Read John 21:1-3

Something about this text always gets me. Peter, after
spending three years of his life serving the cause of following Jesus, has
returned within days to his old profession. How quick are we to move back to
the safety and comfort of our previous lives?

Peter was with Thomas in chapter 21 when Jesus came to him,
but in chapter 20 we discover that Thomas had already met with Jesus. Thus,
Peter must have known that Jesus was back. Why had Peter not pursued him before
this moment? Was something holding Peter back? What feelings of shame would
Peter have after betraying Jesus, and for returning to his old life assuming
that Jesus’ mission was a failure?

Journaling

Read John 21:4-8

Peter running/swimming back to his Lord is a powerful image
of the human condition. We try to turn away from God, but his presence breaks
through the walls we build up and brings out the joy we have in him. Have you
ever had this moment; this realization of the paradox of both your infinite
sin, and God’s infinite love for you in spite of it? He will always take you
back when you return home to him. His love is unconditional. Dwell on moments
like this you have had with God, or perhaps are even currently going through.
What has God taught you about his love and grace in these moments? Have you
internalized just how much he cares for you?

Peter, upon discovering that the man on the beach was Jesus,
does not wait for the boat to come to shore, but rather jumps out and swims as
fast as he can to Jesus. Do we realize how much wrong we have done in the past
and take absolute joy in the fact that he is still waiting for us on the beach?
Though we may need to run back to him a ridiculously large number of times in
our lives, do we still rejoice in the fact that he is always waiting? Or have
we become bitter and cold; tired of the sanctification process? Have we made it
just another task we have to get done? Is it not an incredible gift that we get
to open over and over again even though we never deserve it?

Journaling

Read John 21:9-19

Both Judas and Peter betrayed Jesus. But what made Peter
different from Judas?

The Greek term for ‘fire’ that is used in this text is only
used once elsewhere in the New Testament, in John 18 when Peter betrays Jesus
and huddles around a ‘fire’ for warmth. Read John 18:15-18. The image of Peter’s
great failure is being redeemed. God takes Peters failure, and forgives him.
What does this say not merely about us and our sin, but about the nature of
God?

Vs.19 has Jesus prophesying about Peter’s death. Peter was
martyred by crucifixion 35 years later. Ancient Christian writers record that
Peter was crucified upside down, because he didn’t feel worthy to die in the
same way as his Lord. God took Peter, who selfishly did what he wanted when he
was younger, and made him a servant who would die for his King. What can we
take away from Peter’s life and the radical power of God to transform?

Journaling

Read John 21:9-19
(same text as yesterday, but with a different emphasis)

It is very easy to look at this text and focus strictly on
the personal forgiveness that Peter receives from Jesus. But the text is
explicitly about the community that God has established as a whole: what would
soon become the church. The forgiveness that Jesus gave to Peter wasn’t merely
so Peter would feel forgiven and reunited to God, it was also so he would take
this great mercy and love and feed it to Jesus’ lambs, to take care of his
sheep, his children. He doesn’t merely establish that Peter should take care of
his sheep, but that this will ultimately demand Peter's very life, for he would
later be killed for spreading the gospel to churches throughout the Roman Empire. How deeply should we be willing to
sacrifice to serve each other? How this should shape and revolutionize the way
we see church? If our efforts are not coming straight from what Jesus has done
for us—a cause/effect relationship between our love for Jesus and us taking
care of his sheep—then what is the purpose of Church? In what ways have we lost
sight of this? Likewise, what areas have we greatly succeeded in and should
continue doing in our churches?

Many people have become bitter towards church in America. How do
we explain to them God’s original vision for church? We often argue and defend
our various doctrines (creationism, trinity.etc.), but forget to lovingly portray
and defend Jesus’ body on earth. When people ask what this whole church thing
is, what do you say to them?

Journaling

Read John 21:20-25

Vs.22 seems to be a clear reminder of keeping our eyes and
minds on the prize, on Jesus. Like horses who wear blinders, often we get
focused on what others are doing or how successful we are in comparison to
everyone else. What areas in your life are focused too much on what is going on
around you in this present life that will fade away?

“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written
down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books
that would be written.” Dwell on this for a second. God is utterly beyond our
capabilities to comprehend and categorize him into a textbook. It is only by
his grace, his humility in stooping down and entering into the world that we
can even grasp him at all. How do we think and speak about God without limiting
his infinite nature? What reverence and awe should we have in even contemplating
such a task?

Journaling

Chapter Background

Jesus has just risen from the dead in chapter 20, where he
fulfills the proof that ‘doubting’ Thomas needed. It has only been a matter of
days, and though many people would be talking about this miraculous event, it
appears that some of his disciples, namely Peter, have yet to see and
experience the risen Jesus.