The Lutheran Hour
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"Peter’s Restoration–and Ours"
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Text: John 21:1-19
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The text for this sermon comes from the Gospel of John 21:1-19.
After this, Jesus revealed Himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and He revealed Himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered Him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, but about a hundred yards off.
When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after He was raised from the dead.
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, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him 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, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him a 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. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This He said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this He said to him, “Follow Me.”
This might sound obvious, but unless you’re a trained spy or a ninja, it’s easier to hide in the dark than in the daylight. What’s a little less obvious is that, as much as this is a good strategy for hide and seek, it’s just as good for dealing with our sins and spiritual weaknesses. Keep them to ourselves we think; don’t let anyone else see. Indeed, bringing them into the light is perhaps one of the most difficult parts of the Christian life. Our pride makes us afraid and so, like the first humans, we hide.
In one of the scenes before our text today, Jesus was arrested by a band of soldiers and religious officials. After His arrest, Peter pretended not to know Him. He denied his connection to Jesus three times. He was afraid. An angry mob had been stirred up during Jesus’ trial. What if that angry mob came after him. You never know when they might, after all.
Now, it’s likely that members of the very mob that shouted for Jesus to be crucified had welcomed Him with open arms and ambitious dreams just days earlier, shouting Hosanna as He entered Jerusalem on a donkey. Vibe shifts can happen quickly. One day you are part of the movement; the next you’re cancelled. Peter was afraid and didn’t want to risk his life.
Betrayal is perhaps the worst of all relational experiences. Good relationships, true friendships, healthy marriages, even whole societies are held together by the glue that is trust. Trust requires time, investment, testing. Betrayal takes mere moments. Sustaining relationships requires intentional work over long durations. Breaking them can occur in an instant.
Accused about being one of Jesus’ followers, Peter was forced to address the accusation. You can imagine the nervous moments between being accused and finally his response of denial: I do not know Him. Three times Peter denied knowing Jesus, as he fearfully maneuvered amongst the crowds in the hours following the Last Supper. He had been trying both to keep an eye on the proceedings concerning Jesus, all while also trying to remain unnoticed by those who might recognize him. But he failed, his attempts at hiding in plain sight were foiled. Then the rooster crowed, and Jesus’ words that had predicted Peter’s denials suddenly came rushing in like an avalanche upon his conscience.
We’ve all been there when our conscience came calling, especially as children—caught red-handed, the facts in favor of the accuser, only for us to deny the truth about our wrongness. The voice of our conscience sometimes takes the form of our parents’ or grandparents’ voice. Perhaps in realizing his betrayal, Peter’s conscience sounded like the voice of his Friend, Jesus.
Peter carried the guilt and shame from these moments into the next few weeks. When Jesus showed up to those gathering behind locked doors in an upper room, you have to wonder if Peter was a little nervous. Would Jesus confront him? Would this be his comeuppance? But Jesus didn’t challenge Peter that day. Instead, He told all of His gathered disciples, “Peace be with you.”
Jesus is gentle when He finally confronts Peter that morning on the Galilee seashore just after the miraculous catch of fish. He doesn’t come right out and name what Peter has done. He knows that Peter knows. So He simply asks him three times, “Do you love Me?” And Peter responds affirmatively three times. “Yes, Lord. You know I love You.” Then gently, ever so gently, Jesus responds to Peter not just with forgiveness, but with restoration to the calling he laid on Peter’s life when He said to him, “You are Peter, and on this Rock I will build My church.” Indeed, Peter would go on to be that very rock, building the church by proclaiming the Gospel, first with the Jews and then later with Gentiles.
His first sermon, which is recorded in Acts 2, is a testimony to what can happen to a restored life. Forgiveness for Peter wasn’t a reset switch. Jesus didn’t somehow erase his past betrayal. The same Peter who betrayed his Lord called upon those who shouted “crucify Him!” to repent for killing the very One under whose feet God had now put all authority on heaven and earth. He could call upon them to repent, believe, and be baptized only because he first experienced that same redemption, a redemption he offered to that Pentecost crowd in Jesus’ Name.
Through his message, another vibe shift happened. Those who heard the message, the same ones who welcomed Jesus on Palm Sunday, who then shouted “crucify Him” later that week, now at Pentecost asked Peter what they could do to be saved. He told them, repent, and be baptized, every one of you. For this promise is for you and your children. And moved by the Holy Spirit, many of them did. Roughly 3,000 souls were added to the Kingdom that day. This was the very beginning of the early church, whose saving message of Jesus has been passed down to us today. It all started with Peter.
Peter had been restored, and so he could offer restoration in Jesus’ Name to others. What does restoration, like Peter experienced, feel like?
The writer David Brooks tells a story saying, “Perhaps you know the story that is sometimes told of Jennie Jerome, who later became Winston Churchill’s mother. It’s said that when she was young, she dined with the British statesman William Gladstone and left thinking he was the cleverest person in England. Later, she dined with Gladstone’s great rival, Benjamin Disraeli, and left that dinner thinking she was the cleverest person in England.” David Brooks concludes: “It’s nice to be like Gladstone, but it’s better to be like Disraeli.”
Brooks calls someone like Disraeli an “illuminator.” “Illuminators,” he says, “have a persistent curiosity about other people. They have been trained or have trained themselves in the craft of understanding others. They know what to look for and how to ask the right questions at the right time. They shine the brightness of their care on people and make them feel bigger, deeper, respected, lit up.”
Jesus is an Illuminator. Indeed, He is the very light of the world who banishes every form of darkness. As an illuminator, Jesus sees us fully, and He sees so much more of us that we actually notice or sometimes want to be seen. We often project versions of ourselves that we think people will like. We hide versions of ourselves that we think are weird, or most especially, that we’re ashamed of. Frankly, we often pretend that no such parts of us exist. All of this, because we have a deep fear of rejection.
When the light of Jesus appears, we know the truth about us cannot remain hidden. But that doesn’t mean we don’t still try to conceal it. We too have betrayed our Lord. We’ve done so a thousand times.
As with Peter, Jesus confronts us all gently, asking us along with him, “Do you love Me?” Our answers might range from confident and forthright, to hesitant, fearful, and filled with shame or doubt. We might find ourselves mimicking Peter’s words, assuming there is only one right answer to give to the Lord of the Universe. “Of course I love You.” Or we might be hesitant, “I want to love You, but I’m obviously not doing a very good job.” Or perhaps we respond saying, “Of course, Lord, I want to love You, but I don’t know how. I don’t know if my faith is strong enough. In fact, I don’t really know if You’re there at all.”
With as much gentleness as He confronts us, Jesus also gently responds to all of us who fall along the range of these answers. He restores us, however lowly we all are, to the ongoing role of servants in His kingdom, receivers of His good work in us that we’re called constantly to be witnesses of before others. It’s through us that people might meet this same Jesus, just as they did through Peter on Pentecost.
And while none of us might feel worthy of the task, knowing that our betrayals of Jesus are a daily struggle, the truth of our restoration is as St. Paul says in his First Letter to the Corinthians: “God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”
Jesus is an illuminator. He’s gently restored us all. Now He sends us, His restored one, out into the world where others try to hide from Him. We are the vessels who carry the light of His restorative, forgiving goodness. May they meet this Jesus in us. God grants this to us, because of His Son. Amen.
Reflections for June 7, 2026
Title: Peter’s Restoration–and OursMark Eischer: Now here’s Lutheran Hour Speaker Michael Zeigler with our guest, Pastor Chad Lakies.
Mike Zeigler: Thank you, Mark. Today I get to visit with Dr. Chad Lakies, who was our guest preacher today, whom you just heard. Thanks for sticking around to talk with us, Chad.
Chad Lakies: Oh, happy to be here, Mike.
Mike Zeigler: So Chad, your sermon brought up a memory for me, specifically the text that you were talking about. Last November, I was doing a prayer retreat and part of the retreat I was walking on a hiking path about a half an hour south of St. Louis and I was practicing listening for God’s voice, whatever that means. “Lord, what do You want me to do next?” Kind of looking forward into the next season. The verse which I had not read in more than a year that came to mind, that felt like Jesus was speaking to me, was this one from John 21, “Feed My sheep.” And it was a very powerful confirmation of, “Just keep doing what I’ve trained you to do,” kind of like what Jesus said to Peter. And then five minutes later, I round the corner on this path and I’m like, waiting. Maybe I’m going to see an angel or something who’s going to be standing there with a sword of fire and confirm this for me. But instead there was a young man, probably in his 30s, who was sitting on the hiking trail with his dogs. [I] struck up a conversation with him and told him I was out here on a prayer retreat and asked him if there was anything I could pray for him about. And he shared a deep burden with me, complete stranger, just met him, with something going on in his family. So I just said, “Okay, I’ll pray for you on the rest of my walk.” But again, just the way God works is pretty amazing, sometimes the way He confirms us. So, do you have any kind of confirmation that, “Yes, Chad, just keep doing what I trained you to do. Feed my sheep.”
Chad Lakies: I get it when I’m out presenting for LHM and so on. It’s a fulfilling thing for me to do. I think God made me to be a teacher and a presenter. When you asked me to come and do the Lutheran Hour sermon again, that’s God speaking through you that what I have to offer and the way I think about things and come at things is something that He wants to use for other people. I used to be an unbeliever and I wanted God to speak in an audible voice too, or write it on the wall, write something extraordinary. I was just introduced to Jesus through people. That’s something that always sticks out to me and that part of my story kind of always is coming through whatever work I’m doing, whether it’s a sermon or presentations or just one-on-one sort of stuff, right?
I think God has chosen the most mundane way of getting the Gospel out, and that’s using all of us frail, feeble, weak, fickle creatures to spread His Word and share His Good News. And every single listener who knows Jesus met him through somebody else, same as me, same as you, right? And that’s just how the Kingdom continues and how it grows. I’m part of that. That’s a really moving thing for me to just constantly remember.
Mike Zeigler: We love to talk about nuts and bolts of how to do this. And we have this resource called the Spiritual Conversation Curve that you can find online at lhm.org. How is that method or model of having a spiritual conversation, a way of putting into practice what Jesus is calling us to do, to take care of His sheep, to be the kind of people through whom others can meet Him?
Chad Lakies: It’s this really interesting research-based tool that’s simple. It takes for granted that God has made us as people who know how to have friendships and build relationships of trust. It takes for granted that we are people who have the God-given gift of empathy and the ability to discern and understand another person. And it simply says you need to take every relationship that you have with somebody and treat it in a concrete way. It’s a unique situation and Gospel proclamation has to be woven into the story of that person’s life, their experience, their background, where they might be coming from. And we’d simply talk about that as someone’s spiritual posture. You might meet someone who’s at a certain time in life unreceptive to the Gospel. But over that period of time, you’re trying to build a relationship with them, gain a hearing. You’re praying for that particular thing that you would simply be able to become a trusted friend through whom at some point the Spirit may work and move you to share Jesus with them.
And who knows? God may work through that relationship and you may see them come around to be someone that we would call receptive, who’s willing to hear about Jesus, hear about the church, hear about the Bible, but even more maybe willing to hear how Jesus is for them—His actual good news for them. Those are important, but that next step of how He’s also for them is a critical turning point in sharing the Gospel. And then you might be able to be with them on this adventure as they’re really kind of considering it, and the Spirit is tilling the soil of their heart and He’s brought you along to maybe water it in certain ways, or maybe somebody else has been working in their life. Our research says that it’s usually for people who convert as adults up to 10 other Christians who have made an impact on those people.
Where you are in that story, I don’t know. But we’re just trying to help you be prepared. So, as someone is maybe really considering becoming a part of the church, really following Jesus, and the Spirit is moving and motivating them in that way, they may have questions and you want to guide them toward faith and you want to answer them well; you want to help them understand the costs and benefits of following Jesus, right? He calls us to die to ourselves, but He offers us this gift of being part of this great grand story of God’s redemption of the world, His care for all creation, and our callings and vocations. And those are ways of talking about those things. There’s prayer that’s all along the way, and we just try to help people understand that being able to share Jesus isn’t something where you’ve got to close the deal at the end of the conversation.
It isn’t about being a real estate agent and setting up an adult Baptism in next Sunday’s church service or getting somebody enrolled in the new membership class that’s happening at your congregation. The goal is to serve as the Spirit calls you in that particular moment in a person’s life and to be able to respond well. We’re just trying to help you discern when those moments might be through the tool and then equip you to act in ways that fit those moments and that are prayerfully supported.
Mike Zeigler: Thank you so much for joining us today.
Chad Lakies: Thanks for having me, Mike.
Music Selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arr. Peter Prochnow. Used by permission.
“Crucifer” by Sydney H. Nicholson, arr. Peter Prochnow. Used by permission.
“New Songs of Celebration Render” by Erik Routley, arr. Kevin Hildebrand. From Hymns for All Saints: Psalms, Hymns, Spiritual Songs (© 2007 Concordia Publishing House) Used by permission.
“Feed My Lambs, Feed My Sheep” by Ralph C. Schultz. (© 2004 Concordia Publishing House) Used by permission.
“Let Me Be Thine Forever” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House) Used by permission.