Today we are looking at the last chapter of John’s gospel. It is the beginning of the next chapter. This group of men will go on to change the world. They will become famous in history. They are sent out to speak the good news of Jesus to the whole world. They will receive power from the Holy Spirit to be Jesus’ witnesses. Some will die for their faith. But the last chapter of John doesn’t talk about the great power they will receive, or Jesus’ command to reach the nations. John has already told us about this, for example in chapters 16 and 17. Instead, he speaks of how Jesus reassures the disciples and restores them.
We will look at three different questions. The first question is: will Jesus still be at work. The second is: Is my failure final? Does God still have a plan for me? The third is: what will happen to me? Where will my life with Jesus take me?
Jesus had sent the disciples up to Galilee after his resurrection. He would then send them back down to Jerusalem, where they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit. However, during this time in Galilee, the disciples weren’t busy. They were waiting for Jesus to speak to them. Perhaps Jesus sent them there so that they could say goodbye to their families. They might have remembered all the miracles which Jesus had done in Galilee and how the crowds had followed him. Now things were quieter. They had seen Jesus raised from the dead, but they didn’t know the next steps. They might have wondered if Jesus would still do miracles and still draw people to himself. So Jesus does a miracle that they recognise quickly. It’s the miracle he did when he first called Peter. The disciples have been out fishing, but caught nothing. They have been unlucky and ineffective. Then Jesus appears, at a distance. They don’t recognise him at first. But they do what he says, and when they do, something amazing happens. The net is filled with fish. Jesus has done the same thing he did at the very beginning of Peter’s journey. Jesus still has the same power. He hasn’t changed. Jesus doesn’t always do things when we want him to, and he doesn’t do things the way we want him to, but Jesus doesn’t change.
Look at the two different elements to this miracle. One is power. Jesus has power over the fish. He doesn’t only tell us what to do. Jesus has control over nature. Nothing that happens in this world is beyond Jesus’ power. But Jesus loves the disciples too. He cares for them. He makes them breakfast. Notice how fish and bread are already on the fire as they come in from their long fishing trip. Jesus still cares for us. There’s a detail here too. There is already fish on the fire. But Jesus asks the disciples to bring more. Jesus gives them fish in their nets. They add this fish to what Jesus has provided. Jesus love and power are at work in the lives of the disciples, and Peter in particular. Sometimes we need to be reminded of God’s love and power.
To discuss: When do we need to be reminded of Jesus’ love and power? Has that ever happened to you?
Peter is the first one who climbs out of the boat. He is more interested in meeting Jesus than pulling in the nets full of fish. Jesus speaks to him in front of the other disciples. Peter denied knowing Jesus when Jesus was on trial. It was a moment of shame and disgrace. It was a public humiliation. It was a cowardly failure. Jesus has already forgiven Peter. Now he restores him. There is a difference between forgiveness and restoration. Restoration means that God builds again what we have destroyed. Jesus gives Simon his job back. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him. This is because Peter denied Jesus three times. Peter’s failure is not final. Jesus asks Peter to look after his followers. He asks him to take care of the lambs. They are frail and newborn. He asks him to take care of the sheep and to feed them. As Jesus sends the apostles out, there will be many new lambs. These are new Christians. He calls him to look after those new Christians. Part of our mission is looking after new Christians. This means loving them and caring for them just has Jesus loved us and cared for us. Jesus restores Peter to his work. Failure is never final.
How does Jesus restore us when we’ve failed?
Have you ever experienced this?
Finally, Jesus speaks to Peter about what will happen to him, and his younger friend John. We might have a life plan. We might have an idea of how Jesus will shape our lives. Jesus tells Peter that, in the future, other people will take Peter where he doesn’t want to go. Jesus predicts trouble and prison for Peter. Following Jesus is not for month, a year, or even 10 years. It is a journey of all our lives. Peter, as an old man, will not be free. Jesus will not tell Peter what will happen to John either. John does not know the time of his death. We are in Jesus’ hands. He reminds us of his love and power, he restores us and even if there are hard times in our lives, Jesus is still with us.
Jesus still has the power and love to change you and the whole world. We need faith to trust him. Our failure is not final. God still has a plan for us. He forgives us, but he also restores us. He takes us through the steps to restoration, and tells us to love and care for his people. We don’t know our future. But we know the one who controls the future, just as he controls all nature. This is how Jesus prepared Peter for the tasks ahead of him, and he is stills ending us today. We are the next chapter of the book of John.
