From Denial to Destiny: How Jesus Turned Peter’s Greatest Failure into His Greatest Calling

Day 209 of Courageous Faith by Pastor Allen Jackson

RESTORATION BUSINESS
Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more thos these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you” fesus soid.
“Feed my lambs.”
JOHN 21:15
For the last three years Peter had listened to Jesus teaching and seen and experienced His miracles, but in Jesus’ time of need he had denied Him three times. Now, when the resurrected Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love Me?” Peter replies, “Lord, You know I do.” “Feed my lambs,” Jesus tells him. A few days later, the Spirit of God is poured out in Jerusalem, and a crowd gathers to ask what is happening. Who steps forward? Peter, who says, “Let me tell you about Jesus, the Messiah.” The power of God can move through our lives, giving us a long resume of God-stories; but we can still need restoration. Those of us who have witnessed the power of God have been entrusted with greater opportunities and have greater responsibilities. But Jesus is in the business of restoring His people and using us to accomplish His purposes —not just in antiquity, but today.

• THINK ABOUT IT •
Is there a place where you need restoration? Take hope from Peters. story. Tell the Lord you love Him, and allow Him to pour out His Spirit to restore and empower you for the next part of your race. Your God-journey isn’t done yet.

God’s Restoration Business: The Story of Peter in John 21

The final chapter of John’s Gospel presents one of the most tender and profound scenes in all of Scripture. After the resurrection, Jesus meets his disciples by the Sea of Galilee for a breakfast that would forever change Simon Peter’s life. This encounter reveals a fundamental truth about God’s character: He is supremely in the restoration business.

The Setting: Back to Familiar Waters

Peter and six other disciples had returned to fishing, their old profession. Perhaps they were uncertain about their future, or maybe they needed to earn a living while processing the earth-shattering events of recent weeks. Regardless of their motives, they found themselves exactly where Jesus had first called them—by the water, with nets, doing what they knew best.

The scene is rich with symbolism. After a night of fruitless labor, they catch nothing. But when the risen Jesus appears on the shore and instructs them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat, they haul in a miraculous catch of 153 fish. This echoes their very first encounter with Jesus, when He transformed their understanding of what it meant to be “fishers of men.”

The Breakfast of Grace

What follows is perhaps the most intimate meal in the New Testament. Jesus has prepared breakfast for His weary disciples—bread and fish cooked over a charcoal fire. The charcoal fire is significant, as it was around a similar fire that Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times during the crucifixion. Now, Jesus creates a space for healing around another charcoal fire.

This wasn’t coincidental. Jesus, in His infinite wisdom and compassion, was setting the stage for Peter’s restoration. He was taking the very symbol of Peter’s failure and transforming it into the setting for his renewal.

The Three-fold Question: Undoing the Denial

The heart of this restoration comes in Jesus’ three-fold questioning of Peter: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Each question provides Peter an opportunity to affirm his love, effectively undoing his three denials. But this wasn’t mere symmetry—it was surgical precision in spiritual healing.

Notice that Jesus calls him “Simon, son of John,” using his original name rather than “Peter” (the rock). This gentle reminder of who Peter was before his failure suggests that Jesus was addressing the very core of his identity, not just his actions.

The progression of the questions is also significant. The first two times, Jesus uses the Greek word “agape” for love—the highest, most sacrificial form of love. Peter responds with “phileo”—brotherly, affectionate love. By the third question, Jesus meets Peter where he is, using “phileo” as well. This shows Jesus’ willingness to accept Peter’s honest offering of love, even if it wasn’t yet the perfect love Jesus deserved.

Commission Through Restoration

With each affirmation of love, Jesus gives Peter a commission: “Feed my lambs,” “Tend my sheep,” “Feed my sheep.” This is profound—Jesus doesn’t wait for Peter to prove himself worthy of ministry again. Instead, He restores Peter by immediately giving him meaningful work in the kingdom.

This reveals something beautiful about God’s restoration process. He doesn’t put us on probation after our failures. Instead, He often restores our sense of purpose and calling as part of the healing process. Peter’s identity as a shepherd of God’s people is reaffirmed at the very moment of his restoration.

Prophecy of Faithful Service

Jesus then prophesies about Peter’s future, indicating that he would eventually die a martyr’s death, glorifying God. The same Peter who had denied Jesus to save his own life would one day willingly give his life for the Gospel. This prophecy wasn’t a burden but a promise—God would complete the work of transformation He had begun.

The Restoration Business Model

This encounter reveals several key principles about how God operates in the restoration business:

**He creates safe spaces for healing.** Jesus didn’t confront Peter publicly or harshly. He created an intimate setting where restoration could happen naturally and lovingly.

**He addresses the root, not just the symptoms.** Jesus didn’t simply forgive Peter’s denial; He dealt with the underlying issues of identity and calling that led to the failure in the first place.

**He offers multiple opportunities for restoration.** The three questions weren’t overkill—they were necessary for complete healing. God is patient with our process of restoration.

**He restores purpose along with relationship.** Peter wasn’t just forgiven; he was recommissioned. God’s restoration doesn’t just heal the past—it empowers the future.

**He transforms our greatest failures into our greatest strengths.** Peter’s understanding of failure and forgiveness would make him uniquely qualified to shepherd others who had fallen and needed restoration.

The Ongoing Ministry of Restoration

Peter’s story didn’t end at the breakfast by the sea. Church history tells us that he indeed became a bold leader of the early church, ultimately dying as a martyr in Rome. The restoration Jesus accomplished that morning bore fruit for decades to come and continues to inspire believers today.

More importantly, Peter’s experience demonstrates that no failure is final with God. The same divine power that raised Jesus from the dead is