John 21:14
in John 21This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after He was raised from the dead.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
KJV
This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
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This verse in John 21
Commentary
17 notes on this verseIt is asked: Why did the Lord manifest himself to the disciples at intervals and was not with them continuously until the ascension? And Chrysostom responds that "he withdrew himself from their sight at times, so that he might be sought more eagerly, and being …
This site's exposition
Come, have breakfast
on John 21:12-14
Jesus keeps the fire, cooks the fish, and hands out the bread, the same giving that fed the five thousand at John 6:11. Every man there knows Him. John counts it the third time the risen Lord stood among His disciples.
This site's exposition
the third time
John counts only the group meetings. Adam Clarke lists the first two at John 20:19 and 20:26, and with the other Gospels he counts this as the seventh appearance. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown draw the same line between the gathered disciples and single witnesses.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
(Tract. cxxiii. 3) Which has reference not to manifestations, but to days; i. e. the first day after He had risen, eight days after that, when Thomas saw and believed, and this day at the draught of fishes; and thenceforward as often as He saw them, up to the time of His ascension. (de Con. Evang. iii. 25.) We find in the four Evangelists ten occasions mentioned, on which our Lord was seen after His resurrection: one at the sepulchre by the women; a second by the women returning from the sepulchre; a third by Peter; a fourth by the two going to Emmaus; a fifth in Jerusalem, when Thomas was not present; a sixth when Thomas saw Him; a seventh at the sea of Tiberias; an eighth by all the eleven on a mountain of Galilee, mentioned by Matthew; a ninth when for the last time He sat at meat with the disciples; a tenth when He was seen no longer upon earth, but high up on a cloud.
"This was now," he says, "the third time that Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after that He was risen from the dead." And this we are to refer not to the manifestations themselves, but to the days; that is to say, taking the first day when He rose again, and the [second] eight days after, when the disciple Thomas saw and believed, and [the third] on this day when He so acted in connection with the fishes, although how many days afterwards it was that He did so we are not told; for on that first day He was seen more than once, as is shown by the collated testimonies of all the evangelists: but, as we have said, it is in accordance with the days that His manifestations are to be calculated, making this the third; for that [manifestation] is to be reckoned the first, and all one and the same, as included in one day, however often and to however many He showed Himself on the day of His resurrection; the second eight days afterwards, and this the third, and thereafter as often as He pleased on to the fortieth day, when He ascended into heaven, although all of them have not been recorded in Scripture.
For here He no more looketh to heaven, nor performeth those human acts, showing that those also which He did were done by way of condescension. And to show that He remained not with them continually, nor in like manner as before, It saith that, "This was the third time that Jesus appeared to them, after that He arose from the dead." And He biddeth them "to bring of the fish," to show that what they saw was no appearance. But here indeed it saith not that He ate with them, but Luke, in another place, saith that He did; for "He was eating together with them." But the, "how," it is not ours to say; for these things came to pass in too strange a manner, not as though His nature now needed food, but from an act of condescension, in proof of the Resurrection.
The Medieval Church2 voices
The Evangelist says: "This is now the third time that He showed Himself," and by this he indicates that He did not associate with them constantly, nor as before.
This now the third time. After the manifestation has been set forth, there is set forth the comparison of this manifestation with the preceding ones; and it is counted as the third along with the preceding ones, not because there were not more, but because …
9 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
The Evangelist summarizes the appearances by saying, This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples. According to Augustine, if this third time refers to the number of times, it is not true. For as was said, on the first day …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This is now the third time,....
This is taken notice of, [1.] For confirming the truth of his resurrection; the vision was doubled, was trebled, for the thing was certain. Those who believed not the first sign would be brought to believe the voice of the latter signs. [2.] As an instance of Christ's continued kindness to his disciples; once, and again, and a third time, he visited them.
The Nineteenth Century6 voices
This is now the third time - That is, this was the third time he appeared unto the apostles, when all or most of them were together. He appeared to ten of them, Joh 20:19; again to eleven of them, Joh 20:26; and at this time to seven of them, Joh 21:2. But, when the other evangelists are collated, we shall find that this was the seventh time in which he had manifested himself after he arose from the dead. 1st. He appeared to Mary of Magdala, Mar 16:9; Joh 20:15, Joh 20:
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This is the third time that Jesus showed himself--was manifested. to his disciples--His assembled disciples; for if we reckon His appearances to individual disciples, they were more.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
none . . . durst ask him, Who art thou, knowing it was the Lord--implying that they would have liked Him just to say, "It is I"; but having such convincing evidence they were afraid of being "upbraided for their unbelief and hardness of heart" if they ventured to put the question.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
The appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ after His resurrection, described in these verses, is a deeply interesting portion of the Gospel history. The circumstances attending it have always been regarded as highly allegorical and figurative, in every age of the Church. It may, however, be justly doubted whether commentators and interpreters have not gone too far in this direction. It is quite possible to spiritualize and filter away the narratives of the Gospels, until we completely lose sight of the plain meaning of words.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
The appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ after His resurrection, described in these verses, is a deeply interesting portion of the Gospel history. The circumstances attending it have always been regarded as highly allegorical and figurative, in every age of the Church. It may, however, be justly doubted whether commentators and interpreters have not gone too far in this direction. It is quite possible to spiritualize and filter away the narratives of the Gospels, until we completely lose sight of the plain meaning of words. In the present case we shall find it wise to confine ourselves to the great, simple lessons, which the passage undoubtedly contains. We should observe, for one thing, in these verses, the poverty of the first disciples of Christ. We find them working with their own hands, in order to supply their temporal needs, and working at one of the humblest of callings—the calling of a fisherman. Silver and gold they had none, lands and revenues they had none, and therefore they were not ashamed to return to the business to which they had, most of them, been trained. Striking is the fact, that some of the seven here named were fishing, when our Lord first called them to be Apostles, and again fishing, when He appeared to them almost the last time. We need not doubt that to the minds of Peter, James, and John, the coincidence would come home with peculiar power. The poverty of the Apostles goes far to prove the divine origin of Christianity. These very men who toiled all night in a boat, dragging about a cold wet net, and taking nothing—these very men who found it necessary to work hard in order that they might eat—these very men were some of the first founders of the mighty Church of Christ, which has now overspread one-third of the globe. These were they who went forth from an obscure corner of the earth, and turned the world upside down.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The third time - See the “Harmony of the Accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus.”
The words behind it
10 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τοῦτο | touto | This [is] | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἤδη | ede | now | G2235 → | 61 times |
| τρίτον | triton | [the] third time | G5154 → | 56 times |
| ἐφανερώθη | ephanerothe | was revealed | G5319 → | 45 times |
| Ἰησοῦς | iesous | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| τοῖς | tois | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μαθηταῖς | mathetais | disciples | G3101 → | 260 times |
| ἐγερθεὶς | egertheis | having been raised | G1453 → | 142 times |
| ἐκ | ek | out from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| νεκρῶν.¶ | nekron | [the] dead. | G3498 → | 128 times |
τοῦτοThis [is]
toutoG3778 →1381 times
ἤδηnow
edeG2235 →61 times
τρίτον[the] third time
tritonG5154 →56 times
ἐφανερώθηwas revealed
ephanerotheG5319 →45 times
ἸησοῦςJesus
iesousG2424 →908 times
τοῖςto the
toisG3588 →19766 times
μαθηταῖςdisciples
mathetaisG3101 →260 times
ἐγερθεὶςhaving been raised
egertheisG1453 →142 times
ἐκout from
ekG1537 →911 times
νεκρῶν.¶[the] dead.
nekronG3498 →128 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 20:19It was the first day of the week, and that very evening, while the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be…
it leads to
- John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 20:21
Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 20:26
Eight days later, His disciples were once again inside with the doors locked, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
- Luke 24:36–49
While they were describing these events, Jesus Himself stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
- John 7:13
Yet no one would speak publicly about Him for fear of the Jews.
- John 14:27
Through
John 20:26Eight days later, His disciples were once again inside with the doors locked, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
it leads to
- John 20:19
It was the first day of the week, and that very evening, while the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be…
- Isaiah 54:10
Though the mountains may be removed and the hills may be shaken, My loving devotion will not depart from you, and My covenant of peace will not be broken,” says the LORD, who has…
- Matthew 17:1
After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
- John 20:19
Where this verse is studied
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Studies11
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About John
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on John 123; Bonaventure, Commentary on John, Chapter 21; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Gospel according to John; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of John 87; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on John and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.