This was now the third time that Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.
Parallel translations
- WEB This is now the third time that Jesus was revealed to his disciples, after he had 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.
- BSB This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after He was raised from the dead.
- NKJV This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.
- NLT This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
John notes this is the third time Jesus appeared to the gathered disciples after rising. It matters because it confirms the repeated, well-attested reality of the resurrection.
Overview
John counts this as the third resurrection appearance to the disciples as a group, following the two recorded in chapter 20. The numbering underscores that the risen Lord showed Himself repeatedly to reliable witnesses. Such appearances form the foundation of the apostolic testimony to the resurrection. The verse reinforces the certainty on which Christian faith rests.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- John 20:26After eight days again his disciples were inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the middle, and said, “Peace be to you.”
- John 20:19When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 21:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.