The Eyes of Failure

INTRODUCTION:

One of the worst feelings you can ever experience is the feeling you get after a massive and public failure.

Has it ever happened to you? You had a standard to meet, an expectation to honor and you royally messed it up?

It makes you feel pretty worthless doesn’t it? It’s grief and guilt, embarrassment and shame all mixed into one nasty pie.

Most people, after they experience a failure like that, run away and hide to escape the public scorn.

It’s such a common experience that the dynamic has woven itself into some of our greatest works of art.

Remember Cimba after his Father died and he became aware of the role in had in his Father’s untimely death? He runs away and plays with a rat and pig in the jungle.

We could go on and on through the once great Disney movies but we don’t have the time this morning.

What we do have time to examine this morning is how Jesus changes our relationship with failure.

Because of Jesus, our failures don’t have the become the final chapter in our life. Because Jesus is alive our failure isn’t final.

I could go to any number of people to illustrate this truth.

Father Abraham had a season of failure.

The Great Leader Moses suffered from an epic failure.

King David, man after God’s own heart, committed adultery.

The Apostle Paul, author of half the NT had a comeback from public and humiliating failure of the Lord.

This morning, however, we going to look at the theme of failure “through the eyes” of Peter, Jesus’ disciple.

The Anatomy of Failure

For those who are new to the story let me give you a bit of context to where we are in the story of Jesus.

Jesus has been crucified, buried and raised from the dead.

John 20 records the resurrection of Jesus and two public appearances between him and a group of his disciples (not to mention his appearance to Mary individually.)

John 21:1 opens with the words, “after this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples by the Sea of Tiberias…”

When you read the word “again” you need to know the context of the story or none of this will make sense.

John 21 is interesting because it feels like John’s Gospel should’ve ended at the end of John 20. “Jesus did these works so that you might believe” feels like a fitting and natural conclusion but NO.

Why does John tack on this extra episode about a third appearance to his disciples and restoration of Peter.

The answer is because the three times Peter is mentioned in this Gospel he isn’t mentioned in a positive light.

Peter was in need of restoration because he had publically and repeatedly denied knowing Jesus. Even AFTER Jesus predicted that Peter would do so and Peter protested that he would never do such a thing.

I’ll show you this from Matthews Gospel because it adds a few more details.

They had just finished the Last Supper and were about to go to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Matthew 26:31–35 CSB

31 Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will fall away because of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. 32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33 Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 “Even if I have to die with you,” Peter told him, “I will never deny you,” and all the disciples said the same thing.

Delusion

Notice Peter’s confidence in himself. His elevating himself above the other disciples. “Even if everybody else does I WILL NEVER.”

That’s how failure always begins. It begins with the self-delusion “That’ll never happen to me.”

That very night, Peter denies Jesus three times.

The first time he denies Jesus is before a servant girl who was working to the door of the high priest’s courtyard.

John 18:17–18 CSB

17 Then the servant girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” “I am not,” he said. 18 Now the servants and the officials had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold. They were standing there warming themselves, and Peter was standing with them, warming himself.

That charcoal fire is important because it’s going to show up later in Peter’s restoration.

The second denial comes a short time after the first. Jesus was being questioned when the conversation turned sour and they send Jesus away to Caiaphas (the high priest).

John’s camera then focuses on Peter again. John 18:25-27

John 18:25–27 CSB

25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” 27 Peter denied it again. Immediately a rooster crowed.

Again Matthew’s Gospel fills in a few details. The last person points to Peter’s accent as proof for his association with Jesus and so he begins to curse like a sailors and swears on his life he didn’t have anything to do with him.

Matthew 26:74–75 CSB

74 Then he started to curse and to swear with an oath, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed, 75 and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Disconnect

The anatomy of Peter’s failure looks very similar to the failures I’ve experienced in my life and my initial response to those failures as well.

Failure always begins with an overconfidence in the self. A powerful self-delusion that “it’ll never happen to me.”

That overconfidence is why Peter

swore he would never deny Jesus

led him to cut the ear off of a soldier in the Garden of Gethsemane

and follow Jesus to his arrest and trial in the courtyard of the high priest.

But in his zeal to do great things FOR Jesus he was losing his intimacy WITH Jesus.

Which is the second ingredient for how failure comes about in a person’s life.

First comes the delusion then comes the disconnect in your relationship with God (intimacy with Jesus.)

Overconfidence in the flesh produces distance in your relationship with Jesus. As pride grows intimacy wanes.

When you distance yourself from the Lord it’s only a matter of time before you wake up and hear the rooster crow.

You may not outright deny Jesus like Peter does. But you stop spending time in the Word, you start distancing yourself from Jesus in the workplace or where it’s socially expensive.

Maybe you’re not even a Christian so the distance isn’t in your relationship with Jesus but you’re drifting in your relationship with God in a general sense..

First the delusion of pride in the flesh.

Second comes the disconnect in your intimacy with Jesus.

What’s true of Peter is true of you and I as well. The second you start to feel yourself invincible is the second you start the process of the fall.

Its’ Satan’s trap to isolate you and separate you from God’s calling on your life and intimacy with the Lord.

That’s the backdrop of John 21.

Our Response to Failure

There’s a lot of shame in Peter when we meet him in our passage today. He has failed the Lord in a way that he never imagined could even happen.

What would you do if you were in his shoes? For Peter, he had ran and left and increasingly began to isolate himself from the calling Jesus had put on his life.

Let’s pick it back up in verse 1.

John 21:1–2 CSB

1 After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples were together.

The Sea of Tiberias is the sea of Galilee. Why are they there?

The reason is because Jesus had told Mary Mag to tell the other disciples that Jesus was risen and he was going to meet them in Galilee.

In Mark’s Gospel the angles specifically instruct them to tell Peter to come as well. (Mark 16:7)

The reason I think Peter is mentioned specifically is because I’m sure he thought to himself he was not longer worthy to be part of whatever Jesus might be doing because he had denied him those three times.

So it’s not surprising to hear Peter say what he says in verse three. John 21:3

John 21:3 CSB

3 “I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them. “We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Distracted

When Peter says “I’m going fishing” I don’t think he means it as “I’m bored and I’m going to see if anything biting.”

It says they fish all night. You don’t fish all night as part of hobby. I think Peter here is returning to the kind of life he had before he met Jesus.

Which is the third thing we know about failure.

It begins with a powerful self-delusion of it’ll never happen to me.

It stems from a disconnect in your relationship with God & other people.

Which leads you then want to fill your life with distractions and former comforts.

Peter was a fisherman before being changed by Jesus and so now that’s he’s failed Jesus he’s going back to the life he had. No pity party. Just throws himself into his work.

That’s what most people do when they feel like they’ve failed the Lord. They just go back to their old way of life. Assuming that’s what they deserve or running from the pain the feel from the failure.

They may not become super sinful and super bad. But they’re just not going to do the Jesus thing like that previously did.

Let me throw myself into my work so I can silence that voice of condemnation in my head. Silence the voice of mom, dad, wife/husband, whoever. Let me just delve into something I can WIN AT and not feel like a loser.

We pinball from busyness to distraction.

Discontent

We see Peter’s decision to go back to his old way of life but it doesn’t produce the outcome he might’ve expected.

They fished all night and they didn’t catch anything. Peter was a professional fisherman. This would’ve been very unusual for him.

Which leads to one more thing about our response to failure.

Failure may motivate you to fill your life with distractions. Nevertheless, you’ll still feel discontent.

This is God’s kindness to his kids. He will never bring you in only to let you go. He will let you run after a season of failure but not indefinitely so.

The prodigal son eventually came to his senses and Peter, even in going back to what he knew, realized a life without Jesus isn’t complete.

This is Jesus way of telling Peter, “I’m coming for you.” The grabbing may hurt a little bit but it’s a grabbing in love. (just as you would grab the arm of a kid running into traffic)

Restoration By Jesus

Jesus loves you too much to leave you in a state of failure. John 21:4

John 21:4 CSB

4 When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus.

Lots of people debate about why they didn’t know it was Jesus. Some suggest it was hazy or too dark.

We know later they’re about 100 yards away from the shore so that’s not insignificant.

But I think this is just Jesus’ MO after his resurrection.

His identity is ALWAYS being concealed from people. (Mary, Emaus, Disciples, now Boat).

Jesus calls out to them in verse 5. John 21:5

John 21:5 CSB

5 “Friends,” Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you?” “No,” they answered.

The CSB translation of “friends” is unfortunate. It’s really a word that means “little children” but it in the diminutive which means more like ‘little boys.”

It’s also translated as a “question” but Jesus isn’t really unsure about what’s going on. He knows they’ve spent all night trying to go back to a life without Jesus and he’s kinda rubbing their faces in it a little bit.

“Hey there little boys…. been out all night fishing huh? And you don’t have a thing to show for it do you?

“No, the answered.”

Jesus then gives them an instruction in verse 6. John 21:6

John 21:6 (CSB)

6 “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he told them, “and you’ll find some.”

A Miracle with a Message

Those of you new to this story may not catch the irony of this but Peter would’ve immediately gone back to a previous experience between him and Jesus.

This isn’t the first time Peter fished all night without catching anything and this isn’t the first time Jesus told him something as silly as “throw your net on the other side and see what happens.”

I love how the Jesus move interprets this scene or more recently the chosen. You can just feel the frustration of Peter by the look on his face. Are you kidding me? What are you, a preacher? Stick to your day job!” Nevertheless, Peter does so.

As soon as they do Jesus performs a miracle and they catch so much fish both boats begin to sin. (Luke 5:6-7)

In verse 6 Jesus performs a similar miracle.

John 21:6 (CSB)

6 …So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish.

Jesus is performing this miracle just for Peter. That’s why John turns to peter in verse 7 and says, “Peter, it’s Jesus!”

Peter’s mind would’ve went back to that initial miracle wherein his original response to Jesus was “Get away from me Lord, I’m a sinful man.” (Luke 5:8)

And Jesus’ response, “Don’t be afraid, Peter. I’ve come for you. I love you. And from now on I’m going to make you a fisher of men.” (Luke 5:10)

Miracle Address Both Sides

Jesus recreates the miracle of Peter’s initial call and conversion. Jesus performs a miracle with a message.

The message of Jesus in response to our failure is two fold.

He’s addressing both sides of Peter’s original failure. His self-reliance and his relational disconnect.

You cannot do this on your own. You’re far worse off by yourself, in your sin than you could ever imagine.

But 2, I still love you, Peter. I still want a relationship with you. You’re not too far gone for me.

He’s telling Peter you’re still mine. I still love you. I have a whole new life for you, Peter.

Jesus is creating a miracle to send Peter a message. I’m not done with you YET. (Note Nathaniel’s fig & Peter’s booth)

That’s how Jesus responds to our failures. Not with condemnation. Not with shame. Not with a repeating voice of not good enough, never will be.”

He is kind and supportive. Playful even.

Peter’s Response

And Peter’s response is so great. Peter stops running AWAY from God and starts moving TOWARD HIM.

John 21:7 CSB

7 The disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer clothing around him (for he had taken it off) and plunged into the sea.

I think this is so hilarious because who puts their clothes ON to jump into water. Usually you take your clothes off but Peter isn’t one to think too heavily before he acts on his impulse.

I think John highlights this because Peter is really a mess. His life is a mess and he feels like a mess because he’s been running from Jesus.

John and the other disciples row into shore because they were only a 100 yards away. John 21:8

John 21:8 CSB

8 Since they were not far from land (about a hundred yards away), the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish.

I don’t know if this is another humble brag of John or just a note to show how out of sorts Peter must’ve been.

And when you respond to Jesus you may feel like you’re a mess. But it’s okay.

You’re response to Jesus’ invitation doesn’t have to be clean or organized it just has to be honest and sincere.

Dinner with Jesus

Jesus calls, Peter responds and then Jesus invites Peter and the disciples to share some dinner.

John 21:9 CSB

9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread.

I love that little note about Jesus already having fish and bread. A reminder that Jesus needs nothing “from us” but only wants something “for us.”

He wants to restore Peter from the pain of his failure. But in order to do so, Peter had to decide to take Jesus up on his invitation.

That couldn’t have been easy for Peter to do because Jesus was cooking breakfast around a “charcoal fire.”

I said earlier that this charcoal fire was going to come back into play. It’s an interesting word for fire that is used nowhere else in the Bible (OT or NT) except for the charcoal fire that Peter stood in front of when he denied the Lord three times.

Imagine what Peter must’ve thought when he saw that fire.

Jesus isn’t just helping Peter revisit the scene of his initial conversion. He’s also making him revisit the scene of his greatest regret.

What would you have done? It couldn’t have been a pleasant feeling but it was a necessary conversation.

Many people never find freedom over their failure because they don’t want to experience the pain of repentance.

I don’t want to go back there. I don’t want Jesus to see that or touch that or bring that up again.

If Jesus is going to heal us from our failure he requires us to come and grabble with our sin so we can commit to true repentance.

The Healing Jesus Gives

So Jesus invites them to come and have breakfast.

John 21:10–14 CSB

10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus told them. 11 So Simon Peter climbed up and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish—153 of them. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 “Come and have breakfast,” Jesus told them. None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

I imagine this isn’t the reception Peter thought he was going to receive.

Jesus doesn’t tear into Peter. He doesn’t lecture him or belittle him. He shares a meal.

Why do you cook breakfast for somebody? Because you like them. Because you love them.

That’s the thing we need to remember about Jesus as he deals with our sin. He doesn’t cause us pain in order to hurt us. That’s never his intention.

Jesus’ deals with our sin not to hurt us but to heal.

I don’t know what you’ve done or how irredeemable you may feel.

I don’t know what words have been spoken over you or the shame that you care.

What I do know is that Jesus all of those things FULLY and TRUTHFULLY and he still is inviting you to come share a meal.

Because that’s how much he loves you. He has not given up on you. He is committed to your healing.

He’s full of grace and truth. Not either or. Both and.

How is Jesus going to heal Peter from his failure? He does so at every single level.

John 21:15–19 CSB

15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Feed my lambs,” he told him. 16 A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Shepherd my sheep,” he told him. 17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” “Feed my sheep,” Jesus said. 18 “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”

When we examined the anatomy of failure we said it

begins with a self-delusion of your own invincibility.

stems from a disconnect in your relationship with God.

leads you to fill your life with distractions and former comforts.

but ultimately leaves you feeling discontent.

Everything Satan destroys in our life through failure Jesus redeems and heals through his restoration.

Restored Relationship

First, he reconnects us to relationship.

“Peter do you love me more than these?”

Commentators argue over what the “these” are.

Some say Jesus is pointing to the disciples. (Peter do you still think you’re invincible? Are you still deluded into thinking you’re stronger than you actually are?)

Others say Jesus is pointing to the fish/nets. John notes the nets didn’t break as with the original miracle. Peter could’ve kept fishing and continued with a different type of life.

So Jesus is asking, “Do you love me more than this way of life? Do you love me more than these fish and net.”

Maybe he was pointing to all three at the same time, I don’t know!

The point is Jesus is inviting Peter back into a place of intimacy and personal relationship.

Peter, are you willing repent and enter back into an intimate relationship with me?

Peter’s answer was “Yes, Lord. I love you.”

Reorient Perspective

The second thing Jesus does is reorient Peter’s perspective.

Jesus raises the question three times and Peter answers the question three times. Why does he do so?

I used to think Jesus was just twisting the knife. Charcoal fire. Three questions for the three denials.

Are you sure you love me Peter? Because it didn’t look like it a few days ago. Let’s run the tape!

But that’s not how I read this passage anymore. I don’t think Jesus is twisting the knife I think he’s reorienting Peter’s perspective.

In other words, Jesus is taking Peter’s inclination to look back on his regret and shame and he’s saying, “look forward to what’s ahead. To what’s next.”

Do you love me? If you love me stop beating yourself up and get back in the game!

Stop moping around and feeling sorry for yourself and feed my sheep!

Redeems Our Regrets

Which leads to the third thing Jesus does which is redeem us from our regrets.

He turns our mess into a message.

I think Jesus asks the question three times and allow Peter to feel the grief of that third question so that Jesus could say to Peter - that shame, that regret you feel…. I’ve redeemed that!

I died for your sin, Peter. I paid the price so that you would’ve have to.

Your message can be a message. You sin and shame can become a trophy of my grace.

Boast all the more in your weaknesses because my strength is made perfect in that place.

And if Jesus can redeem the pain of Peter he can redeem your pain as well.

Restore Our Purpose

Finally Jesus restores our purpose.

John was never going to find meaning and purpose by giving his life to a boat and some nets.

True meaning and fulfillment in life comes from loving and serving the Lord.

You can glorify God as a fisherman or any other earthly trade. But Jesus had reserved Peter for something else.

Jesus told Peter I’m going to make you a fisher of men. And it’s time for you to get back to doing that!

He has a purpose for your life as well but you’ll never find it in the cave of shame and regret. You need to let Jesus redeem you from your failure today.

The Cross & Conclusion

How does Jesus heal us from our shame? It’s not by pretending our sin isn’t a big deal.

It’s because Jesus dealt with our sin on the cross. He absorbed the penalty so that we could be forgiven.

All we have to do is believe by faith our creator God has loved us in that way and allow the Holy Spirit to do his work.

Will you do that? Will you start moving towards the Lord this morning and let him deal with your sin and shame?

Will you allow him to expose somethings that needed exposing to to help you take steps of healing and restoration.