The final chapter of John’s gospel provides a wonderful account of the appearance of the resurrected Jesus to his disciples. Like other post-resurrection accounts, the disciples do not at first recognise Jesus and it is not until the miraculous catch of fish that the beloved disciple declares, ‘It is the Lord’. In a beautifully everyday touch, the risen Jesus prepares breakfast on the beach for the disciples and blesses the simple food in the same way as he did the bread and wine at their last supper.

When the disciples drag ashore their miraculous haul of fish, the gospel writer tells us that there were 153 fish! This seems an odd number and an odd fact to specifically mention. Mathematically, 153 is a number with several interesting attributes, and historically, it has been suggested that the ancients believed that there were 153 species of fish or 153 nations in the world. Like nearly every number used in the Bible, its meaning is symbolic, not literal. It is intended to convey that the catch of fish was huge and is indicative of the vast numbers of people who will be caught up in the disciples' new ministry.