Bible Study Notes 4/14/2026

WORD ALIVE! BIBLE STUDY ^©2026

Journey To Bethlehem and Beyond – Post Advent / Spring Series

Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton – Conley Hughes, Jr., Senior Pastor

Quiet Time: Max Lucado, Because of Bethlehem:

Love Is Born, Hope Is Here, 2020

Lesson 17

14 April 2026

John 21:1-19, NLT: This Scripture Passage is the third incident in which Jesus appears to His disciples. The Gospel of John provides us with a detailed and intimate look at the relationship of Jesus and His disciples after the Resurrection. The fishing incident is only recorded in John’s Gospel. The author, believed to be John, to whom the mother of Jesus was entrusted, is both a central figure in the narrative and the narrator. John as an eyewitness to the events in Jesus’ life wants us to read the Scriptures, accepting them as the truth. John wants us to know that all that Jesus said and did, is because He is lived and walked among us, and is Son of God and the Messiah whom the prophets said would come. The doubts of the disciples were challenged by the appearance of Jesus and the works He performed after the Resurrection. The very voice and presence of Jesus, beyond the empty tomb, was indisputable evidence that He “lives.” Moreover, Jesus restored the disciples back into fellowship with Him!

Verses & Explanations for John 21:1-19, NLT

Observe         Interpret         Apply

(Verses 1-3): A Retreat from Responsibility:

¹ “Later, Jesus appeared again before the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. ² Several of the disciples were there – Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathaniel from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.  ³ Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ ‘We’ll come too.’ They all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. 

(Verses 4-5): Inability to Recognize the Lord:

⁴  At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see where He was. ⁵ He called out, ‘Fellows. Have you caught any fish?’ ‘No,’ they replied.

(Verses 6): Grasping Immediate Instructions:

⁶ Then He said, ‘Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!’ So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.

(Verses 7-11): Recognizing Jesus and Its Rewards:

⁷ Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter head that it was the Lord, He put on His tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore.  ⁸ The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only  a hundred yards from shore.  ⁹ When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them – fish coking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.   ¹⁰ ‘Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,’ Jesus said.  ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 Large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.

(Verses 12-14): Knowing Jesus but Remorseful of Sin:

¹² ‘Now come and have some breakfast!’ Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask Him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew was the Lord. ¹³ Then Jesus served them the breakfast and the fish. ¹⁴ This was the third time Jesus had appeared to His disciples since He had been raised from the dead.

(Verses 15-17): Testing Peter for Apostolic Leadership:

Commands to Peter: 

¹⁶ ‘Feed my lambs.’

¹⁷ ‘Feed my sheep.’

(Verses 18-19): Restoring Peter for the Lord’s Mission:

¹⁸ ‘Feed my lambs,’ 

¹⁹ ‘Follow Me.’”

The Key Idea

What We Believe!  

1. “Your word is a lamp to my feet  and a light to my path!” – Psalm 119:105