He’d met Jesus, so his brother had to meet him too. That’s how it all began. Andrew brings Peter to meet Jesus. Peter, the hot-headed fisherman from Bethsaida, meets Jesus. This is John 1, the very start of the story…
Peter was a fisherman, he would have come from a long line of fishermen. He probably left school before his tenth birthday having memorised the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, but that was as much education as he would get. Others who showed promise would be educated until they were 14. The best of the best would stay until they were 15 or older. And then if they were good enough, a rabbi would say, ‘Follow me.’
These are the words Jesus said to Peter. So when we are astounded by Peter’s obedience we have completely missed the point! This isn’t Peter’s obedience; it is the grace of a rabbi who has not chosen the cleverest or the best of the best - he has chosen Peter. We are chosen not because of our gifts or abilities, but simply because of the grace of the God who says, ‘Follow me.’
John 6 sees Jesus walk on water. The disciples are afraid; Jesus is walking on water. And Peter says, ‘If that’s you Jesus, call me to come.’ And Jesus does. So many sermons preach on Peter’s wrong attitude in asking and his lack of faith when he does. But this again misses the point. He actually walked on water. There’ll always be those who criticise our motivation and call us arrogant, but the key is to do it anyway. Jesus takes him by the hand and walks him back to the boat. In our worst possible scenario we end up walking hand in hand with Jesus! Now disciples are deserting Jesus. It all looks a little tough. ‘Are you going to leave me too?’ Jesus asks. And the wonderful, hot-headed, impetuous Peter says, ‘Where would we go, you have the words of eternal life.’ When he gets it right, he really gets it right.
Later we read a discussion about betrayal and denial. Peter says, ‘I’ll never deny you.’ And Jesus makes it clear, ‘Before the cockerel crows three times, you will deny me three times.’ It’s chapter 18 and Jesus is betrayed and Peter, yes, of course it’s Peter, pulls out a sword and cuts off the servant’s ear in an attempt to rescue Jesus. And then denial. The cockerel crows and Peter realises he has denied Jesus denied three times. But again, don’t miss it. Peter is the only disciple denying Jesus because he is the only disciple there.
Chapter 19 arrives; Jesus is crucified and Peter reaches an all-time low. He saw people healed, he walked on water, he saw the dead raised.
And then it’s chapter 20 and the resurrection. Jesus sends this message, ‘Tell the disciples I am alive and tell Peter.’ Does Peter feel special because he has been singled out? Of course not. He hears that he is no longer a disciple. When we are that low, even words from Jesus can seem negative.
Peter is the only disciple denying Jesus because he is the only disciple there
But the resurrection has happened and Jesus is alive and John’s Gospel wants to end. The themes of belief and life start the Gospel and then at the end of chapter 20 it returns to those same themes: It has a focal point on which it all balances perfectly in chapter 11, ‘I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me even though they die, yet will they live.’ It is wonderful. A marvel of literature.
And this is what I wanted you to see: the addition of Chapter 21. There is unfinished business and Jesus needs a conversation with Peter and so another chapter will need to be added to throw out the balance. Peter has even managed to mess up the structure of the Gospel of John!
Don’t miss this. Jesus will mess up your structure and your organisation, he will ruin your carefully constructed vision documents and ten-year plans and he will do it every time for the sake of one: the solitary individual.
And so to John 21 we go and onto a beach. And we should all go there. It’s where ministry stands or falls. Jesus is on the beach cooking fish. The disciples see him and begin to row to shore, but not Peter. He leaps over the side and swims. And there the conversation has to take place. The restoration of Peter and the foundation of all Christian ministry worth anything at all.
A simple question, repeated three times, ‘Peter, do you love me?’ All flows from our response to that question: ‘Do you love me?’ Do you love him? And before Peter gets to answer a third time, Jesus adds some words that describe how Peter will die. Church history tells us that Peter was crucified upside down. He didn’t feel worthy to die like Jesus. So they crucified him upside down. And before Peter can answer the third time, Jesus gives him that insight.
It doesn’t always end well. Heaven sorts it all out of course, but it doesn’t always go well for us on planet earth. And knowing that it may not end well, Jesus asks a third time, ‘Do you love me?’ That’s it really. That’s what it is all about. Not too many years later Paul will write the words, ‘The love of God compels me.’ It is the motivation. Yes, Jesus, I love you.