Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 23

The Need for Restoration and Renewal

(Jesus in John 21)

The events that John records in this final account (John 21), occur after the disciples had left Jerusalem and made their way north to Galilee just as Jesus commanded them to do. Jesus had risen from the dead and revealed himself to his closest disciples’ multiple times as well as to many others.

We know from John’s account in chapter 21, that only 7 of the 11 disciples met with Jesus at the shore of the Sea of Galilee. They had been fishing all night but didn’t catch a thing. After coming back to shore, they met with Jesus, although they didn’t recognize him at first.

Since this was early in the morning it meant that the disciples had been fishing all night and a possible indication that this wasn’t a recreational adventure but a return to Peter’s former trade as a fisherman. Fishing at night was what serious fisherman would do as that is when they would expect to catch fish. The seven disciples were; Peter, James, John (Sons of Zebedee), probably Andrew and Philipp (the unnamed disciples) along with Thomas, and Nathanael.

Jesus had lit a fire and already started cooking breakfast (fish and bread) which he miraculously provided prior to the disciples landing on shore with their catch of fish. Not that long prior to this event, Peter had denied Jesus while he was sitting beside a fire (John 18:18,25) and now while sitting beside another fire he was about to be restored by the very one that he denied knowing.

There was a total of three questions that Jesus asked. Although we aren’t specifically told why Jesus asked these three questions in the manner that he did, the assumption is that it may have paralleled the three denials that Peter made as to whether he knew Jesus and or followed him. Perhaps the Lord may have been trying to emphasize to Peter the requirement for “full devotion” to the work he was called to do, and Peter may have been lacking in that area. Jesus’ interaction with Peter seemed to have several purposes which this account in John 21 reveals and the ultimate goal was to see Peter fully restored to his place of ministry. Peter was being challenged to abandon everything (this would include any worldly pursuits such as his own fishing business) and follow Jesus with his whole heart. Further, Jesus was probably instilling into Peter the expected commitment to the ministry he was called to; “Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19). The significance of this instruction by Jesus was tied not only to Peter’s restoration but to show his responsibility to care for (like a shepherd/Pastor) for his flock.

John closes his Gospel (being an eyewitness to the events recorded in his Gospel account) having the authority to declare that what he wrote about Jesus was 100% true.

“This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21:24-25)

Neither John nor the other Gospel writers could not have captured everything Jesus said or did. What was written was done so under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and contained everything we needed to know.

“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)