John 21:8 Commentary and Bible Study

The other disciples came in a smaller vessel for they were not far from the land, and the distance is given, dragging the net with fishes. And as soon then they were come to land, they saw what was provided – a fire of coals and fish already there. It wasn't necessary to use the fish that they had caught. Whether the fish that the Saviour had provided for them on the fire of coals were added to by some of their own catch or not is debated. But there was fish already there. It was all prepared, and bread. There is going to be a resurrection meal. There was the fire of coals, charcoal in all likelihood and there was the fish laid out. Some people point out that it is a singular fish and a singular loaf, though that is a little debatable but there seems to be a touch of John 6 and the miracle of the loaves and fishes here, and the way it is expressed would suggest that there was a single fish, a single loaf and Christ broke it and as he did so, it multiplied in his hands and he dispersed it. Everything about this is remarkable and miraculous.