John 21:1–25
The last two verses of John 20:
20:30–31 “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.”
Without additional story, the Gospel of John would end naturally.
But the author John added this final chapter, often referred to as an epilogue.
John 21 particularly focuses on the restoration of one person Peter.
May the similar spiritual restoration happen to us as we go through this beautiful story.
Let’s pray
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Look at verse 1.
“Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way:”
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary and said, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” (Mt 28:10)
After that, He appeared to His disciples twice more.
Eventually, the disciples returned to Galilee and waited for Jesus there. Seven of them, including Simon Peter, were together by the Sea of Galilee. Peter said, “I’m going out to fish,” and the others replied, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into a boat.
Many of the disciples were fishermen. They were waiting for Jesus in Galilee, but it is unclear whether Peter suggested fishing simply to pass the time, to find food, or to provide for their livelihood. What we do know is that they fished all night but caught nothing.
Look at verses 4–6.
Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
When the disciples caught the miraculous number of fish, the disciple whom Jesus loved, John the author, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”
As soon as Peter heard this, he wrapped his outer garment around himself and jumped into the water.
Some scholars compare John to the spirit and Peter to action. Through the spirit we perceive Jesus, and through our actions we express our reverence and love for Him.
Look at verse 9.
When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter dragged the net ashore, full of 153 large fish.
“Come and have breakfast” Jesus said to them. None of them dared to ask, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.
Jesus does not need our help, but he delights in our participation. The breakfast He prepared must have tasted sweeter than honey to the weary disciples who had labored all night without rest.
Yet, the true highlight of John 21 begins now.
Look at verse 15.
Jesus spoke to Peter in front of all the disciples.
“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
v15–17 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
Let’s reflect on their conversation by looking at several key points.
1) Simon son of John
First, notice that Jesus called him “Simon son of John” all three times, rather than calling him Peter. This was the very name Jesus used when He first met him. By doing so, Jesus was drawing Peter back to the beginning—to the moment of their first encounter—reminding him of his first love and devotion to Christ.
What was that first meeting like?
Luke 5 records the first encounter between Jesus and Peter, and it pretty much resembles what we see here in John 21.
Luke 5:1–11 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Peter first met Jesus at the Sea of Galilee. At that time, Simon and the other fishermen had worked all night and caught nothing. Then Jesus said, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” When they did so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” But Jesus said to him, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”
So Simon and the others left everything and followed Jesus.
Peter was an experienced fisherman, yet after an entire night of effort, he had caught nothing. But when he obeyed Jesus’ words, he suddenly hauled in a miraculous catch. At that moment, Peter realized Jesus was no ordinary man. He fell to his knees, confessing his sinfulness. And after Peter’s honest confession, Jesus called him to a new mission: to become a fisher of people. Immediately, Simon left everything to follow Jesus.
For the next three years, he walked with the Lord every single day.
Now Jesus asked, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
This question could mean, “Do you love me more than these other disciples?” or perhaps, “Do you love me more than your fishing nets, your boat, and your former occupation?”
Peter had always been quick to declare his love and loyalty to Jesus with great confidence. From the beginning, he left his life as a fisherman without hesitation to follow when Jesus called him.
Jn 13:37 “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
Mk 14:29 Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”
However, Peter denied Jesus three times after Jesus had been arrested. And Immediately after his third denial, a rooster began to crow. Peter went outside and wept bitterly (Mt 26:75).
The memory of his denial must have remained as a deep wound and painful failure. He must have been bitterly disappointed in his own weakness and tormented by the guilt of betraying the Lord he loved.
To this Peter Jesus asks, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Though Peter had denied Him three times, though he had fled and failed, his love and loyalty to Jesus still remained.
2) Jesus asked three times, “Do you love me?”
These three questions mirror Peter’s threefold denial of Jesus.
In response, Peter said each time, “Lord, you know that I love you.”
His answer, however, no longer carried the overconfidence of his earlier days. In the past, he might have said, “Why would you even ask, Lord? Of course I love you!” But now, having been broken and humbled, Peter answered simply and quietly.
This moment takes us back to Peter’s first encounter with Jesus, when he fell to his knees and confessed, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.”
Now, as he recalls his denial, Peter still sees himself as a weak and sinful man. Yet even in his weakness, he truly loves Jesus. And so he responds, knowing that the Lord who sees even the depths of his heart also knows his love: “Lord, you know that I love you.”
By repeating this question three times, Jesus was inviting Peter to reverse his denials, past failures, and to reaffirm his love for Him.
3) Jesus entrusted His sheep to Peter
Even if Jesus had said, “Peter, I know you love me. But your denial of me was so disappointing. You are no longer my disciple. You are fired,” it would have made sense to Peter and to the other disciples. Yet what did Jesus say to him after Peter’s confession of love?
Feed my lamb. Take care of my sheep. Feed my sheep.
Jesus graciously accepted Peter’s declaration, restored him to fellowship, and commissioned him to serve. Just as He had first told Peter, “You will fish for people,” Jesus continued to entrust His flock to Peter.
Even as we confess Jesus as our Savior and live according to His call, we stumble and fail countless times. Yet Jesus helps us remember our first love for Him. Despite our repeated failures and shortcomings, when we continue to love Him and seek to live for Him, the Lord welcomes us as His disciples and entrusts us with the mission of taking care of His flock.
Peter must have felt inexpressible comfort and gratitude when Jesus said, “Feed my sheep!”
Through this threefold dialogue, Jesus fully restored Peter. And just as He restored Peter, He entrusts us—those who confess Him as Lord and follow Him—with the same mission: to feed His sheep.
How can we fulfill this mission? It begins with a deep acknowledgment that I am a sinful person. The harder we try to live as a good person, the more we realize our sinfulness, self-centeredness and weakness. This acknowledgment then leads us to a deep awareness of the grace of salvation and the love of forgiveness that Jesus has shown us.
Our hearts must always be full of His grace and love.
And we must always remember: these sheep belong to Jesus.
When someone we love entrusts us with something, we treat it as precious and seek to care for it faithfully. Likewise, if we love Jesus and desire to live for Him, His mission, “Feed my sheep,” is not a burdensome duty we reluctantly perform. It becomes a precious and joyful responsibility.
Peter later writes in 1 Peter, saying:
1 Peter 5:2–3 “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”
Look at verses 18–19.
18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
Jesus also foretold that Peter would glorify God through his future martyrdom. In fact, it is believed that Peter was martyred by being crucified upside down.
Peter had once declared that he was even willing to lay down his life for Jesus (Jn 13:37). Yet Jesus told him that he would deny Him three times—and it actually happened.
In today’s passage, after restoring Peter, Jesus assures him that now he would truly live a life willing to give even his life for the Lord. This must have been an incredible encouragement for Peter.
In the book of Acts, we see Peter cling to this promise of the Lord and, as a leader of the early church, boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus’ cross and resurrection, even in the face of death.
4) What is that to you? You must follow me.
Look at verse 20–22.
20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” 22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”
Perhaps relieved and joyful over the restoration of his relationship with Jesus, Peter asked about the disciple John, who was nearby: “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”
In other words, “None of your business.”
The calling and mission Jesus gives are personal. There is no need to compare ourselves with others. What matters most is the personal love relationship between Jesus and me. All callings and missions flow from that intimate relationship.
We may come to church following our family or friends. But the calling and mission of our parents or friends cannot become ours.
Let us all pray that we may cultivate a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus and live faithfully according to the mission He has given each of us.
(Application)
Lord, as I prepared this message, I thank You for once again teaching me of Your unchanging love and forgiveness, and for reminding me of the mission You have entrusted to me—even in the midst of my repeated failures.
I was born into a Christian family, grew up reading the Bible, and attended worship every Sunday. All of this became a natural rhythm of life for me. Yet, for many years, I lived without a personal relationship with Jesus. My faith was shaped more by the expectations of my parents and church community than by a living walk with the Lord. I attended Bible studies and worship faithfully, but in truth, my heart was fixed on worldly success and human approval. I lived selfishly for myself, and inwardly I satisfied my lust with impure thoughts.
In 2018, when I began my Ph.D. program, I started studying the Bible in depth—two to three hours each week—with my former pastor. At that time, I did not truly understand myself as a sinner. I thought, “Yes, I sin, but there are people in this world far worse than me.” Then, as I studied John 3, the words of Jesus to Nicodemus struck me newly: “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” Before God, there is no distinction between a “greater sinner” and a “lesser sinner.” All human is divided simply into two categories—those who are born again of the Spirit, and those who are not and bound in the realm of the flesh.
Through the book of Romans, I came to embrace that the cross of Jesus was for me personally. I repented of the sins I had committed and even the hidden ones I had long tried to bury. And by God’s grace, I received the calling of Jesus to be a “fisher of men.” From that point forward, I began to live as a shepherd, sharing the gospel with college and graduate students and guiding them to Jesus. I am deeply thankful for the grace that transformed my life.
When I entered into a personal relationship with Jesus and confessed Him as my Lord, I began to live a life I had never lived before. I, who once lived only for myself and my schedule, began instead to spend my time meeting students at the cafeteria, and studying the Bible with them. Though I invested less time in my research, the Lord made me work more efficiently and granted me wisdom, so that I could produce even greater results.
By His grace, in 2020, I married Rebekah, and in 2022, God sent us as missionaries to the United States. At first, I came to UT on a one-year contract, but the Lord extended my contract for four years after my first year and, earlier this year, granted us a green card, allowing us to remain longer in this country. Despite the language and cultural barriers, He has given me the privilege of continuing to share the gospel with students on campus.
Yet as life in the U.S. became more familiar and I grew more settled, I found my heart drifting again toward worldly recognition and stability. I came here not for my career, yet I began to be caught up in my career. There were moments I was disappointed in myself, seeing again my longing for the world’s approval and its fleeting pleasures.
But through today’s passage, Jesus reminded me: “Do you love me more than these?” He brought me back to my first love for Him—the grace of salvation, the love of forgiveness. I remembered those days during my Ph.D. when my graduation was uncertain, yet even then, I was willing to spend less time on my research in order to share the gospel, because loving and serving Jesus mattered more. I was simply thankful to give my time to the Lord.
And so once again, I could answer Him: “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
And the Lord once again spoke: “Feed my lambs.” He continues to entrust His flock to me. And when I, like Peter, was tempted to compare myself with others, the Lord said: “What is that to you? You must follow me.” reminding me to fix my eyes on Him alone, to hold firmly to the personal calling and mission He has given me.
I am still a weak and sinful man who often stumbles. Yet I give thanks to the Lord who restores me by His forgiving love, and who entrusts to me the precious mission of feeding His sheep. I pray that I may carry this mission throughout my life with a grateful heart, until Jesus returns.
In conclusion, Jesus forgives and loves us even in the midst of our repeated mistakes and failures. He helps us remember our first love for Him, and through that, He restores us. Then, by entrusting His flock to us, He gives us direction to continue living as His disciples here on this earth.
I pray that we may deeply realize the saving grace and forgiving love of Jesus. May the saving grace and forgiving love of Jesus Christ restore us, guide us, and empower us to love and serve His flock with His heart. Amen.