Easter Friday – Gospel
1After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he showed himself in this way. 2Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he had taken it off, and jumped into the sea. 8But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
9When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them, and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Commentary on John 21:1-14
Today we have a resurrection story which is unique to John and is in his final “extra” chapter, which may be a kind of appendix added on later by another author following the Johannine tradition. The text contains some peculiarities which are closer to Luke’s style, but others which are Johannine. It bears close resemblance to a similar story about a catch of fish in Luke (5:1-11), and another in Matthew (14:28-31), where Peter gets out of the boat to go to Jesus. Although it seems added to the original text, the chapter appears in all extant manuscripts of John.
Like most of John’s accounts, it is a story full of symbolism. We see a group of disciples, seven altogether, seemingly at a loose end with nothing to do. The seven are Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons (James and John) and two other disciples.
Nathanael, who is only mentioned in John’s Gospel, appears in chapter 1 of John as one who was called by Philip. This is the only mention of James and John in John’s Gospel, although they have a central role in the other three Gospels. Some speculate John may be the second of the two disciples called by Jesus in John 1 (the one named is Andrew), but he could also be the ‘Beloved Disciple’ (the “disciple whom Jesus loved”), not yet ready to be so called.
Of the two other disciples in the boat, one is presumed to be the Beloved Disciple who appears very soon in the story. The number seven suggests the fullness of the community. John likes the number seven—he records seven signs performed by Jesus, and seven ‘I AM’ statements.
Peter, the leader, decides to make a move and says, “I am going fishing.” It is what he knows best, and the others go along with him. Is there an implication that the great enterprise that Jesus began is over and they return to their old way of living?
After a whole night on the lake they get nothing. (Aristotle tells us that night-time was favoured for fishing.) Is there also an echo of words spoken at the Last Supper, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5)?
As the light of dawn breaks Jesus is standing on the shore, but as usually happens in these post-resurrection scenes, they do not recognise him. He asks the question fishermen do not like to be asked:
Children, you have no fish, have you?
Reluctantly they have to admit, “no”. He then gives them some suggestions. On a natural level, it is possible he could see a movement of fish that was not visible from the boat, but the real meaning is deeper. He will lead the fish to them as he will lead people to them later on.
After following Jesus’ instructions, they make a huge haul of fish, so many that they cannot be brought into the boat. The exact number is given: 153. Is that an actual memory or is there a special symbolism in the number? St Augustine thought the latter and made his own speculations. St Jerome saw it as an expression of the universalism of the Christian mission, saying that the Greeks believed there were altogether 153 kinds of fish. The number is also the sum of the first 17 digits: 1+2+3…
However, that aside, the main point is to emphasise God’s generosity, recalling, for example, the amount of water changed into wine at Cana, the amount left over after feeding the crowds in the desert, the abundance of life that the Good Shepherd gives, the fullness of the Spirit, and the life-giving water that guarantees we are never thirsty. As well, the net was not broken. The net itself is, as in other texts, a symbol of the Kingdom of God.
This is all clearly a parable, a symbol of their future work as fishers of people, a work whose success will originate in the power of Jesus behind them and in their following what he tells them to do.
A similar incident had happened during Jesus’ earthly life and the “disciple whom Jesus loved” immediately saw the connection. He is the one with deeper insight into the presence and the ways of his Master. “It is the Lord!” he exclaims.
But if the “other disciple” was the one whom Jesus loved, Peter was the one who loved Jesus. And it is Peter, the impetuous one, who reacts first. He “put on his outer garment, for he had taken it off”* and jumps into the water to get to Jesus, leaving the others to bring the boat and fish to the shore. Such is his anxiety to be close to his Lord.
Says the New International Bible:
“It is curious that he put on this garment (the word appears only here in the New Testament) preparatory to jumping into the water. But Jews regarded a greeting as a religious act that could be done only when one was clothed.”
Peter is responding to the call “It is the Lord” and hears it as pointing to Jesus as someone special.
On the shore they find that Jesus has lit a fire. There is bread and some fish cooking. (Where did these fish come from? This is the kind of question we do not need to ask when reading a symbol-full passage like this.)
Jesus says to the Apostles:
Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.
“You”? Yes, literally they had pulled the fish in, but where had they originally come from? The same goes for much of what we claim to do. It is important to acknowledge God’s role in our actions, especially our successes.
In response to the command, it is Peter, the leader—now and in the future—who alone brings in the huge catch from the boat by the water’s edge. Peter alone dragging the net in is an image of the Kingdom coming (compare the parable beginning in Matt 13:47). His action also signifies the special position of Peter in the mission of the Apostles. Just now the whole group together could not haul the net into the boat.
Jesus then invites them to come and eat with him the meal he has prepared for them. Here, too, there are Eucharistic overtones. Now as they stand close to the friendly stranger, no one dares to ask “Who are you?” because they know quite well it is the Lord, the risen Jesus. Again we are being taught to find the presence of the Lord in all those who are kind to us, who do good to us in any way, and especially in those who share the Eucharistic meal with us. In the same way, we are called to be Jesus to everyone that we encounter.
If there were any questions remaining, Jesus’ identity is now confirmed by his taking the bread and the fish and giving it to them to eat. He broke bread; he celebrated a Eucharist with them.
We have here, then, some central pillars of our faith:
- recognising Christ in the kindly stranger and playing that role ourselves;
- expressing our love and solidarity with each other through our celebration of the Eucharist and breaking bread together;
- working with the power of Jesus to fill the net that is the Kingdom, becoming truly fishers of people.
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*That is, he was naked. Some of our translations use all kinds of euphemisms (e.g. ‘lightly clad’, New American Bible) to express this. Does it shock us that the first pope could go around like this? Male nakedness was much more acceptable in Peter’s society. A redeemed people should have no problem with an unclothed body. It was only after their sin that Adam and Eve became ashamed of their nakedness. Jesus reversed that by dying naked on the cross. We need to remember, too, that Peter is still under a cloud after denying his Master three times. Nakedness is only for the innocent. So, the moment he hears the person on the shore is his Lord, perhaps it is shame and guilt that make him cover himself. It is possible that all the others were naked also, but had no reason to cover themselves. Very soon, however, there will be a reconciliation between Jesus and Peter.
