness to the risen Lord Jesus. And friends, it doesn't get greater than that. And when Jesus makes a promise, he fulfils that promise.
Then come the sons of Zebedee, James and John — that's normal — alongside two unnamed disciples. Now, I think they're Andrew and Philip. I don't have any proof of this, but it would make sense that they were the two other disciples who were there in that chapter. So I think these are the seven disciples who were there in Galilee at first when Jesus first appeared. And so John is sort of closing out the circle with a concept of new beginnings as they start afresh in this ministry and mission that Jesus is putting them into.
And then it's in verse 3 that Peter announces he's going fishing. It's not a leisure trip — this is for food, I think. Some people take this as a bad thing from Peter, like he's going back to his old way of life. But I don't think it's necessary to think like that. Peter's never one to remain idle for any length of time. He's a man of action. But also, life goes on and people have to eat. So they go fishing. And I think part of the point of this passage is: how does life continue for the disciples and followers of Jesus? That's an important question going on in the background.
Now the disciples all join Peter in his fishing expedition, but their expedition proves fruitless. As John records at the end of verse 3, they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
The Appearance of Jesus at Dawn: Verses 4–8
And this is where the narrative takes a wonderful turn. Now it's likely that night time was the best time to fish in that area. But it's also worth noting that at several points in his Gospel, John mentions night and physical darkness to emphasise a spiritual reality — a spiritual darkness of blindness or powerlessness. And it's easy to draw that conclusion here, especially with what happens next.
Because it's at night that the disciples, despite being expert and professional fishermen, are unable to catch any fish — until, verse 4, early in the morning. That is, as the dawn breaks and light appears, as Jesus comes. Now they still don't know it's Jesus. They're a hundred yards offshore. Maybe it's still misty out. They don't know it's Jesus when he appears at this point. But Jesus calls out and asks, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" Fairly dejected — and annoyed, possibly — at being asked by someone on the shore, the disciples say no.
And then the miraculous happens. First miracle: that professional fishermen listen to the advice of a stranger on the shore. Nobody likes a backseat fisherman. And I'm sure that seven tired, grumpy, unsuccessful men who've been in a boat all night like it even less. But as they were first called, there's something in Jesus' voice. There's an authority that they can't ignore. So they throw their net out where Jesus tells them to. And they gather so many fish in the net they can't even haul it in, because it's too big for their boat.
Now, coincidence can't account for the miraculous nature of what's just happened. And probably because it prompts memories of a similar event that happened before, the lights go on in John's mind. He turns to Peter and says to him, "It is the Lord." And you've got to love Peter. It feels like even as John is in mid-sentence, he's off the side of the boat and into the water. Of course, it doesn't happen exactly like that — he makes himself presentable first, makes sure his clothing is tied tightly around him so it doesn't drag him under the water. But off he swims to see his Lord. It's fantastic.
We'll think a little bit more about Peter's reaction before we close. But as we continue with the story, it's noteworthy — just go with me here — that in a chapter largely focused on Jesus and Peter, the narrative at this point doesn't follow Peter as he goes to meet Jesus. It stays with the perspective of the disciples on the boat. Now the only reason I highlight this is because it lends evidence of the eyewitness nature of the account, and that the eyewitness was on that boat. He wasn't there when Peter met Jesus, so he doesn't know what's going on there. He knows what's going on in the boat. It's John the eyewitness, and the other disciples, who follow Peter in the boat, towing the big haul of fish.
Breakfast on the Shore: Verses 9–14
And they land to find, verse 9, a fire of burning coals already there with fish on it and some bread. And although Jesus has clearly already prepared breakfast for the disciples, he invites them in and asks them, verse 10, to bring along some of the fish that they have just caught. He invites them to participate in what has already been provided.
Now it's worth pausing here just a moment and noticing a few things. One thing seems pretty clear the longer you reflect on this fishing encounter: although the disciples didn't plan any of this when they went fishing, Jesus clearly uses the occasion to teach them something important. And John records it so that we can learn that something important. But what is he showing exactly?
It's certainly in keeping with his teaching ministry that Jesus uses physical events and circumstances to teach deeper spiritual truths. For example, as Jesus and the disciples likely pass a vine in John 15, Jesus uses that occasion to teach that, spiritually speaking, he is the true vine, and that they must abide in him if they are to bear fruit as his people, abiding in him as part of that vine.
There are also some fishy examples — not fishy in a suspicious sense, but examples involving fish. And it's hard not to remember at this point particularly a statement from Luke's Gospel when Jesus said that he will make his disciples fishers of men. That is, as Jesus gathers people to himself, Jesus includes the disciples as part of that ongoing mission, who will themselves gather more disciples — more fish in that example — through telling people about Jesus. And it's pretty easy to make the same connection in these verses, and it's very common to do so. A lot of people make that connection.
So the point — just if you've missed it by this point — is the spiritual parallel of catching actual fish. What Jesus would then be teaching in this passage is that just as the disciples couldn't catch fish without Jesus, Jesus is teaching them that they won't be able to make more disciples without him at work as well. Now that is definitely true. It's a biblical truth that however we witness to the glory of God found in Jesus, only by his direction and revelation and the power of his Spirit will people come to know Jesus. Absolutely true.
However, I want to say that we shouldn't limit this encounter to just that picture — that the catching of fish only means making disciples in this case. If for no other reason, then in a few minutes Jesus and the disciples are going to eat some of those fish. And frankly, I don't know what that means if it's a parallel of catching disciples, if you catch my drift. That's not to say it doesn't represent the gathering of God's people, but I don't think it should be limited to that. It's more than that. It's greater.
It's probably better to view the spiritual lesson on a simpler but larger scale. It's better to say that Jesus is showing that there isn't any part of life — both physical or spiritual — which isn't provided for by him. That the disciples, and we by extension as his followers, need to understand what has been the truth from the very beginning: in him is life. That all true life and revelation and wisdom and power and fruit only come from God, seen now perfectly in the Lord Jesus.
Now that is at the same time very humbling, as we acknowledge our own helplessness and powerlessness. But at the same time, from this passage, it should be wonderfully encouraging. Because John is showing, as he records it, and Jesus is teaching, the fact of Jesus' utter willingness to do so and his continued work and provision in the lives of the disciples and their work. He not only provides the fruit of that work — he also provides the fuel for that work, that which will sustain them and feed them and keep them going. He also provides rest from that work. So from beginning to end, there's Jesus.
It's one of the reasons I think this section closes with eating a meal after a long night's hard labour. John highlights again a remarkable truth which you come to see so often of Jesus. That despite who he is — or perhaps because of who he is — the Son of God, the Word made flesh, the Saviour and Lord of the universe — Jesus is characterised by an extraordinary humility which never seeks to be served but to serve those around him. And here Jesus shows his humble, servant-hearted care for the disciples in their work and their effort by serving them food which he has provided and prepared for them. And remember, even what the disciples bring to the table is only what Jesus has provided for them in the first place.
And so at the heart of this, in these verses, is how integral Jesus is at every stage, and that every good thing comes from him, and that Jesus is still providing all that we need now as his people. It builds a wonderful picture, do you see?
The 153 Fish and the Unbroken Net
Even to the point that — and it carries on — when the disciples still seem hesitant when Jesus offers them food, Jesus again has to come to them. So have a look with me at the final section. When Jesus tells them to bring in some of the fish they've just caught, obviously Peter jumps into action again in verse 11, heroically hauling — we've got to give him credit where credit's due — the entire net full of fish by himself, all 153 of them.
A couple of details to note. There have been lots of theories over the years as to what the number 153 might mean. At the end of the day, I think it means there were a lot of fish. And you can imagine one of the disciples saying, "Wow, that's a lot of fish — I wonder how many there are." Because we've gone to the trouble of counting them, I'm going to write it down. I think the point is more what John follows up with that. He records that despite the large number of large fish, the net was not torn. What does that show you?
Well, I think it's supposed to show that what Jesus provides for never fails. It's a continuing theme that none of those that are saved by Jesus are ever lost by Jesus. That everything he promises and does is always accomplished completely. Now that's not to say that we can't fail as his followers. But what Jesus does and what he promises is accomplished — always successful to its full and intended purpose.
Jesus Comes to the Hesitant Disciples
But then, when Jesus said to his disciples in verse 12, "Come and have breakfast," there's a strange sort of hesitancy from the disciples. Do you notice? Eager as they must have been to come to the Lord, John records that none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" — saying that they knew it was the Lord.
Now honestly, it's really hard to know what this hesitancy means exactly. But I don't think it's out of the realms of possibility — and it's not uncommon for every one of us in one situation or another — to be hesitant in approaching the Lord Jesus for one reason or another. You might be here tonight and have never called Jesus your Lord or Saviour. You don't really know who he is, or you're still working it out. You may be hesitant to commit your life to Jesus. But even as Christians, are we hesitant sometimes to come to him in our time of need, or to confess our sins to him, or to come to him for one reason or another? We don't know what it means for them here, but hesitancy itself is a reality that we have to face.
But whatever it was, do you notice it's Jesus again who approaches them? He comes to them in verse 13. He brings them the bread and fish and gives it to them. It's Jesus at every point. It's Jesus who reveals himself to his disciples, who provides the wisdom and the knowledge of where to catch the fish, includes them in his work. It's Jesus who draws them to himself and yet also draws near to them in assurance when they hesitate. And then he rewards them with the food and the rest when they're finished.
The Heart of the Christian Life
And understanding this lies at the heart of the Christian life. To put one's faith in Jesus means recognising that we have nothing to offer from ourselves, but rest entirely on him for everything — both for our spiritual needs and our physical needs. And I think sometimes we forget that aspect of what we get from Jesus and what he provides for us.
The Christian life starts by recognising we have nothing to offer to God for salvation. All we bring to the table is our sins. And it's only Jesus' life, death, and resurrection which enables us to be right with God and to live a new life with him. But it doesn't stop there. The new life we live in him continues exactly as it starts, in every aspect of life. We're not saved and then stranded. We're not given a leg up and then left to fend for ourselves. Beginning to end, the life we live is lived through Jesus. His revelation and wisdom. His power and strength. His provision and care. His grace and mercy. It's always Jesus.
I suppose the question is: how do we, as followers of Jesus, take hold of what is freely given? How do we participate, as the disciples did on that day? How do we step out in faith while at the same time understanding nothing we do is in our own power?
Well, there are a number of ways this plays out practically, but before we close, I want to highlight two of them for you from this passage.
Lesson One: The Fruitful Christian Obeys Jesus
Firstly, the fruitful Christian obeys Jesus.
It's only when the disciples obey Jesus that they are successful in making a catch — despite their expertise as professional fishermen. Their success isn't based on their knowledge, nor even on their hard work. It's entirely based on them doing as Jesus says. And if we want to be successful in the Christian life — and I use that word advisedly — but if we want to grow in Christ and bear fruit in his kingdom, it is obedience to Jesus which will do that. Nothing else.
And particularly in John's Gospel, fruitfulness is directly tied to obedience. That is — and hear me, because this is important — it's not just that fruit comes from obedience, although it does that as well. Obedience is the beginning of that fruit as we show our trust in Jesus by obeying the things he commands. And the key commands of Jesus in John's Gospel are all to do with love. The commands of Jesus are not onerous or burdensome. They are wonderful and life-giving, and we need to learn that as well.
In chapter 13 you get that well-known command and the connection. Chapter 13, verse 34: Jesus says, "Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another, and by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Chapter 15 makes this connection even stronger. Jesus says, "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." And Jesus makes clear there that it's showing themselves by loving one another.
Now you may have heard me explain it like this before, but this is the picture that's formed as you read through John's Gospel. As God's love is poured into us through Jesus, who served and sacrificed himself for us, that love should transform how we love one another — that we love as Jesus first loved us. So as we now serve and are sacrificial for one another, that love which we share and exemplify among ourselves will then be a witness to the world, so that others would come to know the wonderful love of God that can be found in Christ Jesus. And at every stage of this, God is bringing fruit in and through us as we obediently express love as Jesus has first loved us. It begins with that fruitful obedience in loving one another, and then through the display of that love as a witness to the world, so that more people will come to share in that love. Do you see?
Now again, this love will express itself in many ways. But a very easy example looks exactly like what Jesus does in chapter 21, which is providing and serving food to his disciples. In fact, Jesus does this on any number of occasions. Food and loving fellowship very often go hand in hand in the Bible. And I think the reason for this is that sharing food is generally quite an intimate gathering. It's also, yes, an opportunity to serve and provide for others, but it's difficult to share food without also sharing conversation — otherwise that's a really awkward dinner. So as we share food, we become more intimately involved and get to know the lives of the people around us.
But loving one another is not limited to food — which causes me sadness, because I love food. It shows itself in many ways. And you've got to think: are we loving the way that Jesus first loved us? What marks the love of Jesus? It wasn't that he loved just the people he liked. He loved all of his followers. He loved everyone he came into contact with. And he sought out the least, the last, and the lost. Do you love those who it's just easy to love? Or do you love those who are more difficult to love? That's the love of Jesus that must be in us and working through us as a display of his love to the world.
I'll leave you to work out if you are actively and intentionally loving those around you. But we can do that in so many ways — visiting the sick and the lonely and the elderly. To do this, we're going to have to get to know one another in order that we can help one another. It takes effort. But it's a wonderful expression of God's love in his people through the love that Jesus has first shown us.
Do you want to be fruitful as a Christian? We must be doing as Jesus commands and loving one another. The fruitful Christian obeys Jesus.
Lesson Two: The Failing Christian Runs Toward Jesus
Secondly — and I'll mention this more briefly, but it's worth mentioning — as the fruitful Christian is one who obeys Jesus, the failing Christian is one who runs towards Jesus, not away.
It still amazes me that after his dreadful, spectacular, and public rejection of Jesus, Peter still knows the best thing to do — that he still felt able to dive headfirst into that water and to get to Jesus as fast as possible. But then maybe Peter instinctively understood something that sometimes we might find a bit difficult: that even with the greatest of failures in tow, the best place to be is in the presence of Jesus our Lord. Jesus, the friend of sinners. Jesus, the gentle and humble at heart. Jesus, the patient and the gracious. Always.
When I fail, I so often want to curl up and hide in a hole. And I know others who don't feel like they can even draw near to God or to the Lord Jesus because they feel they've failed so badly. But friends, when we fail — and fail we will — we must run towards Jesus, not away. And we can do that, because even this is still, at the end of the day, just obedience. What does Jesus say? "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
We are called to be loving, and yet we all still fall and fail in many ways. But we must remind ourselves constantly that the love and grace of Jesus is greater than our failings. It always has been. And so we look to him and we know the great love that he has shown for us by dying on the cross to save us from ourselves, and that he has risen again to bring us into new life.
Closing
This is the picture that chapter 21 brings us. It all comes back to Jesus. If we want to be fruitful, we will obey Jesus and love one another as he loves us, so that the world will see that love and come to know it as well. And if we fail, we run to Jesus. Because Jesus is not just the source of our salvation — he is what keeps us firm to the end. Nothing will snatch us out of the Father's hand. Nothing will snatch us out of the hand of Jesus.
It's Jesus who reveals himself to us and saves us. It's Jesus who directs our paths by his word and wisdom. It's Jesus who provides for us, who cares for us. It's Jesus who serves us and sustains us by his love and mercy. It's Jesus who intercedes for us with the Father, and he will continue to do so until he comes back to take us home.
Friends, isn't Jesus wonderful?
Let me pray. Great Father in heaven, we thank you that you loved us so much that you sent us your one and only beloved Son, our Lord Jesus, so that whoever believes in him might not perish but have eternal life. We thank you that he died to be our Saviour, that he rose to be our King, that he sits at your right hand now — and still reigns, and still provides, and still sustains by his Spirit and through all manner of things, Lord. Help us to see the wonders and glories of the Lord Jesus — what he has done for us then, and what he is still doing for us now, as we wait for him to come back and take us home. Lord, help us to be obediently loving as he first loved us. Help us to run to him in our failure. But Lord, open our eyes, day by day, more and more, to the glories and wonders of our Lord Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.