The Chosen Key Word in this Chapter is “Feed” it comes from the Greek Word “bosko” which means “to feed, to tend.”
By a familiar lake, Jesus gives Peter three chances to undo his three denials. Welcome to Bible Life Basics Chapter Reviews, I am Chris and this is John 21.
Several disciples, including Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, and John, go fishing on the Sea of Tiberias but catch nothing all night. As morning breaks, Jesus stands on the shore, though the disciples do not recognize Him, and tells them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. The resulting catch is so enormous, 153 large fish, that they cannot haul it in. John recognizes Him first, telling Peter, “It is the Lord,” and Peter immediately jumps into the water to reach Jesus, while the others bring the boat and net full of fish to shore, where Jesus has already prepared a fire with fish and bread for them.
After breakfast, Jesus asks Peter three times, “lovest thou me more than these?” and each time, after Peter affirms his love, Jesus responds with a commission, “Feed my lambs… Feed my sheep… Feed my sheep,” the Greek word for feed here being “bosko,” meaning to tend or nourish. This threefold questioning mirrors Peter’s earlier threefold denial, gently restoring him to full commission despite his failure. Jesus then predicts the manner of Peter’s eventual death, that he will one day stretch out his hands and be led where he does not wish to go, glorifying God through his own martyrdom, and simply tells him, “Follow me.”
When Peter asks about John’s future, Jesus responds that it is not Peter’s concern, giving rise to a rumor among the disciples that John would not die, though John clarifies that Jesus never actually said that, only, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” John closes his Gospel by affirming that he is the disciple who testified of these things and wrote them, and that Jesus did many other things as well, so many that the whole world could not contain the books that would be written if every one were recorded.
Jesus didn’t simply forgive Peter privately and move on. He restored him publicly, specifically, three times, directly addressing the exact number of Peter’s earlier denials. Full restoration after failure, this closing chapter shows, often looks like being recommissioned back into the very calling we were afraid we had disqualified ourselves from.
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