The Gospel and Baseball

15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John,[g] do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Feed my lambs,” he told him.

16 A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Shepherd my sheep,” he told him.

17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” “Feed my sheep,” Jesus said.

18 “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”
In this memorable interaction between Peter and Jesus, we see a moment of restoration. It is not random that Jesus asks Peter three times the question: “Do you love me?”

The scene is set up with a crucial detail that might at first look like a throw away detail…

John 21:9 (CSB) When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there.

When was the last time Peter was keeping warm by a charcoal fire? You can find it in John 18, when Jesus was on trial. Peter was watching and keeping warm by a charcoal fire. Peter would smell this charcoal fire on the shore and reminisce of just days prior when he did the unthinkable: denying his Lord… THREE TIMES!

I’m sure he asked himself thousands of times: “Why did I do that?” He was afraid. But who wouldn’t be? That was a terrifying situation. Jesus was unjustly arrested, brutally beaten, and soon to be condemned to die the horrifying death on the cross. Peter was in shock and self-preservation mode!

So, the resurrection of Jesus brought Peter the ultimate cocktail of feelings as he had to face the fact that he was not much better than Judas. Judas may have betrayed Jesus, but Peter denied him and abandoned him during his hour of greatest trial.