In my last post, we examined when Kefa Goes Fishing One More Time ~ Part 1. In this post, we continue with Kefa Goes Fishing One More Time ~ Part 2.

We pick up the story as the fishermen haul their large catch to shore:

⁹ When they stepped ashore, they saw a fire of burning coals with a fish on it and some bread. ¹⁰ Yeshua said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

Although Yeshua provides as he did in the feeding of the five thousand, this time, he gives them a chance to share as the lad had in with his loaves and fishes.

¹¹ Shim‘on Kefa went up and dragged the net ashore. It was full of fish, 153 of them, but even with so many, the net wasn’t torn.

Various attempts have been made to interpret the number 153 symbolically, but most likely, it merely represents the actual number of fish. Large numbers elsewhere in Yochanan are meant literally as well (2:6; 12:3). [1]

When they arrived on the beach, they saw that Yeshua had cooked breakfast of fish and bread on a fire of burning coals. Who knew Yeshua was a cook as well?

The Greek word for burning coals appears two times in Yochanan’s Gospel: here and at 18:18 when Kefa was warming himself by another such blaze. On that occasion, Kefa had denied three times that he knew Yeshua. Thus, the Lord was reminding Kefa of his recent past. We can be confident of this because of the conversation that follows. Kefa never forgot this meal; he even mentioned it in his preaching (see Acts 10:41).

¹² Yeshua said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the talmidim dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Yeshua came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time Yeshua had appeared to the talmidim after being raised from the dead.

Yeshua invited them to join Him for breakfast. Yochanan tells us that none of the talmidim dared to ask him, Who are you? They all recognized that this was their risen Lord. This was now the third time Yeshua had appeared to the talmidim after being raised from the dead.  The Resurrection of Yeshua was neither a fairytale nor a hallucination. He showed himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. During a period of forty days, they saw him, and he spoke with them about the Kingdom of God. Acts 1:3 (CJB) As Yeshua himself told them, Look at my hands and my feet — it is I, myself! Touch me and see — a ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you can see, I do.” Luke 24:39 (CJB)

In my next post, we continue with Kefa Goes Fishing One More Time ~ Part 3 when Yeshua asks Kefa, do you love me more than these?

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[1] HCSB Study Bible.