As Peter was fishing on the boat, something amazing happened.
“Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered. He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, ‘It is the Lord,’ he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water” (John 21:4-8).
In the middle of Peter’s guilt trip, he hears the voice of Jesus and jumps in the water to swim to Him. The picture is that he couldn’t get to Jesus fast enough.
When you feel an overwhelming self-condemnation about anything, whatever it is, don’t buy the lie that you can’t go to God, that He won’t accept you, or that He’s just waiting to punish you.
Like Peter’s jump into the water, get to Jesus as quick as you can. Run to the mercy seat!
“Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy and we will find grace to help us when we need it most!” (Hebrews 4:16).
The Blessing of the Charcoal Fire
“When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread” (John 21:9).
There is another place in Scripture where it makes reference to a charcoal fire – when Peter was standing outside of Caiaphas’ courtyard warming himself alongside the enemies of Jesus, and then denying Him.
The first time Peter looked through a charcoal fire at Jesus, he experienced the sinking shame of guilt. But this time, as he looked through a charcoal fire at Jesus, he would experience the freedom of His forgiveness.
“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘You know that I love you’” (John 21:15).
And then two more times He asks him: Peter, do you love me? And each time Peter says, “Yes.”
Why three times? Because Peter denied Him three times. Jesus was completely wiping his sin away, destroying the evidence against him.
This was the resurrected Christ who was speaking to Peter, Who had just conquered the cross and had risen from the dead. He let Peter know what had just been accomplished on the cross, that He had paid the price for Peter’s sin of denial. What Peter had done was forever erased by what Jesus had done. Friends, that’s the mercy and forgiveness of our God!
“He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14).
He has cancelled our sins, past, present and future, and in order to forgive ourselves we must accept what He has done!
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