John 21 is an epilogue that shows how the risen Jesus restores a failed disciple. Seven disciples fished all night on the Sea of Tiberias and caught nothing. At dawn, a stranger told them to cast on the right side, and the net filled with 153 large fish. The miracle echoed Peter's original call in Luke 5. The beloved disciple said, It's the Lord! Peter threw himself into the sea to reach Jesus. Remarkably, the net was not torn, a picture of the gospel gathering many people without losing one.
On shore Jesus had prepared a charcoal fire with fish and bread. Jesus said, Come and eat breakfast. Then Jesus came and took the bread, gave it to them, and the fish likewise. The risen Lord served His disciples just as He had fed the five thousand. The charcoal fire also recalls the fire where Peter denied Jesus. Jesus meets us in the place of our failure.
Three times Jesus asked, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Peter, once boastful, humbly answered, Lord, you know everything. Three affirmations matched three denials. Each answer brought a commission to shepherd Jesus' flock. The Good Shepherd was making Peter a shepherd under Him. Jesus also foretold that Peter would glorify God by his death. When Peter asked about the disciple Jesus loved, Jesus said, You follow me. Each disciple must follow Jesus without comparing his path to another's. The book closes by affirming that the beloved disciple's testimony is true and that Jesus did so much more than any books could contain.