The God Who Restores (John 21:1-25)

John 21 reveals how God's restorative grace transforms broken disciples into faithful servants. We witness Peter's journey from denial to restoration as Jesus meets him on the beach after a fruitless night of fishing—a scene that mirrors their first encounter years earlier. But this time, everything is different. Where Peter once fled from Jesus' presence saying 'depart from me, for I am a sinful man,' he now jumps into the water and runs toward his resurrected Lord. The charcoal fire on the shore echoes the fire where Peter denied Christ three times, and Jesus' three-fold question 'do you love me?' becomes the beautiful counterpoint to Peter's three denials. This passage teaches us that God doesn't just forgive our failures—He restores our identity, renews our mission, rekindles our devotion, and reestablishes our confidence. Peter's later writings in 1 Peter 5 show us the fruit of this restoration: a humble shepherd who warns others to watch for the prowling enemy while assuring them that 'the God of all grace will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.' We're reminded that these aren't our sheep to own but God's flock to steward, and that our ultimate calling is to follow Christ in whatever unique race He has set before us, without comparing our journey to others.