“This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate.” (John 21:24 NLT)

Simon Peter was a fisherman by trade. So it seems fitting that his first encounter with Jesus had taken place on a boat. Luke 5 tells us that after an unsuccessful fishing excursion, Peter was cleaning his nets when he saw Jesus being followed by a large crowd. Jesus stepped onto Peter’s boat and asked him to row Him out a little bit so that He could teach the crowd from the boat. After Jesus finished teaching, He instructed Peter to row a little further out and let down his nets again. This time when Peter did, the nets became so full of fish that they began to tear. It was a miraculous haul.

In the last chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus repeats the scene. Peter and six other disciples had returned to their boats in Galilee. After fishing all night with nothing to show for it, they were rowing back to shore. A voice from the beach told them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. When they did, their nets filled immediately.

“It’s the Lord!” John realized in verse 7 (NLT).

That was all Simon Peter needed to hear. In true Simon Peter fashion, he immediately jumped overboard and swam to shore.

Jesus had breakfast ready for His hungry disciples. After they had eaten, Jesus asked Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” (verse 15a NLT). In other words, “Is your love for Me greater than the love of these other disciples?”

“‘Yes, Lord,’ Peter replied, ‘you know I love you.’

“‘Then feed my lambs,’ Jesus told him” (verse 15b NLT).

Twice more, Jesus asked if Peter loved Him. Twice more, Peter said yes. And twice more Jesus gave a variation of His instruction: “Then take care of my sheep” (verse 16 NLT) and “Then feed my sheep” (verse 17 NLT).

On the night of Jesus’ arrest, Peter had denied three times that he was Jesus’ disciple. On the shore of the Sea of Galilee, three times he announced that he was, in fact, Jesus’ disciple. Jesus gave Peter the chance to redeem himself and prove his true character.

The disciple who had been too timid to admit his connection with Jesus would soon become one of the boldest in proclaiming Jesus’ message. Peter would become one of the cornerstones of the first-century church. And, as Jesus informs him, he would one day die by the same means Jesus did. “You will stretch out your hands” (verse 18 NLT) is a reference to crucifixion. Church tradition tells us that Peter was crucified in Rome.

In the final chapter of John, Jesus shows us that no failure is too devastating to come back from. As long as we have breath to confess and repent, we can recover. Jesus will forgive us. He will restore us. He will give us an important purpose and place in His work.

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