The Day Death Died: A Holy Week DevotionalSample

The Restored Disciple

READ

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” . . . And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.” John 21:15, 19

Additional Reading: Luke 5:1–11; John 21:1–14, 16–18

REFLECT

After denying Jesus three times and hearing about His resurrection, Peter went fishing with a few of his friends and fellow disciples. He went back doing what he knew—fishing. It’s the same thing Peter did in one of his first encounters with Jesus.

One may wonder what was going on in Peter’s head while he was fishing. We can surmise that he felt immense shame and guilt for denying Jesus. It seemed like he had given up on his calling after the events of the cross. But Jesus was not done with Peter. In fact, He knew what He needed to do in order for Peter to turn back to Him.

It all started with how Jesus had first revealed Himself to Peter: on a boat after a long and unproductive night of fishing. While they did not know that Jesus was talking to them from the shore, they followed His instructions and cast the net, with a yield that they could not haul in. And who else could this be then except their Lord? It was deja vu for Peter, reminiscent of the time he first put his faith in Christ, left everything, and followed Him. The same miracle that Jesus first performed when He called Peter was the same miracle that Jesus performed when He restored the calling of Peter (Luke 5:1–11). This time, he left the fish, the boat, and his friends, and he jumped into the water and swam to his Lord.

Jesus did at least four miracles in this story: He told them where to cast the net, there were so much fish that they could not haul them all in, the net did not tear, and finally Peter’s faith and relationship with Christ were restored. But Jesus did not hold Peter’s denial against him, smugly asking Peter if he knew what he had done wrong and what he planned to do about it. Jesus gave Peter and the disciples miracle after miracle, an encounter where they had no doubt who they were with, and then a meal where they broke bread together again, all before Jesus asked Peter a simple question three times: “Do you love me more than these?”

As Peter answered the Lord three times, Peter recognized that Christ’s invitation to follow Him still stands. It was a demonstration of the restoration of God’s calling for Peter to feed His lambs, tend His sheep, and shepherd His flock (John 21:16–17). Today, this same invitation is offered to all of us. Regardless of our past, present, and future, Jesus invites us to fix our eyes on Him and follow Him.

RESPOND

• Why do you think it was important for Jesus to do more miracles and share a meal with His disciples before restoring Peter? What does this tell you about who Jesus is and what matters to Him?
• Do you love Jesus? Do you love Jesus more than anything else? Are you ready to follow Him or maybe to follow Him again, like Peter? How would you answer Jesus if He asked you what He asked Peter (John 21:15–19)?