The Gospel of John | Restoring Peter For The Mission of God – John 21:15-25
Jesus Christ restores us to right relationship with Him and empowers us to join His already victorious mission.
In this final section of John, Peter’s story comes to a conclusion. Or rather, it comes to a true beginning.
After their dinner from the previous sections, the disciples walked along the beach with Jesus. Peter, talking with Jesus, had some time for a conversation between just Peter and Jesus. It was then that Jesus asked whether Peter loved Jesus. Peter, somewhat taken aback by the question answered that of course he did. Yet, Jesus still asked this question three different times. Previously, Peter had denied Jesus three times before people claiming to not even know who this Jesus person had been. Now, Jesus asked him three times with the undoing of the denial of Peter. The ministry of God through Peter would be just beginning here and would mean standing firm in the love of God to accomplish all that God had set apart for Peter. Furthermore, following Jesus would require that Peter endure many things for the sake of the Lord, including crucifixion.
Yet, then came the issue of John, the beloved disciple. Peter inquired what would happen to John if Peter had been foreordained to die on the cross and he asked whether John would incur a similar fate. Jesus, loving redirected Peter in the discussion that the roles of each of them would simply be different and one would not be better or worse as both would find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Peter and John had wrestled with comparison and competition throughout the entirety of the Gospels. Yet in this moment, the rivalry is somewhat laid to rest. The roles of each would be specific to how God had called them.
As followers of Jesus Christ, each one of us has a specific calling and part of the mission that God equips us to complete. Some will be asked to pay the ultimate sacrifice of dying for their faith and some would endure torture and attempted murder their entire lives, while others will simply be called to live faithfully in the world. Everyone has been called in a specific manner to live according to the grace of God that we have been given. The foundation of our joining the mission of God, though, comes with our own redemption. We all had rejected Jesus at a point but, by the grace of God have been drawn back into relationship with Him and restored to our purpose. Jesus Christ restores us to right relationship with Him and empowers us to join His already victorious mission.
Peter Restored to Right Relationship
While the other disciples were around, Jesus and Peter had a more private conversation with one another. All the events of Jesus’ return and coming to them on the Sea of Tiberius, came on the heels of one of the most stunning failures of Peter’s faith. During the time when it mattered the most, Peter rejected knowing Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. By denying Jesus, Peter rejected relationship with Jesus Christ and loving Him for the sake of not enduring any kind of persecution. Now, Jesus asked Him if Peter loved Him. Peter, shocked by the question answered affirmatively every time, a vast difference from His behavior on the night Jesus was crucified. Faced with the truth of Christ’s defeating of death, Peter is filled with the love of God. Now, though, the response of Jesus to Peter would mean he cares for the people of God. His life would change in this moment as God not only restored Peter to right relationship but empowered Him to care for those who would come after Him.
The follower of Christ builds on the foundation of love for Jesus Christ. Our identity and security builds on the foundation that Jesus Christ is Lord and we love Him as Lord and Savior of our life. Once, we were separated from God with our sin, rejected Him before others and living our life as we sought fit. Jesus Christ, though, taking the punishment for our sin, restored us to right relationship with Jesus Christ. Now, we join in the mission of Jesus Christ by shepherding the people of God to know Him more. We feed the sheep and care for them, paving a path for the rebellious people of God to return to the fold of God. We love God and express that love by caring for and extending grace to those around us so that Christ would be glorified.
- What are the differences between Peter’s rejection of Jesus Christ and Peter’s restoration by Jesus Christ?
Comparing The Roles We Play
Jesus had told Peter that Peter would eventually die because of his love for Jesus Christ. By telling him that Peter’s arms would be outstretched, Jesus clearly references a crucifixion that Peter would endure. History and stories tell us that this is exactly how Peter died in Rome, with some legends saying he asked to be crucified upside down, being unworthy to die in a manner similar to Jesus Christ. Yet, on the beach, Peter couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to John. The two had always seemed to be in some kind of competition with one another and Peter probably had been asking whether Peter died in the same way. Jesus answered in a gentle rebuke that the paths the two would take would be different and all for the glory of God. Comparing the life of Peter and John would simply not be a fair comparison. While Peter would serve as one of the leaders of the church, John would serve as the son to Mary, caring for her. While Peter would be crucified for His faith, John would die in exile, in old age, having been poisoned, boiled alive, and stoned. Furthermore, this comparison remained inconsequential in the eyes of God. The standards of faithfulness simply would not be the same between them both.
The Christian is not creating competitions of who is better. Faithfully following Christ is not something we determine by comparison with one another but by the faithfulness to the things God has called us to. Following God will look very different for every person in the context they find themselves. Too often, Christians find ourselves creating competition within the body of Christ either jealous of their success of mad that they did not suffer as much as we did. This, however, is not the point. Believing that everything is done by the Holy Spirit in the completed victory of Christ, we no longer need to compare with one another our callings. Everyone’s calling is different and specific to who God has created them to be but they all serve the same purpose; to glorify Jesus Christ.
- What reasons does Jesus give for not comparing the roles between John and Peter?
More Than Can Be Written
The final verse of the Gospel of John paints a picture of the vastness of the work of Christ and the impact it holds. John, hyperbolically, makes note of that many things that Christ did that simply could not be written down. The work of Christ far exceeded any of the Gospel authors ability to capture every moment. Had everything been written down, there would not be enough space to house it all. Jesus Christ, as fully God, is not limited in scope of power and did much more than man could achieve on His own.
John, in this final section, gives hope to the reading that the work of God is not only vast and mighty from the hands of a great and sovereign King, but also that the ministry of Jesus Christ continues. The message does not change, the Gospel is not altered, but the work of God carries on for generations to come. We know that God continues to stir in the hearts of people, doing immeasurably more than we could imagine. God has not given up on the people or left us to our own actions, but He continues to stir in the hearts of man to draw His people to Himself. He is our hope of our salvation, our redemption, and our mighty King who saves.
- How does John’s phrasing of the works of Christ display the power of God?
Discussion Questions
- How does Jesus Christ restore us to our right relationship with Him? What were we like before coming to Christ? What changed after He restored us?
- Why does faith in Jesus Christ result in a change mission to pursue the people of God for the glory of God?
- What makes you jealous about other Christians? Why does this make you jealous?
- How does placing our assurance in Jesus Christ help us to not compare the callings and faith with one another? How does this affect our faith and relationship with other Christians?
- Where has God placed you and how has He equipped you to minister the gospel to those around you?
About The Author
Daniel Burton is the founder of The Gospel Outpost. He is passionate about discipleship and seeing people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. To find out more about him, check out his Author Page.
