Peter's Restoration
On the day Jesus goes to the cross, we see Peter deny Jesus three times. To deny someone once might be an accident. To deny someone twice is pretty bad. But to deny someone three times seems beyond redemption. In John 21, we witness a Peter who feels that he has forfeited his right to be a follower of Jesus. Peter feels like he has betrayed and destroyed his relationship with Jesus beyond repair. Hence, Peter returns to his life pre-Jesus. We find Peter out on a boat fishing.
This passage outlines Peter’s redemption and transformation from humiliation into hope. Jesus simultaneously replays Peter’s betrayal (standing by a fire denying Jesus three times) and Peter’s calling story (calling him from fishing to come follow Him). As we look at Peter’s story we’ll witness how Jesus can redeem and transform our own stories from humiliation into hope.