In many ways it seems that John could have finished his gospel at chapter 20. He didn’t have to tell us this story – indeed some have wondered if this was added by some in John’s circle after John’s death (perhaps the very end of the chapter hints at this?). But, ultimately, this chapter ties together all four gospels in a way that makes it not just a fitting end to John’s gospel, but to all four gospels considered together.
It begins with Peter, and 6 other disciples, deciding that they will go fishing in Galilee – Jesus’s appearances don’t seem to be necessarily going anywhere, we might say, and so they may as well get on with what they know. They are going back to the beginning, to the place where they first met Jesus. As the story unfolds this is true in more ways than one. Just as in Luke 5 when Luke tells us of Peter’s encounter with Jesus, so here, they fish all night and catch nothing.
And so Jesus asks them if they have any fish: “children, do you have any fish?” – and you can almost hear the exasperated tones of the disciples giving back the curt “no”. And then Jesus tells them to cast their nets on the right hand side of the boat, where they will find some. They obey and their nets are full to bursting. John recognises it is Jesus, tells Peter, who characteristically leaps into the water to meet Jesus.
They bring their fish to Jesus – who already has fish cooking for their breakfast. Jesus doesn’t need their fish. And yet he chooses to give them fish. This is the third appearance of John’s gospel. And it sets the scene for the encounter to come.
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
John 21:15-19
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
I love this conversation. If I could be in a time machine I’d love to be walking by that lake, starting from that fire. Here Jesus deliberately takes Peter back to that other fire. To the place where he said three times that he didn’t even know Jesus.
Three times Peter is asked “do you love me?” The first is a comparative – “more than these?” As someone who deals with writers and editors that sentence is crying out for clarity – these what? Is Jesus gesturing to the disciples? Or to the fishing boats? Either way Peter replies with a yes – and the knowledge that Jesus knows he s love. Each time he affirms his love.
You see Peter can’t get away from the reality that here is one man who will never let us down. There are no skeletons in Jesus’s cupboard. Jesus has a group of young men hanging round him and he never abuses them. Jesus hangs out with women of all backgrounds and always treats them as precious daughters of God, to be respected and cherished.
Jesus knew how to laugh for sure, and he could certainly lay into those who used religion as a tool for power. But Jesus never used religion like that.. And if we hear of people using religion like that, and worse still if we experience people using religion like that in the midst of all that we are to come back to Jesus. Sit with Peter. Listen to the master.
Hear him ask “do you love me”. Hear him give Peter a fresh charge to look after his sheep. Entrusting this charge to Peter. No recrimination. No cold shoulder. Just gentle proving questions, inviting Peter back in. Jesus doesn’t stand with the other disciples saying “Peter, he’s a lovely man, but maybe he’s not quite sharp enough for teaching right now?”
No, Peter is invited back in, right into the heart of those trusted. But hear too Peter ‘s pain at the third time of asking: do you love me? “Yes, yes you know all things, you know that I love you.” Imagine the tears Peter is choking back as he says that, remembering that fire where he denied him. But then Jesus makes a strange kind of comforting promise – one day Peter will be led off to die, and Peter will go through with it. He will do what is needed. He has, or he will have exactly what it takes to do Jesus’s will. Christ is enough, and so the one who is in Christ has and is enough. The call to us as to Peter is clear. “Follow me.”
20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
John 21:20-23
22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”
Then we have this final conversation. Peter asks about John. What about him? Jesus reply is essentially: mind your own business, and focus on your own following of me. In The Horse and His Boy – one of the CS Lewis Narnia chronicles, two of the characters come face to face with Aslan, the Christ figure and have the experience of him saying something very similar. When Shasta finally meets Aslan, he pours out his sorrows to Aslan:
Shasta was a little reassured by the breath: so he told how he had never known his real father or mother and had been brought up sternly by the fisherman. and then he told the story of his escape and how they were chased by lions and forced to swim for their lives; and of all their dangers in Tashbaan and about his night among the Tombs and how the beasts howled at him out of the desert. And he told about the heat and thirst of their desert journey and how they were almost at their goal when another lion chased them and wounded Aravis. And also, how very long it was since had had anything to eat.
“I do not call you unfortunate,” said the Large Voice.
“Don’t you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions?” said Shasta.
“There was only one lion.” said the Voice.
“What on earth do you mean? I’ve just told you there were at least two lions the first night, and -”
“There was only one, but he was swift of foot.”
“How do you know?”
“I was the lion.”
And as Shasta gaped with open mouth and said nothing, the Voice continued. “I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you as you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.”
“Then it was you who wounded Aravis?”
“It was I.”
“But what for?”
“Child,” said the Voice, “I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own.”
CS Lewis: The Horse and His Boy
Like Shasta in the story, and like Peter on the beach we need to come to the Voice. We need to sit and listen for our story told to us. We open his Word, we read Peter’s encounter with Jesus, and through that encounter we too can encounter the Risen Christ. We too can hear him ask us the probing questions we need to hear.
Do I really love this Jesus? And if I do, am I ready to follow him? Not to worry about anyone else’s journey. Not to model myself on anyone else, but to follow the example of those who truly look to Jesus for their quest. Am I ready to hear him speaking my story to me? Am I ready to follow him on his terms?
And as I do that, I know that he is the one who has had my story all along. In all the twists and turns, and yes, even in those moments when I have denied him because of my fears, he has been there all along. He is the one who is moving things in the direction they need to go. He is the one who continually calls me back to him. He is the one who is enough for all I need.
I love the rest of the conversation in The Horse and His Boy too much to leave it out – so read it and ponder, and let it lead you to Jesus, who is himself – all we need, and as the one who is enough he is all we need to have all we need for what we do as we follow him.
“Who are you?” asked Shasta.“Myself,” said the Voice, very deep and low so that the earth shook: and again “Myself,” loud and clear and gay: and then the third time “Myself,” whispered so softly you could hardly hear it, and yet it seemed to come from all around you as if the leaves rustled with it.
Shasta was no longer afraid that the Voice belonged to something that would eat him, nor that it was the voice of a ghost. But a new and different sort of trembling came over him. Yet he felt glad too.
The mist was turning from black to grey and from grey to white. This must have begun to happen some time ago, but while he had been talking to the Thing he had not been noticing anything else. Now, the whiteness around him became a shining whiteness; his eyes began to blink. Somewhere ahead he heard birds singing. He knew the night was over at last. He could see the mane and ears and head of his horse quite clearly now. A golden light fell on them from the left. He thought it was the sun.
He turned and saw, pacing beside him, taller than a horse, a Lion. The horse did not seem to be afraid of it or else could not see it. It was from the lion that the light came. No one ever saw anything more terrible or more beautiful.
Luckily Shasta had lived all of his life too far south in Calormen to have heard the tales that were whispered in Tashbaan about a dreadful Narnian demon that appeared in the form of a lion. And of course he knew none of the true stories about Aslan, the great Lion, the son of the Emperor-over-sea, the King above all High Kings in Narnia. But after one glance at the Lion’s face he slipped out of the saddle and fell at its feet. He couldn’t say anything but then he didn’t want to say anything, and he knew he needn’t say anything.
The High King above all kings stooped towards him. Its mane, and some strange and solemn perfume that hung about the mane, was all around him. It touched his forehead with its tongue. He lifted his face and their eyes met. Then instantly the pale brightness of the mist and the fiery brightness of the Lion rolled themselves together into a swirling glory and gathered themselves up and disappeared. He was alone with horse on a grassy hillside under a blue sky. And there were birds singing.
CS Lewis: The Horse and His Boy
Joshua's Tree Rooted 