After the Lord Jesus was risen from the dead Peter and the other disciples had to learn to follow Him in a new way. Before He died on the cross they could see Him all the time, but now they only saw Him when He showed Himself to them, and very soon He was going up into heaven and they would only see Him by the eye of faith; but they must still follow Him.
One day, it was after they had gone back to Galilee, Simon Peter said to his fellow disciples, “I go a fishing.”
They answered, “We also go with thee.”
They did not stop to ask themselves whether they would be following Jesus by going. They went out and got into a boat at once. It may have been Peter’s own boat, or it may have been the one that James and John went fishing in with their father before Jesus called them to follow Him. They went on board, Simon Peter, and Thomas, and Nathanael, and James and John, and two others — seven of them. “And that night they caught nothing.”
When morning was come Jesus stood on the shore, but they did not know that it was Jesus. He said to them, “Children, have ye any meat?”
They answered, “No.”
Jesus said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find.”
When they did this the net was filled so full of fishes that they could not pull it in. Then John knew who it was standing on the shore, he said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
Peter did not wait for another word; he had taken off his fisherman’s coat while they had been at work, but now he wrapped it round him, and flung himself into the sea to go to Jesus, while the others followed in the boat, dragging the net and fishes along with them.
When they got to shore they found a fire of coals and fish laid on it, and bread, and Jesus said to them, “Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.”
Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land full of great fishes, a hundred and fifty-three of them, and yet the net was not broken.
Jesus said to them, “Come and dine.”
Instead of going home hungry and tired they found they were to be His guests, and not one among them dared to say to Him, “Who art thou?” because they knew it was the Lord. And then Jesus came and waited on them; He took bread and gave it to them, and He gave them fish.
“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs.”
“He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My sheep.”
“He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, Lovest thou Me? And he said unto Him, Lord, Thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love Thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed My sheep.”
Yes, Jesus knew that Peter truly loved Him, and even as it had grieved His heart to hear Peter’s denial three times over, so now it was sweet to Him to hear his humble avowal of love. It cost Peter a lot to have to make it there in the presence of all the others, and three times over; but how worth while it was, to know that Jesus trusted him, trusted him with the charge of the lambs and sheep of the flock, those sheep that were so precious to Him that He laid down His life for them.
Peter had seen Jesus hang in suffering on the cross, and he knew a little bit how precious the sheep were to the good Shepherd. He never forgot the charge given to him, and he never forgot that Jesus Himself is the chief Shepherd, and that he, Peter, was only an under-shepherd. Years afterwards, when he was an old man, he wrote a letter in which he reminded the other under-shepherds that they must feed God’s flock; and then he told them of the bright crown, the crown of glory that will never fade, which they will receive from the chief Shepherd when He comes in His glory.