PETER, REINSTATED
John 21:1-19
This past Sunday, I saw a movie called “Awakenings”. It was based on a true story of the work of Dr. Sayer. Dr. Sayer had been working with some patients who were survivors of encephalitis which a disease that spread to epidemic proportions from 1915-1926. After 1930, there were not any more cases reported. Encephalitis was a disease that was never isolated to its root cause. It involved swelling of the brain and left its patients in a trance like state. They existed, but they were not sociable. It was like they were living but socially dead. Dr. Sayer experimented and tried to see if any of these patients would respond. It was if others in the medical field had given up any hope of ever reaching these patients. Dr. Sayer was an exception to this rule. He kept working with these patients until one day he discovered the medication and the dose of that medication that would bring them back. It was successful. The results of his discovery were miraculous. It was as if he had brought the living dead back to life. However, later, the effects of the medication eventually wore off and the patients started drifting back to a trance like state.
There was a time in the life of the disicple Peter, when he was asleep spiritually. After he met Jesus, he was awakened spiritually. However, before Jesus was arrested and taken into custody just before he was crucified, Jesus had warned Peter that he would deny knowing Him. Jesus told Peter that before the cock crowed he would deny Him three times (Matthew 26:31-35). After Peter denied Jesus those three times, he seemed to feel as if he could no longer be the disciple that he had once been. As a result, he was drifting back to becoming a fisherman until Jesus reminded him that he had been called to be a fisher of men.
THE SLUMP
There are times when people for one reason or another may drift back to where they were before when they were awakened spiritually. The spiritual disease of this type sometimes, if not always has to do with the loss of hope. Hope begins to dissolve because of guilt or resignation due to loss of dreams and/or enthusiasm. In Peter’s case, guilt was the underlying factor. Peter was returning to his occupation as a fisherman. It seems that he was abandoning the type disciple that he had once been. Part of his abandonment was, it seems, due to his guilt of having denied that he knew Jesus three times. The other part of it was, it seems, due to his loss of purpose and meaning as a disciple of Jesus.
Imagine for a moment that you were Peter. Wouldn’t you have felt the same way that he did? Wouldn’t you have felt like you had lost your purpose? Wouldn’t you have abandoned hope as he seemed to be doing? Remember the words of Jesus in John 15:5, “Apart from me you can do nothing?” Peter obviously did not feel as though he was connected with Jesus any more. And for just a brief time, he even began to feel like a failure as a fisherman due to his lack of success. It was as if Peter had truly given up on Jesus. But, then something wonderful, something soul-shocking was soon to happen to Peter.
HELP IS ON THE WAY
Peter was soon going to have a revelation. Jesus had not given up on him. Why? Jesus knew Peter’s heart and character. Jesus saw in Peter what he could not see in himself. Jesus saw Peter’s gift. Yes, Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times. Yes, Peter followed Jesus after they had arrested Jesus from a distance. And when the rooster crowed a third time he found out how Satan had indeed sifted him like sand. Peter felt as though Jesus could never have any use for him again. But, Jesus was not finished with Peter. After all, wasn’t it Peter that Jesus called the rock on whom he would build his church (Matthew 16:18)? Jesus knew even then what was going to happen. Jesus knew that Peter would later deny Him three times. But, Jesus also knew that Peter was the man for the job of launching the building of the church.
So what was Peter’s revelation you ask? Peter’s revelation was that Jesus reinstated and restored Peter. Jesus had never disowned Peter as His disciple. It was Peter himself who had given up on whatever plans God had for him. Jesus had called Peter to be a fisher of men (Luke 5:2-11, Matthew 4:19) and not a fishermen. Peter had forgotten about that until he was awakened to the revelation that it was Jesus on the shore coaching some fishing instructions that proved to be successful. Earlier, in Luke 5:8, Jesus had given Peter some fishing lessons that proved to be successful after a fishing expedition that was a failure. That was when Peter told Jesus to depart because Peter was an evil man. One of the other disciples recognized the fact that this person on the shore was Jesus (John 21:7). When Peter heard what he said he put his outer garment back on dove out of the boat and swam back to Jesus (John 21:7). In fact, the way that the text reads, Peter left the boat so fast that the others had to get the boat back to shore without his help.
JESUS REINSTATES PETER AND HIS MISSION
Following breakfast, Jesus talks with Peter. Listen to the dialogue between them. “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” Peter said, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you”. Jesus answered, “Feed my lambs” (John 21:15). Peter had once pledged unwavering loyalty as he claimed that even if the others fell away, he never would. It was as if Jesus were saying “Do you love me more than you fellow disciples?” Notice how Peter does not claim to have greater loyalty then the other disciples as he says, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” When Jesus told Peter to “feed His lambs,” he was referring to younger sheep. We know that the younger sheep are more vulnerable.
Jesus asks the question as second time. “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” Again , Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus answered and said, “Take care of my sheep” (John21:16). When Jesus said sheep, He seemed to be making a reference to those who were mature but needing a shepherd to lead them because there is nothing worse than sheep who do not have a shepherd.
Then Jesus asked the question a third time. “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” By this time Peter was hurt that Jesus asked him this question a third time. Peter answered and said, “Lord, you know all these things; you know I love you.” Jesus answered and said, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). It was as if Jesus were telling Peter to help them find pasture. Fish need water. Birds need the wind. Sheep need pasture as well as a shepherd.
Why did Jesus ask Peter if he loved Him three times? The only answer that seems to make any logical sense is because Peter denied Jesus three times. Jesus already knew how Peter would answer the questions even before He asked them. He was asking these questions of Peter for Peter’s benefit and not His own. Jesus was calling Peter to wake up.
Jesus reinstates Peter to the place he had before. Again, Jesus had once told Peter that He was the rock on which He would build His church (Matthew 16:18). We know that the Lord does not ever break any of His promises (Joshua 23:14). Jesus wanted Peter to know that he had work to do. After all, Jesus did not give the disciples the power of the Holy Spirit to remain idle. Jesus gave them the Holy Spirit so that they might be empowered to do the tasks that were put before them.
Jesus tells Peter that he will live to be an old man. Jesus makes this point by comparing how well the young can do things for themselves, but the elderly will one day need the assistance of others. Jesus was in a sense telling him that he would have many years of service. “Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God” (John 21:19 NIV).
Peter’s role as the rock became realized on the Day of Pentecost. When Peter got through preaching on the Day of Pentecost some 3,000 people were baptized (Acts 2:41). That was the day that the church was born. Jesus had seen in Peter the kind of leadership skills that were needed for the beginning of the church.
