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John 21:9
ESV When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread.
NIV When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
NASB So when they got out on the land, they *saw a charcoal fire already made and fish placed on it, and bread.
CSB When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread.
NLT When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them — fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.
KJV As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
NKJV Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.

What does John 21:9 mean?

Several of Jesus' disciples went on a nighttime fishing trip (John 21:1–4) while waiting for their master to meet them in Galilee (Matthew 28:9–10). Jesus had appeared on the shore and told them to cast once again, despite catching nothing the entire night. The result was a massive haul, and Peter reacted by jumping overboard so he can swim to shore (John 21:5–7). The others are only now arriving with the boat and its overfilled net (John 21:8).

In the early days of their discipleship, Peter and these other men had seen a similar miracle, when Jesus provided them an enormous catch after a night of failure (Luke 5:5–8). After that, Jesus had called them to be "fishers of men," and they had left their trade behind (Luke 5:10–11). By the time the men arrive at the beach, Peter and Jesus have prepared a small fire to cook a breakfast of fish and bread. This will set the scene for Jesus to remind Peter of another, less happy memory (John 21:17). Both moments will connect as Jesus restores Peter's status as a faithful disciple.
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Context Summary
John 21:1–14 begins by describing another encounter between the disciples and Jesus, after His resurrection. Seven of them have an unsuccessful night fishing; this is possibly a sign that their calling is to be evangelists, not anglers. A figure on the beach tells them to cast their net to the other side of the boat, resulting in a massive catch. John realizes the man is Jesus, and Peter dives overboard to swim to shore. There, the other disciples arrive to find a breakfast of bread and fish waiting for them, along with Jesus.
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Chapter Summary
After Jesus' resurrection, a group of disciples goes fishing while they wait in Galilee. From a distance, a figure appears and tells the men to cast again. Despite a fruitless night, they obey, and the net is immediately overflowing with fish. This confirms that the man on the shore is Jesus. As the disciples eat a meal with Christ, He presses Peter to reaffirm His faith. Jesus then predicts the nature of Peter's death; He does not do so for John. The gospel of John ends with an affirmation of its source, and a reminder that no single book could contain every detail of Jesus' ministry.
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