What is the context?
After the appearances in Jerusalem, John describes another meeting with the risen Jesus, this time by the Sea of Tiberias. Seven disciples go fishing together. They work through the night and catch nothing.
At daybreak Jesus stands on the shore, though they do not yet recognize Him. At His instruction they cast the net on the right side of the boat and make a large catch. The disciple Jesus loved recognizes Him, and Peter jumps into the water to reach Him.
Jesus has a charcoal fire, fish and bread ready. He invites them to breakfast and also asks them to bring some of their catch. The account gives a precise count of 153 fish, but it does not explain the number as a code. The emphasis is on the Lord who meets, directs and provides for His disciples.
The third appearance in verse 14 refers to Jesus appearing to the gathered disciples. It should not be read as a denial of the individual encounters already described, including Mary’s meeting with Him in the previous chapter.
How is this passage commonly understood?
Christians commonly read this as another encounter with the bodily risen Jesus, showing His care and the disciples’ dependence on Him. Wesley on verse 6 sees both practical provision and a picture of the work ahead as fishers of people.
Going fishing is sometimes understood as slipping back into an old life. The passage does not expressly rebuke them for fishing, however. Calvin on verse 3 does not regard it as inconsistent with their calling while they await the power needed for their public work. The miraculous catch shows their need for Jesus without requiring us to decide that their night’s work was itself disobedience.
Where does this fit in God's plan?
The scene recalls the earlier catch in Luke 5:1–11. There too Peter and his companions work without success, follow Jesus’s direction, and receive an overwhelming catch. In that earlier account Jesus explicitly calls Peter to a mission involving people.
This is a parallel between the two scenes, rather than an explanation John gives of every fish or movement of the net. The Lord who first called them is still with them after His resurrection. Their work depends on Him, and His care for them accompanies His call to serve.
What is our position?
We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.