Mid-Week Prayer Service

John 21:1-19 Restored by the Risen Jesus

Good evening.

I want to take you somewhere after the resurrection.

Because if we’re not careful, we celebrate Easter, we get excited, and we say, “He is risen,” and then we just go right back to normal life.

We go back to work. We go back to our routine. We go right back to the same struggles, the same sin, and the same voice in our head that keeps telling us, “Nothing’s really changed.”

Some of you had a real moment with the Lord on Sunday. You felt it. You meant it. It was genuine.

And then by Tuesday, you were already thinking, “Yep… same old me.”

But John 21 shows us something different.

It shows us what the risen Jesus actually does with real people who have real failure. Not cleaned-up people. Not put-together people. People who blew it.

Peter Didn’t Just Mess Up—He Blew It

Let me remind you what just happened.

Peter is the guy who said, “Even if everyone else falls away, I won’t.” He was loud about it. Confident. Bold. He was the one everyone expected to stand strong.

And then he denied Jesus.

Not once. Not twice. Three times.

And it wasn’t quiet. It wasn’t subtle. It was public, it was loud, and it was embarrassing.

“I don’t know Him.”

And Luke tells us something that just hits you in the gut. After the third denial, Jesus looked at him.

Luke 22:61–62 (ESV) “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.”

Can you imagine that moment?

That’s the last interaction Peter has with Jesus before the cross. No conversation. No explanation. Just eye contact.

Failure. Shame. Regret.

And that’s where we pick up the story.

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.”

Back to What You Know

Now fast forward.

Jesus is risen.

The tomb is empty. Death has been defeated. Peter and John ran to the tomb to see that it was empty. He knows Jesus isn’t there. He knows everything has changed.

He knows death did not get the final say. Peter knows Jesus is the Messiah, that He is the Son of God. He knows it all.

But where do we find Peter?

Fishing.

Back on the water. Back to nets. Back to what he knew before Jesus ever called him.

And don’t miss this—this isn’t just about fishing.

This is about a man who thinks, “I blew it.”

“I had my shot. I walked with Jesus. I was right there… and I ruined it.”

He believed he was disqualified. He believed he was too far gone. He thought he wasn’t worthy.

“So I guess I just go back.”

Back to what’s familiar. Back to what’s comfortable. Back to a life that doesn’t require faith, risk, or obedience.

That’s what failure does if you let it. It doesn’t just make you feel bad—it tries to send you backward.

Some of you know exactly what that feels like.

You were walking with the Lord. You were growing. You were close.

And then you fell.

Maybe it was sin. Maybe it was compromise. Maybe it was just slowly drifting and waking up one day realizing you’re not where you used to be.

And now you’re here—but in your mind, you’ve already decided something about yourself.

“I guess this is just who I am now.”

“I’m saved… but I’m not useful.”

“I’m forgiven… but I’m not who I used to be.”

But Jesus Isn’t Done

But what Peter doesn’t realize yet is this:

Jesus isn’t done with him.

And just because Peter went back… doesn’t mean Jesus let him stay there.

Jesus Shows Up Anyway

And then Jesus shows up.

Because that’s what He does. You can go backwards, you can drift, you can convince yourself you’re done—and Jesus just has this way of showing up anyway.

They’ve been fishing all night and caught absolutely nothing. Not “a bad night.” Not “a few small ones.” Nothing. Which, if you’ve ever fished, you know that feeling. You spend hours out there convincing yourself you’re having a good time, but really you’re just sitting there losing patience and pretending it’s peaceful.

And I love this because these are professional fishermen. This is what they do. This is their thing. And they still come up empty.

Jesus is standing on the shore, but they don’t recognize Him yet. And He calls out to them, “Children, do you have any fish?”

Now just imagine that for a second. You’ve been out there all night. You’re tired. You’re frustrated. And somebody on the shore yells out the most obvious question in the world. “Hey, you catch anything?”

That’s the kind of question that makes you want to lie. “Yeah, we’re just practicing catch and release tonight. You wouldn’t understand.”

But this isn’t random.

This is exactly how Jesus called them the first time.

Same situation. Same failure. Same setup.

And then He tells them to cast the net again. Which, if we’re being honest, is slightly insulting. Nothing like someone who hasn’t been fishing all night telling you how to fish.

But they do it anyway.

And suddenly—fish everywhere. Nets full. Overwhelming.

And John looks out and says, “It is the Lord.”

And Peter—this is so Peter—doesn’t wait. He doesn’t process it. He doesn’t ask questions. He jumps straight into the water and starts swimming to Jesus.

He doesn’t wait for the boat. He doesn’t think it through. He just goes.

Because even after everything… even after the denial, the failure, the shame… he still knows where to run.

And that matters.

Because some of you, when you mess up, you run away from Jesus.

Peter runs toward Him.

Breakfast on the Shore

And when he gets there, this is one of the most underrated, powerful moments in all of Scripture.

Jesus already has a fire going. Fish laid out. Bread ready.

Breakfast is already made.

Peter shows up soaking wet, probably out of breath, trying to figure out what to say, and Jesus is just… cooking.

No lecture. No confrontation. No awkward silence.

Just, “Come eat.”

Let that sit for a second.

Peter denied Jesus around a fire. That’s where it happened. That’s where the failure lives in his mind.

And now Jesus restores him… around a fire.

That’s not accidental.

Jesus is intentionally recreating the moment that broke Peter—but this time, He fills it with grace instead of shame.

That’s how Jesus works. He doesn’t just erase your past. He redeems it.

Point 1: Jesus Pursues You in Your Failure

Peter didn’t go looking for Jesus.

Jesus came looking for Peter.

Romans 3:11 ESV

no one understands; no one seeks for God.

He met him on the shore, in his mess, in his regression, in the middle of him going backwards.

And notice this—Jesus didn’t show up with a speech.

He didn’t say, “Alright Peter, let’s sit down and talk about your performance lately.”

He didn’t bring up the denial right away. He didn’t shame him. He didn’t make him earn his way back.

He made breakfast.

Some of you expect Jesus to approach you the way people do. Disappointed. Frustrated. Keeping a mental record of everything you’ve done wrong.

But that’s not what you see here.

He moves toward you, not away from you.

Romans 5:8 says, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Not when you got it together. Not when you cleaned it up. Not when you promised you’d do better.

While you were still in it.

That’s when He moved toward you.

Point 2: Jesus Restores Your Identity

They eat together. No rush. No pressure.

And then Jesus looks at Peter and says, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

And that question cuts deep.

He can just hear him with his head down, and quietly saying “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”

Because Peter was the one who said, “Even if all of them fall away, I won’t.” He was the loudest in the room about how much he loved Jesus.

And now Jesus asks him, three times, “Do you love me?”

Why three times?

Because Peter denied Him three times.

Jesus isn’t rubbing it in. He’s restoring him.

One question for every denial. One moment of grace for every moment of failure.

And don’t miss this detail—Jesus calls him Simon.

Not Peter.

Simon was his old name. The name he had before Jesus ever called him “the rock.”

It’s like Jesus is saying, “We’re going to deal with this honestly. No pretending. No hiding behind a version of yourself that you’re not living up to right now.”

And each time Peter responds, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”

And each time Jesus responds, “Feed my sheep.”

Now think about that.

Jesus doesn’t say, “Take some time off.”

He doesn’t say, “You’re disqualified.”

He restores him and then immediately gives him responsibility again.

Which is not how we would do it.

We’d put him on a six-month probation plan. Maybe a class. Definitely a meeting.

Jesus restores him and puts him right back into purpose.

Because Peter’s failure did not change his identity.

And some of you need to hear that.

You think what you did changed who you are.

Jesus says, “No. I define who you are.”

Point 3: Jesus Reassigns Your Purpose

“Feed my sheep.”

That’s not small. That’s not casual.

That’s leadership. That’s calling. That’s responsibility.

Jesus is saying, “Peter, I’m not done with you. You didn’t ruin this. The mission didn’t change just because you failed.”

And here’s what’s wild.

This same Peter who denied Jesus in front of a few people is going to stand up in Acts 2 and preach, and thousands are going to come to Christ.

Same guy.

Same personality. Same mouth.

Different power.

That’s what the resurrection does.

It doesn’t just forgive your past. It gives you a future.

And the thing that was the biggest issue— God uses it in ways that we can never imagine.

You’re Not Done

Some of you are stuck living like your worst moment defines you.

You’re saved. You’re here. You show up. You sing. You listen.

But in your mind, you’ve already benched yourself.

“I’m not who I used to be spiritually.”

“I had my moment, and I blew it.”

And Jesus is saying, “I know exactly who you are. And I’m not done.”

Let me say it as plainly as I can.

Your failure is real.

But it is not final.

The cross paid for it.

The resurrection proved it.

And Jesus is still calling you forward.

So What About You?

So here’s the question.

Where have you gone back to fishing?

Where have you settled?

Where have you convinced yourself, “This is just who I am now”?

Because Jesus is still on the shore.

Still calling.

Still inviting.

Still restoring.

Some of you need to stop running from Jesus and actually run back to Him.

Some of you need to let go of the identity you gave yourself after you failed.

And some of you need to step back into what God has already been calling you to do.

He is risen.

And He’s not done with you.

Follow Him.