The Gospel Of John Chapter 21 Pt. 2 Jesus Deals With Peter's Denials And Gives Him A Fresh Start

The next paragraph finds Jesus addressing Peter's denial of Him, the night He was betrayed. He gave Peter 3 opportunities to confess faith in Him.

Jesus prophesied Peter's denial of Him.

Matthew 26:33-35  Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. 34)  Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 35)  Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples. 

When they were done eating, Jesus turned to speak to Peter. During His earthly ministry, Peter was a leader of the disciples. Peter had professed his love and devotion to Christ more than the rest. 

Peter denied Jesus 3 times and realized what he did. 

Matthew 26:73-75  And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74)  Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75)  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. 

Yet, no other disciple except Judas Iscariot, treated the Lord as badly as Peter did, when he denied Christ 3 times.

Peter's previous professions of love and loyalty to Jesus came apart when he denied his Lord that night. 

Notice how vehement Peter's last denial was. He began to curse and swear and said "I know not the man." 

As soon as the rooster crowed, Peter remembered Jesus words predicting his denial. He went out and wept bitterly.

This sets the context for the words Jesus speaks to Peter in John 21.

The first time Jesus probed Peter's heart.

John 21:15  So 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. 

Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him more than the other disciples,  and Peter said that he did. 

Yet the strength of this profession of love for Christ, did not match the intensity of Peter's earlier ones.

Peter's response to Jesus question was a modest one. "Thou knowest I love thee." He longer expressed the strength of his love, nor did he compare himself with any of the others. 

Before, Peter rashly declared "Though all be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended" (See Matthew 26:33). He put himself high on a pedestal above the other disciples. 

The Bible is always true, and God tells us that pride goes before a fall (See Proverbs 16:18; 1 Corinthians 10:12). 

Painful memories of that night and his denial came flooding back into his mind. Peter had learned the bitter truth about pride going before a fall. Any good that we can do is a blessed provision of grace from our Lord. 

Jesus told Peter to "Feed my sheep." The verb "feed" means to tend a flock, by feeding the sheep, caring for them, guiding them, governing them and protecting them.   

Jesus outlined the spiritual duties for the apostles, and for all the pastors, evangelists and teachers who would come after them.

The second time Jesus probed, His question cut deeper. 

John 21:16  He 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.  

Jesus asked Peter again if he "loved" Him, and this verb means  to love, to value, to hold in high esteem, to be faithful towards; or to delight in.

To "love" like Jesus is asking whether we love like Jesus by submitting our will to His perfect will.

Peter replied that he "loved" Jesus, but it is a verb that means loving someone like a close friend. 

It is as our Lord had said, “Peter, dost thou love me ardently and supremely?” To which Peter answers, “Lord, I feel an affection for thee." 

Jesus tells Peter a second time, to feed His sheep.

The third time Jesus probed Peter, He cut deeply and Peter responded rightly. 

John 21:17  He 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. 

This was Jesus' deepest incision into the wound He made in Peter's heart, which was feeling pain and guilt from the first two times Jesus probed it. 

Now Peter discerned the object of Jesus' probing questions. The third time reveals it all, bringing up dreadful memories of his “thrice denying that he knew Him.” 

The third question really pricked Peter's heart, as well it should. 

When God deals with our heart, and issues of sin, we must always go back to the point of departure. We must go back to the place where we sinned and failed our Lord. 

When we repent and confess our sin, we will find our Lord to be full of compassion, grace and forgiveness. 

Peter was grieved in his heart that Jesus asked him three times about his love for Christ. He made the connection between Jesus' questions, and his own failure when he denied Jesus 3 times. 

Peter's repentance led to Jesus cleansing His disciple and giving him a fresh start. 

Jesus prophesied Peter's martyrdom on a cross. 

John 21:18-19  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19)  This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. 

Now, Jesus reminded Peter that from a young age, he took care of himself, did the things that he needed to do, and earned a living. 

Jesus spoke prophetically of Peter's death. He said that when Peter was older, he would be carried away and executed. 

The terms "stretch forth thy hands" are connected to the Roman method of crucifixion. Thus, Jesus showed Peter that he would die on a cross. 

Jesus also said that Peter's death would glorify God, and that Peter must remain faithful, and do the work of the Great Commission.

Peter fed Christ's sheep until the end of his life. 

2 Peter 1:12-15 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. 13) Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 14) Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. 15) Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. 

This text is from Peter's last letter to the churches, and all elders, pastors, teachers and evangelists.

He used the word "remembrance" three times in three verses. He pledged that as long as he had life in his body, he would not neglect to teach them truth from Jesus Christ. 

At that point in time, Peter knew that the time of his death drew near, just as Jesus showed him many years earlier. 

Peter's whole focus is that when he is deceased, all the churches and leadership, will remember the vital truth that he carefully and diligently taught to them.

Church history tells us that Peter was indeed crucified, but he chose to be hung upside down, so that his death was not compared to the Savior's.

Thoughts to Ponder...

We learned how pride goes before a fall, by looking at Peter's denial of Christ. 

We also learned that when we sin, we must go to the point of sinning, and repent, and ask our Lord to forgive us. He will always forgive us and wipe our sin away (See 1 John 1:7 to 2:2). 

God is always seeking to do heart work in us. He knows that confession is good for the soul, and that unconfessed sin will drag us into being lackluster in our faith. 

Our service for God will not be acceptable, and our love for Him will be diminished, until we confess and forsake our sins (See Proverbs 28:13).

Bob