Jesus is alive—and that’s something worth celebrating! On Easter Sunday, we rejoiced with full hearts and lifted voices. But the resurrection isn't just a one-day event. In the Church calendar, there are seven Sundays in the Easter season, giving us time to truly soak in the joy and meaning of the risen Christ.
So far,
we've heard four powerful resurrection stories—stories filled with hope,
amazement, confusion, and even doubt. They remind us that encountering the
Risen Jesus looks different for everyone.
Today, we
hear a story of failure and of restoration. A story
that might hit close to home. Because if we’re honest, we all stumble from time
to time. Most of us have regrets. And
yet, today’s story shows us what Jesus does with people who’ve failed… and the
kind of future He still has in mind for us.
John 21:1-17
1 Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of
Galilee.[a] This is how it
happened. 2 Several of the disciples were
there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin),[b] Nathanael from Cana in
Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.
3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going
fishing.”
“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in
the boat, but they caught nothing all night.
4 At dawn Jesus was standing on
the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. 5 He
called out, “Fellows,[c] have you caught any
fish?”
“No,” they replied.
6 Then he said, “Throw out
your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they
did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.
7 Then the disciple Jesus loved
said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he
put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and
headed to shore. 8 The others stayed with the boat
and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred
yards[d] from shore. 9 When
they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a
charcoal fire, and some bread.
10 “Bring some of the fish
you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 11 So Simon
Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish,
and yet the net hadn’t torn.
12 “Now come and have some
breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are
you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Then Jesus
served them the bread and the fish. 14 This was the
third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from
the dead.
15 After breakfast Jesus asked
Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?[e]”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
16 Jesus repeated the
question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
17 A third time he asked
him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third
time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.
The fact that Jesus rose from the grave is a startling and glorious realization. Mourning becomes dancing, loss gives way to victory, and despair is replaced by living, lasting hope.
However, this story is important because it speaks to
something real in the lives of the disciples—and in our lives too: failure.
Peter failed Jesus. Before Jesus was arrested and crucified, Peter boldly
bragged: “I am ready to die for
you!” But when it came down to it, Peter
ran away with all the other disciples.
And Peter even denied knowing Jesus when questioned. It was a failure that must have weighed heavy
on Peter’s heart, even as seeing Jesus alive again filled his heart with relief
and joy.
All 12 disciples failed Jesus in one way or another.
And if we’re honest, so do we. We all have regrets we wish we could undo. Is there hope for people like us? Can
failures be forgiven? Can broken people be restored? This story gives us a resounding “yes.”
Jesus knew Peter denied Him. He also knew how much the failure weighed on Peter’s heart. And so Jesus went through a simple ceremony to restore Peter’s heart. He asked: “Peter, do you love me.”
And Jesus asked the question three times—one for each time Peter denied Jesus. Each time Peter affirmed: “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”
The third time Jesus asked the question, it stung Peter’s heart. By the third question, the parallel with Peter’s failure would’ve been unmistakable.
Peter felt deep sorrow and shame as the memory of his failure was brought into
the light. Yet this wasn’t Jesus rubbing salt in Peter’s wounded heart. This gentle confrontation led Peter through a process of restoration by
bringing his failure into the light and reaffirming Jesus’ call for Peter to
lead the church by feeding Jesus’ sheep.
Some may notice that each time Peter affirms he loves Jesus, Jesus responds in a slightly different way. He says, “Feed my lambs.” Then, “Take care of my sheep.” And finally “Feed my sheep.”
This may just be three different ways of saying the same thing. Others have speculated a deeper meaning: to show that caring for Jesus' people means nurturing the young, guiding the growing, and feeding the faithful. That’s an interesting idea to ponder, but not the focus God is leading me to today.
Instead, the Spirit is leading me to ask: When you fail, do you run to Jesus or run from Jesus? Peter failed Jesus. There was no doubt. He denied knowing Jesus three times. And Peter carried that guilt in his heart every time he saw the resurrected Christ. Yet, Peter didn’t abandon his faith. He didn’t run away from Jesus. In this story, we see very dramatically how Peter ran to Jesus despite his past failures.
Verse 7: “When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore.” Peter didn’t just run to Jesus, he splashed into the water and swam toward Him! It reminds me of the time Jesus was walking on the water and Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water toward Jesus. That first time Peter's faith floundered and he started to sink. But in our story today, Peter's faith was firm and he ran toward Jesus.
What about you?
When you're burdened by your failures, do you run to Jesus or run away? I want to encourage you to be like Peter—run to Jesus. Jump in the water and
swim if you must. In Jesus, we find forgiveness and restoration.
Our burdens are lifted and our purpose renewed. Jesus isn’t holding a grudge. He isn’t
angrily wanting to make you pay. He loves you and wants to heal you and restore you to the safety of the flock
because Jesus feeds His lambs, takes care of His sheep, and feeds His sheep.
So don’t run from Him.
There’s no need to hide. Run to
Jesus and be restored. Jesus invites you to be forgiven, healed, and restored. Lay down your failures and let them go. So let us join together in a a ritual of restoration as Jesus helps us let go of
our burdens.
Our Ritual of Restoration
Pastor: Followers of Christ, Jesus
asks you today: “Do you love me?”
People: Lord, You know that we love
You.
Pastor: Jesus says, “Feed my lambs.”
People: We will care for the young,
the new, the searching, and the struggling.
Pastor: Again, Jesus asked, “Do you
love me?”
People: Lord, You know that we love
You.
Pastor: Jesus says, “Tend my sheep.”
People: We will walk with one
another, offering compassion, correction, and care.
Pastor: A third time, Jesus asks, “Do
you love me?”
People: Lord, You know all things.
You know that we love You.
Pastor: Jesus says, “Feed my sheep.”
People: We accept Your calling, Lord.
In grace and humility, we will love and serve in Your name.
All: Though we have failed, You
restore us. Though we are broken, You use us. We love You, Lord—send us to love
others as You have loved us.
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