John 21: Restoration and Commission
Even when you don’t recognize Him, He’s already on the shore—waiting with warmth, restoration, and breakfast.
The final chapter of John’s Gospel serves a triple purpose: to highlight the miraculous catch of fish, to record Jesus’ loving restoration of Peter, and to affirm the truth of the Gospel through John’s eyewitness testimony. The disciples, gathered again in Galilee, experienced a familiar frustration—an empty net after a night of fishing. Jesus appeared unrecognized at first, instructing them to cast their net on the right side. When the net filled with 153 fish, John knew it was the Lord. Peter, eager as ever, dove into the sea to meet Him. Onshore, they found Jesus had already prepared breakfast and invited them to share in it. What followed was an intimate moment where Jesus, with both tenderness and gravity, restored Peter’s calling—asking three times if he loved Him, each echoing Peter’s earlier denials. Each affirmation was met with a renewed call to shepherd God’s people. Jesus then foretold Peter’s future death, framing it as a life that would glorify God. The chapter closes with a loving but firm redirection: Peter was to focus not on others’ callings but on faithfully following Christ.
Journal Entry — In the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture:
You were empty-handed when dawn broke, though you had labored through the night. Yet I stood unseen on the shore, waiting not to scold you, but to reveal Myself again as the One who fills what is empty. I called you not to try harder, but to cast the net where My Word directed. And when the net strained with abundance, it was not your skill but My presence that supplied.
I prepared the fire before you arrived. I had bread waiting, fish already laid out. I invited you to bring what I had just given. Even in your need, I let you take part. And to the one who had denied Me in the shadow of firelight, I offered the warmth of another fire—a place not of shame, but restoration. I asked not because I doubted your love, but so you could declare aloud what I already knew: your heart was Mine.
Three times you had turned away; three times I let you affirm what was always planted within you. You are not the denials. You are not the fear. You are Mine, and loving Me is not sentiment—it is shepherding, feeding, tending those I love.
I showed you the road ahead—not ease, but glory. Your path would mirror Mine. You once said you would lay down your life for Me; you will. But until then, walk closely, eyes forward, not comparing your calling with others. If I will that another remains, what is that to you? Follow Me. This is your portion. This is your joy.
(John 21:1–23; Luke 5:4–7; John 10:11; 1 Peter 5:2–4)
Real-Life Analogy:
You know those moments when you return to something familiar—maybe cooking a favorite meal or walking a path you’ve strolled a hundred times—and suddenly something small pulls at a memory? The scent of garlic on the stove reminds you of an apology long overdue, or the way morning light falls across the table brings back a conversation you wish had gone differently. It’s not the scene itself that changes you—but the Person who meets you in it. Jesus doesn’t avoid your familiar places—He steps right into them, reworking old wounds into settings for healing. Like returning to the seashore, He draws near in the mundane, ready to restore and recommission.
Prayer:
Lord, I trust You are always waiting on the shoreline of my circumstances, even when I don’t recognize You right away. You never leave me in failure or regret. I thank You that Your calling isn’t canceled by my shortcomings, and that Your Spirit continues to restore, renew, and redirect me. I’m not defined by what I’ve done, but by the life You’ve placed within me. Thank You for drawing near in ordinary moments and reshaping them into encounters of love and purpose. I fix my eyes not on others’ paths, but on the joy of walking with You.
Devotional Credit:
Insights adapted from the Grace and Truth Study Bible, published by Zondervan.
Photo Credit:
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