“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.’” – John 21:17
This is such a profoundly beautiful moment! The resurrected Jesus speaks directly to Peter, who had failed Him so badly. Overwhelmed by fear, Peter had denied even knowing Jesus three times on the night of his arrest. Three times, Peter had lied and insisted he didn’t know His Lord!
Yet rather than throw that history of failure and betrayal in Peter’s face, Jesus instead gave him the opportunity to re-affirm his love. Three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” Three times. One for each denial. Peter, not fully understanding and frustrated at being asked, nonetheless confessed his love for Jesus three times. Then, three times, Jesus affirmed the work He still had prepared for Peter to do as a leader of His church – to feed and tend the precious flock of Christ.
This is a powerful reminder that there is no failure that God’s grace that’s extended through Christ can’t overcome. There is no rejection of Jesus that His love can’t forgive when someone later embraces Him. Mistakes and failures don’t permanently bar us from usefulness in Christ’s Kingdom. We are reminded, once again, that the Gospel isn’t just a one time saving truth, but it is the continuously forgiving, reconciling, and restoring reality we all need and experience in Christ.
If there is a guilt or shame in your past that prevents you from fully serving Jesus Christ, confess it to Him now. Ask His forgiveness and be restored!