WHEN JESUS PUTS YOU IN YOUR PLACE
John 21:1-19
Most of us have been there, at some point in our lives we have stepped out of line and someone, somewhere “put us in our place”. Many of us have been on the other side of a similar situation and someone offended us or wronged us in some way and we instinctively “put them in their place”.
In John chapter 21, Jesus put Peter in his place. However, this instance didn’t play out as many would have predicted. Instead of rebuking Peter, Jesus restored and recommissioned him to service. By this point in time, the Savior has died on the Cross, been buried in Joseph’s tomb, and risen from the dead. One of the major events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion was Peter’s denial of his Master. Three separate times this faithful Apostle and close friend of Jesus denied that he even knew Him.
Scripture tells us that when Peter heard the rooster crow, he remembered the words of Jesus when He had previously predicted his denial and in response he “went out and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75). After the Resurrection, we see Peter running with John to the tomb and later gathered behind closed doors with the other Disciples.
If it were not for the truths that are revealed in John 21, we would be very confused as to why Peter became the leader of the Apostles, why he was chosen to preach to the crowds on the day of Pentecost, and why he is featured so prominently in the first 12 chapters of the Book of Acts. The reason that these things happened is that one day on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus put Peter in his proper place.
The Savior did not harshly rebuke Peter for his abandonment and denial of Him in the darkest period of His earthly life. In fact, Jesus didn’t even take this opportunity to say, “I told you so!”. Instead, Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to reaffirm his love and devotion to Him. After this, Jesus gave him some very important instructions concerning his future ministry work.
This occasion was not the first time that Jesus had met with Peter after His Resurrection. After those two followers had their encounter with Jesus on the Road to Emmaus, they returned to Jerusalem and found the Disciples gathered together and saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” (Luke 24:34). I believe that Peter has already been personally restored to the Lord Jesus by this point, but this occasion served as a public display of Jesus’ forgiveness of and confidence in the Apostle Peter. It was beneficial for the Disciples who had seen Peter fail publicly to be restored publicly. Jesus never commands that Peter be recognized as the leader of the Apostles, but it may have been somewhat difficult for these men to defer to him and listen to him apart from some public endorsement by the Lord.
As His followers, Jesus has a way of “putting us in our place”. Like Peter, many of us have gone through periods of failure. There is great hope in the reality that if Jesus can use Peter after his public and disgraceful denial, He can use us to advance His cause in spite of our past (and even present) failures.
- I would like to examine the events that took place on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias and preach on the thought “When Jesus Puts You In Your Place”.
One of the most notable moments in the Gospels and certainly Peter’s life is the time when he stepped out of the boat in the midst of a storm and walked on the water to go to Jesus. He was in the boat because he had left all and followed his Master. He was in troubled waters because he was obedient to Jesus and went where He told him to go. He stepped out on the water and did the impossible because of his faith in the Lord. He began to sink because he took his eyes off of Jesus and when he cried out “Lord, save me!”, Jesus reached out His hand, grabbed a hold of him, and put him safely into the boat.
Peter did not know it at the moment, but that event would serve as a metaphor for his life in the days surrounding the arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus. On the evening before the Crucifixion Jesus warned the Disciples that they would “all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.’ (Matthew 26:31). Peter professed that “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” (Matthew 26:33), Later, when Judas Iscariot and the Roman soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Peter boldly and defiantly took out his sword and cut of the ear of a soldier named Malchus. (John 18:10).
Unfortunately, though he started well and followed Jesus for years, there came a moment when he failed and he failed in a BIG way! The same can be said of many of the people who are gathered here today. Perhaps you are one who began walking with the Lord and at some point you turned away and went back to what was “easy” and familiar. Peter’s testimony shows us that:
A) JESUS CAN USE YOU EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE REGRESSED
I have no doubt that Peter really meant what he said when he professed that he was willing to die for Jesus. Unfortunately the events that would follow caused Peter to compromise his faith, give in to fear, and deny his Lord. His downfall began when he started following Jesus from a distance. It wasn’t long before he began to mingle with the enemies of his Master. Peter went to the “courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome”. (Matthew 26:58).
Many followers of Christ have regressed in their walk with the Savior. This regression often begins when one begins to associate with the enemies of Christ. Obviously we are in this world but we are not to be of this world. When we begin to run with the people of this world we are tempted to go where they go and do what they do. Instead of being a light in a world filled with darkness, we are often overcome by the darkness. It is important to remember what Paul said in Romans 12:2: “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect”.
You may have regressed in your walk with Christ. You may not be living in open rebellion or consumed with blatant sin, but you are not where Jesus would have you to be. Though you may not have made a sharp turn back to the wicked lifestyle that you were delivered from, you are slowly drifting further and further away from the Savior. It is important for you to know that if you will return to Jesus, He can once again use you for His glory.
Tragically, many who have regressed in their walk with Christ have gone on to rebel against Him. Peter’s story also gives us hope that:
B) JESUS CAN USE YOU EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE REBELLED
After the Jews began to bear false witness against Jesus, a servant girl came to Peter in the courtyard and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 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. (Matthew 26:69-75)
This account shows us that Peter did more than regress, he rebelled! This man who had just sought to defend Jesus’ life hours earlier, the same man who had professed that he was willing to die for Jesus, vehemently denied that he even knew Jesus when the pressure was on.
You may have never denied Jesus with your words but you consistently deny Him with your actions. Like Peter you are running with the enemies of Christ and warming yourself by the Devil’s fire. As a result the people that you encounter on a daily basis do not even know that you belong to the Savior. If you are living in such a way you are not any better than Peter was there in the courtyard of the High Priest.
God has every right to inflict severe disciplinary consequences on you as a result of your rebellion against Him. Various scriptures show us that there are times when people rebel against God for so long that they will encounter such chastisement. Paul tells of how Hymenaeus and Alexander were “handed over to Satan, so that they (would) be taught not to blaspheme”. (1 Timothy 1:20). Ananias & Sapphira faced a swift punishment and severe consequences as a result of their rebellion. (Acts 5:1-11). Paul also tells of those who observed the Lord’s Supper in an irreverent manner and how that many were weak and sick, and some had even died. If you continue in your rebellion, you may face a similar for of chastisement.
It is only because of the love, mercy, and grace of the Lord that we have not faced serious, severe, and even permanent consequences for our rebellion. Such longsuffering and steadfast love should serve as motivation for us to repent and return to Jesus immediately!
- There is hope that Jesus can once again use you even if you have regressed and rebelled against Him. But it is important for you to understand that:
c) JESUS CANNOT USE YOU UNLESS YOU REPENT
Many men would have given up their walk with Jesus if they had denied Jesus like Peter did. His actions were not much different from what Judas did, but after Judas realized his error, he “threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself”. (Matthew 27:5). If I were in Peter’s position, I probably would have returned home, kissed my wife, hugged my children and relaunched the old fishing business. Peter did not do this!
Though we are not given the details, it is clear that he not only wept bitterly, he repented of his actions and was determined to remain with the Lord. After the crucifixion, Peter is seen together with the other faithful followers of Jesus. Furthermore, the remainder of His life was spent walking with Jesus, serving for His glory, and advancing His Kingdom. If you have regressed and rebelled and you are willing to repent, Jesus can and will do the same for you. If you want proof, all you have to do is look at this encounter between Jesus and Peter in John chapter 21.
- This passage provides us with the details of the third encounter that the Disciples had with Jesus following His resurrection. As we examine these verses we see that:
WHEN JESUS PUTS YOU IN YOUR PLACE
THERE WILL BE A REVELATION
v1 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.
After the weeklong festival of Unleavened Bread the disciples left Jerusalem and returned to Galilee. The previous night, Peter decided that he was going fishing. Six of the other Disciples decided to join him. Those men (most of whom were experienced professional fishermen) labored all night and did not catch a single fish. Early the next morning, as the sun came up they saw a man on the shore but they did not realize that it was Jesus. It could be that they simply saw a silhouette because of the time of day, or Jesus may have supernaturally prevented them from recognizing Him as He did with several others who encountered Him after His resurrection. Regardless, what is important, what brings us such great hope, is that Jesus knew exactly where His Disciples were and He went to them.
If you have gone through a period of regression and rebellion, it may seem as if God is a million miles away from you. You may even feel that you have gone so far and been away for so long that there is no hope of your restoration. Never forget that your Lord and Savior knows exactly where you are. Even more astonishing is the fact that when we fail and even when we rebel He is so loving and merciful that He will come to where we are! As was the case for Peter, He may show up in an unexpected place and when you least expect to encounter Him.
When Jesus manifests Himself in our lives, He has a way of reminding us of who He is and all that He has done for us in the past. Notice in verses 5-14:
WHEN JESUS PUTS YOU IN YOUR PLACE
THERE WILL BE A REMINDER
v5 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. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.
This encounter on the Sea of Tiberias is almost an exact replay of what happened when Peter first left all and followed Jesus. In Luke 5 we are told of an encounter that happened early in Jesus’ ministry when He climbed aboard Peter’s boat after another unsuccessful night of fishing. The Lord commanded Peter to “launch out into the deep and let down his nets for a catch of fish”. Though he was skeptical, Peter obeyed and he, Andrew, James, & John caught so many fish that their nets began to break and their boats began to sink.
On this occasion, John was obviously reminded of that previous miracle and though he could not see Him clearly, John knew that it was Jesus on the shore. He looked at Peter and said, “it is the Lord!”. Upon hearing this and realizing it himself, Peter could not wait until the boat was docked. He dove into the water and swam to where Jesus was.
In those times when Jesus reveals Himself to us, especially after a period of rebellion on our part, we are reminded of who Jesus is and all that He has done. Though there are times when we are distracted by the cares and pleasures of this world, even to the point of turning away from Jesus, our Savior has a way of making His presence known in our lives and all of the sudden our mind is flooded with memories of just how awesome He is and how sweet it is to walk with our Master.
You may be hesitant to return to Jesus because you fear rebuke or retribution as a result of your rebellion, but Peter’s encounter with Him on the shore that morning should serve as motivation for you to ignore your fears and the attacks from the Adversary and do whatever is necessary to be reunited with your Savior.
When you remember what Jesus has done for you and remember that precious fellowship that you once had with Him you should respond by repenting and returning to Him. When you do this, you can be assured that He will restore you! This leads us to the fact that:
WHEN JESUS PUTS YOU IN YOUR PLACE
THERE WILL BE RESTORATION
v15 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. 18 “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!”
Jesus knew that Peter was going to fail. In fact, He warned Peter about this before it ever happened. However, one of the most encouraging truths in the Gospels is that Jesus had plans for Peter's restoration before he ever denied Him. One of the first things the Savior did after He rose from the grave was to send word to Peter that He was alive. Afterwards, Jesus forgave and restored Peter personally. Now He has a conversation with him in the presence of the other Disciples and they know that even though Peter failed miserably, Jesus was not finished with him.
The last half of this chapter chronicles the conversation in which Jesus prepared Peter for the next phase of his ministry as an Apostle. We do not read the words "you are forgiven" in this text. But Jesus essentially recommissions Peter in verses 15-19. Jesus would not be sending Peter out to represent Him if Peter had not been forgiven and brought back into a right relationship with Him.
It is important to note that Jesus’ plans for Peter did not change after his fall. In the beginning of their relationship Jesus told Peter that He would use him to fish for men. Now that he has been restored, Jesus would soon use him to reach an innumerable multitude of people with the Gospel. Jesus also informed Peter that he would serve Him for the rest of his life. In fact, Jesus reveals that Peter will eventually give his life for the cause of Christ.
Perhaps there was a time when God used you in a mighty way. You were once a faithful servant of Christ but somewhere along the way you began to regress and maybe even rebel. Like Peter, if you truly belong to the Savior He will reveal Himself to you, remind you of who He is and all that He has done. Then, if you will repent He will restore and recommission you.
Maybe you have bought into the Devil’s lie that you have gone too far away from Jesus, or that you have been away for too long to ever experience restoration. I pray that you will comprehend the reality that if a man who stood with the enemies of Christ and denied even knowing Him could be forgiven, restored, and used mightily to advance God’s Kingdom, there is most certainly hope for you.
When Peter “went out and wept bitterly”, I am sure that he thought it was all over. Perhaps he felt that his time with Jesus had been in vain. I have no doubt that Satan would have had Peter to believe that there was no way that he could ever be restored to a right relationship with Jesus, much less to be used in Christian ministry. But the fact is that at that point, Peter’s best days were ahead of him. In the very near future Jesus would use him to reach thousands as he preached at Pentecost. Following this, he and the other Disciples would turn the world upside down for Jesus. Though he would ultimately give his life for the cause of Christ, and even though he has been dead for over 1900 years, Peter is still bringing glory to His name.
The same thing can happen to you! However, this is will not happen until you repent and return to Jesus. When you do, you can be restored and experience all of the amazing blessings that come “When Jesus Puts You In Your Place”.
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