Once upon a time, after His resurrection, Jesus chose to reveal Himself once more to His disciples near the Sea of Tiberias. Among these disciples were Simon Peter, Thomas, also called Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others.

During this time, Simon Peter declared his intention to go fishing, and the others decided to join him. They went out to sea in a boat but caught nothing throughout the night. However, as dawn was breaking, a figure appeared on the shoreline, unrecognized by the disciples. This, in fact, was Jesus Himself.

Observing their empty hands, Jesus asked if they had any food. They responded negatively. With a simple command, Jesus told them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. Once done, the disciples were astounded to find their nets bursting with an overwhelming multitude of fish – so many that they could not haul in the net.

Recognizing the miracle, the disciple whom Jesus cherished, possibly John, turned to Peter and said, “It is the Lord.” Immediately Peter, hastily girded his coat about him and threw himself into the water in his eagerness to approach Jesus. The other disciples, still out at sea, came to shore in the little boat, laboriously pulling the net full of fish.

On reaching land, they saw a warm fire waiting for them, with fish grilling on it and fresh bread. Jesus invited them to add some of their bountiful catch to the grill. Simon Peter then drew the net to shore, revealing the enormous catch of 153 great fishes.

Jesus invited them to sit, offering the bread and fish. Despite their wonder, none dared to question His identity; they knew in their hearts that He was indeed the Lord.

After their meal, Jesus turned to Simon Peter, asking him three times if he loved Him. Each time, Peter affirmed his love for Jesus, to which Jesus replied, “Feed my lambs,” “Tend my sheep,” and “Feed my sheep.” In this way, Jesus reinstated Peter to pastoral ministry even after Peter had denied Jesus in His crucial hour.

Jesus then made a sobering prophecy about Peter’s future, implying a martyr’s death but encouraging him to continue to follow in His path.

Seeing the disciple whom Jesus loved, Peter asked Jesus about this beloved disciple’s fate. Jesus simply replied, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.” Thus, a rumor began to circulate that this disciple wouldn’t die, but Jesus only emphasized Peter’s need to focus on obedience rather than others’ destinies.

This beloved disciple, the witness of these marvels, wrote of these affairs, and we have confidence in the truthfulness of his record. Beyond this, the totality of Jesus’s deeds is so great that should they all be recorded, the world wouldn’t be able to contain the resulting books. This is the testimony of His life, teachings, miracles, and enduring love.