Chapter 6 Peter’s restoration
John 21: 3Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
4But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
6And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
8And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
9As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
10Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
11Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
12Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
13Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
14This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
15So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
The scene for Peter’s restoration takes him back to the very beginning when Christ asked him to follow and He would make him “fisher of men” Christ had reappeared to Simon Peter at two times before this visit; but the time was not right yet until now to ease this apostle’s pain. No mention had been made of the denial. This was His third visit as though the number 3 would play a role in this restoration. Jesus Christ in His Omniscience is very patient to wait until the perfect moment. He could have rushed to Simon Peter with the words “I forgive you”; but he didn’t. He waited. He knew that Peter was hurting and most likely tried to avoid the obvious question; yet, Jesus waited. It reminds me of another time when Jesus waited despite the pain of another loved one, because he loved them. That time was in John 11 which details Lazarus’s death and resurrection. The scriptures read, “1Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.” In this case it was because He loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus—He waited so that His Glory might be accomplished and so that they would come to understand His might and power in their life. Had He arrived sooner they could not understand what He was doing. They would have been seeking merely the miracle; but not the miracle giver. They needed to have their faith stretched to the point of faithless sorrow so that they might understand the depth, breadth, and width of His Love and Gift for them. The same is true of Simon Peter, because Christ loved him so much, he had to wait until the perfect moment. Peter had seen the resurrection of Christ and was thrilled with the truth of Christ’s death and resurrection; yet, as you note—He returned to fishing. “After all, Christ has said nothing about the denial; perhaps, I cannot be used in His service”, thought Peter. “I blew it!! What can I do? I witnessed a miracle beyond any miracle and I met the Savior, the Messiah. What an honor I have been blessed with.” So with that mentality, Peter went back to the fishing. That was the only occupation he knew and certainly he did not believe he would ever be good enough to return to Christ’s service. He had failed Christ at a crucial moment, all his bragging about love and devotion had been nothing more than a lot of worthless hot air.
Peter had fished all night and even then failed to catch any fish; perhaps, even in this he felt a failure. As the morning dawned there was Christ standing on the shore. In fact, the disciples did not recognize Him; perhaps, they weren’t looking for Him at that moment—they were not certain what role they now played in the Kingdom of God. In fact, for Peter, he had gone back to his former life, why would Christ appear now? Peter, I daresay, doesn’t recall the prayer and promise of Christ that when he was restored to strengthen the brethren. Instead, Peter took them fishing. In fact, Peter was fishing in the nude as he had formerly done. Then Peter realized that this was Jesus Christ as He had commanded them to throw the nets in and pull up an overflowing catch of fish; just like in the beginning. Peter grabbed his coat and jumped into the water. Oddly, that he would throw on a coat to swim when swimming is much simpler in the nude. Yet, Peter wanted to try to cover his own shame for his lack of faith in Christ’s ability to use him and for his denial a few days, weeks prior. When Peter and the disciples reached the shore Christ was already cooking fish so as to provide a meal to His disciples. He attended first to their physical need of hunger before stepping into the important work of restoration. That would be just like Jesus; he would attend to the physical needs so that there would be abundant energy to go about the task at hand. Sometimes in the Christian walk when we awaken in that same position as Peter in which we feel we have failed so severely that we could not be used ever again. At that moment, many times God sends forth just the right song or sermon or person to fill our hungry heart before He begins that work of restoration. Once his hunger had been met, Christ invited Peter for a private walk along the beach. We know this private because while they are talking, it is noted in verse 20 “Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following” They had to be walking a few steps ahead and speaking softly.
So they begin this walk, Peter hardly able to contain himself with the thoughts most likely running through his mind. It was the first time they were alone and Christ wanted to talk to him. Then came the piercing questions in a series of three; just like the denial had been a series of three so too the restoring questions are a series of three. Peter prior to the incident was so confident that he loved Christ better than the other disciples and that he would go to prison or death because of his love for Christ. Yet, Peter, came to realize that his own love was not perfect; instead he needed to rest on the assurance that Christ’s love was all sufficient. So it is that Christ asked Peter “Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me?” Note that Christ once more is calling Peter by his human name and not the spiritual name he had been given. Another point of great interest is the word “lovest”, In the latin languages, there are various distinctly different words that refer to love. One type of love is “agape” love. This is an unconditional, never failing, God like love. The other word for love that is used in these verses is phileo love (this refers to a general brother-like love) and would be considered a good type of love; but certainly, with limitations and flaws. It is more like an affection rather than a steady burning, unconditional love. Therefore, the conversation went something like this. Christ said, “Simon, do you love me with a burning, unconditional agape love?” Peter’s response is “yeah Lord, I love you with an affectionate, brother like Phileo love.” Christ commands Peter to feed his sheep. Remember once more this is the same Peter who had previously swore his love to be greater than anyone’s and now he hesitates in his own description of his love for Christ, doubting the depth and sincerity of it. . So, Christ again asks Peter, “Simon, do you love me with a burning, unconditional agape love?” Peter’s response again is “yeah Lord, I love you with an affectionate, brother like Phileo love” Christ commands Peter once more to feed his sheep, as demonstration of that love and devotion—He is calling Peter into service again. Then on the third question, Christ asks; “Simon, do you love with an affectionate, brother like love?” What a grievous question. Peter must have quickly thought as I have at times thought, “Lord is my ability to love you so flawed that I cannot even attempt to demonstrate it, does it not even show?” Yet, very humbly, Peter now replies: “Lord, you know all things, look into my heart Lord and You will not need to ask such a question.” Once more the Lord calls Peter into service with “Feed my sheep”
Peter had come to realize that he, himself was nothing and had nothing to boast of except for Jesus Christ. He came to realize that in the power of his own love, he would fail. His self-righteous spirit was broken completely. His heart had been broken for Christ and now restored was a humble heart that recognized that unless it is Christ’s love and work through him, there was no work at all. Now with all self pride stripped away, Peter was ready to become the preacher he needed to be. He found his own central core of hope in future grace set firm in Jesus Christ and Christ Alone-“the hope for Glory” As Peter writes in I Peter 1: “Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” No longer could Peter’s hope and faith be in himself or even his ability to love Christ; rather, he depended and rested upon the love of God to sustain him and to work out this faith through him. That is why Peter was able to preach at Pentecost where 3000 were saved. It was no longer Peter’s boisterous voice; but Christ’s voice through Peter. God did not cause Peter to fail; but God did allow Satan to sift Peter and God took Peter’s failure and used it for Peter’s growth, the increased intimacy with Christ for Peter, and for the good of the kingdom. What an amazing God of Grace and Mercy and Love. God knew that the only source of joy, hope, strength and peace for Peter was an intimate relationship with God. Prior to Peter falling deeply with a broken spirit, broken heart and contrite heart; Peter’s pride stood in the way of this intimacy. Peter sometimes had trouble hearing the truth as he was caught up in his own desires. This was not the case with the restored Peter.
It was Peter’s own experience that lead him to write in I Peter 1: “3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”
Was Satan about the business of sifting you lately? I daresay that he seems to be consistently having to sift something else from this wayward heart. For a moment, it is very painful; yet, I am much quicker now to turn to Christ and ask “What do I need to learn, Lord? Please show me what you have for me to do? Strengthen me, sustain me and transform me into Your image—whatever it takes”. God honors that kind of sincere prayer brought out of a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart.
FEAR WALKED IN
Fear walked in
I let her stay
And Talk with me a while
What harm was she
A lonely soul
She could not mean me guile
But as she talked
With gentle voice
I listened to her tale
It seemed to touch
A chord in me
My heart began to wale
Jealousy
She was her friend
Who also came to stay
A little while
What could it harm?
As hours turned to days
Another friend
Came close behind
And anger was her name
I could not hear
The voice of God
While playing their wild games
I bid them leave
Get out of here
I screamed at them to go
I let them in
My fault I know
Oh, such a wretched foe
I cried to God
To make them leave
I want to feel your love
I need your joy
Your grandest peace
My eyes to see above
He heard my plea
He bade them leave
My faith He did restore
I felt His love
His warm embrace
How could I want for more?
I looked around
And then I saw
A precious love was gone
I’d lost him there
Oh, wretched self
I knew I’d done such wrong
So if you see
That one called fear
Come knocking at your door
Don’t let her in
Bolt tight the locks
Or run to distant shores
Hold tight to God
His truth, His love
And never doubt His word
For fear will bring
Along her friends
Your loss, your fault, Absurd