Follow Me with Grit (Lent 2, 2025) - John 21:14-19

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Peter (also known as Simon) was a regular guy: a man of his times.  

He was a big brother to Andrew and possibly to others as well. They shared a home. Their father's name was John. Peter and Andrew were fishermen, probably the family business that they would have learned in the same way that Jesus would have learned carpentry and working with his hands from Joseph. They had a business partnership with two brothers named James and John, who also became followers of Jesus.  

Peter was also a ‘big brother’ to the rest of the apostles, and probably the eldest of them. In Matthew 17, we can read that Jesus and Peter had to pay the temple tax. What that tells us is that those two were both over the age of 20, because the tax was required of men that age. Nobody else is mentioned as having to pay, so we understand that the other apostles were probably under that age.  

Peter was a husband and a son-in-law. Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law when He was a guest in their home 

Peter was a husband. When young men were invited to go away with a Rabbi to study Torah for more than 30 days, they had to get their wives’ permission (see Mishnah Ketubot 5.6). The cool thing is that later on in Peter's story, we have reason to believe that his wife came along with him as another following disciple of Jesus (see 1 Corinthians 9:5). 

Peter was also a member of Jesus’ ‘inner circle.’ Jesus focussed particularly on spending time, and taking extra journeys, with three apostles: Peter, James, and John. Peter is always named first in that group which means that he was foremost in people's understanding of the three. Peter had status as the leader of the group who were the leaders of the group.  

He was also sometimes the apostles’ spokesman. They may have been talking or wondering or confused about something, and Peter would be the one to say, “Hey, Jesus, we have a question...” 

During the last supper—Christ's final meal with His 12 apostles and whoever else was present in the room—Jesus says this to Peter: 

...I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.  Luke 22:32 

Jesus knows what's about to happen: things are about to go sideways. Stuff is about to hit the fan, and the disciples will be scattered. Jesus charges Peter with being there for the rest of them. When everything is falling apart and they don't know what to do, it's Peter's responsibility to rally the apostles, to strengthen them and bring them back together.  

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Peter was the first and only apostle to step out of the boat and onto the waves.  

He was the first apostle to enter the empty tomb after Jesus was resurrected.  

He was the first to share a roof and a meal with Saul of Tarsus, who would become known as the apostle Paul, but who was still feared and deeply mistrusted (for very good reasons) by the rest of the believers.  

Peter was also the first to share a roof and a meal with Gentiles: with non-Jewish believers. With people like us. He first knocked down those walls of tradition. First embraced brothers and sisters of another blood. 

Peter was the first apostle to stand in public before a crowd of strangers and preach the good news of Jesus. 

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One way that Peter demonstrates ‘grit’ is in his courage to be changed.  

...Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven, for she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little. Luke 7:47  

The disciples and Jesus had been together at a dinner in someone's home. A woman came up to Jesus and poured perfume over His feet as a gift of gratitude. People in the room rolled their eyes and said, “Why is this woman even in the house? Why is she even here?” Jesus told them a story to explain to them why she is allowed in the house, and why she is there. He ended the story with the words quoted above. 

The Peter we meet in John 21:14-19 would have got that. “Those who have been forgiven much, love much.” 

Just days before this episode on the beach, just days before Jesus showed up on the shores of Galilee where the guys were fishing... Peter had betrayed Jesus. Turned his back on him. Sworn, “I do not know this guy. Don't even know who he is.” 

And now here was Jesus, cooking breakfast.  

Peter, I think, must have been suspended between those two moments: the then, and the now.  

Then... when he’d been standing by a charcoal fire in the court of the High Priest and a servant girl said to him, “You're with that guy! You're one of that rabbi’s disciples, aren't you?” Peter had answered, “No, no, I don't know Him. Never seen Him before in my life. Nope, you've mistaken me for someone else.” 

That was then.  

Now... he was sitting in the sunlight of a Galilee morning, beside another charcoal fire, while God Himself was frying fish, and asking him, “Peter, do you love me?” 

Yes. I love you.  

Then... Peter had been standing in the dark by the gate where Jesus had been brought in, and then taken away in chains and at sword point. Another servant girl had said to the people standing around, “I'm sure that's him! I'm sure that's the guy I've seen with that Galilean.” Peter had said, “No. Look, I swear! I swear I don't know him.” 

That was then. 

Now... Peter was sitting on the rocky beach of the waters where his adventure with Jesus had begun, and Jesus was asking Him, “Peter, do you love me?” 

Yes. You know I love you.  

Then... he had stood on his own among strangers, waiting for Jesus to come back. Waiting in suspense, not knowing what was going on. He had been confronted by some of the people in the court. “You are one of them, you are! We know that accent, and I think you're the one who chopped my cousin's ear off.” Peter had begun to curse and swear, “May I drop dead right here, I don't know the man.” 

That was then. 

Now... Peter was sitting, circled by his brothers, who would need his example in the days to come. Jesus was asking him, “Do you love me?” 

Peter's heart broke. “You know everything. You do, don’t you? You know that I love you.” 

Jesus did not respond with, “I told you so.” Jesus did not respond with, “Three strikes. You're out.” No finger wagging. No, “Go do penance until I think you feel bad enough.” No shame. No recrimination.  

Jesus responded to Peter, “You've been a lost sheep. Now go looking for the rest of the lost sheep. Who better to know how to care for them?”  

Then... Peter had stood face to face with his failure when he’d heard the rooster crow.  

Now... He sat face to face with his Lord. Hearing the same words he heard three years before: on this same shoreline, among the same fish, and the same boats, and the same nets.

He heard Jesus say, “Follow me.”  

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Peter had the grit to keep following in Jesus’ footsteps.  

Just like Jesus had stood on trial before the Sanhedrin and said boldly when He was on trial for His life, “I am the Son of Man and you will see Me at the right hand of the Mighty One...” 

In the same way, shortly after their conversation on the beach, Peter stood on trial before the Sanhedrin and said boldly, “Am I going to listen to you? Or am I going to listen to God? I am not going to stop speaking about what I have seen and what I have heard.” 

Peter had grit. He carried on. He carried through. He kept putting one foot in front of the other, facing up to what he had to face up to, and being forgiven when he needed to be forgiven.  

We understand from church history that Peter died the same way that Jesus died: on a cross.

We know from the promises of Scripture and the promise of God that he lived again... and he still does. 

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