John 20 ends with two verses that wrap things up pretty nicely for the book of John.
“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)
But then there’s John 21. Peter, the Rock of the early church, is clearly singled out again in a story that is not entirely flattering. It is presented as a story after the big story, and it is very raw and bare. It’s not like the end of the LOTR when softly glowing happy people hug and smile and cry as they gently say perfect goodbyes.
Why is John wrapped up this way? What do we learn about Jesus, and why does it matter to us?
After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of (Cana in Galilee, and (the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.
Only 3 disciples of the 7 who are present are named.
Peter had betrayed Jesus; Thomas is the infamous doubting Thomas; Nathanial once said, “Can anything good come our of Nazareth?”
All three also offered a clear confession of faith (Peter in John 6:69; Thomas in John 20:28; Nathanael in John 1:49)
All three had their confession of faith followed by Jesus expressing his own doubts about the depth of their commitment (John 6:70; John 20:29; John 1:50).
I think this chapter will have something to do with this theme: people of faith who wrestle with doubt, fear and disillusionment.
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. So Jesus said to them, "Children, you do not have any fish, do you?" They answered Him, "No."
And He said to them, "(Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.[1] Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.
So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have now caught." Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.
So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You " He said to him, "Tend My lambs." He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep.’”
Darkness and daybreak set the stage for the story.
The symbolism of daytime and nighttime stands out at various points in scriptures, and it does here as well. In Scripture, Night often represents the downside or chaos of life. Peter denied Jesus in the dark just before daybreak. Peter went to the tomb “while it was still dark.” Here, Peter is fishing in the dark, failing to follow Christ yet again, and he took his friends with him.
John in the first chapter of his gospel wrote that “In him was life, and that life was the light of mankind; but the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it ” (John 1:5). Here, “morning was now coming to be.” Something new and beautiful is dawning.
This is the same sea on which Peter had tried to walk on the water and failed. This time he didn’t even try to walk on the water; he just throws himself in. Maybe he’s not about to test his faith after what happened when he denied Jesus. Peter’s enthusiasm is still there, but his hopeful optimism is not. Note the account says Peter pulled the net in. Dude is pumped!
Three times before the crucifixion, hiding in the darkness, huddled around a charcoal fire, Peter had not loved Jesus more than anything else. Three times, now, in the light of the morning, huddled around a charcoal fire, by a sea that represents his lack of faith, as the day is dawning, he is offered redemption.
The first and second time Peter responds with, “Lord, you know…” he is referring to knowledge at an every day level, the knowledge based on perception.
“Lord, you know all things because you have seen my love. I was the first one called to follow you and the first one named apostle. You saw me jump out of boats into seas that frightened me. You saw me cut off that dude’s ear when you were arrested. I ran to the tomb when I heard you were alive. You even nicknamed me the rock, remember? LOOK HOW IMPRESSIVE MY LOVE IS!!!”
But the third time, Peter shifts to a word that means experiential knowledge: “Lord, you perceive ALL things; you have experienced my life; we know each other; you have experienced my love.” I have read a bunch of commentary on this: Is Peter offended? Defensive? Exasperated? Embarrassed? Confused? My sense is that Peter’s last response is a statement of resignation. Jesus is not letting Peter avoid reality.
“I’m not asking if you are excited about me; of course you are. I’m not asking how impressive you are in your emotional outpourings and impulsive decisions and your ability to say what you think. You are clearly excited about me. You just pulled that whole net in. I’m asking you something different. I’m asking if you love me. I’m asking if you will take up your cross and follow me in spite of danger, or the opinions of others, or uncertainty and doubt. I DO KNOW YOU!!! Last time you didn’t. That’s why I’m asking again if you love me enough to die for me.”
And Peter response is, “Ah. Yes. You do know me, don’t you?” But Peter doesn’t give up. He continues to insist, “You know I love you.”
Ever have a conversation with someone when your relationship is at it’s worst? You have said things or done things that have given the other person every reason to push you away, and when you finally see yourself for the kind of friend or spouse or parent or child that you are, the last thing you have to fall back on is, “I love you, though. I really do. I have nothing else to say. I’m not very good at it sometimes, and I know when I let you down or hurt you I really let you down and hurt you. But I love you.” And then you desperately hope that will be sufficient to overcome weeks or months or years of insufficiency.
If I am understanding this correctly, Peter says, in essence, “You have experienced that I am cowardly, and impulsive, and self-centered, and doubting…but I love you.” Then Jesus says:
"Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!"
In John 13: 36-38, Jesus had said to him, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterward.”
What Jesus told Peter he could not do before (follow Him), he tells him he can do now, and that he will do it so effectively that he will be able to lead his church, and then he will die, and John records that this is a “semenon” – a sign.
John does not use the world “miracle” in his gospel to describe the actions of Jesus. He uses the word “sign” every time. The purpose of the signs were to promote trust and belief in Christ. Peter’s death will glorify God and be a “sign” to promote trust in Christ.
It turns out that Chapter 21 is a victory song to conclude the gospels. Here we are shown, through Peter, that our shortcomings and failures can be forgiven, and that Jesus wants us broken and imperfect people to follow Him and build His kingdom anyway.
Peter stands in for all of us in this story.
Peter, who was afraid of servant girls around campfires, will preach to the masses in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell like fire.
Peter, who cut off a man’s ear, will heal a man crippled from birth.
Peter, the coward, will be called by the apostle Paul a "pillar" of the Church.
For nine months, in absolute darkness, the Peter who denied Christ out of fear of the fallout will endure monstrous torture manacled to a post. He will convert his jailers and forty-seven others.
Peter, who once rebuked Jesus for saying the Messiah needed to suffer, will be crucified upside down, and (if tradition is correct) will even speak words of comfort to his wife as she goes to her death.
Peter’s death will be a sign to show to all of us that our history does not have to be our destiny. Morning is now coming to be, because the Light Of The World has come.
“The world and the church are littered with smashed lives and vessels ground beneath vengeful, judging feet… cross the line of shame (we think) and there is no way back… Not so because of Easter. The veil of death is parted; through it a hand reaches out to Peter, shamed and probably resigned to former routines. Wherever and however it happened, Peter was turned from death to life. The God who had not abandoned Christ in death would not abandon Peter in his. Against all odds…God proposed to love Peter again…yes, he will follow as once he declared he would.”
“We are called from that night where Peter, giving up and back in his old life, fishing in the dark, could catch nothing. Now, as the light dawns on us, resurrection means we are able to receive the love God proposes us.” (William Loader)
What do I learn about Jesus?
He calls those of us hiding in darkness into the light.
We all have a history of which we are ashamed. It has been this way since Peter. We didn’t deny Christ in the courtyard of the palace, but we have denied him with our TV’s, and our computers, and our budgets, and our priorities, and dating, and marriages, and family dynamics, and addictions, and words….Jesus meets us in the darkness and calls us into the light of His truth, grace and healing.
He will make us face the deeds we did in that darkness.
It is sometimes easy to put on a front that masks who we know we have been, but Jesus sees through masks. Anybody can come to church and talk it up, and impress people. And we might even believe our own PR campaign. “Hey, I’m pretty good. Jesus is lucky to have me!” But Jesus knows us. He is not interested in our strength. It’s when we are weak that He is strong. David says God desires a “broken and repentant spirit.” If we want to fully follow Christ, and truly make an impact in His Kingdom, we must be willing to be broken. We must be willing to have the deeds done in darkness brought into the light of Christ. There is no other way.
He might make this happen in front of other people, by the way. Peter wasn’t alone. Six of his best friends were there. I don’t think this is an accident. God designed His kingdom so that we do life in Christ with others. THIS IS HOW TESTIMONIES WORK.
He will empower us to follow Him and build His Kingdom.
That last chapter of John is an encouragement to the church. History is not destiny when Jesus enters the story. Your story is not over, because Jesus is working in your life to shine His light into all the dark places, and take your weaknesses and fill them with His strength.