Simon Peter: From Failure to Forgiven | John 21:1–19

John 21:1–19 ESV

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

We all face moments where we feel done, crushed by failure or exhaustion, like Simon Peter after denying Jesus and fishing fruitlessly.

It’s not that we question God’s love for us, but we question our usefulness, wondering if our failures disqualify us.

Simon Peter thought he had reached his end—broken by sin, drained by empty nets—but when we reach our end, Christ is just beginning, ready to transform our brokenness into a new chapter.

Through Jesus’ three questions to Peter in John 21:15-17, we see that at our lowest—when we’re burned out or broken—Christ begins anew, calling us to deeper love and purpose.

Here’s our Main Idea: When We’re At Our End, That’s When Jesus Begins!

Simon’s Sin: Reaching the End (John 21:3, 18:15-27)

The Weight of Failure

We can do something so egregious that we feel finished, questioning our usefulness to God.

Simon Peter faced failure: He denied Christ three times (John 18:15-27), despite his bold promise to die for Him (Luke 22:33).

Luke 22:33 ESV

Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”

When tested, Peter was found lacking, bearing the crushing weight of his failure, believing he had reached his end.

Yet, when we reach our end, like Peter, crushed by failure, Christ is just beginning, preparing to restore what seems lost.

Has there ever been a time in your life where you were tested and you failed the test? Maybe it was a temptation to sin, and you gave in. Or an opportunity to succeed in business or work, and you just didn't make the cut.

Like Simon, we've all been at the place where we failed. And like Simon we felt the crushing weight of that failure.

The Reality of Exhaustion

Peter faced exhaustion, echoing the night years before when Jesus first called him (Luke 5:5). In John 21:3, he fished all night with empty nets, facing the exhaustion that followed—a picture of reaching his end.

Burnout Defined: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic stress, marked by:

Exhaustion: Physical, emotional, or mental depletion, leaving us “empty” or “hollow.”

Cynicism/Depersonalization: Mental distance or negativity toward work or life.

Reduced Efficacy: Feeling diminished in accomplishment.

Exhaustion Beyond Work: Burnout extends to caregiving, personal crises, or spiritual struggles, manifesting as fatigue, emotional drain, or cognitive weariness.

Modern Statistics:

89% of U.S. workers experienced burnout in the past year, 77% at their current job.

48% of global workers face burnout, with higher rates among women and those with disabilities (up to 26% higher).

59% of U.S. workers reported burnout in 2022, up 13.5% from 2021, especially Millennials (59%) and Gen Z (58%).

62% of employees feel mentally and physically exhausted after work, reflecting emotional exhaustion.

Effects of Burnout:

Mental/Emotional: Anxiety, depression, irritability, hopelessness—feeling “beyond caring,” like Peter might have felt before his restoration.

Physical: Fatigue, insomnia, headaches, weakened immunity, risking heart disease.

Workplace: Reduced productivity, absenteeism, turnover.

Personal Life: Strained relationships, with 76% of U.S. workers saying work stress affects their personal lives.

Spiritual: Burnout erodes faith, distancing us from God, as Peter retreated to fishing, what he knew, at his end.

Peter had failed, and he was burned out, so he retreated to fishing because he felt at his end. But when we reach our end, Christ is just beginning, meeting us in our exhaustion with hope.

Jesus Confronted Peter (John 21:15)

A. A Direct Question

Jesus asked, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” referring to the other disciples, meaning, “Do you love me more than your friends love me?”

This is a confrontational question, going straight to Peter’s heart, not glossing over his failures—his denials and retreat to fishing.

Jesus doesn’t let Peter off the hook, addressing where Peter is—broken and exhausted at his end.

Theme Connection: When we reach our end, like Peter, hiding in shame, Christ is just beginning, confronting us with love to draw us back to Him.

B. Peter’s Half-Hearted Response

Jesus uses agape (unconditional, divine love), asking for the love God has for us.

Peter responds, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love (phileo) you,” using phileo (brotherly, friendly love), not the deeper love Jesus seeks.

Peter’s reply is sincere but half-hearted, reflecting his misalignment from grief, failure, and exhaustion.

Application: Like Peter, 89% of us feel burned out, offering Jesus less than our full love, our hearts drained by failure or stress. When we reach our end, Christ is just beginning, confronting us with, “Do you love me?” to awaken our devotion.

Jesus Corrected Peter (John 21:16)

A. A Call to Deeper Love

Jesus asks again, “Simon, son of John, do you love (agape) me?” correcting Peter’s error.

In essence, Jesus says, “I didn’t ask if you love me like everyone else. I’m asking for something deeper.”

This second question points out Peter’s need to realign his heart, dimmed by grief and sin.

B. Misalignment from Grief and Sin

“Sometimes grief and sin can cause us to become misaligned. It’s not that we don’t love Jesus, it’s just that we don’t love Jesus the way we once did.”

Peter’s phileo response shows love, but not the fervent devotion he once had (Luke 22:33), his heart tangled in fear and failure.

A.W. Tozer Quote: “The roots of our hearts have grown down into things, and we dare not pull up one little rootlet lest we die. Things have become necessary to us, a development never originally intended. God’s gifts now take the place of God, and the whole course of nature is upset by the monstrous substitution.” (The Pursuit of God, Chapter 2).

For Peter, grief and sin rooted his heart in fear and failure, not God. Jesus’ question corrected this, calling for deeper agape love.

When we reach our end, misaligned like Peter by burnout or sin, Christ is just beginning, correcting our hearts to love Him fully.

C. Christ’s Persistent Call

Jesus wants all of us, not part, and He won’t stop until He has our whole heart, realigning us to His purpose (“Feed my lambs”).

Like Peter, 59% of us are burned out, our hearts tangled in stress (91% of UK adults feel it) or failure (26% lose motivation). When we reach our end, Christ is just beginning, correcting us with, “Do you love me deeply?” to restore our purpose.

Jesus Convicted Peter (John 21:17)

A. A Heart-Stirring Question

Jesus asks a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love (phileo) me?” meeting Peter at his level of phileo love.

In this moment, Peter breaks, his heart—hardened by failure, fatigue, and fear—pouring out in repentance.

Peter cries, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you,” fully surrendering at his end.

When we reach our end, broken like Peter, Christ is just beginning, convicting us to open our hearts to Him.

B. Conviction and Repentance

Jesus’ questions move Peter from a casual “of course!” to grief, convicting him of his failures and need for change.

Like Peter, when we’re at our end, our only hope is repentance, turning from our misalignment to Christ.

Jesus doesn’t accept off-the-cuff replies or superficial responses. He opens our wounded hearts for true transformation.

For the 76% whose relationships suffer from stress or the 62% exhausted daily, when we reach our end, Christ is just beginning, convicting us to repent and love Him anew.

C. The Call to a Changed Life

Superficial responses won’t work in Jesus’ call to discipleship.

Like Peter, we must learn the hard lesson of a changed life, transformed by Christ’s convicting love.

Theme Connection: When we reach our end, Christ is just beginning, convicting us to live fully for Him, as Peter was called to “Feed my sheep.”

V. Conclusion: Christ’s New Beginning

Peter was at his end—broken by sin, exhausted by failure, burned out like 89% of workers today.

But when we reach our end, Christ is just beginning, as He did with Peter:

He confronted Peter’s failure, asking, “Do you love me more than these?”

He corrected Peter’s misalignment, calling for deeper agape love.

He convicted Peter’s heart, leading to repentance and a changed life.

Today, whether you’re among the 59% feeling burned out, the 62% exhausted daily, or the 91% overwhelmed by stress, Jesus asks, “Do you love me?”

Call to Action:

Bring your failures, exhaustion, and misaligned heart to Jesus. Repent, let Him realign your love, and trust that when you reach your end, Christ is just beginning.

Closing Challenge:

Will you let Christ confront, correct, and convict you today, starting a new chapter of love and purpose, just as He did for Peter?