John from The Message Bible with an opportunity to comment on each chapter

John 21:1  After this, Jesus appeared again to the disciples, this time at the Tiberias Sea (the Sea of Galilee). This is how he did it:

John 21:2  Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed "Twin"), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the brothers Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.

John 21:3  Simon Peter announced, "I'm going fishing." The rest of them replied, "We're going with you." They went out and got in the boat. They caught nothing that night.

John 21:4  When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn't recognize him.

John 21:5  Jesus spoke to them: "Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?" They answered, "No."

John 21:6  He said, "Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens." They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren't strong enough to pull it in.

John 21:7  Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, "It's the Master!" When Simon Peter realized that it was the Master, he threw on some clothes, for he was stripped for work, and dove into the sea.

John 21:8  The other disciples came in by boat for they weren't far from land, a hundred yards or so, pulling along the net full of fish.

John 21:9  When they got out of the boat, they saw a fire laid, with fish and bread cooking on it.

John 21:10  Jesus said, "Bring some of the fish you've just caught."

John 21:11  Simon Peter joined them and pulled the net to shore--153 big fish! And even with all those fish, the net didn't rip.

John 21:12  Jesus said, "Breakfast is ready." Not one of the disciples dared ask, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Master.

John 21:13  Jesus then took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish.

John 21:14  This was now the third time Jesus had shown himself alive to the disciples since being raised from the dead.

John 21:15  After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John , do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Master, you know I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

John 21:16  He then asked a second time, "Simon, son of John , do you love me?" "Yes, Master, you know I love you." Jesus said, "Shepherd my sheep."

John 21:17  Then he said it a third time: "Simon, son of John , do you love me?" Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, "Do you love me?" so he answered, "Master, you know everything there is to know. You've got to know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

John 21:18  I'm telling you the very truth now: When you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wished, but when you get old you'll have to stretch out your hands while someone else dresses you and takes you where you don't want to go."

John 21:19  He said this to hint at the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And then he commanded, "Follow me."

John 21:20  Turning his head, Peter noticed the disciple Jesus loved following right behind.

John 21:21  When Peter noticed him, he asked Jesus, "Master, what's going to happen to him?"

John 21:22  Jesus said, "If I want him to live until I come again, what's that to you? You--follow me."

John 21:23  That is how the rumor got out among the brothers that this disciple wouldn't die. But that is not what Jesus said. He simply said, "If I want him to live until I come again, what's that to you?"

John 21:24  This is the same disciple who was eyewitness to all these things and wrote them down. And we all know that his eyewitness account is reliable and accurate.

John 21:25  There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can't imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.

The Message:
The Bible in Contemporary Language
from Amazon

What do you think?