The chapter begins with Peter and six other disciples going fishing in the sea of Galilee. They fished all night but caught nothing. Jesus appeared to them on the shore the next morning but they did not recognise Him initially. He instructed them to throw down their net on the right side and almost immediately they caught a large number of fish. John then expressed recognition of the Lord Jesus and Peter got off the boat and jumped into the sea to get to Jesus.
When they all finally reached the shore, they found food (fish and bread) prepared for them by the Lord and He invited them subsequently to have breakfast and also to bring some of the fish they had caught.
Some have queried whether the disciples’ going fishing indicates that they have forgotten their role as Jesus’ disciples but this is not clear. The common interpretation by many is that their subsequent hauling of a large number of fish points to their initial calling to be fishers of men and that they will henceforth harvest a large number of ‘fish’; however, although ‘sheep’ and ‘fruit’ on the vine have been used symbolically to refer to disciples, ‘fish’ is mentioned only at the feeding of the five thousand with bread and fish. It is possible that the incidence of the feeding of the five thousand is a sign John intended to bring back to memory for the readers and this points to Jesus as the bread of life.
But what chapter 21 is emphasising is probably the reinstatement and re-commissioning of the apostles to be His under-shepherds. Peter was particularly singled out as representing the apostles and also because he especially needed the assurance of this re-commissioning by the Lord after his denial of the Lord three times. What is interesting is to note that Jesus first fed the disciples with bread and fish (including those from the miraculous catch) before they were told to feed His people,
Peter was asked three times whether he loves the Lord and after he replied in the positive, the Lord Jesus instructed him to feed His sheep and to care for them. Feeding His sheep means teaching God’s people about the words and works of Jesus. Jesus’ key priority in the last days (the period between His resurrection and His return) is the feeding of His sheep through the words and works of the apostles. This centres on the teachings of the apostles through the Word of God and Jesus revealed in the Scriptures and the personal teachings of the Lord Jesus. If Jesus’ priority is the feeding of His sheep, we must make sure that we feed on His Word ourselves and also help others to feed on His Word. The chief concern of the Lord is that His Word should go out to His people. At the same time, we must remember that the people we teach are His, and not ours to rule over, and that the teachings are accurate and a faithful communication of God’s revelation.
In this chapter, Jesus revealed that Peter and John would have different paths to take as His apostles; Peter would glorify God by following Christ and feeding His people to the point where he must die a martyr’s death but John would not die in the same way but would remain to feed the sheep by recording for them the words and works of Jesus. Each will walk the path allocated by the Lord but all must be prepared to follow the Lord even to the point of death. Faithfulness is required for stewards and servants of God.
As we ponder upon the calling of God’s people to feed His sheep as under-shepherds, it is helpful to soberly reflect on the seriousness of such a calling.
Reflect on Jeremiah 23:1-2:
Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declared the Lord. “Therefore this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: ‘Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,’ declares the Lord.
All of God’s people have a role to play in the spreading of His Word to those who have not yet heard His voice; each of us have gifts, given by Him, whether it be sharing, teaching or proclaiming His Word. If God has commissioned us to do this, to neglect it is tantamount to failing to care for God’s people and is considered as ‘evil’ and unfaithfulness. We can expect God to look upon this failure as something serious in His sight.
Feeding His sheep involves not just teaching His Word; it also implies caring for His people on His behalf. It reminds us from John 10 that the false shepherd will run away in the face of danger and care only for himself; the genuine shepherd will be willing to protect the sheep, even with his life.
Jesus’ priority in these days should also be our priority. Feeding the sheep did not stop with the apostles; it is passed on to subsequent followers and disciples of the Lord Jesus. John 21 explicitly reveals that the motivation to feed the sheep is love for the Lord Jesus. It is not a job which demands a payment; it is not an obligation to please someone above us in the hierarchy of the church or Christian group; it is nothing less than love for the Lord.