For small groups · 10 questions
John 21 Bible study questions
The risen Jesus meets 7 disciples at the lake, fills their nets, cooks breakfast, and asks Peter 3 times, “Do you love me?”
Read the chapter aloud first. Then take the questions in order: what it says, what it means, what to do. About 45 minutes. Skip any question that doesn’t fit your group.
Start here
- What is your favorite breakfast?
Look: what does it say?
- What happens when the disciples fish all night, and then again at Jesus’ word?John 21:3-6
- What does Peter do when he learns it is Jesus?John 21:7-8
- What does Jesus ask Peter 3 times, and what does he tell him to do?John 21:15-17
Understand: what does it mean?
- Peter denied Jesus 3 times by a charcoal fire. Why might Jesus ask him 3 times here, by a fire?John 21:9,15-17
- Why does Jesus give Peter work to do, rather than only forgiving him?John 21:15-17
- Peter asks about John. What does Jesus tell him?John 21:20-22
Live it: what will we do?
- Is there a failure you have not let Jesus restore?
- If Jesus asked you, “Do you love me?” what would you say, and what might he ask you to do?John 21:15-17
- Where are you comparing your path with someone else’s instead of following?John 21:21-22
Close in prayer
Answer Jesus’ question in quiet prayer, then pray for each other by name.
John 21
Lumin Translation. It prints after the questions, so the group has the words in front of them.
1 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. This is how he showed himself.
2 Gathered together were Simon Peter, Thomas who was called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two more of his disciples.
3 Simon Peter told them, “I am going out to fish.” They answered, “We are coming with you too.” So they went out and climbed into the boat, but they caught nothing that night.
4 As morning was coming on, Jesus stood on the beach, yet the disciples did not know it was Jesus.
5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have nothing to eat, do you?” They answered him, “No.”
6 He told them, “Cast the net off the right side of the boat, and you will find fish.” So they cast it, and then they could no longer pull it in, there were so many fish.
7 So the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around himself, since he had stripped down, and flung himself into the sea.
8 The rest of the disciples came on in the small boat, pulling the net full of fish; they were not far from land, only some two hundred cubits.
9 As they stepped onto land, they saw a charcoal fire laid there, with fish on top of it, and bread.
10 Jesus told them, “Bring some of the fish you caught just now.”
11 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net onto land. It was full of big fish, 153 of them, and even with so many, the net was not torn.
12 Jesus said to them, “Come, eat breakfast.” Not one of the disciples dared to question him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.
13 Jesus came, took the bread, and handed it to them, and the fish likewise.
14 This was already the third time Jesus had shown himself to the disciples since being raised from the dead.
15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again he asked him, a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Shepherd my sheep.”
17 He asked him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” It pained Peter that Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He answered him, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep.
18 Truly, truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would fasten your own belt and go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and another person will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.”
19 He spoke this to point to the kind of death through which Peter would glorify God. Having said this, he told him, “Follow me.”
20 Turning around, Peter saw the disciple Jesus loved following them—the one who had also reclined against his chest at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is it who will betray you?”
21 Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about him?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, how does that concern you? As for you, follow me!”
23 Because of this, the report went out among the brothers and sisters that this disciple would not die. Jesus, however, had not told him that he would not die, but rather, “If I want him to remain until I come, how does that concern you?”
24 This is the same disciple who gives testimony about these things and who wrote them down. We know that what he testifies is true.
25 Jesus also did many other things. If they were written down one by one, I think that not even the world itself could hold the books that would be written.
Lumin’s own translation, drafted with AI from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, checked verse by verse against them, and approved by Lumin. Brackets mark verses not found in the earliest manuscripts.