Jesus, thanks for second chances

Warren Brosi

April 27, 2025

Dominant Thought: Jesus, thanks for second chances.

Objectives:

I want my listeners to understand Jesus gives people a second chance.

I want my listeners to feel encouraged and challenged by the grace of Jesus.

I want my listeners to respond with caring for people as Jesus commanded Peter.

Do you ever wish you could have a second chance? A do over? A couple of weeks ago, I shared how I had the opportunity to speak a word for Jesus as my senior prom and I replied with the words, “I don’t know.”

Peter, the leader of the twelve apostles declared to Jesus in the upper room after Jesus washed his feet, “I will lay down my life for you” (John 13.37). Jesus answered Peter, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times” (John 13.38). That was in the upper room on a Thursday evening.

Just hours later, Jesus would be arrested in the garden of Gethsemane. Then, he’d be led to the high priest’s house. The beloved disciple, we believe is John, and Peter follow after Jesus. It is dark. In the courtyard Peter stands with a crowd around a charcoal fire (John 18.18). Three times Peter is asked if he is a disciple of Jesus. Three times Peter denies it. Then, the rooster crows. That was late Thursday night or early Friday morning.

Jesus was crucified and buried on Friday. Saturday morning, the same two disciples who were in the courtyard run to the tomb to find it empty. Jesus appeared to them a couple of times in a room with the doors locked. He offers them peace and show evidence of His scars.

Then, we come to John 21 and Peter features prominently in this scene with several of the disciples. The story shifts from Jerusalem to about 90 miles north to the Sea of Galilee. Peter told them, “I’m going fishing” (John 21.3). Some have suggested Peter is giving up on following Jesus and returning to his previous occupation. Others say, Peter is simply going to work or to provide food for his friends or family. All we know is Peter and a handful of disciples are fishing. The gospel of Mark tells us that Jesus wanted to meet His disciples in Galilee (Mark 14.28; 16.7). So, they may be waiting in obedience or expectation of His coming.

It’s early in the morning (John 21.4) compared to the darkness of the courtyard that night in Jerusalem. Jesus stood on the shore and calls out to them, “Friends, haven’t you caught any fish?” (John 21.5). Remember, John, the beloved disciple was the only one who stayed at the cross of Jesus. At least the only one who was recorded there. Judas betrayed Jesus. Peter denied Jesus. And here, Jesus calls them, “Friends.” Earlier on Resurrection morning, Jesus commissioned Mary Magdalene, “Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John 20.17). He calls them “brothers” and “friends.”

The fisherman reply back that they haven’t caught anything. Jesus instructs them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some” (John 21.6). They obey and “were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish” (John 21.6).

If some of you are thinking, “This story sounds familiar.” You are correct. In Luke 5, near the beginning of His ministry, Jesus asks Peter to row out so he can teach and to let down his net for a catch. Peter reluctantly obeys saying, “We’ve fished all night and have caught nothing, but because you say so...” He lets down the net and it fills with fish and starts to sink. He calls over James and John, Simon Peter’s fishing partners. They nets begin to break because of the large amount of fish. That catch led Peter to fall on his knees before Jesus and say, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man” (Luke 5.8). Jesus responds, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people” (Luke 5.10). Then, they left their nets and followed Jesus.

That was about three years earlier on the same Sea of Galilee. This time, the nets fill with fish. Then, John who had seen this before told Peter, “It is the Lord!” (John 21.7). As soon as Peter heard him say that, Peter stripped his outer clothes off and jumped into the water to swim to Jesus. It was about 100 yards. He left his friends to bring the boat and fish back.

Peter walks up to Jesus and sees a charcoal fire there on the shore. Jesus has cooked up breakfast with some fish and bread. I wonder if the small of the fire brought back the memory of the night in the courtyard where Peter denied Jesus three times. Now it is morning and Jesus has cooked breakfast. Jesus instructs them to bring some of their fish. Peter went back to the boat and drug the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153. They were true fisherman counting and measuring their catch.

Jesus invites them, “Come have breakfast” (John 21.12). It sounds familiar to when Jesus fed the 5,000 earlier in John’s gospel, “he took bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish” (John 6.11; 21.13). John tell us, “This was now the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples after He was raised from the dead” (John 21.14).

Three. Three denials. Three appearances of Jesus after He rose from the dead. 153 fish. And now, three questions from Jesus to Peter.

After they finished eating breakfast, “Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John do you love me more than these?” (John 21.15). What is the “these”? Is it the fish? Is it the other disciples? Regardless, the question is, “Do you love Jesus first?” Does Jesus capture your allegiance and first love?

Peter replied, “Yes, Lord. You know that I love you.” Jesus and Peter are using different words for love. I’m not sure it is a major issue to consider, but one to observe.

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs” (John 21.15).

Jesus asks Peter a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep” (John 21.16).

Jesus asks Peter a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” Was he hurt because Peter was remembering the three denials that night in the courtyard?

Psalm 30:5 NIV

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Peter answer, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21.17).

Years later Peter wrote a letter to encourage Christians living in exile. In that letter, he recounts the sufferings of Christ and states in 1 Peter 2:25, “For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” Later in the letter, Peter calls himself a fellow elder, one who takes care of God’s people.

1 Peter 5:1–4 ESV

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

If you visit the location where may people believe this seashore breakfast and restoration of Peter, you’ll visit The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter. It’s a stone church with a big rock sticking outside of it. [Show picture]. Then, you can move inside and that same rock is featured on the inside of the building with the words “Mensa Christi” or “table of Christ.” Some think that’s where Jesus cooked this breakfast.

What I found interesting was the rock was associated with the location where Jesus restores Peter after he denied Jesus. Peter’s name means rock. “By reason of his devastating experience of fall and restoration to the fellowship of his Lord, Peter is peculiarly fitted...” for pastoral work (G. R. Beasley-Murray, John, p. 407).

Jesus commissions Peter to “Feed my lambs, take care of my sheep, and feed my sheep.” Later, Jesus simply invites Peter as he did at the beginning, “Follow me” (John 21.19). These words could be summarized with feed, care, and follow.

We just got chickens at the Brosi household this Spring. We are not on our third bag of chicken feed and just last week, we finished the chicken coop. Feed and care. We need to make sure they have plenty of food and water. We’ve set up a rotation to check on them with the kids. We then went to work on a place to keep them safe from predators. Places for them to find shelter from the storms and place to run and play.

Peter could feed the flock or the church with teaching the Scriptures and the stories of Jesus. He could care form them by healing the sick and watching out for those who would divide and discourage the church. Read Acts for those accounts. But all of that would be in vain if he forgot who he was following, the Risen Jesus.

Our story concludes with Jesus telling Peter that when he was younger he dressed himself and went wherever he wanted. “But when you are old you will stretch out your hand, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21.18). Then, John gives us this editorial comment, “Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by with Peter would glorify God. Then He said to him, ‘Follow me!’” (John 21.19).

There is a Japanese art of taking broken pottery and making it beautiful with gold paint.

In Japan, rather than tossing broken pieces of ceramics in the trash, craftsmen often practice the art of kintsugi, or “golden joinery,” which is a method of taking broken pieces and restoring them with a lacquer that is mixed with gold, silver, or platinum.

The story of kintsugi is said to have begun in the 15th century when Japanese military commander Ashikaga Yoshimasa broke one of his beloved Chinese tea bowls and, disappointed with the shoddy repair job it was treated to, urged Japanese craftsmen to come up with a more pleasing method of repair. Thus the art of kintsugi was born. Collectors soon became so enamored with the new art that some were accused of deliberately smashing valuable pottery so it could be repaired with the gold seams of kintsugi.

As an art, kintsugi will make a mended vessel look more aesthetic and become more valued than it was before it was fractured. ...It beautifies the breakage and treats it as an important part of the object’s history, thus valuing the fractures instead of disguising them or glossing over them. The process typically results in something far more beautiful and elegant than the original.

To throw the broken pot away is to destroy its unique story. To repair it the kintsugi way is to continue its tale of adventure, triumph, and redemptive beauty ([1]Jimmy Larche, https://www.jimmylarche.com/the-art-of-kintsugi-devotion/).

Peter’s story looks much like our story. One filled with cracks of missed opportunities and missteps. Peter’s story one where Jesus met him on the shore of the Sea of Galilee to restore him and give him a second chance. Jesus wanted to take Peter’s shame and offering him grace. Recently, I heard this description of shame.

Self

Hatred

At

My

Expense

Jesus took our shame and offered us grace in its place.

God’s

Riches

At

Christ’s

Expense.

Today, I invite you to receive the grace of Jesus and respond to His invitation to feed and care for the church by following our Risen Lord Jesus. Jesus, thanks for second chances.