John 21:15–19
The encounter between Jesus and Peter on the shore of the Sea of Galilee is a story of failure, forgiveness, and renewed calling. Earlier in John 21, the disciples had spent the night fishing without success. At daybreak, the risen Jesus calls to them from the shore and tells them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. The result is astonishing: a net overflowing with fish.
The catch is more than a miracle. In the Gospels, fishing becomes a metaphor for God’s mission. Remember when Jesus first called the disciples to become “fishers of people?” The enormous catch in John 21 points beyond the Sea of Galilee to all nations. The net gathers fish of every kind, symbolizing people from every tribe, language, culture, and nation being drawn into the life of God. The mission of the church is directed toward the whole world.
Against this backdrop of abundance, Jesus turns his attention to Peter.
Three times, Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” Three times Peter answers, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” The repetition is painful because it echoes Peter’s three denials of Jesus during the darkest hours after his arrest. Peter’s failure is public and unforgettable.
Yet Jesus does not humiliate Peter. He restores him.
Each question becomes an opportunity for healing. Each affirmation of love replaces a denial. Jesus does not pretend the failure never happened, nor does he leave Peter trapped by it. Instead, he redeems it. Peter’s deepest wound becomes the place where grace does its most transformative work.
With every response, Jesus gives Peter a commission: “Feed my lambs.” “Tend my sheep.” “Feed my sheep.”
Notice what Jesus does not say. He does not ask Peter to prove himself or demand perfection. Instead, Jesus entrusts him with responsibility. The one who failed becomes the one who serves. The one who denied becomes the one who shepherds.
Our teaching to VBS students—and to ourselves—is that this is how God works. Our failures do not have the final word. God’s grace does not merely forgive; it restores and recommissions. The places where we have fallen can become the very places where we learn compassion, humility, and dependence upon God.
Jesus concludes with a simple but demanding invitation: “Follow me.”