John 21 · The Lantern

Jesus Appears by the Sea of Tiberias

After these things Jesus revealed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias; now He revealed Himself in this way.

Seest thou that He remaineth not with them continually, nor as before? He appeared, for instance, in the evening, and flew away; then after eight days again once, and again flew away; then after these things by the sea, and again with great terror. But what is the, "showed"?

The Evangelist, after his wont, first states the thing itself, and then says how it took place: And on this wise showed He Himself.

The Evangelist has just told of two appearances of Christ to his disciples. Now he mentions a third appearance. If we consider the order and purpose of these appearances, it is evident that the first showed Christ's divine authority by his breathing the Holy Spirit upon them; the second showed that he was the same person as before, since he let them view his wounds; and the thi…

They were together — Simon Peter, and Thomas who is being named Didymus, and Nathanael the one from Cana of Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples.

(Hom. lxxxvii) As our Lord was not with them regularly, and the Spirit was not given them, and they had received no commission, and had nothing to do, they followed the trade of fishermen: And on this wise showed He Himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee; he who was called by Philip, and the sons of Zebedee, i. e.

There were together Simon Peter and Thomas, who is called Didymus, and Nathanael, who was from Cana of Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee and two others of his disciples. And thus there were seven, because such a number is fitting and sufficient for every kind of testimony.

In describing this appearance, he first mentions the persons to whom Christ appeared; what they were doing; and thirdly, the circumstances of this appearance. Christ appeared to seven persons.

Simon Peter says to them, “I am going to fish.” They say to him, “We ourselves also come with you.” They went forth and climbed into the boat, and during that very night they caught nothing.

This is the whole import of this passage: Those who had completed their work in the darkness, before the disciples, had not caught anyone in their nets and snatched them from demonic deceit. They may have caught a very few people, which is almost the same thing as nobody.

(Hom.) The fishing was made to be very unlucky, in order to raise their astonishment at the miracle after: And that night they caught nothing.

They were fishing, and so we first see Peter asking about this; the willingness of the others to go with him; and then their efforts. Peter asks them to go fishing, saying, I am going fishing. In the mystical interpretation, this signifies the work of preaching: "I will make you fishers of men" (Mt 4:19).

Now morning already having become, Jesus stood on the shore; the disciples did not, however, know that it is Jesus.

Jesus says therefore to them, “Children, surely you have not any fish?” They answered Him, “No.”

Pedagogy is the training of children, as is clear from the word itself. It remains for us to consider the children whom Scripture points to and then to give the Paedagogue charge of them. We are the children. In many ways Scripture celebrates us and describes us in many different figures of speech, giving variety to the simplicity of the faith by diverse names.

As if wishing to buy something from them, He asks: "Children, do you have anything to eat?"

Next, Jesus brings them to recognize him. First, the Evangelist shows how they came to recognize him; and who was the first to do so. The Evangelist does three things regarding the first. First, he shows our Lord asking for food, Children, have you any fish? The disciples did not think it was Christ asking, but someone who wanted to buy fish, for he spoke like a customer.

And He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” They cast therefore, and no longer were they able to haul it in from the multitude of the fish.

(Hom. lxxxvii) He then gives them a sign to know Him by: And He said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

A great difficulty in fishing arose for the disciples, so that when the Master came there would be a great height of wonder. He immediately said: "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find." Twice in the holy Gospel it is read that the Lord commanded that nets be cast for fishing, namely before the Passion and after the Resurrection.

Secondly, the Evangelist mentions Christ's order, Cast the net on the right side of the boat. In Luke (5:4) there is a similar incident, but there Christ did not tell them to cast their nets to the right side, as he does here.

That disciple whom Jesus was loving says therefore to Peter, “It is the Lord.” Simon Peter therefore, having heard that it is the Lord, put on the outer garment — for he was naked — and cast himself into the sea.

Men stripped their clothes off and dived and drew you out, pearl! It was not kings that put you before people, but those naked ones who were a type of the poor and the fishers and the Galileans. For clothed bodies were not able to come to you. They came that were stripped as children. They plunged their bodies and came down to you.

The Evangelist alludes to himself here the same way he always does. He recognised our Lord either by the miracle, or by the sound of His voice, or the association of former occasions on which He found them fishing. Peter was naked in comparison with the usual dress he wore, in the sense in which we say to a person whom we meet thinly clad, You are quite bare.

The Evangelist, having shown how the taking of the great number of fish lead the disciples to recognize Christ, now mentions the order in those recognizing him. First, he mentions John; then Peter; and then actions of the other disciples. John, being quick in understanding, recognized Christ at once.

And the other disciples came in the boat — for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits away — dragging the net with the fish.

When therefore they got out onto the land, they see a fire of coals lying and fish lying on it, and bread.

Our Lord ate to prove the resurrection, not to give his palate the pleasure of tasting of honey. He asked for a fish broiled on the coals that he might confirm the doubting apostles who did not dare approach him because they thought they saw not a body but a spirit.

In the midst of these things, both yesterday's reading of the holy Gospel and today's admonishes us that we ought to carefully consider why our Lord and Redeemer is recorded to have eaten roasted fish after his resurrection. For what is repeated in deed is not without mystery.

Next, the Evangelist tells how Christ affectionately prepared a meal for his disciples. He mentions its preparation; Christ's invitation; and the meal itself. In the preparation of the meal we see what was contributed by Christ, and what was brought by the disciples. Christ prepared three things.

Jesus says to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have caught now.”

Simon Peter went up therefore and drew the net to the land, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three; and although there are so many, the net was not torn.

Peter drags the dragnet with the others, bringing the catch to Christ. The hundred can be understood to mean the fullness of the Gentiles. The fifty refers to the elect of Israel who have been saved. And the three set one's mind on the revelation of the holy Trinity, to whose glory the life of the believers who were caught in the dragnet is naturally connected.

Understand this, perhaps, also in a contemplative sense: when the darkness of idolatry prevailed, then it was night. The prophets who labored then, before the appearing of Christ the Sun, caught nothing. Although they apparently had in their net the one nation of Israel, yet since even it often fell into idolatry, one may say they caught nothing.

The Evangelist mentions that this was done by one of the disciples, Peter, who was more ardent than the others, So Simon Peter went aboard; he also went up to the helm of the Church: "I will climb the state of perfection" (Song 7:8); "In his heart he is set to ascend" (Ps 64:6).

Jesus says to them, “Come, have breakfast.” None, however, of the disciples was daring to ask Him, “Who are You Yourself?” — knowing that it is the Lord.

What then doth Jesus? "Come," He saith, "dine." "And none of them durst ask Him." For they no longer had the same boldness, nor were they so confident, nor did they now approach Him with speech, but with silence and great fear and reverence, sat down giving heed to Him.

When the Lord said "come, dine," no one asks or dares to ask. They no longer had their former boldness, but in silence and with fear they marveled at Him; they knew that it was the Lord, and therefore did not ask. Seeing that His appearance had changed and was filled with striking majesty, they were greatly astonished.

When the Evangelist says, Jesus said to them, Come and dine, we see his invitation to the meal he had prepared. First, we see Christ's invitation; then the attitude of the disciples.

Jesus comes and takes the bread and gives it to them, and the fish likewise.

And He biddeth them "to bring of the fish," to show that what they saw was no appearance. But here indeed it saith not that He ate with them, but Luke, in another place, saith that He did; for "He was eating together with them." But the, "how," it is not ours to say; for these things came to pass in too strange a manner, not as though His nature now needed food, but from an act…

This does not differ from this reading either, for he ate fish and bread. For he who could be roasted like a fish from his humanity, refreshes us with bread from his divinity, who says: "I am the living bread who came down from heaven." Therefore he ate roasted fish and bread, so that by his own food he might show us that he both endured suffering from our humanity, and provide…

Next, Jesus came and took bread and gave it to them, and we see the meal they had, with Jesus eating with them: "You open your hand, you satisfy the desire of every living thing" (Ps 145:16). For he is the one who gives nourishment at the appropriate times. But did Christ really eat with them? We should say that he did, although it does not say this here.

This is now the third time Jesus was revealed to the disciples, having been raised out from the dead.

Jesus and Peter

When therefore they had dined, Jesus says to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He says to Him, “Yes, Lord; You Yourself know that I dearly love You.” He says to him, “Feed My lambs.”

We have been informed by Crementius the sub-deacon, who came to us from you, that the blessed father Cyprian has for a certain reason withdrawn; "in doing which he acted quite rightly, because he is a person of eminence, and because a conflict is impending," which God has allowed in the world, for the sake of cooperating with His servants in their struggle against the adversary…

Peter started to reach Jesus before the rest, disdaining, as it appears, to go by boat, because of the incomparable fervour and admirable zeal of his love towards Christ. Therefore He comes first to land, and draws up the net; for he was always an impressionable man, easily excited to enthusiasm both in speech and action.

The Evangelist just showed what the Lord did for the disciples in general; here he shows him dealing with his two especially loved disciples: first, what he did for Peter; and how he dealt with John (v 20). He does two things with the first: first, he lays on Peter the pastoral office; secondly, he predicts that he will be martyred (v 18).

He says to him again a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” He says to Him, “Yes, Lord; You Yourself know that I dearly love You.” He says to him, “Shepherd My sheep.”

When then having been asked once and again, he called Him to witness who knoweth the secrets of the heart, and then was asked even a third time, he was troubled, fearing a repetition of what had happened before, (for then, having been strong in assertion, he was afterwards convicted,) and therefore he again betaketh himself to Him.

And our Lord also called the faithful ones of His pastures by names in which simplicity is indicated: "If thou lovest Me", He said to Simon, the chief of His disciples, "feed My sheep, and My lambs, and My ewes." And as He was called symbolically by the word of the prophecy, "lamb", and "sheep", and John also called Him, "The Lamb of God", even so did He call the disciples of H…

Now we have the second examination. In order to avoid a lot of repetition, note that Christ says three times, Feed my lambs, because Peter ought to feed them three ways. First, they are to be fed by being taught: "And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding" (Jer 3:15).

He says to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you dearly love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you dearly love Me?” And he speaks to Him, “Lord, You Yourself know all things; You Yourself know that I dearly love You.” Jesus says to him, “Feed My sheep.

It appears from these words that, if one who is able refuses to feed the sheep of almighty God, he shows that he does not love the chief Shepherd. For if, in order to accomplish the good of all, the Only Begotten of the Father came forth from the concealment of the Father into our midst, what shall we say if we prefer our privacy over the good of our neighbors?

The third time Christ says to him, Feed my sheep. This is because there are three types of people in the Church: beginners, those who have made some progress, and the perfect. The first two types are the lambs, since they are still imperfect.

Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger you were dressing yourself and were walking where you were desiring; when, however, you may be old, you will stretch forth your hands, and another will dress you and will bring you where you do not desire.”

But not to dwell upon ancient examples, let us come to the most recent spiritual heroes. Let us take the noble examples furnished in our own generation. Through envy and jealousy the greatest and most righteous pillars [of the church] have been persecuted and put to death. Let us set before our eyes the illustrious apostles.

Then the Evangelist, to rouse the hearer, has added, "This spake He, signifying by what death he should glorify God." He said not, "Should die," but, "Should glorify God," that thou mayest learn, that to suffer for Christ, is glory and honor to the sufferer.

Above, our Lord entrusted the office of shepherd to Peter. Now he foretells his martyrdom. This was pertinent because a good shepherd should lay down his life for his sheep (10:11). It was not granted to the young Peter to lay down his life for Christ; but rather to the old Peter to lay down his life for his sheep. This is what Christ foretold to him.

Now this He said signifying by what death he will glorify God. And having said this, He says to him, “Follow Me.”

If equanimity be the contention, you have Lycurgus choosing death by self-starvation, because the Lacons had made some emendation of his laws: the Christian, even when he is condemned, gives thanks.

There are two states of life, therefore, preached and commended to herself from heaven, that are known to the Church, whereof the one is in faith, the other in sight; one in the temporal sojourn in a foreign land, the other in the eternity of the [heavenly] abode; one in labor, the other in repose; one on the way, the other in the fatherland; one in active work, the other in th…

John mentions this as something in the future, saying, This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God, for the death of the saints gives glory to Christ: "Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death" (Phil 1:20); "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief...

Jesus and the Beloved Disciple

Having turned, Peter sees the disciple whom Jesus was loving following, who also had reclined at the supper on His bosom and said, “Lord, who is it who is betraying You?”

What man, then, of sound mind can possibly suppose that they were ignorant of anything, whom the Lord ordained to be masters (or teachers), keeping them, as He did, inseparable (from Himself) in their attendance, in their discipleship, in their society, to whom, "when they were alone, He used to expound" all things which were obscure, telling them that "to them it was given to…

(Tract. cxxiv) He calls himself the disciple whom Jesus loved, because Jesus had a greater and more familiar love for him, than for the rest; so that He made him lie on His breast at supper. In this way John the more commends the divine excellency of that Gospel which he preached.

Now we see that John is commended: first, as to his past; then with respect to his future (v 21). John is commended on three points in his past. First, John had the privilege of having Christ's special love. The Evangelist says, Peter turned, for he had begun to follow Jesus even bodily, and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved.

Having seen him therefore, Peter says to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?”

Wherefore hath he reminded us of that reclining? Not without cause or in a chance way, but to show us what boldness Peter had after the denial.

When Peter therefore had seen him, whom he knew to be specially beloved, he says to Jesus: Lord, but what about this man? supply: will he suffer, in order to come to you? Chrysostom: "Peter loved John greatly: because therefore the Lord had foretold great things to Peter, wishing to receive this one also as a sharer, he says: Lord, but what about this man?"

And so the Evangelist immediately shows Peter asking a question, When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? This concerns the future of John. First, we have Peter's question; Christ's answer; and then the interpretation of the answer (v 23).

Jesus says to him, “If I shall desire him to remain until I come, what is it to you? You yourself follow Me.”

Since he spake from strong affection, and wishing not to be torn away from him, Christ, to show that however much he might love, he could not go beyond His love, saith, "If I will that he tarry - what is that to thee?" By these words teaching us not to be impatient, nor curious beyond what seemeth good to Him.

Knowing that Peter cared about John and did not wish to be separated from him, the Lord, in order to put an end to their untimely union and attachment to one another, says: "You have been entrusted with a task; carry it out and follow Me, as I lead you out to preach and place the whole world in your hands.

Christ's answer is given, So it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Notice that the Greek text does not have "So" but If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Yet the difference is not too important, for whatever the expression, the meaning understood by the apostles from the beginning was that John was not going to die.

This saying went out therefore among the brothers, that that disciple does not die. Jesus did not, however, say to him that he does not die, but, “If I shall desire him to remain until I come, what is it to you?”

Even John underwent death, although concerning him there had prevailed an ungrounded expectation that he would remain alive until the coming of the Lord. Heresies, indeed, for the most pan spring hurriedly into existence, from examples furnished by ourselves: they procure their defensive armour from the very place which they attack.

Peter turned to the secret decision of providence and saw from a distance the disciple John, son of thunder, who followed slowly, admiring the great and sublime promise made by our Lord to Peter.… Since John lived long, that is, seventy-three years after the ascension of the Lord to the time of Trajan, and died after all the other apostles in peace and serenity by natural death…

Then the Evangelist shows how the disciples understood these words of our Lord. They thought that John would not die. The saying spread abroad among the brethren, the disciples ‑ "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!" (Ps 133:1) ‑ that this disciple, John, was not to die.

This is the disciple who is bearing witness concerning these things and the one having written these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

John, who reclined on the bosom of Jesus, has left us one Gospel, although he confessed that he might have written so many that the world could not contain them. And he wrote also the Apocalypse, but he was commanded to keep silence and not to write the words of the seven thunders. He has left also an epistle of very few lines; perhaps also a second and third.

I think no wise man will doubt that the Lord would not have loved John if he had not been specially remarkable for virtue, and apt and perfectly equipped for every good work. For God can never be found to be inclined by any irrational leanings to those unworthy of His love, for such affections are more worthy of men.

Now we have the last part of this Gospel, which is a kind of epilogue. First, the Gospel is commended; and then the vastness of the subject treated (v 25). The Gospel is commended because of two things: its author, and its truth. Three things are mentioned about the author.

[There are now also many other things that Jesus did, which, if they shall be written every one, I suppose not even the world itself to have space for the books being written.]

Holy Scripture omits all idle inquiry into substance as superfluous and unnecessary. And I think it was for this reason that John, the son of thunder, who with the loud voice of the doctrines contained in his Gospel rose above that of the preaching that heralded them, said at the close of his Gospel, "There are also many other things that Jesus did, so many that, in fact, if al…

Very great, then, says the Apostle, will the number of the miracles that God hath wrought, and altogether without number will the list of His deeds be seen to be, and out of many thousands have these that are recorded been taken, as not being inadequate to profit to the uttermost those who read them. And let no one who is of a teachable spirit and loveth instruction, S.

Now John states the incompleteness of his Gospel as compared with the reality, because Christ not only did these things but there are also many other things which Jesus did. His statement, were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written, can be understood in two ways.

John21

Jesus Appears by the Sea of Tiberias

Jesus and Peter

Jesus and the Beloved Disciple