John 21:18-22

“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.”  19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”

20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21 So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” 

This is the last mention of Peter from the gospels. Jesus was telling him that he would die a martyr’s death, but not until he was old. Peter being a young man would have plenty of time to serve God.

You remember that Peter declared to Jesus that he was ready to die for Him. Well, Jesus was telling him now that he would later in life get that opportunity.

Then an unlikely thing happened. Peter pointed to John that was nearby, and said, what about him? Will he also die for You? Peter, even at the last encounter with Jesus, was showing his immaturity. I think he was just a little jealous of John—of his close relationship with Jesus (and it seemed that the disciples were constantly debating who was the greatest). But Jesus quickly shut it down. He wanted Peter to focus on his own ministry, and what he himself would do for Him. He should have no business knowing what kind of ministry John would have and whether he would die for Him of not.

John 21:15-17

So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.”  16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.”  17 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 all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.

After the glorious time the disciples had with Jesus, eating breakfast and sharing their love for each other, Jesus began to direct His words toward Peter; and I suppose, the other disciples, knowing that Jesus wanted to talk to Peter alone, busied themselves with the large catch of fish.

Jesus was immediately very direct. He said to Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” I’m not sure that Jesus ever addressed Peter that way. It was not a casual address. I’m sure Peter knew that Jesus had something important to say to him. And indeed, He did. He questioned his love for Him. By saying to Peter, do you love me more than these, he was questioning whether Peter loved Him more than fish—or more than the business of fishing. Had Peter forgotten Jesus’ call to Him to be fishers of men? Jesus wanted to remind him—strongly remind him—of what his real calling was. It was to tend His lambs and to shepherd His sheep.

Well Peter was grieved because Jesus had seemed to doubt Peter’s love for Him. But Jesus did not relent. He was persistent at His attempt to enlist Peter’s ongoing discipleship.

John 21:1-11

 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 So Jesus said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.

9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.”  11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Here in this story is one of the last earthly appearances of Jesus. And it is much like an earlier story (in Luke 5:1-11). In that story, about three years earlier, Jesus told Peter to go out into the deep water and let down his net for a catch. And Peter said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say…” And, as you remember, they caught so many fish that their nets began to break. And you remember also that Peter was amazed and also humiliated at his sinfulness (unbelief), so much so that he didn’t feel worthy to be in the presence of Jesus.

In this story, three years later, the situation is almost exactly the same, except that the nets did not break. And when John said to Peter, “It is the Lord,” he had the exact opposite reaction. Instead of feeling ashamed of his sinful unbelief and wanting to go away from Jesus, he quickly made himself more presentable (he put on an outer garment), jumped out of the boat, and ran through the water to meet Jesus. What was the difference? The difference, no doubt, was whatever he gained from his meeting with Jesus after His resurrection (Lu. 24:34). It was a sanctification, a renewal of spiritual strength and new life.

John 20:1-10 (also Mk. 16:5-8; Lu. 24:1-12)

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” 3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; 5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. 6 And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there,  7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

I think this passage in John contributes the most to our study of Peter, but Mark and Luke will help to fill in the gaps. As we can see in John’s gospel, only Mary Magdelene is mentioned; and she may have been the leading character, but there were actually three women that went to the tomb (Mk. 16:1): Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. And when these three arrived they found the stone of the tomb rolled away. Then, when they entered the tomb, they found it empty, and two angels said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6 “He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (Lu. 24:5-7).

And Mark’s gospel also tells us that one of the angel’s said to them, “But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you’” (Mk. 16:7).

So, the three women ran to tell the disciples what had happened; and apparently, Mary Magdalene outran the other women and told Peter (and also John) what the angels had said.

Well, as you can read in the John text, Peter and John ran to the tomb and discovered that it was empty just as Mary had told them. So, it appears that besides the three women, Peter was the next (and then John) to see that Jesus was resurrected. I have a feeling that God wanted Peter to be the first disciple to discover His resurrection; and according to Luke 24:34, though we don’t have any direct account of it, it seems that he was also the first disciple that Jesus appeared to. First, He appeared to Mary Magdalene (Jn. 20:14-18); next, he appeared to the other two women (Matt. 28:9-10); third, according to the Scripture record, He appeared to the two men on the road to Emmaus (Lu. 24:13-33); then, these two Emmaus disciples met with the eleven disciples at Jerusalem, and they all happily declared the news of Jesus resurrection and that he appeared to Simon (Lu. 24:34).

And though we don’t know exactly when Jesus and Peter met together, I’m sure it was a happy reunion, as Peter had much to confess, and when Jesus, I’m sure, assured Peter of His love and forgiveness toward him.

Matthew 26:69-75 (also Mk. 14:66-72; Lu. 22:55-62; Jn. 18:25-27)

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71 When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” 73 A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.” 74 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

In this account of Peter’s three denials, it appears that all four gospels generally agree to the details. Peter (and possibly John) was standing (and also sitting) in the courtyard with slaves and officers, warming themselves around a charcoal fire, waiting for what was to be done with Jesus as the high priest was questioning Him (Jn. 18:19-24).

Then suddenly as they were sitting around the fire, a servant-girl, followed by another servant-girl, came and accused Peter of being one of Jesus’ followers. And Peter denied it each time. Then about an hour later a bystander accused him and he again denied it. And it seemed that with each accusation Peter’s denial became stronger, And on the third denial, by the bystander, Peter even began to curse and swear—trying to make his denial more believable.

Then, without warning, after Peter’s third denial a rooster crowed, and Peter remembered what Jesus said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Also, as Peter was remembering what Jesus said, he turned and saw Jesus looking straight at him. At that point Peter began to weep, and he ran out of the courtyard still weeping bitterly.

We hear nothing more about Peter or any of the disciples until after Jesus was resurrected. But I think that at the point of Peter’s weeping, this was the point of his repentance. And from that day to His resurrection, I think it may be assumed that they all were repentant of their betrayal of Jesus, were morning His death, and were very confused.

Matthew 26:57-58 (also Mk. 14:50-55; Lu. 22:54-56; Jn. 18:12-17)

Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. 58 But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.

Of the four gospels Luke was somewhat the same as Matthew, but Mark’s and John’s gospel had more to add. Mark included a young man (probably himself) who was taken captive but managed to escape naked when he pulled free of his loose clothing. John’s gospel includes another disciple (also, probably John himself) who was following Jesus with Peter, who helped Peter to enter with him into the courtyard of the high priest.

For some reason Peter was unable to enter the courtyard and stood at the doorway before John helped him come in; for John knew the high priest and he also had some influence with the doorkeeper. Hence I take it that John was more friendly with people, and Peter was not. But we don’t really know why the doorkeeper would not let him in.