The third time. The number three refers to the distance of time. Christ had already appeared to his disciples more than seven times, but all that had been transacted in one day is included in one manifestation. The Evangelist, therefore, means that Christ had been seen by the disciples at intervals, in order to confirm their belief of his resurrection.

The third time - See the "Harmony of the Accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus."

This is now the third time - That is, this was the third time he appeared unto the apostles, when all or most of them were together. He appeared to ten of them, John 20:19; again to eleven of them, John 20:26; and at this time to seven of them, John 21:2. But, when the other evangelists are collated, we shall find that this was the seventh time in which he had manifested himself after he arose from the dead.
1st. He appeared to Mary of Magdala, Mark 16:9; John 20:15, John 20:16.
2ndly, To the holy women who came from the tomb. Matthew 28:9.
3dly, To the two disciples who went to Emmaus, Luke 24:13, etc.
4thly, To St. Peter alone, Luke 24:34.
5thly, To the ten, in the absence of Thomas, John 20:19.
6thly, Eight days after to the eleven, Thomas being present; John 20:26.
7thly, To the seven, mentioned in John 21:2; which was between the eighth and fortieth day after his resurrection. Besides these seven appearances, he showed himself,
8thly, To the disciples on a certain mountain in Galilee, Matthew 28:16.
If the appearance mentioned by St. Paul, 1-Corinthians 15:6, to upwards of 500 brethren at once - if this be not the same with his appearance on a mountain in Galilee, it must be considered the ninth. According to the same apostle, he was seen of James, 1-Corinthians 15:7, which may have been the tenth appearance. And, after this, to all the apostles, when, at Bethany, he ascended to heaven in their presence. See Mark 16:19, Mark 16:20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:3-12; 1-Corinthians 15:7. This appears to have been the eleventh time in which he distinctly manifested himself after his resurrection. But there might have been many other manifestations, which the evangelists have not thought proper to enumerate, as not being connected with any thing of singular weight or importance.

This is now the third time,.... Or day of Christ's appearance to his disciples: he appeared to them first on the same day he rose, and then a second time eight days after, or that day a week later, and now at the sea of Tiberias; for within this compass of time he had made more appearances than three, though to particular persons, and not to such a number of the disciples as at these three times:
that Jesus showed himself to his disciples after that he was risen from the dead: and thus, as by the mouth of two or three witnesses, everything is established; so by these three principal appearances of Christ to his disciples, his resurrection from the dead was confirmed.

This is the third time that Jesus showed himself--was manifested.
to his disciples--His assembled disciples; for if we reckon His appearances to individual disciples, they were more.

The third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples. John does not say that this was the third appearance of Jesus, but the third time he had showed himself to the disciples, or apostles, for that is the sense in which disciples is here, and often, used. The first time was his appearance to the ten apostles, on the evening of the day of the resurrection (John 20:19). The second was to the eleven (Thomas was now present) one week later (John 20:26).

The third time - That he appeared to so many of the apostles together.